So it's been a whole month now since I've started work. During that time, I've gotten to know all the people on my team, and a few others.
What baffled me initially was that the FHWII team is made up of (only) 17 people, with 3 of us being juniors (n00bs). Why would that be astounding? Because we're expected to deliver a full blown A+ title in less than a year. People say we'll be growing quite a bit in the coming months, but, as far as I'm concerned, we're fine right now.
So, we have 1 Producer, 1 Art Director and 1 Environment Artist, Senior and Junior Game Designers (one of each), 2 Level Designers, 1 2D Graphic/Texture, 1 Character/Concept Artist, 1 3D Graphics, and the rest of us, programmers (2 Juniors).
... and we're gonna kill the market come spring. Mark my words.
The people themselves, are however at times far more interesting than the work on the project. On my first day here, I was only briefly introduced to my mentor (the producer), and left to get to know the others on my own. That first week, everybody was busy with some design meetings, but I managed to pull some time off them and talk to a few of them. Across the desk from me, is Andrei, our Art Director/Lead Game Designer. First impression on Andrei was: weird clothes, weird haicut, must be a concept artist or something. But, on that first evening, I got to introduce myself, and shake his hand. I was stunned when he said "Andrei Fantana". If you don't know who that is, you haven't followed romanian gaming for the past 15 years or so; google it.
It was I think 1996. The first time I ever layed my hands on a games magazine. "Game Over" read the title, and it was the first of it's kind I saw written in Romanian. Inside, articles and reviews about the games of the time: Quake, Heretic 2, etc. I still have that issue at home (I actually have 2 crates of games magazines I've collected over time... talking about this with my girlfriend at some point, she said that a girl's reading habits grow with her: seventeen magazine, bravo, popcorn -> elle, cosmopolitan, etc. where as mine remained constant... I said I knew what I wanted in life early on; but men's habits evolve also; ergo, the third crate of magazines in my stash is filled with FHMs; so yeah, it's basically gaming and women lifestyle). I can still recall reading through the articles that formed my first opinions about games and gaming; some of them were signed 'afantana'.
It was like meeting the father you never knew; the person who influenced your whole life in some way or another, without actually being there. Had I never picked up that issue of the magazine, I might not have been here today. And so the story came full circle.
During the past weeks, I got to know people around here better (at least now I know all their names). An have also looked into people working for Ubisoft but on other teams. It's nice to be sharing (at least) the virtual community with people like Jordan Mechner, Yannis Malat, Patrice Desilets or Jade Raymond. It feels brilliant to have the names that have actually changed the industry at just a click away.
And if you can't relate to my story, think about the person that inspired you to go the way you're heading, and imagine how it would feel to work with them, and learn from them every day.
That's what get's me out of bed at 8:30 sharp every morning. And you? What are your expectations from your life?
What baffled me initially was that the FHWII team is made up of (only) 17 people, with 3 of us being juniors (n00bs). Why would that be astounding? Because we're expected to deliver a full blown A+ title in less than a year. People say we'll be growing quite a bit in the coming months, but, as far as I'm concerned, we're fine right now.
So, we have 1 Producer, 1 Art Director and 1 Environment Artist, Senior and Junior Game Designers (one of each), 2 Level Designers, 1 2D Graphic/Texture, 1 Character/Concept Artist, 1 3D Graphics, and the rest of us, programmers (2 Juniors).
... and we're gonna kill the market come spring. Mark my words.
The people themselves, are however at times far more interesting than the work on the project. On my first day here, I was only briefly introduced to my mentor (the producer), and left to get to know the others on my own. That first week, everybody was busy with some design meetings, but I managed to pull some time off them and talk to a few of them. Across the desk from me, is Andrei, our Art Director/Lead Game Designer. First impression on Andrei was: weird clothes, weird haicut, must be a concept artist or something. But, on that first evening, I got to introduce myself, and shake his hand. I was stunned when he said "Andrei Fantana". If you don't know who that is, you haven't followed romanian gaming for the past 15 years or so; google it.
It was I think 1996. The first time I ever layed my hands on a games magazine. "Game Over" read the title, and it was the first of it's kind I saw written in Romanian. Inside, articles and reviews about the games of the time: Quake, Heretic 2, etc. I still have that issue at home (I actually have 2 crates of games magazines I've collected over time... talking about this with my girlfriend at some point, she said that a girl's reading habits grow with her: seventeen magazine, bravo, popcorn -> elle, cosmopolitan, etc. where as mine remained constant... I said I knew what I wanted in life early on; but men's habits evolve also; ergo, the third crate of magazines in my stash is filled with FHMs; so yeah, it's basically gaming and women lifestyle). I can still recall reading through the articles that formed my first opinions about games and gaming; some of them were signed 'afantana'.
It was like meeting the father you never knew; the person who influenced your whole life in some way or another, without actually being there. Had I never picked up that issue of the magazine, I might not have been here today. And so the story came full circle.
During the past weeks, I got to know people around here better (at least now I know all their names). An have also looked into people working for Ubisoft but on other teams. It's nice to be sharing (at least) the virtual community with people like Jordan Mechner, Yannis Malat, Patrice Desilets or Jade Raymond. It feels brilliant to have the names that have actually changed the industry at just a click away.
And if you can't relate to my story, think about the person that inspired you to go the way you're heading, and imagine how it would feel to work with them, and learn from them every day.
That's what get's me out of bed at 8:30 sharp every morning. And you? What are your expectations from your life?
RidgeWalkers feat. El - Find
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