06/ 17/ 2004
Mythic Entertainment
Fairfax, Va.
Mark Jacobs, President and CEO
www.mythicentertainment.com
The online gaming industry has some pretty major players, among them companies like Sony and Microsoft. But one small business in Virginia with 26 employees is holding its own in the competitive market. Mythic Entertainment, founded nine years ago by Mark Jacobs and Rob Denton, is credited with 14 games, including the award-winning Dark Ages of Camelot. Superior, round-the-clock customer service keeps gaming customer happy, many of whom don't want to stop their games and wait hours for telephone or e-mail support. Mythic uses technology to help customers quickly solve problems while still playing the game.
On being a small-business owner: "It's rare that a company focused on creative properties is able to make major decision on the best business course to follow," says Jacobs, who enjoys having the power to decide what game to release next, how long development should take and which territories to release the game in.
On technology: "Without technology, it would be impossible to create and implement the types of games that we have," says Jacobs. Technology touches every aspect of Mythic – whether it is the technology that powers its servers that run the games or the software technology that allows them run so well on the servers.
Overcoming the stigma that ideas not invented at Mythic aren't worthwhile is a big challenge. "Companies such as Mythic can fall into the trap of believing that nothing can be gained from working with other people or technologies," says Jacobs. "A company that falls into these traps can lose an incredible amount of time and money. Overcoming them is not easy and requires leadership that is objective when looking at technological options. It is a challenge which must be overcome for as long as the company is in business."
