GameReplays: As a former staffer at GameReplays, how do you think your experience managing and producing content here helped you move towards were you now are? Perhaps some of our readers would like to go into the game industry. Would you recommend they sign up to help at GameReplays or similar sites in order to reach this goal?
Kevin 'Karune' Yu: Yes, definitely. Even as we speak, there are job openings in the community department for Blizzard, and I know when I review resumes, I am looking for relevant experience in the field that they want to enter. For me personally, I am looking for people who are following their passions, contributing to those communities and interests in innovative ways. Everything about the internet is still so new. The one rule about the net is there are no rules. Whatever your passion is, be confident in yourself to follow them, even if the next step on that path may not be completely clear. If you keep following, another step will present itself, and it is your job now to take it.
Gamereplays is an excellent site to start getting involved in the community, as are many of the community sites out there that offer opportunities to the fans. I believe finding a site that matches your interests is the most important thing to look for. Find a place that you can see yourself excelling at.
GameReplays: I must say it's quite impressive that your second job in the industry is at Blizzard. Of course, I'm sure GameReplays helped! We have had a number of our former staffers go into the industry.
Let's move onto everyone's favorite subject,
Starcraft 2! You've been with Blizzard since the announcement, and certainly you have had a birds eye-view of how development on
Starcraft 2 is progressing. In what ways has
Starcraft 2 changed since you joined Blizzard?
Kevin 'Karune' Yu: Blizzard has always been a company which values community as a high priority. I am the one who is fortunate to be able to build upon that reputation.
StarCraft 2 has always had plans to integrate the community closer with the title. I believe my job has been to further build upon that idea of community interaction, empowering the community with tools and opportunities to grow and build their own identities, as well as implement new ideas that I feel could build a closer relationship with the community and the developers.
