Hi Folks,

Not entirely sure how to start this. It’s not going to be easy.

It’s been a rollercoaster year for me on a personal and professional level. A year of incredible highs and amazing lows. A year of great changes, a year of sublime moments and a year of heartbreaking loss. Of troubles great and small, and of triumphs great and small. A year where I’ve mourned old friends and made new ones, a year where my first child was born, and the year I got to helm my favorite gameline (every fanboys dream come true). There’s been more than one time that the ickybrownstuff has hit the fan, and there have been equal doses of success and accomplishment too. But, man, has it been a ringer. Truth be told I regret none of it, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. That’s life for you.

By now you’re probably asking yourselves either: when is he getting to the point, or what the heck does this all have to do with Shadowrun. Well, as it turns out quite a lot.

It’s been a strange year, and one crazy ride. And like all rides, there’s a point where it comes to an end. I’m here to tell you all that time has come.

Shadowrun and Catalyst need someone who can commit 200% to making the game we all know and love into all that it can be, and at this point in time too much in my life is beyond my control and that’s not a commitment I can honorably make. Rather than allow this to affect the ambitious schedule we have prepared for you, and with the launch of Shadowrun, Fourth Edition – 20th Anniversary out of the way, I’m here to tell you I’m stepping down as Shadowrun lead developer.

With Shadowrun celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, this is definitely not the perfect timing, but sometimes that’s how the dice roll. Don’t fret though, there are plenty of projects already in the pipeline and a couple of parting gifts from me on final approach. You’ll be hearing more from Catalyst in the coming weeks.

Does this mean you’ve seen the last of me? I certainly hope not. I got into this to add my own voice to the glorious cacophony that has been Shadowrun over the years and I hope to continue to do so. There will be a few more books with my name on them and maybe now I’ll have some time to get some writing done. Who knows?

There are folk I have to thank, of course. This would never have been possible without you.

First and foremost, Adam Jury for the strength, the perseverance, and for starting me down this road. Rob Boyle for the faith and the mentoring. Jennifer Harding for the support and spirit. Tobias, Bobby, Lars, Jay, Aaron, and Stephen for going above and beyond when I needed you, for sticking it out when things looked bleak, I owe you all more than you know. To all the freelancers, old and new, that I’ve had the pleasure and the honor to work with, my sincerest thanks. To my sweet companion Paola and our beautiful Corinna, my thanks for your love and for just being there. And finally, to you all, the fans, my thanks for your wisdom, criticism, fanaticism, and above all your passion. . Thank you for your support and for allowing me to share some of my vision of what Shadowrun is and could be with you. Shadowrun wouldn’t be the great game it is without it

Here’s my sincerest hopes that we’ll all be around in 20 years to enjoy the 40th anniversary of Shadowrun.

See ya around chummers,
Peter Taylor

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 The adventure gaming industry and hobby exists due to both the passion of its player communities and the passion and dedication in the people that create the games we all love. In that vein, Catalyst Game Labs was established by a group of individuals dedicated to ensuring that the seminal properties of BattleTech and Shadowrun found a home worthy of their storied status. 

Peter Taylor was asked to helm Shadowrun for the last two years because of that dedication to making great, fun games. Catalyst Game Labs is very grateful for the skill set and enthusiasm Peter brought to the table and especially for bringing the 20th Anniversary Edition of Shadowrun to fruition. While he’s stepping down, we’re very pleased that he’ll continue bringing that same passion and skills set to Shadowrun as an author.

To the future I will assume managerial control of Shadowrun and will work closely with a Shadowrun Development Team, currently composed of John Dunn, Jennifer Harding, and Adam Jury. Their expertise will help ensure a smooth transition and most importantly will ensure that the flow of great new books to the community continues without a hitch.

Randall Bills
Managing Line Developer
Catalyst Game Labs

This entry was posted by David Stansel-Garner, on Friday, March 20th, 2009 at 18:26:30 and is filed under General.