Vol.
2, Issue 3
November 22, 1999
Kicking
Back with a Bear
An
interview by Russell "RadPipe"
Lauzon
n
the fall of '98, Barrett Alexander quietly packed up his belongings
and slipped out the doors of id Software. It wouldn't be the last
time the ex-military turned-biz guy set foot in the big black
office building in Mesquite Texas, home of id, but it would be
the last time as an id employee. What is he up to now, and why
does he still work in the same building? Read on, dear gamer.
Your
departure from id Software was so quiet, I missed it. Why did
you leave and what have you been up to since?
Well,
to be completely honest, I was fired. I'm sure as hell man enough
to admit the truth, and I'm definitely not going to tell the public
anything but. We all make mistakes and I was terribly unhappy
and was unable to pursue new opportunities as much as I would
have liked. I suspect they saw the dramatic drop in my attitude
and thus my work and decided to let me go at that point. I'm really
glad they did. Aggressive people need to grow their responsibilities,
learn, advance, and are driven to achieve. When those opportunities
are unavailable, it's time for a change. My time had come.
I essentially
have been up to waiting for my dream job to come available, and
here I am.
A little
background: you were a marine once, a long time ago, and you've
also done a stint in computerized home security (or so I've been
told). What skills, that you've learned through these experiences
(or others), helps you most with your role as CEO?
This is
a great question. I'm very proud of having been a Marine, and
attribute a lot of my strength to such. Without a doubt, I would
have to say that my ability to not get 'rattled' under pressure
is the key to many business dealings. When things get hot, or
someone is putting pressure on you, it is great to be able to
say in your mind "I've been yelled at by the very best, and
you're not it!" - I am not intimidated by anyone in business.
I also
have a sense of knowing that there is nothing, other than myself,
that can inhibit me from accomplishing any goal I set for myself.
Does
it feel a little strange dealing with id Software from the opposite
view now? Do you feel that you have an inside track when you talk
to them?
I really
have had very few, if any, dealings with id since being at Rogue.
I feel
a little weird being down the hall from them, but as far as having
any advantage when talking to them, not really. I definitely know
why they do what they do, and I certainly know what to expect
and how I think they would react to certain situations. But, they're
still id Software, and that means they'll pretty much lead the
way in most situations, regardless of whether or not someone has
'the inside track'.
You
and [head of Rogue Entertainment] Jim Molinets have been friends
for a long time now. How did he approach you about working for
Rogue? (And why the heck did he take so long in offering you a
job?)
You are
correct, Jim and I, over the past few years, have become great
friends. Actually, we had discussed this opportunity many times.
Back then, however, Rogue was a very small tight group, unable
to accommodate new faces. I think the experience I gained from
the time we first spoke about it, to the point at which I started
with Rogue was absolutely invaluable (which by the way was part
time from my house in December of '98). I worked in numerous business
situations at id and especially after leaving id, that contributed
to my overall experience level and also granted me the opportunity
to see if business was truly the direction I wanted to take in
my career. I must admit that being Rogue's 'Biz Guy', is unequivocally,
where I want to be, doing what I want to do. So it really was
all a matter of timing.