Who I Am

The quick description is that I'm a hard-core tech that has built software and software teams professionally for over 15 years, I live in Kirkland and I enjoy gaming.

In particular, I have a background in computer science, attended the University of Waterloo and am a technical jack-of-all-trades. I've designed and built a diverse set of software including compilers, embedded network gateways, mobile services and applications, games and large scale web services (such as eBay's Picture Services). My core technical strength, however, is software architecture and design.

What I Do

I’m a Partner Architect in the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. While I cannot describe the details of what I do, I can say it makes use of my technical, design and business background while allowing me to play with some amazing gaming technology.

To view the details of my professional background please see my LinkedIn profile.

How To Contact

Don't mind my desire to not get auto-spammed. Please put the two reds together. E-mail me on hotmail.com using the name josephmolnar.

This is my personal blog where, for the most part, I discuss the world of gaming. While I do work for Microsoft, the opinions expressed within this blog are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Microsoft.

My History

I started gaming in the early 1980's with consoles like the Intellivision and ColecoVision. However, in 1985 my first PC (a Tandy 1000) not only pushed me head first into gaming, but also designing and developing software.

Over the years I've played many hours on various consoles and arcades, but PC gaming was my primary passion until early 2003. At the behest of a good friend I picked up an Xbox and since then my PC gaming has dwindled away. The lack of installs, compatibility issues and incessant hardware upgrades won me over.

Today I game on the Xbox 360 (Gamercard to the right). I generally stick to one console but if the Wii could convince my wife to play, I would buy it; no such luck yet.

My Preferences

My favourite type of game is the RPG followed by adventure, puzzle and third-person shooter. My favourite game settings are high fantasy and science-fiction.

However, any game that plays well and is genre/console defining I am more than willing to try. I'm also finding that Xbox Live Arcade and Xbox Community Games games afford a quick pick-up-and-play, that is great for stress relief or limited play time.

My Setup

I actually have three Xbox 360s. One is in my home office. It is hooked up to one of my monitors so I get my high definition fill. The sound is pretty lack-luster since it is pumped through my PC's stereo speakers. This 360 is networked over ethernet and is typically where an Xbox Live Vision Camera lives. Ultimately most gaming occurs here, which makes my wife very happy.

The office also houses my main PC, which is essentially never used for gaming. The main PC runs Windows Vista Ultimate and houses my family's entire collection of music, pictures and video so it can act as the media center for the 360s.

The second Xbox 360 is in the family room. It is hooked up to a standard definition television until I can make up my mind on what high definition television to get. Sound is pumped into a 5.1 surround sound receiver and the machine is networked wireless over 802.11a. This 360 is largely used for media playback. My family and I use it every day to listen to music and periodically to view photos and video off the main PC in the office. We also watch downloaded movies from the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. Gaming may occur on this 360 when guests are over, particularly if the office has shifted to guest sleeping quarters, or if the guest likes to play games.

The third 360 I keep in the Toronto area. This allows some gaming time on my fairly frequent trips to the area.