Fallen Earth: Meet The Dev "Circatrix"

In this week's Developer Interview series, meet Fallen Earth's product manager Jessica "Circatrix" Orr, otherwise known as the "marketing chick":

Alias/Forum Name: Circatrix

Title / Position at Fallen Earth: Product Manager (marketing chick)

What games have you played and worked on?

I'll play whatever my 9 year old brother wants me to play. Fallen Earth is the first game I've worked on.

How long have you been working on Fallen Earth?

Since August 2008.

How did you get involved with your job position?

I have been working in marketing in some capacity for several years, but wanted to do something that would allow me to be around creative people that have a passion for what they do (in a place where I could wear jeans every day).

What type of college courses or schooling did you have to prepare you for your position at Fallen Earth?

I have BAs in Art&Design and English from N.C. State University, but my practical work experience probably benefited me most.

What in particular inspired you to work in the gaming industry?

It's fun and I get to work with a ton of crazy good designers. Plus, I like being able to see tangible results after a day's work and knowing that I'm making a difference on a real product.

What games stand out in your memory for positive reasons?

I laugh about it now, but I wanted my cousin's (original) Nintendo so bad. And when I finally got my own, I would sneak to stay up and play late at night while my parents were asleep.

What advice would you give to budding games / software developers?

If you want to do something, don't give up on it. Have passion and be a bulldog. Dreamers can think about what they want all day, but go-getters make it happen.

On an average day, what do you do at Fallen Earth?

One could best describe it as spinning plates in the circus. So many things are going at a time that you have to have a lot of concentration. I work with a PR team, a media planning group, a community team and all the guys in house that work on production and design. I provide oversight for our marketing projects, but also make sure that all of these teams have what they need to keep pushing forward. Lots of emails, Excel and reviewing assets and editorial.

What is your favorite:

-Game: Fallen Earth. Duh.
-Book: Don't have one, but recently read Proust was a Neuroscientist and liked it a lot.
-Song: Don't have one. Playlist is currently comprised of Bob Marley, Death Cab for Cutie, Feist, Gypsy Kings, Her Space Holiday, Chris Brown, Jack Johnson, Cary Brothers, John Butler Trio, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, and surprisingly, even a little Jonas Brothers. (I know.)
-Season: All of them equally, but celebrated in their most extreme forms. So winter should be cold with a lot of snow, while summer is best spent in a tropical locale.
-Past time: Reading, making jewelry, cooking, traveling, and arts events.
-Drink: Orange juice. I usually have at least a gallon in my fridge.
-Color: Orange. Although as part of the Wolfpack, I am partial to some red.
-Food: I'm kind of a foodie. I love to cook and bake. And I'm addicted to reading about the history of food. Next on the reading list is Omnivore's Dilemma. Since it's cold out, I could really go for pot roast with mashed potatoes. And hot fudge cake for dessert.
-PnP: Can't sit still long enough for that...
-Faction: Techs. Anything shiny or gadgety draws my attention. And if it knows how to talk to another gadget, even better.

Do you:

-roleplay? Nope.
-have any pets? A terrier mutt, Josie.
-like beer or wine? White wines over reds. And I don't mind tipping back some Blanche de Bruxelles either...
-like coffee or tea? Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon. Skim milk and sugar with both, please.
-like cake or pie? Definitely cake. (Although it's a lie, it tastes SO good.)
-Coke or Pepsi? What? Mountain Dew. If no Dew, Coke will do.
-Pizza or Hamburgers? Barbecue Chicken Pizza.
-Chocolate or Ice Cream? Chocolate. Or Sorbetto.
-Boxers or Briefs? Neither, silly. Girls wear panties.
-Have you ever styled/had a mullet? No, but I definitely had a bowl haircut when I was four.

If you could have one wish what would it be?

I'm used to working for things. I don't think I have an answer... I'll default to "world peace."

Name one thing you would take to an abandoned island and why?

A yacht. (The kind Ilkor asked for would do nicely.)

Does the Landshark really exist? Other kids at school tell me it's a lie. Faith is believing in things unseen. Do you really need me to tell you?

Are you willing to be bribed for an alpha spot and what would it take? First, if I were willing to be bribed, I definitely wouldn't document it publicly. But in the hypothetical situation that someone were to offer me, well, a seaside villa in St. John and enough money to retire there, it would be awfully difficult to turn down...

Seems like the majority of the Fallen Earth developers fans of the Tech faction. Let's hope we won't face any faction favoritism when the game releases!

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