PlayStation London Studio with Tara Saunders and Stuart Whyte
Oct 27, 2022
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Tara Saunders and Stuart Whyte, Co-Studio Heads at PlayStation London Studio, discuss studio culture, team well-being, and embracing diversity. They explore the evolution of the studio, establishing and maintaining studio values, empowerment and accountability, moving from content creators to leaders, the importance of diversity in the gaming industry, and advice for entering a leadership position.
The importance of practicing studio values and cultivating a positive work culture.
Supporting team well-being and prioritizing mental health leads to a balanced and energized team.
London Studios' efforts to embrace diversity and inclusion through setting goals, partnering with organizations, and providing opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Deep dives
The value of studio culture and its implementation
Tera and Stort discuss the importance of studio culture and how their team actively practices the values that guide their culture.
The focus on team well-being and support
The team emphasizes the importance of supporting team well-being and creating a positive work environment.
Embracing diversity in and outside of the studio
London Studios has made efforts to embrace diversity and support inclusion within their team and in their projects.
Transitioning to hybrid work and its impact on the studio
The studio has successfully transitioned to a hybrid work model, allowing flexibility for employees and utilizing tools for collaboration and ideation.
Importance of Personal Moments and Mental Health Support
Creating personal moments in the workplace, such as coffee breaks, helps maintain a sense of connection and reminds employees of the human aspect beneath their work. Additionally, prioritizing mental health support and promoting open conversations about mental well-being has been beneficial in addressing ongoing struggles and maintaining a balanced and energized team.
Challenges and Opportunities for Diversity and Inclusion
The studio recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in the industry. To increase diversity, they have implemented diversity goals for everyone in the studio, focusing not only on gender and race but also on socioeconomic diversity. Additionally, they have established partnerships with organizations like Urban Synergy and Coding Black Females to support mentoring programs and provide opportunities for underrepresented groups. Their efforts aim to make the industry more diverse and ultimately improve the quality of their games.
Ted Price chats with PlayStation London Studio Co-Studio Heads, Tara Saunders and Stuart Whyte. Together they discuss studio culture including the values the studio created to guide them; their approach to supporting team well-being; and what their studio is doing to embrace diversity both inside and outside the studio. Listen to the full episode here or watch the full episode on our Youtube channel.
This episode is sponsored by FusionAuth. For more information, go to FusionAuth.io/game.
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