10 Things I Learned Working In The Gaming Industry
2. Studio Culture Exists Even When There's No Studio
COVID-19 is a stinky boy. Nobody likes COVID-19. Not even COVID-19's lovely wee gran who occasionally waves to you at the bus stop to try to offer you a Werther's Original... infection flavour.
But the coronavirus changed how game developers work. Where studio managers once believed that the game studio was this absolutely mandatory otherworldly hub of creativity, now they are beginning to realise that it's... just a place. Games can be build in-house, out-of-house... even under the house, if you live in a house on stilts.
And what's especially notable about that is... the camaraderie and spirit of the studio isn't just limited to within the confines of the building's walls, but rather extends out to wherever the developers find themselves working.
EA is the first AAA studio I've worked with post-lockdown, and their approach to hybrid and remote working is exemplary, making sure to include video calls and incentive packages at every significant milestone. I myself was skeptical about this way of working, but it didn't take long to convince me of the benefits - not only could I cut out the commute, but I didn't lose any sense of communication or team spirit in the process.
Even when the studio was eliminated from the equation, that studio culture persisted.
Maybe the real studio... was in our hearts all along.
That's... that's probably why I have to take tablets.