EQ2_Bloggers
07-25-2012, 08:03 PM
http://www.station.sony.com/images/community/features/employee_spotlight.jpg
By Aimee “Ashlanne” Rekoske
Summer is here and we have more SOE Employees to meet! We want you to get to know folks in Platform, Human Resources, Development, Legal, Quality Assurance, Office Operations, Customer Service, Administration and Marketing, just to name a few.
Each month the Community Team will highlight one of SOE’s many diverse employees. Please meet Bryndan Bedel, Technical Support Representative in Customer Service at SOE! Take a moment to find out about what a typical day in the office is like for her, what her favorite SOE game is, and other fun tidbits. As a special bonus, we include a screenshot from her favorite SOE game!
http://www.soe.com/images/community/employee_spotlights/july2012/Bryndan.jpg
Tell us about yourself! What’s your name and what do you do here at SOE? How long have you been working at SOE?
My name is Bryndan Bedel (Bryn for short) and I’ve been working at SOE for about 1 ½ years. My first day was actually the same day as the release of DC Universe Online! Currently, I work in Customer Service and assist customers on the phone, chat, or e-mail with any technical or billing-related issues. So if your game isn’t loading or you have a membership question, I’m one of your go-to people!* If you’ve ever called customer support, you probably heard my voice, since I do the automatic recording most of the time. Before SOE, I graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in International Studies and Environmental Studies. I love problem solving and helping people any way I can, so working in Customer Service for such a great company truly is an honor.
How did you get into the industry?
Funny you should ask – when I grew up I was never actually allowed to play video games, so what did I do? Grew up to work for a video game company of course! That isn’t to say my parents didn’t allow me to explore my creative side.* In fact, they’ve been the most supportive people in my life and allowed me to explore the entertainment industry by being involved with many outlets such as music, theatre, film, and much more. My first opportunity to really become involved in the gaming industry would be when my dad took me to E3 in 2002 (I was only 15 — I know, I was a total rebel breaking the age restriction rules). But it was an experience I will never forget and E3 really showed me how amazing and intricate video games can be, from the design, to the storyline, and the game play.* I found it extremely fascinating and that’s when I caught the gamer bug and knew I wanted to be more involved in the industry.
Tell us what a typical workday is like for you.
In one word? I would say entertaining. We talk to customers from all walks of life.* Sometimes they love us and sometimes they hate us. There’s never a dull moment in Customer Service. But of all the places I’ve worked for, SOE definitely has the best customers and fan base. I’ve talked to some of the most amazing people and had some really great conversations. We even have regulars who call in.* It’s fun to hear about their SOE experiences and how much they enjoy our games. It means a lot to us when we get positive feedback because it makes our work more meaningful, especially if we can help make the customers experience more positive.
Also, I want to mention how lucky I am to work with such a great team in the Customer Service Department. They are the most dedicated and hardest workers I have ever met. The whole CS group is amazing and very talented.* Knowing that I get to work with such a cool group of people makes me enjoy coming to work every day. If you ever call SOE Customer Service, make sure to tell the CSR you are speaking with how awesome they are – because I don’t know what Sony would do without them.
Let’s talk favorites… What is your favorite SOE game title? What is your favorite thing about that game?
My favorite SOE game? That’s a tough one!* But if I have to choose, it would be DC Universe Online. I love interacting with some of my favorite comic book characters.* Being a super hero is also pretty awesome.* I will say I favor of the hero side (I can hear all the villains protesting right now), but to be fair, both sides are pretty cool. Having Batman as a mentor and being able to explore Gotham city is a lot of fun!** A funny moment in the game for me was when a friend and I were trying to meet on top of the broken down Ferris wheel in Gotham City.* No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t see each other. We spent over an hour trying to figure out what the problem was – and considering we both work for SOE it was a little embarrassing.* In the end, we figured out we were both just in a different phase! Finally, we got to play.* That’s what happens when you work in tech support and try to play your own game – you assume the worst and over-analyze everything!
Vampires or Zombies and why?
Vampires all the way. They are extremely classy and always dress impeccably. They also turn into bats, and I think bats are pretty cute. Not to mention they obtain so much knowledge from living forever. Granted, their primary food group is unique.* Still, I would much rather chat with a vampire than a zombie any day. Zombies just… walk around aimlessly trying to eat brains. And they aren’t very pretty either.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you be?
The Doctor (from Doctor Who). If I had to choose a number, I would go with the 10th, but really any of them would be fun. He is a brilliant character, and has so many complex features to him. He is extremely clever and silly at the same time. He’s a very unlikely hero but, overall, a wonderful person who just likes to help others. Getting to travel in time and space and different dimensions is also awesome. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be a time lord traveling in a blue box wearing a bowtie? Bowties are cool!
Do you have any pets?
I do indeed! My cat’s name is Oolong and I guarantee she’s the best cat you will ever meet! She looks like a miniature cow because of her cowcat spots and loves to cuddle and play. She does have an affinity for chewing cords (especially expensive ones).* But she’s always there when I need a hug and follows me wherever I go. She’s the best kitten I could ask for and is super cute to boot!
Do you have hobby? What’s last book you read? Last movie you saw? What do you do to unwind after a busy day?
Hobbies… I have so many!** The hobby I’m most passionate about is photography. I’ve been shooting ever since I can remember.* I love capturing moments on film. It’s almost like owning a time machine. It gives you a way to record the beauty and feeling of a singular moment in one image.* It’s an expression from the deepest parts of the soul.* Other hobbies include travel, competitive fencing (epee) and archery.* I like to sing (but getting me to actually do it in front of others takes a lot of coercing and talent). I am very passionate about music in general.* I’m an avid U2 fan and admire many other artists, including Lady Gaga, ATB, and Darren Hayes, and The Who.* I really enjoy learning, but have an affinity for astronomy and languages. My latest read was Ender’s Game and my most recent movie was “The Avengers”. Might I also add I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan and love everything about it.
When I’m finished at SOE, I love hanging out with friends or taking my camera for a workout at a good music venue.* I like spending some gym time to unwind and clear my head.* Otherwise, you’ll find me at home, gaming or doing art while listening to good music with Oolong.
Enjoy this screenshot from the DC Universe Online! This is Bryndan’s character!
http://www.soe.com/images/community/employee_spotlights/july2012/Bryndan-game.jpg
We hope you enjoyed meeting Bryndan and will join us next month for another SOE Employee Spotlight!
Employee Spotlight Archives (http://forums.station.sony.com/station/posts/list.m?topic_id=11500041236)
http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/stationblog.wordpress.com/3893/ (http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/stationblog.wordpress.com/3893/) http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=stationblog.wordpress.com&blog=76501&po st=3893&subd=stationblog&ref=&feed=1
Author:
Visit This Blog Page... (http://stationblog.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/soe-employee-spotlight-july-2012/)
Visit StationBlog (http://stationblog.wordpress.com/)
By Aimee “Ashlanne” Rekoske
Summer is here and we have more SOE Employees to meet! We want you to get to know folks in Platform, Human Resources, Development, Legal, Quality Assurance, Office Operations, Customer Service, Administration and Marketing, just to name a few.
Each month the Community Team will highlight one of SOE’s many diverse employees. Please meet Bryndan Bedel, Technical Support Representative in Customer Service at SOE! Take a moment to find out about what a typical day in the office is like for her, what her favorite SOE game is, and other fun tidbits. As a special bonus, we include a screenshot from her favorite SOE game!
http://www.soe.com/images/community/employee_spotlights/july2012/Bryndan.jpg
Tell us about yourself! What’s your name and what do you do here at SOE? How long have you been working at SOE?
My name is Bryndan Bedel (Bryn for short) and I’ve been working at SOE for about 1 ½ years. My first day was actually the same day as the release of DC Universe Online! Currently, I work in Customer Service and assist customers on the phone, chat, or e-mail with any technical or billing-related issues. So if your game isn’t loading or you have a membership question, I’m one of your go-to people!* If you’ve ever called customer support, you probably heard my voice, since I do the automatic recording most of the time. Before SOE, I graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in International Studies and Environmental Studies. I love problem solving and helping people any way I can, so working in Customer Service for such a great company truly is an honor.
How did you get into the industry?
Funny you should ask – when I grew up I was never actually allowed to play video games, so what did I do? Grew up to work for a video game company of course! That isn’t to say my parents didn’t allow me to explore my creative side.* In fact, they’ve been the most supportive people in my life and allowed me to explore the entertainment industry by being involved with many outlets such as music, theatre, film, and much more. My first opportunity to really become involved in the gaming industry would be when my dad took me to E3 in 2002 (I was only 15 — I know, I was a total rebel breaking the age restriction rules). But it was an experience I will never forget and E3 really showed me how amazing and intricate video games can be, from the design, to the storyline, and the game play.* I found it extremely fascinating and that’s when I caught the gamer bug and knew I wanted to be more involved in the industry.
Tell us what a typical workday is like for you.
In one word? I would say entertaining. We talk to customers from all walks of life.* Sometimes they love us and sometimes they hate us. There’s never a dull moment in Customer Service. But of all the places I’ve worked for, SOE definitely has the best customers and fan base. I’ve talked to some of the most amazing people and had some really great conversations. We even have regulars who call in.* It’s fun to hear about their SOE experiences and how much they enjoy our games. It means a lot to us when we get positive feedback because it makes our work more meaningful, especially if we can help make the customers experience more positive.
Also, I want to mention how lucky I am to work with such a great team in the Customer Service Department. They are the most dedicated and hardest workers I have ever met. The whole CS group is amazing and very talented.* Knowing that I get to work with such a cool group of people makes me enjoy coming to work every day. If you ever call SOE Customer Service, make sure to tell the CSR you are speaking with how awesome they are – because I don’t know what Sony would do without them.
Let’s talk favorites… What is your favorite SOE game title? What is your favorite thing about that game?
My favorite SOE game? That’s a tough one!* But if I have to choose, it would be DC Universe Online. I love interacting with some of my favorite comic book characters.* Being a super hero is also pretty awesome.* I will say I favor of the hero side (I can hear all the villains protesting right now), but to be fair, both sides are pretty cool. Having Batman as a mentor and being able to explore Gotham city is a lot of fun!** A funny moment in the game for me was when a friend and I were trying to meet on top of the broken down Ferris wheel in Gotham City.* No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t see each other. We spent over an hour trying to figure out what the problem was – and considering we both work for SOE it was a little embarrassing.* In the end, we figured out we were both just in a different phase! Finally, we got to play.* That’s what happens when you work in tech support and try to play your own game – you assume the worst and over-analyze everything!
Vampires or Zombies and why?
Vampires all the way. They are extremely classy and always dress impeccably. They also turn into bats, and I think bats are pretty cute. Not to mention they obtain so much knowledge from living forever. Granted, their primary food group is unique.* Still, I would much rather chat with a vampire than a zombie any day. Zombies just… walk around aimlessly trying to eat brains. And they aren’t very pretty either.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you be?
The Doctor (from Doctor Who). If I had to choose a number, I would go with the 10th, but really any of them would be fun. He is a brilliant character, and has so many complex features to him. He is extremely clever and silly at the same time. He’s a very unlikely hero but, overall, a wonderful person who just likes to help others. Getting to travel in time and space and different dimensions is also awesome. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be a time lord traveling in a blue box wearing a bowtie? Bowties are cool!
Do you have any pets?
I do indeed! My cat’s name is Oolong and I guarantee she’s the best cat you will ever meet! She looks like a miniature cow because of her cowcat spots and loves to cuddle and play. She does have an affinity for chewing cords (especially expensive ones).* But she’s always there when I need a hug and follows me wherever I go. She’s the best kitten I could ask for and is super cute to boot!
Do you have hobby? What’s last book you read? Last movie you saw? What do you do to unwind after a busy day?
Hobbies… I have so many!** The hobby I’m most passionate about is photography. I’ve been shooting ever since I can remember.* I love capturing moments on film. It’s almost like owning a time machine. It gives you a way to record the beauty and feeling of a singular moment in one image.* It’s an expression from the deepest parts of the soul.* Other hobbies include travel, competitive fencing (epee) and archery.* I like to sing (but getting me to actually do it in front of others takes a lot of coercing and talent). I am very passionate about music in general.* I’m an avid U2 fan and admire many other artists, including Lady Gaga, ATB, and Darren Hayes, and The Who.* I really enjoy learning, but have an affinity for astronomy and languages. My latest read was Ender’s Game and my most recent movie was “The Avengers”. Might I also add I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan and love everything about it.
When I’m finished at SOE, I love hanging out with friends or taking my camera for a workout at a good music venue.* I like spending some gym time to unwind and clear my head.* Otherwise, you’ll find me at home, gaming or doing art while listening to good music with Oolong.
Enjoy this screenshot from the DC Universe Online! This is Bryndan’s character!
http://www.soe.com/images/community/employee_spotlights/july2012/Bryndan-game.jpg
We hope you enjoyed meeting Bryndan and will join us next month for another SOE Employee Spotlight!
Employee Spotlight Archives (http://forums.station.sony.com/station/posts/list.m?topic_id=11500041236)
http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/stationblog.wordpress.com/3893/ (http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/stationblog.wordpress.com/3893/) http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=stationblog.wordpress.com&blog=76501&po st=3893&subd=stationblog&ref=&feed=1
Author:
Visit This Blog Page... (http://stationblog.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/soe-employee-spotlight-july-2012/)
Visit StationBlog (http://stationblog.wordpress.com/)