SEGA Blog | So you want to work at SEGA? (Epilogue)

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	Friday Jun 27, 2014 So you want to work at SEGA? (Epilogue) The following blog was written by Aaron Webber, aka RubyEclipse. ——————————— I rode the elevator up to the lobby that morning, the same as I had all six years prior. I smiled at the SEGA lettering behind the reception desk, at the Sonic statue sitting there, and at the monitors displaying the video game trailer our team had created just months before. That morning, I walked in through different doors – ones that that led away from my desk. This side of the building had just been renovated to a lounge, and it was next to Legal and HR. I thought quietly about the Green Hill Desk which had been torn down to make way for that lounge, and was filled with nostalgia about both people and a time that had long since moved on. That was four years ago, I realized. My heart was beating a little faster now, as I walked into the room of the HR director. I’d been debating this moment for an entire month, and even now I was a little unsure if the time was right. After a smile and a few pleasantries, the heart of the matter arrived. They were some of the hardest words I had ever had to say to anyone at SEGA, but I knew that today I had to face them: “I think it’s time for me to put in my two weeks,” I said. — I started at SEGA when I was 19. I had a big dream, and lots of passion, and spent way too much time playing SEGA games. It was thanks to this combination, but particularly that passion, that new doors began to open. I was given the chance to leave my entire life behind me to work at SEGA, living in San Francisco. Without even knowing where I would stay or if I could make ends meet, I said yes. I left everything – my family, my friends, and perhaps some rational thinking – behind me in order to pursue that dream. In hindsight, it was one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life. I still can’t believe how surreal it has been. To go from being a fan to representing the fans, to representing SEGA – and now, with my final day on the horizon, I find myself filled with a desire to write one more journal in this series. A snapshot of my life at this exact moment, and a message of encouragement to all of you out there who seek to live for your dreams, too. Thank you all, as fans and as friends, for always being so supportive. Meeting you at conventions, greeting those of you who came to our lobby, and seeing you at events like Sonic Boom were the moments that rejuvenated every aspect of the job for me. I posted your fan art at my desk and read each letter with a warm smile, happy to know people out there really cared. I’m humbled and honored to know each and every one of you. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll state it one more time: Never give up on your own dreams. (Far too many people in this world do.) It was Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist that initially spurred me to send in my resume to SEGA years ahead of schedule, and I recommend the book to anyone out there who has an evening or two to read it. Finally, it’s important to remember one’s roots: A huge thank you to Julian who believed in one of his moderators enough to interview him, and then offer him a job. My life would have taken such a different turn if not for that, and I’m eternally grateful. Each of you reading this from SEGA: thank you all for making my six years here so wonderful, and full of so many amazing memories. I will always look back fondly upon my time here. I know you all will do wonderful things in the future, and I can’t wait to see what it holds. To all of the fans out there: I’m sorry I couldn’t stick around longer. Sometimes, we know when it’s time to move on – and that day finally arrived for me. Against all logic and sane thinking (once again), it’s time to follow my dreams in a new direction entirely, this time outside of the industry. But, before I do that, I’d like to announce an all-new-possibly-fictional SEGA game, releasing in 2025 exclusively on the Game Gear Mark IV: Take care, everyone, and thank you all, once more. – Aaron aka RubyEclipse – Aaron Posted by Julian in SEGA on 12:04:28PM Jun 27, 2014


	41 Responses to “ So you want to work at SEGA? (Epilogue) ” Comment # 1 Best wishes and here’s to the future! Posted by rogXue on June 27th, 2014 at 12:11 pm Comment # 2 Ah man, what a bummer. But it’s also a new opportunity for Aaron and with any luck, we’ll hear what that is soon. Thanks for all you’ve done for the Sonic fanbase, the PSO fanbase, and for SEGA as a whole! Posted by happyaggro on June 27th, 2014 at 12:13 pm Comment # 3 You’re a hero, man. Keep going non-stop like you always have. Posted by Cody Collins "Azoo" on June 27th, 2014 at 12:16 pm Comment # 4 Good work at SEGA America. I am the guy who daw you at Boom. I thought you were the president of SEGA. best of luck. Posted by Sonicman on June 27th, 2014 at 12:17 pm Comment # 5 I’m happy that you at least take your experience working in the industry, and your past experiences all into one positive bag and walk off with that. I’m very sad on my end because I personally wanted to thank you at Anime Expo for all the work you’ve put into bringing over Project DIVA. I’m sure you’ve been behind many other projects that I never had the chance to know you were behind, but I guess this is the one and only chance I’ll get to say it: Thank you Aaron. Thank you for your hard work, thank you for the stress you undertook to promote fan-fueled games, and thank you for always working hard at events like E3 and conventions alike. It might not be in person, but I’ll consider this comment my personal handshake with you. I wish you the best of luck and that you continue to be successful. Posted by Samuel Saavedra on June 27th, 2014 at 12:17 pm Comment # 6 It’s so sad to hear you go, Aaron. I’m so fortunate to have gotten to you at Momocon in Atlanta. Your story at the panel truly inspired me to stick to my dream at working at SEGA and beyond. Whenever I reach my goal, I’ll be sending you a thank you letter for your encouraging words. Best of luck to you man and Godspeed. Posted by Justin Blocker on June 27th, 2014 at 12:18 pm Comment # 7 I first ran into you at the J-Pop festival (demoing Sonic 4 Episode 1) and have followed you around since, snapping a picture whenever I could, be it at Sonic Boom or Comic-Con.. I can’t think of a nicer more pleasant representative of a company who has done so much work for fans. Best of luck for your future endeavors and I think I speak for all SEGA fans when I say you’ll be missed Posted by Jix Hedgehog on June 27th, 2014 at 12:28 pm Comment # 8 After all of that pie you made him eat! Best of luck in the future. Posted by TurkReno on June 27th, 2014 at 12:28 pm Comment # 9 I’m gonna miss you, guy! Posted by Jax on June 27th, 2014 at 12:36 pm Comment # 10 This news makes me totally sad, Ruby! You have done so much for the SEGA community. Not just Sonic, but all kinds of different games. You helped keep the hope alive and are a big reason that I’m still a SEGA fan right now. I understand though that we do need to move on and follow our dreams. It’s not good to get complacent. It is said that taking risks is the only way to get places in life, and well, I think you are definitely proof of that. Thank you for everything you have done. So, continue being awesome. You will accomplish great things. You are an inspiration to everyone! =D Posted by prowlingNeko on June 27th, 2014 at 12:38 pm Comment # 11 First of, best of luck on your new endeavors. I’m sure you’ll be great at whatever job lies ahead of you. That said, I’m gonna miss the heck out of you. When I first started reporting for TSS and Segabits, you were the first Sega community member I talked to. You were always very warm and friendly and did a fantastic job of hyping any game you were promoting at the time. I remember giving you a bear hug one E3 and I don’t give hugs to ANYBODY. You’ve always had this way of being very approachable and patient no matter what the situation and I thank you for that. I also want to thank you for attending Sonic Revolution. It was such a small event, but you and Stephen took the time out of your busy schedule to come by and do a Q&A and stayed for the whole thing. I definitely gonna miss meeting you again, but I know that great things lie ahead for you in the future. I want to leave you with these final words…. When the heck is PSO2 coming to the states?! XD Posted by Jason Berry on June 27th, 2014 at 12:51 pm Comment # 12 I never knew I would miss a man such as yourself this much until you left,but that’s fine.Whatever you decide to take on from now on always remember,there are hundreds of dozens of people who will always be wishing you the best of luck (most you probably never met to be honest but that doesn’t matter) me included.I have a large amount of respect for you for being able to manage the Sonic fanbase/fans cries and woes because we all know that isn’t easy (I’d even put that on my resume under “great accomplishments”).So please continue to Live and Learn from these experiences and heres to your future,best of good luck mate. Posted by Oken on June 27th, 2014 at 1:02 pm Comment # 13 Wow, I know exactly how this feels and I kind of hoped it would come later on with you because you’ve done so so much for both the franchises you work with and the fans. Always the fans. You’re a rare breed dude. Thank you so much for everything you done for the NiGHTS fanbase especially. I still remember walking back through the carpark with you in SanDiego… it’s a small world when it comes to people who care. I’m glad I got to know you and meet you. From a fan who also left SEGA (it was the hardest thing I ever had to do), time to make new dreams and put everything you’ve learnt into play. brofist If you ever need help with anything you know who to call. Thank you from the entire NiGHTS fanbase. Posted by TRiPPY on June 27th, 2014 at 1:07 pm Comment # 14 You were always the public face of Sonic for me over the years. I still remember so many of the interviews you had with the most ignorant of people, yet you handled them all so brilliantly. It’ll be a shame to see you go, but we wish you all the best. We’ll miss you! Posted by Theroonco on June 27th, 2014 at 1:17 pm Comment # 15 You will be missed Aaron! Good luck to you! Posted by Spearing on June 27th, 2014 at 1:23 pm Comment # 16 Sorry to see you go Hope you have better plans on the horizon! You’ll be missed Posted by Kolma on June 27th, 2014 at 1:30 pm Comment # 17 I met you at Sonic Boom 2013, and you were incredibly nice and very friendly! Thank you so much for everything you’ve done in the last 6 years and good luck in whatever you do next. Enjoy your future, it’s gonna be great! Posted by Jess on June 27th, 2014 at 1:37 pm Comment # 18 Here I was looking forward to see you at Sonic Boom… Will miss you Aaron Webber, this might sound cheesy (probably will) but you are my favorite staff member at Sega (US or otherwise) I remember being so happy seeing you in all these interviews. I wish you nothing but happiness and good luck. Sega wont be the same without you </3 Posted by SpiritOfTheBlue on June 27th, 2014 at 2:25 pm Comment # 19 I had the pleasure of meeting you at Sonic Revolution, Aaron. You are easily one of the most friendly, professional people I have ever met, and it feels really sad to see you go. I wish you the best of luck in your future travels. Whatever you move on to next, I know you’ll be fantastic for it. Posted by Tanner Bates on June 27th, 2014 at 2:38 pm Comment # 20 Farewell Aaron. I’m really gonna miss you. I remember first meeting you back when Sonic Colors was first shown at E3. You were incredibly friendly and approachable. You were more than just another PR guy, you were a fellow fan. You always treated fellow Sega fans with the utmost respect and warmth. I know you’ll succeed in whatever new venture awaits you. Best of luck. Posted by Jason Berry on June 27th, 2014 at 2:40 pm Comment # 21 Thank you for your hard work Ruby, I love how you always do it with enthusiasm, and how you explain to the people the sonic games with cool references of the older games. You’ll be missed, good luck in the future!! Posted by CRIS on June 27th, 2014 at 3:01 pm Comment # 22 I’ve said this in many online circles today, but for everyone here – Aaron is a very close friend of mine and will be missed here at SEGA. He’s done so much to inspire both fans as well as company employees with this passion for gaming, his knowledge of SEGA, and his can-do attitude. Aaron’s like the Vyse of SEGA, always looking on the bright side, and always leading he charge into the next battle. It’s these qualities that have earned him a spot on our team so many years ago, and are still inspiring us to this day. Good luck in your next adventure Aaron! Posted by Julian on June 27th, 2014 at 3:39 pm Comment # 23 Thank you for everything you’ve done at SEGA!! I want to thank you especially for helping to get Project Diva to be brought to the west! I think it’s really great that you replied to so many of the comments on the Project Diva announcement page! I don’t see that level of company interaction very often; you did a great job of being a representative of SEGA, and I’m sure the fans appreciate it. I met you at Kami Con in Birmingham when you did the Sonic and Miku panels and in the Project Diva game room. You and your colleague did a really great job with everything! Thanks for making the extra effort to get there even thought you had some transportation problems! I wish you the best with your future endeavors! Posted by Ben on June 27th, 2014 at 9:29 pm Comment # 24 Good luck Aaron, thanks for all the hard work and glad you got to live the dream. Posted by Phantom Full Force on June 28th, 2014 at 12:11 am Comment # 25 No words can be added, Ruby, you were an example, the proof that dreams and passion can succeed in this era. Best of luck Aaron Webber, I only hope you still have that passion for Sega, and maybe see you in pso2, or pso3 😉 (and that said, “Jem” starts playing in the background…) Posted by landman on June 28th, 2014 at 2:29 am Comment # 26 Aaron – from battling for Sonic in 2D, Miku on our shores, and for Yakuza…you made SEGA a great place to play. Thank you and good luck on your next adventure! Posted by DJ Fob Fresh on June 28th, 2014 at 5:25 am Comment # 27 Some games won’t be the same with out you Posted by chris kendall on June 28th, 2014 at 9:40 am Comment # 28 Sorry to see you go Aaron but only you know what direction your heart and head will take you. I’m glad you made that first jump into the unknown world of SoA. It takes a lot of courage to leave behind everything, especially family and friends. I hope your new adventure will work out just as well. I feel like I am losing a son, I have known you so long. Please keep in touch with us to let us know how you are doing. Posted by momonpso on June 28th, 2014 at 10:40 am Comment # 29 i hate whan peple move on i exprince this on a show that everybody loved and its now your turn my friend over the years you made great games lot of them were sonic games and so on i enjoyed those games whan i was a kid still play them sometimes i remember seeing a sonic comic book one time i know that was you i never met you before that benn awsome i know who you are you made the best games ever over the years congrats Aaron you i am truely going to miss you good luck on you next advangere Posted by marc on June 28th, 2014 at 1:17 pm Comment # 30 So glad I got to meet you before you left. Your positive energy makes just about anything better. Good luck and best wishes. Posted by Brandon on June 28th, 2014 at 7:50 pm Comment # 31 Somewhat unknowingly, I have followed Aaron’s time at SEGA. He was an asset to the company, both on the blog and championing the direction for Sonic the Hedgehog. I have seen him work is magic from a distance. All I can say in the end is “Thanks for the memories. Now get to work!” Posted by Nick on June 28th, 2014 at 9:20 pm Comment # 32 I cried a little bit while reading this, but I think it’s was worth the tears to see that adorable pic at the end :3 six years is a long time and I hope to one day be a game designer for SEGA! It’s something I’ve been wanting to do since I was 5 years old! So sad to see you go, but I wish much luck to you in the future! Posted by Audrey on June 29th, 2014 at 10:06 am Comment # 33 There should be an ode to him in the Sonic Boom games to celebrate his works Posted by Sonic Hog Speed on June 29th, 2014 at 7:59 pm Comment # 34 Your efforts and saintly patience will not be forgotten. Shine on you crazy Ruby. Posted by Treacher on June 29th, 2014 at 11:36 pm Comment # 35 Welcome to the next level of you life and take care! Posted by Helder Peres on June 30th, 2014 at 10:15 pm Comment # 36 From Aaron Webber: Hello, my name is Alex (to Valencia, Spain). I sent you a letter with two pics of Sonic and one pic of my metal Sonic craft about a month ago. I just wanted to ask if you had received and read it. I look forward to receiving your reply. Thanks Posted by Alejandro V on July 2nd, 2014 at 4:40 am Comment # 37 Hello, my name is Alex (to Valencia, Spain). I sent you a letter with two pics of Sonic and one pic of my metal Sonic craft about a month ago. I just wanted to ask if you had received and read it. I look forward to receiving your reply. Thanks Posted by Alejandro V on July 2nd, 2014 at 6:26 am Comment # 38 Best of luck to him. Miku news in the west isn’t gonna be the same without him. Posted by LightOfValkyrie on July 2nd, 2014 at 9:25 am Comment # 39 Bye, man. We’ll miss you. T_T By the way, what are your plans now? Posted by sonicfan88 on July 4th, 2014 at 11:15 am Comment # 40 Holy crap, I never put two and two together, but I think we played a ton of PSO BB together back in the day. JeM is excitement! JeM is adventure! donates eighty DBs Sabers to gain more guild points…. Never knew you ended up at SEGA for a while, and I’m sad to learn that you’re leaving just as I find out. If it’s correct that you helped get P. Diva F released in the states, that’s even more awesome, I have a strange addiction to rhythm games. Good luck to you wherever your future endeavors may take you. Posted by Zingela on August 25th, 2014 at 11:00 pm Comment # 41 Really late on this one, and I couldn’t resist getting post #41. I can only wish this guy the best. Posted by Sestren NK on October 20th, 2014 at 9:07 pm


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