Featured Employee: Ray Holbrook

You’re the ‘IT Assistant.’  What does that mean?

I hate that title, actually.  I don’t take calls for my boss Geoff, or get his laundry.  I have been trying to think of a new title for myself and will be taking suggestions.  I think of my job as ‘the stuff Geoff doesn’t want to do anymore and gives to me.’  (No, just kidding.)

Irrational’s I.T. is a wolf-pack of two.   Geoff is the I.T. guru for back-end servers, SANs and Cisco firewalls.  The simple explanation would be that I am in charge of supporting everyone and everything electronic in the studio.  I build, order and maintain all the PC’s we have in the office.  I purchase all the equipment we use (like monitors, TVs, phones, etc.) and I also keep track of our software licensing, McAfee, off-site backups and anything else that may go wrong throughout the day.

What is the worst thing you’ve seen happen to a computer here?

I wish I had some cool fire story to tell, but nothing that severe has happened.  The biggest disaster was the flood in the office a couple of years ago.  There is nothing like the sight of gallons of water falling onto my PCs and TVs.  My heart was in my throat watching that one.  Also during the flood we moved to a local hotel while they cleaned up the damage.  I dropped my PC right on the cement, shattering it into pieces, but somehow it still worked!  I also witnessed someone dropping a monitor during that same move.

What games have you worked on?

Irrational Games and BioShock are my first taste of the gaming industry.

Describe Life at Irrational in three words or less.

Dream Come True!

What is your favorite game of all time?

Hands down: Final Fantasy VII and Call of Duty 4.

Name a game everyone should play once in their life.

So many good games, but if you love puzzle games:  Adventures of Lolo for the NES. I’ve always loved that game for some reason.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

Outside of work I try to keep myself motivated and active by going to the gym during the week, and playing in a basketball and soccer league.  Also here and there I play goalie for my roommate’s roller hockey team.  After the gym I will sit on the couch and play a whole bunch of Call of Duty until about 2:00 A.M.

What is your favorite movie?

The Hangover, since I can relate to those guys.  I recently went to Vegas and I have scars on my hand and my knee, with no idea how they got there!  Oooh, Vegas!

You’re a dedicated gym rat.  Can you share Ray’s Insane Workout Tips with our readers?

No soda, and protein is a must.  Eating well and mixing up your routine will get you to your goals the fastest.  Every person has a different goal in mind when working out, but if you want to get into shape and become “cut,” then whey protein and creatine can be your best friends at the gym. They help muscle recovery and build stronger, healthier muscle.  Don’t go to the gym with the same routine every day because you and your muscles will get bored with it; you’ll end up quitting the gym and not reaching your goals.  You quickly end up going back to your old ways of fast food, Smartfood and soda every day.

What’s your favorite Irrational story?

We had just hired an employee who was getting on in years.  They would call Geoff or myself early in the morning because their computer wouldn’t turn on.  We would walk in their office and press the button on the computer and Voilá!  On it went.

After the fourth day of early morning calls I decided to ask them if they could show me how they turn on the computer.   It turns out they were hitting the button on the monitor, thinking that would do the trick.  And it gets better!  After I showed them that they had to open the door on the computer case and press the button on the computer, they proceeded to write “POWER ON” on a sticky note next to his computer tower button.  I thought I had seen it all working here, but I guess not!

Here’s why we think Ray is swell:

He’s the Rayman.  The Ray of Light.  The STINGRAY.   Ray is the grease that keeps the wheels of Irrational Games rolling.  Everyone in the studio knows him (because he is constantly fixing their problems) and loves working with him.   He’s got your back.   When you make games of this magnitude, you need an expert troubleshooter when your stuff goes sideways, and Ray is the Man.   Oh, and you do not want to run into this guy in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer.  Trust us on this one.