#MeetIronGalaxy – Joe Palmer

Iron Galaxy engineers help games emerge from concept to reality. This interview series is a chance to learn about people on our team, and their unique experiences making games.

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Today, we’re talking to Joe Palmer, one of our Chicago teammates who works in Engineering. Joe started with us in May 2011 and has been an invaluable programmer on several projects.

Iron Galaxy: Who are you and what would you say you do here at Iron Galaxy?

Joe Palmer: My name is Joe Palmer. I’m a Senior Software Engineer. I work in a lot of different areas. I guess versatility is my thing. Currently, I’m working on the UI team for Rumbleverse. In the past, I’ve worked on Gameplay and Tools.


IG: Nice to meet you Joe. It’s awesome that we can finally talk about Rumbleverse! What would you say is the most challenging aspect of your job?

JP: Digging into areas that I have no knowledge about is always tough. Typically, the way I’ve found to get past that is to start from an entry point I understand and work my way towards the things I don’t. That helps me build a better picture in my mind of what the systems do. The other thing I’m never shy about is asking people who know more about the system for information.


IG: That explains why you’re so knowledgeable. What is one skill you learned growing up that you use the most in your role?

JP: My Dad has told me ever since I was in grade school that “Palmers are problem solvers.” I have no idea where that came from, but I took it to heart. I’ve always tried to embrace that part of the job. Learning how to approach problems and thinking through them is something I was encouraged to do at a young age.


IG: Your Dad sounds like an inspiring fellow. What has been your proudest moment as a member of the Iron Galaxy team?

JP: I think it’s a tie between when we launched Season 2 of Killer Instinct and when we finally revealed Rumbleverse to the world.


IG: What characters from Season 2 of KI were your favorite to work on?

JP: Maya and Aria.

IG: Two great moments in IG history. How is your specific job unique, compared to the other roles in our company?

JP: Programmers at IG get to touch so many different aspects of the game, especially with the way IG encourages us to be generalists. It’s pretty amazing to work in a discipline where I’m able to have an impact on art, design, and even production.


IG: If you could give someone who wanted to follow in your career footsteps one piece of advice, what would it be?

JP: Find as many good mentors as you can. I’ve had quite a few and I don’t think I’d be where I am without them.


IG: What is the best thing about working at a video game development company?

JP: I’ve met some really awesome people working in games. Lots of varied interests and talents. It’s pretty cool.


IG: Along with the people, what would be a favorite perk of yours associated with working at IG?

JP: I think Iron Galaxy has the best benefits package in the industry. I can’t imagine having better benefits than the ones we have. When I was younger that was nice, but not really that important to me, but since I’ve started a family it’s very important.


IG: How collaborative are you with different teams across Iron Galaxy?

JP: Very. Especially working in UI and Gameplay. Those two disciplines especially require a lot of teamwork and communication. It’s a great part of my job because I’m pretty interested in what the other disciplines do.


IG: That collaboration must naturally encourage you to learn from your fellow teammates. What is the best thing about creating something that other people experience?

JP: The reactions. You can lose sight of how cool something is or how unique an experience is because you work on it every day for years. When someone experiences it fresh and you see their reaction, it can be invigorating.


IG: What is the best impact you’ve ever seen a video game have on someone’s life?

JP: I’ve known tons of people that have formed lifelong bonds over video games. They bring people together in a unique way than other forms of art.


IG: Let’s get persona here. What is your hometown?

JP: My hometown is Baltimore, Maryland. Specifically, Woodlawn. Fun Fact: I lived within walking distance of where a lot of the events from the Serial Podcast took place.


IG: Spooky fact to share. What is something you feel everyone must do once in their life?

JP: Push yourself to near complete physical exertion regularly for a period of a few months.


IG: What is something you have always wanted to create?

JP: I’ve always wanted to write a screenplay.


IG: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

JP: Chocolate Chip Cookies


IG: What is your favorite travel destination that you have visited?

JP: New Orleans was pretty great. I’d love to go back if COVID would chill out.


IG: What is your favorite book or series?

JP: The only book series I was ever really into to the point of reading all of them was Animorphs. I loved those books so much. I read all of them and all the side stories. My all-time favorite book is probably The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck.


IG: Those are some strong favorites you have there. What was the last concert you saw?

JP: Before COVID kicked off, I went to a pretty cool Prince DJ set by Questlove of the Roots.


IG: What game have you spent the most time playing?

JP: It’s probably Final Fantasy VIII, but that was back when I had an unlimited amount of time for playing games. These days, I play A LOT of Teamfight Tactics.


IG: What has been your favorite series binge?

JP: At the start of the pandemic, my wife and I started watching Homeland. I had previously watched the first season some time ago, but never finished it. I think we burned through it in a few weeks. It was great.


IG: 8 seasons in a few weeks? That’s dedication. What was your favorite movie that bombed?

JP: Man, this is tough. There are a lot of movies that I think should have gotten more attention. So, I’ll give three: The Man from UNCLE, Bladerunner 2049, and Speed Racer.


IG: You flipped the question from a singular movie that bombed, to multiple movies that deserve more attention. You’re very thoughtful Joe. What is one superpower that you would like to have?

JP: Teleportation. Sometimes I just want to be somewhere but don’t want to have to get up and go there.


IG: You get one wish. You can’t wish for more wishes. What do you wish for?

JP: National Automatic Voter Registration.


IG: Given a time machine, which historical period would you like to experience first-hand?

JP: I’d love to go back to the Harlem Renaissance and experience all the great art and culture of the time. I say that knowing that that time wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for black people, but man it’d be cool to hear Duke Ellington live.


IG: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you invite?

JP: Maybe Bomani Jones. He’s a really smart dude with great opinions on music, sports, and history. I feel like the conversation could go in a lot of interesting directions and would be really fun and intellectually stimulating.


IG: Which historical figure would you want to show the modern world? What do you think they’d say?

JP: So, I would bring John Coltrane back to life and then just listen to all the music that he missed from when he died until now. It’d be great to hear his opinion on all the stuff that’s evolved from Jazz and where people took it. I’m sure he’d hate some of it and love some of it. Think it could be super interesting to see how he reacts to artists who he influenced.


Thanks for talking to us, Joe! Your work and your contributions to our culture are appreciated.

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Want to work with inspiring people like him? We're currently hiring engineers, as well as positions in just about every other category. Check out our job listings and see if there's a fit for you.