Originally Posted by Lore
I first met Greg at the BlizzCon 2009 fansite summit. There were 20 or so of us all at one table in the Blizzard cafeteria having lunch. Was introducing myself to the guy sitting across from me. Greg overheard, said "Wait, you're Lore from TankSpot?" and reached across the table and past like 5 people to shake my hand. That was when I knew Greg truly cared about the community.
The next day, I found him outside the convention center checking his email on his phone. We started chatting while he finished, and a few other people walked up. Two of them in particular started arguing with each other; they both played Feral Druids and had a conflicting opinion on something. Greg immediately got quiet, put his phone away, and started listening intently to their conversation. That was when I knew Greg truly cared about game design.
A year later, at BlizzCon 2010, I had the opportunity to sit down with him for a casual chat in the lobby of the Anaheim Marriott. We talked about several things -- raiding, Ret Paladins, how the convention was going -- but at some point I brought up that I'd considered applying for a position at Blizzard. We talked about it for a while, and though I didn't end up applying at the time, he seemed genuine in saying that Blizzard is a great place to work. That was when I knew Greg truly cared about Blizzard Entertainment.
A few months ago, on my third day as a Blizzard employee, I met him again at my first developer meeting. He didn't ignore the new face or just give me a casual "hello" -- he walked around the conference table and across the room to give me a hug. That was when I knew Greg truly cared about his co-workers.
And then a couple days ago, he came by the Community team's area to share a beer and let us know he'd be moving on. He wanted us to hear it directly from him. That was when I knew that Greg cares just as much today as he did when I met him back in 2009.
Greg, you've done amazing things for this game, not just on the design side of things, but for the community as well. You will be sorely missed, and I wish you the absolute best in your new opportunity. Thank you. Stay in touch.