Old is when you hear the MUZAK version of āSeven Nation Armyā at your local grocery store.
Then, I would have expected his eyes to light up and Iād have reveled in the chance to talk about whatever his latest passion was. Hereās to a creative genius, an unparalleled entertainer, and a gamer. You shall be missed on all fronts. And Iāll always have a place in my life where you reside. š
I occasionally corresponded with Robin over the ensuing years, usually sending him a copy of a game, and never with any extended banter. Iām sure if I were to have seen him on the street he wouldnāt know me from the next guy - unless we started talking about games. š§µ
He spoke on being a gamer, playing with his kids, looking at our industry, and of course ā poking loving fun at Bing. By the end of the introduction, the room was filled with laughter and applause, and the ever-entertaining Bing Gordon was as astonished as the rest of us at the intro he received. š§µ
And he was so generous with his time that night, speaking to anyone who came up, shaking hands, and being totally accessible. His introduction of Bing was incredible. It ended up being about a 30-minute stand up routine. š§µ
I was floored. Here was one of the most instantaneously creative people on the planet, and he was as thrilled to meet me as I was to meet him. I was overjoyed to see how REAL he was in his excitement for the game. It was genuine. š§µ
āYouāre one of the Diablo guys! I love that game! Itās such an honor to meet you.ā When my wife at that time expressed how excited she was to meet Robin, he looked at her and said, āMe? Your husband made DIABLO!ā š§µ
My company had been working with Bing and EA on a game and Bing introduced me to Robin as he was a huge Diablo fan. When I met him and expressed what a huge fan I was of his work, he smiled, grabbed my hand and while furiously shaking it, said: š§µ