10 Overlooked Ways ALL Video Game Studios Could Improve
2. Happy Families Outside The Big Happy Family
Game studios tend to do this cringeworthy thing where they want us all to act like a big happy family. I mean, best of intentions and everything, but I have my own real family I like to be apathetic towards.
One refreshing thing I noticed whilst at Rare was that they regularly invited family members out to the studio (which, conveniently, sits beside a beautiful pond and wooded area, perfect for barbecues and impromptu human hunts).
This was quite a lovely detour from the usual “stay away from your loved ones for as long as possible whilst you work yourself silly” attitude I’ve come to see as quite ubiquitous in the industry, and it made me think about how much happier the developers at Rare seemed by comparison.
Making more times/events for your real family to come and visit your work family seemed like a pretty easy way to fit more family time in, and to calm down the demonisation of the evil workplace who keeps stealing us away from them.*
*Completely optional, of course. If you hate your family un-ironically, you could probably just lock them in the Dungeon Of Disdain, like usual, before coming out to the studio picnic.