Mentorship has played a pivotal role in my 20-year gaming career. I continue to be blessed by having exceptional leaders who support and provide guidance as I continue to grow in this exciting industry.
Mentorship is a natural and inevitable step in the learning process. It means not only passing on your wealth of experience to others, but also opening your mind to different points of view and learnings from unexpected places. It’s a process that both benefits and brings people together.
Growing up in Chile, attending Purdue University (undergrad), and being fortunate to work at LucasArts, Sega, PlayStation, Wargaming, and Xbox, has given me a wealth of diverse experiences, both professionally and personally. I have been fortunate to bring this wealth of knowledge to ProbablyMonsters, a new family of studios that focuses on a People-First culture while building world-class games.
At the heart of our ProbablyMonsters teams – Firewalk Studios, Cauldron Studios, and our new Co-op RPG team, we have incredible talent across many different fields. They bring a wide range of diverse experiences, from AAA Blockbusters to Indie darlings that steal our hearts. We strongly believe that we elevate our craft through our constant search for this kind of diversity- not by looking for things that make us different, but by looking for things that make us better.
I have reached the point in my career where I feel it’s time to pass on that knowledge to the next generation of aspiring game professionals. As others begin their journeys, write their stories or dream their dreams, it’s essential to have good mentors.
As an ally to diversity in gaming, it’s important to have relatable mentors that can offer guidance + support from the perspective of a shared cultural experience. For this reason, I will dedicate our next blogs to mentorship and how integral it is to our vision of growing a new breed of video game studios committed to people and a healthier gaming industry.
#PROUD2BEAMONSTER
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ken Balough, Director of Strategy and Product Development at ProbablyMonsters, has a proven record of success with AAA entertainment franchises and first party consoles. Previously at Microsoft Xbox, he has also held roles at Wargaming America, PlayStation, and SEGA of America. A critical thinker and creative marketer, he brings deep experience working with product development teams as well as a lifelong passion for gaming to his role managing internal and external relationships for ProbablyMonsters and its family of studios.
