The History of Housemarque with Co-founder Ilari Kuittinen
Sep 26, 2022
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Ted Price interviews Ilari Kuittinen, the Co-founder of Housemarque, discussing the ups and downs of Housemarque's 30-year history, growth, company culture, strategic advice for new companies, and the importance of well-being in the gaming industry.
Housemarque prioritizes work-life balance and employee well-being, fostering a safe and open culture for discussing problems and concerns.
Housemarque focuses on sustainable production and growing as a studio, implementing a large-scale scrum framework and emphasizing planning to reduce surprises.
Fostering company culture and maintaining clear communication within the team is crucial, accomplished through regular update meetings and open discussions about the company's purpose and mission.
Deep dives
Housemark's 30-year History and Industry Topics
Elari Koetinen, CEO of Housemark, discusses the ups and downs of Housemark's 30-year history as a game developer and explores various industry topics such as growth, company culture, and balancing well-being with game quality. He also provides strategic advice for aspiring developers.
Work-Life Balance and Well-being Initiatives
Housemark prioritizes work-life balance and employee well-being. They offer gym memberships, encourage regular workouts, and provide support for mental health. HR organizes lectures on topics like sleep and nutrition, fostering a safe and open culture for discussing problems and concerns.
Sustainable Production and Growing Sustainably
Housemark is focused on sustainable production and growing as a studio. They have implemented a large-scale scrum framework to improve production efficiency and reduce surprises. They emphasize planning, avoid late changes, and aim to sustainably maintain their culture while developing bigger games.
Importance of company culture and communication
One key point discussed in the podcast is the importance of fostering company culture and maintaining clear communication within the team. The speaker highlights the challenge of staying connected with team members in a growing company and mentions regular Friday update meetings as a way to reinforce values and discuss important topics. Additionally, the use of an instrument called open space is mentioned as a platform for discussing the company's purpose and mission. These practices help to create a sense of unity and ensure that everyone is aligned with the company's values and goals.
Taking creative risks and pitching new ideas
Another main idea explored in the podcast is the importance of taking creative risks and pitching new ideas for innovative game development. The speaker mentions a method called open deck, where team members can pitch their ideas in dedicated meetings. They also discuss the concept of demo weeks, where teams have time to work on a demo of their pitch. This approach helps the studio to constantly explore new genres and avoid relying on sequels. The speaker also emphasizes the need for self-investment and pitching early to publishers to gather feedback and refine ideas before fully committing to development.
Ted Price chats with Ilari Kuittinen, Studio Head & Co-founder of Housemarque. Together they discuss the ups and downs of Housmarque's 30 year history in game development; growth, how their company philosophy has evolved over the years leading up to their latest release, Returnal; company culture, and managing a work/life balance; and Ilari's strategic advice for new companies starting out in games today. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.
This episode is sponsored by CleanSpeak. For more information, visit CleanSpeak.com/gaming
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