The man who helped launch The Witcher, Dark Souls and Enslaved
It's UK games industry veteran Lee Kirton.
It's a genuine pleasure to introduce one of the most well known faces of the UK games industry to you today, and more than that, someone who's helped bring among the biggest and most beloved game series to our shelves. I'm talking about the likes of The Witcher and Dark Souls - and they don't come much bigger than that.
I distinctly remember talking to this person around the launch of The Witcher 1, in fact, back when no one here knew what it was. Then several years later we were in a Scottish castle together at a lavish play test event for The Witcher 3 - an event they had a large hand in organising.
They've also had a significant hand in delivering many other games here, from Enslaved: Journey to the West to Ni No Kuni, and from Enter the Matrix to Pac-Man. There's a good chance they've been involved with many of the games you like in the more than two decades they've been promoting and marketing them.
Introducing Lee Kirton, once a receptionist at GT Interactive - doubled as a tips-line operator (his idea) - and most recently marketing and communications director at Bandai Namco UK, via Infogrames and Atari along the way. His is a story of hard work and a love for games I didn't realise ran so deep, and of course the many adventures he's had along the way.
The conversation also comes at a time of change for him, as he leaves Bandai Namco after more than 20 years, in the pursuit of something new.
Episode 19 of One-to-one is now live for all and from all major podcasting platforms (if you can't find where you listen to podcasts, please let me know below). Here are some handy links:
Oh, while we're here, don't miss episode 18 of One-to-one, where I speak to Dragon Age creator David Gaider. You can find all other episodes of One-to-one in our handy archive, too.