Developer Interview: MapleStory's Associate Producer Sheloman Byrd (TrueGameHeadz)

TGH writes:
"It usually takes a small army to create the video games that we play, and, most of the time, all of the focus gets put on the game itself, and not on the people that came together to make it. Our weekly Dev Box interview series takes a look at some of the unsung heroes that have committed their lives to entertaining all of us. This week we are letting Nexon America Inc.'s Associate Producer Sheloman Byrd take a break from working on "Maple Story" and give him a chance to get on the Dev Box and tell us a bit about himself, and what he thinks about the games industry.

Name: Sheloman Byrd
Title: Associate Producer - Game Planning & Design - MapleStory Team (Nexon America Inc.)
Most recent game worked on: "MapleStory"
What you do: Associate Producer for the No. 1 free-to-play MMO, "MapleStory." I do quests, items, areas, sounds/BGM, monster designs, game play concepts, as well as write and edit a lot of the game text. I also assist heavily with the day-to-day operations of the game, as well as marketing, long-term plans, and new initiatives (Pets, new systems, etc). I've worked here since September 2006, and I'm happy to say our game has over six million registered players in North America.
Most recent game worked on: Shockingly, "MapleStory." =)

What game has most influenced you, and why?

Not one game per se, but one developer, that would be Hideo Kojima and his portfolio. His willingness to try something different, execute fresh and exciting..."