DrunkDuck.com founder and administrator Dylan "Volte6" Squires announced yesterday at the DrunkDuck forums that he has left Platinum Studios to pursue new opportunities. I caught up with Squires via email to fill out the story.
You announced yesterday at the DrunkDuck forums that "a short while ago I left Platinum Studios to pursue new opportunities. DrunkDuck has been great, and I hope under Platinum’s guidance it continues to grow and prosper." What made you decide to leave not only Platinum but essentially DrunkDuck, a site you started yourself.
I’ve worked on DrunkDuck in some capacity for 6 years now… that’s a long freaking time. Over the years there were many ups and downs with the site, and a lot of learning. But after a while it just starts to feel like the same old grind… you start to feel stagnant, like the magic is gone. I have a lot of ambition, ideas, and opportunity on the horizon, and at some point this monkey has to just let go of the vine to keep on swinging.
What are you immediate plans now that you’re not working on DrunkDuck?
I’ve taken over as Director of a new start up web endevor. As for my other projects they include:
- MrTiki.com – A browser based MMO – similar to neopets, I suppose. You play games, buy items, battle, that sorta thing.
- BBMMO.com – A browser based MMO review site. If you like playing games via your browser, this site (just launched) is quickly building an index of reviews, user opinions etc… we tried to build in some game elements into a community… it’s interesting.
I have about 3 other similarly themed sites… to be released soon… essentially building a network. As you can see, i’m into games.
Can you work on other webcomic projects now?
I’m not… sure. I’d probably take the cautious point of view and assume the sale contract includes a provision that prevents me from leaving drunkduck and starting something competing with it. If I, in my non-existant legal knowledge would put something like that in, i’m sure Platinum would as well.
When did you start DrunkDuck and how long did you run it yourself before the deal with Platinum?
I started DrunkDuck in late 2002. I ran it alone until mid 2006, when Platinum got involved. Platinum really did a lot to enhance the DrunkDuck experience. They put a lot of money and resources into making it bigger – and it grew much more rapidly as a result than it ever did under my ownership.
How was the experience working with Platinum and their ownership of DrunkDuck?
Platinum Studios was great. The people there are all great people… I don’t think I can point out a single person that I could even describe as so much as snarky. It’s a group of people with a lot of ambition and dedication to break into a competitive space. They are a lot of people who behind all of the corporate crap that’s required of a publically traded company, care about everyone they are involved with. There are a lot of big hearts at Platinum, It’s just unfortunate that nobody runs expose’s on some VP losing sleep over how to keep a creator happy, or the eternal struggle of an Executive trying to keep both share holders AND a cynical group of creators happy. (and I loves ya all, creators, but you’re cynical bastards! )
Who will be running DrunkDuck for Platinum now that you’ve moved on?
An old friend of mine, Jason Leon, will be running the site (mrdweedles on DrunkDuck). He and I have a looong history of working together on web projects. He even got me my first job as a professional programmer. Jason isn’t a developer, but he’s a smart guy, and knows how to keep the books in order and everything running lean and clean. It could be the one thing DrunkDuck needed all along.
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