Well today I got the call, my services were no longer needed at THQ Wireless. This didn’t really come as a surprise to me, but I’m still very saddened by it. If I can someday work in an office with as much talent, drive and ambition as my colleagues from THQ Wireless San Diego, I would again find myself at home.

A lot of mudslinging has been going on at companies during these rough times, especially through all the closings in the game industry. Unfortunately THQ has recently dealt with massive closings and downsizing globally. It’s Wireless division was hit hard, really hard. I can only speak for myself, and only in regards to the San Diego office, but my humble opinion is that THQ was generous in it’s severance and really did its best to provide support to all those displaced.

That’s the last I’ll say on that subject. Out with the old and in with the new! Am I worried about my unemployment during this economic slump? No. Am I looking forward to it? Hell yah! This is just a small hurdle in life and rather than viewing it as an obstacle I see it as an opportunity to advance myself. As I mentioned this news was not a surprise for me so over the past few weeks I’ve been saving money and compiling a list of things, in order of importance, I’d like to do and ways I plan on bettering myself over the next few months.

• Unreal Editor 3 – First and foremost this is my main goal. I’m going to study this software heavily over my first 3 months of unemployment while I casually look for a job. The goal is to create one level per month.
• Painting and Drawing – I feel this and a lack of insider contacts prevented me from nailing a job in console development during my first push into the industry. I got the contacts now so I’m going to work on bettering my 2D portfolio.
• Chinese – I’ve been doing quite well through the first half of the semester, but I want to just destroy the second half.
• Exercise – Since August I’ve been getting quite a bit of exercise to stay fit but I’m going to try to double that time during my unemployment period.
• Traveling – This time I’ll just stick to the US. There is so much to see and do in So Cal and the surrounding area I need to take it in now in case I have to leave for professional reasons.
• Bonsai and horticulture – I’d like to get a few more plants and repot all my existing ones.
• Cooking
• Guitar
• 24 Hours of Halo – maybe not a way of “bettering” myself, but still pretty darn enticing.
• Laundry – There’s nothing I really hate more than sharing one washing machine and drier with a whole apartment complex. It still goes at the bottom of my priority list though.