I've been thinking for several days about how to write this post. This site has been a substantial part of my life for over 7 years and as I look back on that, it's hard for me to sum up that time in a simple blob of text. But, for the sake of everybody's sanity, and to go easy on those prone to seizures, I've decided to forego the animated gifs I had planned and do the written word thing instead. And doing it this very moment allows me to steal Stylsy's thunder one last time. Huzzah!
First, let's get it right out of the way: Yes, I'm leaving Ritualistic, as well as Ritual Entertainment. Now, if you're hoping to bust out some popcorn in anticipation of a juicy story buried in a giant pile of dirty laundry, I'm sorry to disappoint. But let me try and explain the how's and why's anyway.
Ritual went through some pretty substantial transformations in recent months, stepping away from the kind of material that intially drew me to the company. I have no doubt that the games we'll see coming out of Ritual in the future will be twisted and put a few new spins on established conventions, but I had a hard time settling into this new world order.
A couple of weeks ago, another studio contacted me and asked if I was interested to shake multiplayer things asymmetrically, and as I reflected on that opportunity and the possibilities it was going to offer me, both personally and professionally, it was just too good a fit to pass up.
So, long story short, it's not you, it's me. Or something.
As for Ritualistic, this site is coming up on its 10 year anniversary and it makes me incredibly proud to see it reach that milestone. Other fansites have come and gone, but this one's stuck around. Sure, it's had its up and downs, as did Ritual, but overall I look back on those seven years with satisfaction and enjoyment. Ritual made some cool games during my time here and the community has always been great. We've had some colorful personalities stop by the boards and I met a lot of cool people and great new friends, including the Englishman below who really doesn't know wtf when it comes to livestock.
We've also had a lot of very dedicated staff members over the years who really helped turn this place into what it is. These guys don't get anywhere near enough credit, so I want to extend a huge "Thank You" to everybody who has invested their spare time into this site. I'm passing the torch on to two of them today - LeftE and Scarcrux - and they will continue to cover all things Ritual Entertainment and abuse people in the forums by giving them ridiculous titles and randomly deleting posts.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank the guys at Ritual. People like to throw "they're an incredible bunch of people" around while not really meaning it, but these guys really are incredible. Ritual was a fantastic and fun place to work at and I have nothing but fond memories. And though it's not always evident, they do read the boards very regularly to see what's going on in the community and what you guys are up to. So behave, you're being watched!@#
Anyhow, time to wrap this puppy up. Gentlemen, it's been an honor. I'll see you around.
