Hey guys and gals!
New year, new season of Meet the Team! Take a peek inside the studio, learn more about the many careers and paths that led our collaborators to join Amplitude!
If you want to know more about us, or your nephew wants to learn more about the career path of a game developer, or if you're just curious, read on.
Amplitude simply wouldn't be where it is now without her, meet Marina, aka Shinfoxxy!
Who are you and what is your job at Amplitude?
Hi ladies and gents! My name is Marina, I am 27 and a full-fledged otaku, and on the side Director for Finance, HR and Administration at Amplitude. 
I do quite a variety of things, but it all comes down to asking myself two questions, Where are we heading? when discussing our strategy and building business plans for our projects, and How can we get there? by securing the resources, recruiting the people we need to achieve our ambitions and promoting a pleasant work environment for our amazing teammates to thrive in. Basically my job is helping as best I can to structure the growth of the studio, with the invaluable help of Marina in HR and Laurine in Finance. One of the most pleasant part of my role is getting to dive into an endless list of topics and interacting with many different people (our founders, producers, team members, SEGA, our external partners) who teach me so much on a daily basis!
What were you doing before you joined Amplitude?
My nightly job was zeppelin conductor (…in my dreams!). And as a daily cover, my first job out of college was Mergers & Acquisitions analyst in a London investment bank. It was a great experience but quite a different vibe, to say the least...! On my first day at Amplitude, I wore the most formal suit I owned, and barely ten minutes after getting out of the elevator Stéphanie gave me two t-shirts and told me ‘That’s ok, you can relax now’.
One of my lifelong dreams had always been to see how games were crafted, and to share the daily magic and hardships with their creators: Amplitude made that happen! 
What do you like the most at Amplitude?
There are so many things I could mention, it’s hard to pick. I love the fact that we have people from such different backgrounds and ways of approaching topics all working together towards the same common goal, it’s quite enchanting to witness. In my previous jobs, everyone had walked along quite similar paths, so the change was dramatic!
Although everyone is very busy, even when they are deeply absorbed by their tasks and schedules are tight, people will go out of their way to help if you ask something from them and do their best to accommodate you. I’m in awe of how considerate our teammates are!
What feature have you worked on that you're super proud of?
Joining our new SEGA family! I worked on the acquisition for a year (and had to keep it a secret for what seemed like an eternity 
), so when it came to pass and was announced I was so thrilled!
What are you currently working on?
Ensuring that the cooperation with the SEGA teams goes smoothly, assessing the studio's trajectory for the next few years, and new HR initiatives. I guess trying to figure out how we can grow while staying true to ourselves and the way we like to do things.
What's your favorite game of all time?
What a harrowing question…!
I adored Dragon Quest VIII, maybe my memories are biased by nostalgia but no game ever gave me such a vibrant feeling of freedom and joy while discovering a new world! Zelda The Wind Waker came close to giving me this sensation as well, and Kingdom Hearts’ atmosphere will always make me smile.
What’s the game you dream of creating?
This is way too long to describe here…! But if I were to give a hint… let’s say something that would thread in the tracks of what I just mentioned, with a pinch of Okami and some other things that only exist in my head for now!
What's your favorite race or character in our games?
Horatio does not compromise on his dream, I have to admire his tenacity and willpower, and even if his motives or goals may be questionable, who cares? 
And his ships in ES2 are incredible.
Is there a funny story that happened to you at Amplitude?
Sitting next to the ES2 team, I have the daily privilege of beholding their specialty: turning every day into terrible-joke-contest day! It’s a joy to watch.
What's the most played song in your music library?
I am a huge Elvis fan, and amongst all his songs, it would probably be Now or Never! As the Greyjoys put it, what is dead may never die - even though the King may not be dead yet. On the instrumental side, it may be Somewhere I Belong from the soundtrack of the anime Cosette no Shouzou.
What's your favorite quote?
My favorite would stem from a classical novel, but there are too many so let’s just forget about this, I’ll go then with the one I’ve found the most badass, and it comes from none other than … Diablo III:
‘You cannot judge me…
I am justice itself!’
Anyone tries to find something classier than this, I happily challenge you to a quote duel!
What's your favorite fictional character?
Come on, give me two. The first one is Saber from the Fate series (King Arthur feminized, what’s not to love?).
The second one is probably half-fictional. It is Henry the Vth as he appears in Shakespeare’s plays. He is just wonderful: bright, heroic, impertinent, playful, courageous, humble, loyal, I could go on and on. Am I falling for him? Well… How could I not!
That's it for Marina! We hope you found this interesting. Comments or additional questions, feel free to comment!
If there's a question you would like us to ask the interviewees, let us know!
