You're not likely to recognize the name Tony Jones, but I believe his story is one that most of us can relate to -- and some of us even aspire to. Tony started out as a gamer, transitioned to writing about games, and now works for Sony Online Entertainment. He is currently the community relations manager for PoxNora, SOE's multiplayer strategy game.

Bitmob: I'd like to talk about the path you took from being a gamer to eventually working at Sony Online Entertainment. Let's start at the beginning. What are your earliest memories of playing video games?

Tony Jones: My path is a familiar tale, involving an Atari, a Nintendo Entertainment System, and a PC. If it was a popular console game in the 1980s, I played it at some point. On the PC side, I really enjoyed the Ultima and Might and Magic series.

Bitmob: How did you first discover the MMORPG genre, and how did that discovery affect you?

TJ: I was already playing early online games in other genres, like Valve's Team Fortress. One day, at Walmart, I noticed a product called Ultima Online. I was already a huge fan of the Ultima series, so I picked it up to see what this "online role playing world" was all about. After I was killed repeatedly by other players, I decided this game was not for me. Six months later, I discovered EverQuest and decided to give it a shot. My first experiences with EverQuest included running around in a blizzard as a barbarian with no night-vision. It was a brutal but glorious experience I will never forget.

Bitmob: How did you get involved with message boards and the online communities that form around them?

TJ: I played EverQuest for years without visiting the message board a single time. It wasn't until I started playing Star Wars Galaxies that I took notice of them. It became apparent there were thousands of people who regularly communicated here, and a community formed around them.

At first, I started hanging out in the server communities, making friends and watching drama unfold. I also watched how companies like SOE communicated things and interacted with their players. After a period of time, I was able to predict how certain groups would react to announcements or threads. What really fascinates me is how the games have changed but people haven't. Many of us are still trying to chase that original EverQuest experience we had so long ago.

Bitmob: How did you begin to transition from message boards into contributing to fan sites?

TJ: I was one of the most prolific posters on the EverQuest 2 forums. The community manager, Blackguard, took notice of my contributions and invited me to a community summit in San Diego. The last night I was there, we had a pleasant dinner with some of the development team. I sat across from a very diligent and hardworking guy named Jeff Woleslagle, who was from a start-up site called Ten Ton Hammer. He later e-mailed me to do a player interview. He was either impressed with my answers or what I did in the community, because he offered me a job.

Bitmob: Do you have any pieces of work from your fan-site days that you are particularly proud of?

TJ: I had a few I was really proud of. The first was my interview with John Smedley, president of SOE (http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/33637) at the 2008 ION conference. I was used to interviewing developers or, at best, a producer. Jumping to a company CEO was very intimidating, but Mr. Smedley had been doing this long enough that he made it easy for me.

Another of my favorites was an interview with Cryptic's Bill Roper (http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/66078), where I asked some very pointed questions about how a mechanic in Champions Online was very similar to one in Warhammer Online. Surprisingly, he was completely open about it and verified a very common and efficient development practice. Despite all the controversy surrounding him, this was one of the most laid-back interviews I ever did.

My last pick would be the humor features I worked on with Ten Ton Hammer's Coyote. One of the more popular things we did was take EverQuest 2 patch notes and mock them in a Mystery Science Theater 3K manner (http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/66155). The community and development team absolutely loved these, and it's one of the things I miss the most about my prior work.

Bitmob: What did you do for a living before you entered the gaming industry? Does any of this previous experience help you in your current position?

TJ: Like many other aspiring journalists, I had a day job. I worked in accounting and did procurement work for local government. It's as exciting as it sounds. Remember the kid from the movie Wanted? That was my story, except I don't kill people, and I just resigned quietly when I left. I do have to admit that working with numbers helped give me insight into the business side of the industry. I can think in terms of cost and make frequent use of any metrics made available to me.

Bitmob: What made you finally decide to apply for a job in the gaming industry? What was this process like?

TJ: Working in the industry has been a life-long dream and, honestly, I thought it was unobtainable for the longest time. I loved the work I did at Ten Ton Hammer, but knew I couldn't work two jobs forever.

I spent a few years gaining experience and learning about the industry, and I finally applied for a position with a large MMO company in the summer of 2008. I went through the entire interview process but didn't make the final cut. I had a similar situation with two other companies. At this point I was a little discouraged because, after years of full-time work, I felt I already knew how to do these jobs.

I finally applied for a position at SOE. They put me through a pretty lengthy and nerve-racking interview process. I got a phone call the day after I got back home, and they offered me the job. Two weeks later, I was in Tucson!

Bitmob: How well did you handle the relocation?

TJ: This was the toughest part of taking this position, and what I think often makes or breaks people working in the industry. Before moving, I lived in the bustling city of Jacksonville, Florida. It was difficult to embrace an entirely different environment. The people, food, and weather are all different. I'm now enjoying Tucson, but there was a period of culture shock. Also, driving a U-Haul truck 60 mph for three days is an experience I'd rather not repeat!

Bitmob: Walk us through your typical day. What are your responsibilities?

TJ: A community relations manager is one of the toughest positions in the industry to nail down. The work varies from company to company and even product to product. One of my primary functions is to monitor our forums. I both moderate them and gather feedback. It's also important that I spend time every day interacting with our community and understanding where they are focusing their concerns. I frequently write up messages to announce sales, expansions, and patches as well as features to highlight the more exciting parts of the game. Add in the standard level of paperwork that goes with any job and you have a full day of fun and excitement. The really interesting part is no two days are alike.

Bitmob: Has working in the industry changed your perspective as a gamer?

TJ: Oh, without a doubt! There is so much that goes on in the daily process of game development that most people never see. Fortunately, there are some things that work exactly as I previously believed, so it helps me anticipate how a player will perceive it. For the most part, it's fascinating for me to see how this whole process works. It starts with a few people sitting around talking about an idea and progresses to implementation of a working mechanic that players love.

Bitmob: Now that you're working in the gaming industry, do you have any loftier goals, such as transitioning to game development?

TJ: I don't really look at community management as a stepping stone. There are plenty of ways to continue to do this type of work. I've always dreamed of doing game development, but it requires more than just training. I worked hard enough to get into the industry and I have no plans to leave my position any time soon.

Bitmob: What's next for you? Are you working on any exciting projects?

TJ: We're about to roll out some big changes for PoxNora in an upcoming game update: (http://forums.poxnora.com/showthread.php?t=46693). This is already generating a lot of discussion in the community.