the Bookof Magicians andspells - Joensuu · PDF fileSibelius, Eva ryynänen, Eero...

the Bookof Magicians

andspells

Editors: Carolina Islas Sedano • Seppo Nevalainen

Reviewer and PR: Veikko Miettinen

Graphic Design and Cover: Leea Wasenius

Illustrations: Sampsa Laitinen

Translation: Mikko Vinni

Language: Estee Wiese

Publication: Science Park

ISBN 978-952-93-5976-9

Printed and bound by Grano Oy


andspellsEnhancing North Karelia’s Game Industry through Global Experience


andspellsEnhancing North Karelia’s Game Industry through Global Experience

ForEword by Ilari Kuittinen from Housemarque 6

INtroductIoN 9

A MAGIcAl lANd: North Karelia and its game education ecosystem 12

North Karelia 13

organisation of the educational system 14

Pkky 17

Karelia uAS 19

uEF 22

Science Park / Game Incubator 24

tHE orIGIN oF NortH KArElIAN MAGIcIANS: the Game Industry in North Karelia 26

timeline 30

Illusion 35

Veikko Miettinen reflects on the past, present and future 38

index

1

2

3

4

AdVIcE to IMProVE MAGIc SPEllS: Globally renowned personalities in the game industry visit North Karelia 40

Allan McKay Animation and Special Effects 42

Jesse Schell Game Designer 45

Ste curran Game Designer 48

dean Bent Quality Assurance 52

Ari Pulkkinen Game Music 56

Ville Sorsa Game Music 60

Markus Myhrberg Legal Matters 64

Antti Villanen Serial Entrepreneur 67

coNcluSIoN 74

6

foreword In recent years game development activity has witnessed rapid growth in Finland and several

promising companies in the gaming industry have been established, also in North Karelia.

the roots of this industry were established thirty years ago when domestic game develop-

ment history was realised in Joensuu. the impetus for this came from abroad, with the trend

having found its way into Eastern Finland a couple of years earlier. Electronic games burst

onto the scene in the latter part of the Seventies with the first game consoles, but a larger

breakthrough was the coin-operated video games which appeared in gas stations, cafes and

at public swimming pools. these wonderful games, with their colorful virtual worlds, mes-

merised the youth of the city to single mindedly compete their way to the top of the game

score lists. Shortly thereafter Nintendo released the first portable Game and watch one- or

two-screen game devices, running games like donkey Kong. the final breakthrough in

games was spearheaded by the commodore VIc-20 and c64 home computers which fi-

nally enabled playing games at home, for good.

Joensuu – a city of game development, its history and future

7

one of the Finnish game development pioneers lived in Joensuu during the early years of

the 1980s. For a short while the city birthed Finnish game know-how, thanks to Stavros

Fasoulas, who created his first internationally published commodore 64 games in those

years. the best known of his games was, most probably, ”Sanxion” which was published in

1986 and which received rave reviews in industry magazines around the world. I had the

rare opportunity to observe the development process from up close as I tested the earliest

versions of the game, and could even contribute ideas towards the creation of the enemies

in the game.

thirty years ago it most certainly was not possible to predict the current positive develop-

ments taking place in Joensuu’s game industry. one of the corner stones of this development

has been the pioneering game education provided in the region. Pelitalo in outokumpu

was, for instance, one of the first schools to offer game education in Finland. the Illusion

seminar, established to bring together game enthusiasts from all over Finland, and abroad,

takes place at the same time as Ilosaari rock, and is starting to bear fruit and spread the word

regarding gaming know-how in Joensuu.

8

Joensuu is a small, far away city in Finland which is, in turn, a small, northern country far

away from the centers of the world. the game industry is one of the most globally competi-

tive industries in the world, and therefore success and fame requires not only hard work and

excellent products, but also plenty of luck. thanks to the Internet the world has become

remarkably small and the new digital distribution channels for game products enable even a

small game studio to distribute games around the world.

No matter how the region’s game industry fares in the coming years, today it already has

all the makings of a small success story. Nothing like this could have been imagined three

decades ago when one of the pioneers of the industry spent his time programming his first

games in his small bedroom.

Helsinki, June 3th, 2015

IlArI KuIttINEN

cEo and founding member, Housemarque oy

chair of the Board, Neogames – Hub of the Finnish game industry

9

introduction

North Karelia is located in eastern Finland and, despite being located in a peripheral region

of the country, it has exerted a strong influence on the cultural development of the nation

as a whole. For example, North Karelia has inspired numerous Finnish artists including Jean

Sibelius, Eva ryynänen, Eero Järnefelt, Juhani Aho, Maiju lassila and Heikki turunen.

Among the more modern cultural influences that hail from here are Ismo Alanko and

Nightwish. In addition to this, the Karelia region is also the birthplace of the Kalevala, one

of the most significant works in Finnish literature.

this region, as is the case with other areas of our planet, is in a state of constant flux. today

it confronts a diversity of challenges including unemployment, out-migration and a future

change in population structure, to name but a few. However, challenging times awaken the

by cArolINA ISlAS SEdANo and SEPPo NEVAlAINEN

10

best in people as they rally in search of solutions; it is the time for sisu. during this modern

day quest, the education and games industry in North Karelia can help facilitate important

strategies to aid development in the region. the oldest school offering game education in

Finland is located in North Karelia. It has not only been a constant spring of knowledge

and employment in the region, but also a source of talent needed to sustain the national

game industry.

therefore, with the aim being to increase the expertise in this area and to deliver valuable

knowledge to further generations, outstanding workshops, lectures and similar events took

place in Joensuu. these were presented by, amongst others, globally renowned personalities

in the game industry. the audiences at these events included students, teachers and entre-

preneurs from the region. the funds, necessary to action these activities, were donated by

European Social Funds and administrated by Joensuu Science Park. this book, as one of the

outcomes of this project, offers written evidence of these efforts and is meant to be shared

with other project participants. the book also facilitates the sharing of relevant information

with those individuals who are interested in games but who were not able to attend the

different events.

11

In an effort to be inclusive in the transmission of information through this volume, this book contains three sections:

Section I: A Magical Land: North Karelia and its game education ecosystem

this section is tailored to enlighten readers who might not be familiar with the North Karelia region, its local game

industry or the Finnish educational system.

Section II: The Origin of North Karelian Magicians: Game Industry in North Karelia

In an effort to fully understand our present, it is important to know where we come from. this section introduces the game

companies with connections to North Karelia as well as the main seminar games event of the region, Illusion. In addition,

Veikko Miettinen explains the purpose of inviting distinguished game industry personalities to the region who, in turn,

add to the knowledge store and expertise of the region.

Section III: Advice to improve magic spells: Globally renowned personalities in the game industry visit North Karelia

this section presents the reader with summaries and tips from different experts who shared their experiences and know-

ledge with the local gaming community in North Karelia.

we invite you to discover wonderful North Karelia - its educational ecosystem and its game industry.

we look forward to sharing the insights imparted by our international guests which participated in the project!

12

magical land North Karelia and its game education ecosystem

13

the Magical land in which the different stories of this volume

unfold, is the majestic region of North Karelia, in Finland.

this territory is rich in biodiversity and has been recognised

by uNESco as a biosphere region. Additionally, this terrain

offers a unique, plentiful and unspoilt cultural heritage. one

factor which may contribute to this beauty is the low population

density of the territory as it is located far away from the capital

regions in southern Finland. In addition to the region being set

apart from the rest of Finland, it shares a 302 km border with

the Federation of russia. therefore, if one understands the

implications of this terrain and the intense history of the region,

it is possible to understand the particular strength and richness of

North Karelians.

Education and industry are indispensable factors supporting the

development of any region. Before attempting to describe North

Karelia’s game education ecosystem, a few general comments

concerning the organisation of the Finnish educational system

might aid a better understanding.

View of Koli National Park, North Karelia, Finland

1

14

the educational system in Finland is divided into three tiers. A young person commencing

his/her educational career in North Karelia starts at the first tier which consists of 9 years

at a comprehensive school.

After successfully completing the first tier, a person can then graduate to the second

tier. He/she must choose between a general or vocational upper secondary education of

which the duration is typically three years. If a person wants to start specialising in games

during the second tier of schooling in North Karelia, he/she can enroll at the North

Karelia municipal education training consortium (Pkky) for the game development study

program.

Organization of the Finnish educational system

15

the third and last educational tier in Finland includes universities and universities of applied

sciences. At universities the emphasis is more on research and instruction whilst universities

of applied sciences adopt a more practical approach. At this tier, North Karelia offers game

related education both at the university of Eastern Finland (uEF) and at the Karelia

university of Applied Science (KuAS).

Each of these North Karelian educational institutions places its own and unique emphasis

on game education. Pkky focuses on game graphics and level design, KuAS on game

programming and uEF on game design. It is important to mention that currently no tuition

fees are charged for regular degree programs, regardless of your nationality.

Organization of the Finnish educational system

1North Karelia and its game education ecosystem

16

Pkky

17

the North Karelia municipal education and training consor-

tium (Pohjois-Karjalan koulutuskuntayhtymä in Finnish, ab-

breviated as Pkky), which is also known as the North Karelia

college outokumpu, is an educational organisation managed

by 13 North Karelian municipalities.

Pkky offers education in eight different fields which comprises

over 300 qualifications. there are approximately 7 750 students

and 1 050 staff members in educational establishments located

in different parts of Northern Karelia.

Bird’s-eye view of Outokumpu, North Karelia, Finland


18

In the area of game development, Pkky offers a degree pro-

gram to qualify as a media assistant. the game studies program,

offered at outokumpu, was established in 2005 and is thus

the longest standing professional training program tailored for

the game industry in Finland. Here the emphasis is placed on

graphics and game design while other courses focus on pho-

tography, video recording, image processing and entrepreneur-

ship. A qualification in this field prepares the student for work

as a 3d graphics artist, level designer or animator. Students who

have graduated here have gone on to secure positions at top

Finnish Game companies including remedy Entertainment,

rovio, Housemarque and Frozenbyte.

19

karelia uasKarelia university of Applied Sciences (KuAS), formerly

known as the North Karelia university of Applied Sciences,

was established in 1992 and counted among the first polytech-

nics in Finland.

KuAS offers 16 bachelor degree and five master degree pro-

grams and has approximately 4 000 students and 400 staff mem-

bers. research activities revolve around six key areas: renewable

energy, competence in aging, russia-competence, precision

engineering, multimedia services, and wood construction.


20

karelia uas

21

Bird’s-eye view of Joensuu, North Karelia, Finland

the degree Program in Business Information technology

(BIt) attracts around 100 students annually. BIt has offered

game programming studies, with a focus on the programming

section of game development, since 2009. other aspects of

game development, such as game design and game art, are ad-

dressed through joint projects carried out by Karelia’s own me-

dia degree program as well as Pkky and uEF students. the BIt

degree program has produced several Bachelor theses covering

different areas of game programming. At this time, most game

related study projects in Karelia are done in the Game Studio.


22

university of eastern finland

23

one might think that the university of Eastern Finland (uEF) is a young university which

was only formally established in 2010. this, however, is not accurate as uEF is the product

of the merging of two formerly independent universities namely the university of Joensuu

(1969) and the university of Kuopio (1972).

uEF offers Bachelor, Master and doctoral programs and it is considered the most multi-

disciplinary university in Finland with 15 000 students and 2 600 staff members. the

university’s key interdisciplinary research areas are built around several global challenges:

Aging, lifestyles and Health; learning in a digitized society, cultural encounters; Mobilities

and borders; Environmental change and Sufficiency of natural resources.

the School of computing (Soc) is one of the biggest departments within uEF and has a

presence on both the Joensuu and Kuopio campuses. Soc actively cooperates in the devel-

opment of digital games in the region. In 2006 the first Phd studies, with a focus on game

design, in particular contextual games, commenced and today the School of computing

offers game design lectures and It projects and produces many theses and publications

related to digital games.


24

North Karelia, as one of the regional Game development hotspots in Finland, boasts an

oASIS Game Studio in Joensuu Science Park which contains 150 square meters of the

best facilities in the region. Joensuu Science Park is a building complex that offers services

and infrastructure to support the growth of the It industry by allocating workspace to

established companies, entrepreneurs and students in the same space, thus promoting an

ecosystem which fosters knowledge creation and innovation.

the Game Studio invites anyone – including students, hobbyist and professionals – with an

interest in the creation of digital games to access its facilities. the game creation enthusiast

can thus enjoy access to computers, software licenses, game gear, expert coaching and the

synergy of a like-minded community who shares similar interests.

the Game Studio works in close co-operation with the three North Karelian educational

institutes which offer formal courses in different areas of game development (Pkky, Karelia

uAS and uEF) to foster cooperation and collaboration. Additionally, the Game Studio’s

doors are open to both established companies and startups, thereby exposing the community

to real game industry projects. In short, the Game Studio is where game education meets

game development in projects that are professionally led by partnered game companies.

25

science Parkgame studio


26

the origins of north karelia magicians

the Game Industry in North Karelia

27

“Stray not into the path of darkness, or be lost forever” (Dark Maze)

28

Finland has valuable experience of the digital game industry which

started as far back as the eighties. In addition, the country possesses

the technical and educational infra-structure to grow the Finnish

game industry by making good use of the easily accessible distribu-

tion channels, development tools and encouraging innovation and

entrepreneurship.

International Investors are paying attention to the Finnish Game

Industry as exemplified by the years 2011 to 2013 during which

the investments in this industry were over $1.7 billion (€1.26 bil-

lion)*.

The Game Industry in North Karelia

29

the North Karelia region, in addition to offering education that

benefits the Finnish Game Industry, is home to 9.8%* of the

total number of Game companies in the country. the local indus-

try focuses on the development of games for mobile devices, Pcs,

online use, serious games and games for health. Moreover, the

region has access to different networks to support the growth of the

local industry, for example tekes with the program Skene (www.

tekes.fi), Neogames (www.neogames.fi), IGdA (www.igda.org) and

Suomen Pelinkehittäjät (www.pelinkehittajat.fi).

As long as there is creation and transmission of knowledge, access

to technology, creativity and sisu, innovation is possible. Innovation

is a key aspect to the game industry, and North Karelia certainly

fulfills all the elements necessary to successfully foster innovation.

* Source: neogames.fi

2the Game Industry in North Karelia

30

“Don’t let your mind wander - it might not come back.”(Braids, dementia summoner)

Time line North Karelia has witnessed many different visionaries, each with

the dream to create their own game company. Some of these vi-

sionaries are from this region originally, whilst others studied in

North Karelia at some point in their journey. today, for some, their

dreams have become a reality…

31

teacherGaming llc (based in tampere)

Shiver Games (based in Helsinki)

Mental Moustache

ramdroid Studio (based in Helsinki)

ubium oy

Process Genius oy

Koju Film company oy

Housemarque (based in Helsinki)

Kaamos Sound

collapick company oy

Polar Bunny

Kasauma Education oy

Joensuu Games oSK

1995 2006 2007 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Mountain Sheep (based in Helsinki)

32

Joensuu Science Park ltd. offers versatile services to support the

development and growth of enterprises. Additionally, the Joensuu

Science Park Business Incubator also includes in its focus the Game

Incubator. the objective is to support individuals in the growth of

their business game ideas into successful enterprises. this process

includes supporting entrepreneurs, with expert guidance, through

the challenging early years of an enterprise.

Aki Gröhn, deputy Managing director at Joensuu Science Park ltd,

explains that the Joensuu region is an international recognized hub

for forest bio-economy industry and knowledge. More than 600 for-

est bio-economy experts work in research and education organisa-

tions throughout the region. Many internationally renowned com-

panies, such as John deere Forestry oy, Stora Enso oyj, uPM oyj,

Kesla oyj, and others, have facilities in the region. In total, more than

500 forest bio-economy companies, totaling more than 1, 7 billion

Euros in turnover, operate in the Joensuu region.

33

Another important focus area of the region is the technology and

materials sector. the internationally known company, Abloy, is a

front-runner in the manufacturing of locks and other expert security

products. In recent times the Ict industry in the region has grown

significantly and several new growth-seeking companies have been

founded. For many years the companies Blancco oy ltd., Fastroi

ltd. and Arcusys ltd. have been amongst Finland’s strongest growing

companies. International high-tech know-how is represented by the

photonics company Nanocomp oy ltd, which exports 97 percent

of their products.

the gaming industry is expected to bloom into an area of growth

in the future and Joensuu has all the necessary elements to make this

growth projection a reality


35

Illusion is a magical event where we discuss games while

enjoying good food and drink in the company of interesting people.

All the while exchanging news and lecture information informally,

going to the sauna, enjoying the sun on the roof terrace and

soaking up the vibe of the legendary Ilosaari Rock festival.

illusion games & music


36

Illusion is an annual gathering of the front runners in the gaming industry which takes place in

Joensuu, Finland, at the same time as the local Ilosaari rock festival. In the growing game industry

environment it is important to identify and create spaces where people can connect and share.

therefore Illusion, which takes the form of a game music industry event, focuses on quality rather

than quantity.

the atmosphere of Illusion is unique because it combines aspects, which only North Karelia can

offer, to create a high quality event which connects its participants:

Illusion is big enough so that one can learn from different game industry experts’ presentations.

Illusion is small enough to enable quality time and meaningful conversations with other participants at the event.

All who participate in Illusion share in the same magical atmosphere. The event annually takes place in July,

when most of the country is on holiday. It is in this relaxed and enjoyable ambiance, under the magical midnight

sun, where participants connect and synergy is created.

37

2

“To one in tune

with magic, wizards

are not a threat,

but rather a vein of power

waiting to be tapped”

- Siren, Verduran mystic

38

while North Karelia has been one of the first regions

in Finland to not only offer formal game education, but

also to nurture some of the first entrepreneurs in the

game industry in this country, it is important to recognise

that we live in a time where change is the only constant.

this means that those individuals who learn quickly, and

from the best, will in all probability be the ones who will

succeed in their careers. North Karelia wants its residents

to succeed. consequently, we must support and nurture the

growth of a newer generation in the game industry whilst

simultaneously building and expanding the local game

industry environment.

Education is invaluable, but there is nothing better than

learning from the BESt. Based on this vision, the project

“Game industry working life skills and business environment

in North Karelia” was created and funded, enabling us to

invite globally renowned game industry personalities to

Joensuu.

veikko miettinen reflects on the past, present and future

39

the guests, whom we have had the privilege to host at the Game

Studio in 2012 and 2013, include: Allan McKay (Animation

and Special Effects), Jesse Schell (Game designer), Ste

Curran (Game designer), Dean Bent (Quality Assurance),

Ari Pulkkinen (Game Music), Ville Sorsa (Game Music),

Markus Myhrberg (legal Matters) and Antti Villanen

(Serial Entrepreneur).

Each of our guests either presented a lecture or workshop at

the Game Studio. Additionally, each guest contributed to the

growth of the local game industry by coaching or collaborating

with different key players in Joensuu.

to connect and identify with leaders in the game industry is

truly invaluable and to expand this experience beyond the life

of the project, we decided to write this book. we believe future

generations (e.g. students, entrepreneurs, teachers and investors)

will benefit from knowing who we are, what we do, who we

admire and where we want to go.

Renowned personalities connecting with the local game industry


North Karelia Region

Allan McKay AuStrAlIA KoJu FIlM

Animation &Special Effects

uEF

Jesse Schell uSA

Game Designer

Ste CurranuK

Quality Assurance

Dean Bent uK

Ari Pulkkinen Finland

Game Music

Ville Sorsa Finland

Legal Matters

Markus Myhrberg Finland

Serial Entrepreneur

Antti Villanen Finland

GAME StudIo

PolAr BuNNy

IlluSIoN

GAME INcuBAtor

JoENSuu GAMES oSK

Game Music

Game Designer

40

advice to imProve magic sPells

41

Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia

2

In the era of the internet and massive online

courses, it is relatively easy to source learning

material related to the game industry.

what is challenging, however, is to gain insights

from game industry leaders. It is an amazing

bonus to hear how they started in the industry

and to record their advice on how to be suc-

cessful.

In the section which follows, for the benefit of

our readers, we present the collected experi-

ences and advice offered by our guests to North

Karelia.

“Stay a while, and listen!” (Diablo II)

42

(an animation and special effects specialist) is an award

winning Visual Effects Supervisor and technical director

based in Hollywood. He has almost 20 years’ experience,

having worked for many leading studios - including

Industrial light + Magic, Blur Studio, Atomic Fiction,

Pixomondo, ubisoft and many others.

[Australia]

Allan McKay

43

3Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia

How did you begin in the industry?

AMK: I think that I was always an artist, in some form, and it was always one of

my big goals to work on big Hollywood movies. For a long time I thought it

would be unattainable, but having someone see my name on the screen, or doing

some big thing is definitely an exciting thing. I was pushing myself to achieve my

goal...a big journey.

Your message in Joensuu?

AMK: I think the idea was to get everyone excited about what I do, but also to

inspire them and show them what they can do.

Any valuable sources you can recommend?

AMK: with the internet, there is so much information, including youtube, online

courses, written articles and tutorials. there is so much information out there that

these days, really all you need to do is find the necessary elements to expand into

the field that you want to go.

44

I have my own training products, the stuff that I sell on alanmckay.com and then

there are other websites, like cgworkshops.com, which do a lot of online work-

shops. there are a few around. But definitely, if you google anything these days,

you are going to find the top five resources specific to what you need.

Some words of advice...

AMK: look at what you want to do and research the adjacent areas to what you

are doing, and start to learn about them So, if you are more interested in work-

ing as a producer, learn some of the processes involved in 3d, and if your aim is

to be a sponsor, then learn a bit about business management. At the same time, if

you are a talented artist, maybe learn some programming, some producing, some

photography...familiarise yourself with the surrounding elements that are going to

help you expand. Also, be a better communicator with the people that you work

with and try to continue to grow in that way.

Allan McKay...

45


is a video game designer, an acclaimed author

(the art of Game design), cEo of Schell Games

and a distinguished professor of the Practice of

Entertainment technology at carnegie Mellon

university. He has also worked at Bell labs and

walt disney Imagineering.

[uSA]

Jesse Schell

46

Jesse Schell...How did you begin in the industry?

JS: Games of all sorts have always fascinated me - I am always interested in any ex-

perience that feels magical, and games really feel that way.


JS: we covered a rather broad range of topics related to game design, but in a lot of

ways, that was the point. Game design is a broad field that demands the integration

of psychology, math, engineering, architecture, storytelling, graphic design and many

other fields.


JS: the Gamasutra website contains a wealth of information for game designers. It is

the largest, most comprehensive, most up to date collection of game design articles.

of course, I recommend my own book, the Art of Game design (now in its 2nd edi-

tion), which has become the standard at universities and in studios around the world.

47



JS: Gaming will continue to become more and more diverse, finding more and

more platforms and new kinds of players. Before long, everyone will be playing

videogames of some kind, and the diversity of games will allow everyone to find

the games which best suit their personal preferences.

Game designers should be thinking and writing about game design as much as

possible. to that end, I encourage all designers to start a blog about design and the

games they play, and to update that blog weekly.

Beyond that, just start making games!

48

is a game designer, videogame journalist, presenter and author.

He is credited with writing the script to Sega’s PSP title crush.

Additionally, he was editor at Edge magazine, and has authored

and co-authored several books, e.g. Game Plan: Great designs

that changed the Face of computer Gaming (2004), the Art

of Producing Games (2005), the complete Guide to Game

development, Art & design (2005) and Game on: the 50

Greatest Video Games of All time (2006).

[uK]

Ste Curran

49



Sc: It was a very random journey. I was a writer for a while. I went to work at

Edge magazine and then I became interested in video games and decided I want-

ed to design them as they have a connection to film games. From there I moved

briefly to Sony and now I am an independent consultant.


Sc: while there are many talks on brilliant things in education and about how

development works in the game industry, the best practice you will have is experi-

ence and over the last 10 years I have been working in the industry. I wanted to

share my experiences with the students.

My favorite point of the lecture is to emphasise that it is ok to be wrong some-

times, everybody can have bad ideas. one might have a great idea for your game

but it might not work, and it is important to acknowledge that sometimes this

happens. one can have bad ideas, and it is important to communicate with and

listen to other people and understand that no one is perfect. when you accept

50

this, game development is much easier. once you acknowledge that you are not

perfect, that you are allowed to make mistakes, then you can easily take the bad

idea out of your game, rather than desperately trying to put it in, trying to make

it fit into a game that it really does not belong in. that is another important as-

pect to consider, subtraction in game development is sometimes more valuable

than addition. It is easy to add flows but much more valuable to take things away

again and find the core. Generally, in life, there is such pressure to have the correct

answer all the time, everybody is desperate to talk. I know this to be true, we are

taught in this way, we score points when answering questions correctly and we are

reprimanded when we are wrong, but the important thing is that this is not how

life should work, your mistakes should help you improve.


Sc: this question is really easy, consume everything. Not only games but culture

as well. what I mean is: people who want to be the best at game designing study

Ste Curran...

51


other people’s games diligently. you can learn a lot about mechanics, but your

games will still be different. Embrace things from other mediums as well, you

should be interested in all different aspects of culture. It is worth remembering

that if you see something that you think you might not like, it is often valuable to

consume that thing and not only stick to the things you like. It is probably more

valuable if you want something, or listen to something, that you think you hate.

In the worst case scenario you will learn something about that audience who love

it, think about it and challenge yourself. Best case scenario you actually might like

it and you might add aspects of that media to your media.


Sc: In the games industry it is very important to connect with other people. Be

nice to people because they will teach you things.

there are boring answers, like read a lot Gamasutra and learn about the industry

as much as you can, but I think to be social and inquisitive is more valuable than

a list of specific sources.

52

(Quality Assurance) has been working professionally

in the game industry for over 18 years, specialising

in Quality Assurance, usability testing and customer

Services. one can find his foot print as Head of Playtesting,

European QA and test Manager at Nokia oy.

[uK]

Dean Bent

53


dB: Many years ago I joined a company, u.S. Gold. they manufactured games

and I worked in the Pc help line section. Back in those days we had plenty of

technical problems. I joined the company thinking that I would be the guy who

knows nothing and it turned out that I actually knew a lot and I quickly became

respected within the company. when that job ended, I joined another software

company and they realised that I was actually quite good in quality assurance.

I created the QA department there and after that I moved to Babel and then

to Germany. Each time I gathered a bit more experience and this process sort

of smoothed the way. I looked at different scenarios and just kept adding to my

portfolio of skills. I have always been crazy about games and I love working with

them. I have done some production work, but I always come back to quality

assurance because I just want to see as many games as possible. I do not like

spending 12 months of my life working on one game. I like to keep it moving.


54

I think it is also quite rare, in this field, to find people who want to do quality

assurance. Most people want to do production or programming. So, I think it is

important that people are passionate about this area. you need someone who cares

about doing a good job.

My very first job was definitely an accident. I just applied for the job and once

I started working with games I thought, I would be happy if I retired doing this.


dB: I focused on the importance of including the consumer in the game creation

process. you should always do tests and really keep the consumer in mind. If you

do that, and if the consumer is happy with the game you have created, you can

create an even better game.

Dean Bent...

55


dB: there are the usual sites, including Gamasutra.com. you can also google

this kind of thing as there is plenty of information online. Actually, an Ameri-

can book, published some years ago called “Game usability testing” covers the

basics quite well. that is the important thing to remember: the basics are simple.

It is the actual process that changes, improves, or which we complicate with new

technologies over time, but the basics remain the same.


dB: It is always important to think like a consumer. try to keep in the back of

your mind how you would feel if you were the consumer and you were buying

this game which happens to be disappointing. try to keep the consumer in mind,

as that is the most important person in the whole process, if you ask me. So, if you

can do things so that they will work for the consumer, you will eventually create

a good game.


56

is a Finnish video game composer, musician and sound designer.

In 2008 he founded Aritunes, a company specialising in music

and sound design for games. Aritunes has worked on award

winning audio designs in games such as resogun,

Angry Birds, outland, dead Nation, trine franchise

and Super Stardust Hd.

[FINlANd]

Ari Pulkkinen

57


AP: It started as a hobby basically. I did not plan to be a game music composer or game

sound designer. I just happened to have this hobby of composing. I did it myself for

10 years, almost without publishing anything. then I got to know more people. I

was invited to frozenbyte games, as an in-house music and audio director...But the

thing is that you really have to want to be in the industry because it is not easy to

be a full-time game music composer. I do not know if there are even 5 full-time

game composers in Finland. Some are in-house, well most people are in-house

composers, but making money for your own company, that is the hard part. you

really have to establish a name. you really have to get projects behind you.


AP: My main message is about game music and its importance now and in the fu-

ture of gaming. lots of music and commercialised hits originate from games. this

music should not be considered as game music, but rather as music inside games.

you can build a business on this, you can create great things through the music.


58

Ari Pulkkinen...Any valuable sources you can recommend?

AP: the first thing I would recommend is that you know your games. Basically,

know how games are made and why they work the way they do, understand the

role of game music inside the game. And, of course, I would recommend meetings

like IGdA which is a great source of information about games and developing

games. the IGdA and international forums can help you to get to know the game

industry, as well as the music industry’s styles and genres, which is really important.

Also view the information at gangaudio.com.

59


AP: Basically I have learnt everything by myself. this kind of business does not

have schools. there are some lectures, like the one I am doing here. So, a good

start would be to work for yourself, learn more and be enthusiastic about games.

you should also acquire skills which relate to overall game development. It is

important for a composer to know how the animations are produced, how the

code is made and how the textures and graphics are made. A game is a grand idea

and a combination of all these different things. when you understand how games

are made, you can compose better music for the game. the better you understand

the game and its mechanics, the more you can develop your skills as a composer.


60

works as a Sound designer at remedy Entertainment.

Among his game audio productions are Quantum Break,

Alan wake: American Nightmare (winner of the Best

game of the year and best downloadable) and death

rally.

[FINlANd]

Ville Sorsa

61


VS: In the last 15 years I have worked in almost all audio fields. I have worked in

the music business, television, radio, movies, and this was just like the last frontier,

the field which I thought had the brightest future. I was excited and the field was

new and booming, so I figured out where information technology was going.

we have a lot of really talented people in Finland, so obviously the game would

be a massive success and, happily, that is what happened. It was a perfect fit for

a person with my skill sets. I really loved creating those weird sounds...a perfect

opportunity for me.


VS: It is a 2 day lecture about game audio design and the development of mobile

games.


62


VS: there are multiple sites providing information, e.g. designsound.org. It is a

group of audio professionals who work in both the video television and game

industry, and it is a good source, especially for new guys who are trying to get

some tips from the productions. Another one is a yahoo! Mail group called Sound

to Sound. It is closed, so you need to get a recommendation to get in there, but

it is easy if you work in a game design center. then there is gamedev.net which is

basically a forum, or portal, for young game designers. there is a “wanted” section

for people with certain expertise. It is a good way to connect with people with

dev and multi projects, to connect with people who are actually making games. In

Finland, the best place to visit is the “IGdA Arts” in Helsinki, every first tuesday

of every month.

Ville Sorsa...

63


VS: First of all you need to know how the game industry works. I think that most

people who try to get in see themselves as game professionals, stating: “I really like

games, I have been playing them for 15 years”, which is basically the same thing

as saying: “I am a good guitar player, because I have been listening to music for 15

years”. So you should have an understanding of what is required for the position

you are interested in, an understanding of what it actually takes to build a game,

to design the sounds of the game. Have some sort of material which you can show

as proof to the people you need to connect with and make it clear that you have

the necessary skill set to do the job.


64

is head of lexia’s IP, technology and Media practice.

His main focus is on IP intensive industries, including

software, media and entertainment, marketing,

the creative industry and other innovative industries such

as cleantech and the mobile industry.

He also advises on Marketing and company law,

Privacy matters, contracts and Financing – especially

Venture capital and crowdfunding.

[FINlANd]

Markus Myhrberg

65

Markus Myhrberg



MM: I started my career as a telecom lawyer, and then I changed to law firms. I

have always worked with software companies, and in the beginning, 10 years ago,

game companies were considered little more than software companies, not only

content or creative companies. Now it has changed a bit and I think this led me

to understand that I possessed knowledge about the creative industry and software

companies, and that I could combine my knowledge experience and provide a

good service. the whole thing was also a little bit accidental.


MM: you should know the legal basics and remember those basics if you want

to succeed. try to utilise all the information which is available in your business.

66


MM: there are quite a few good blogs which you can follow. I would generally say follow

the discussion and those blogs which are written by uS and European lawyers about legal

matters. But be careful, remember the differences between the uS and Europe regarding

legal matters. Be critical and, as concerns legal matters, please read the blogs or articles

written by lawyers, not only other developers.


MM: the game industry at the moment is really promising. It is already bigger than the

movie industry. of course, it is growing really fast at the moment, and of course you should

be careful of the side effects because when a business develops so quickly... do some research

before joining a company and make sure you will be gaining the experience you hope for.

So carefully consider which firm you join. try to gain experience in different kinds of

products backed by a good education and deep understanding of roles. I know that in the

gaming industry you need guys who can do only one thing, but do it really well.

Markus Myhrberg...

67

is a serial entrepreneur. Here is a glimpse of his work:

Game development – 20 games released worldwide

Strategic planning – over 200 companies consulted

ramping up the business – 15 companies founded and operated

Fund raising – More than 25 M€ capital and grants raised

Building up organisations – More than 400 people hired

capitalising companies - Several successful exits

[FINlANd]

Antti Villanen


68

Antti Villanen...How did you begin in the industry?

AV: I am passionate about games myself. I still spend a lot of time playing,

especially strategy games on Pc and tablet. I had a company which had all the

skills and expertise necessary for game production. we did not however create

games. I then thought: why don’t we also do games? we have the programmers,

animators, studios and editing studios and stuff like that. that was sort of the first

push for the industry. then we built a team, and suddenly we started a company

and after that I started my first game company. It was not too long before I started

the second, and third, and fourth, and fifth, and sixth.

69


AV: For everybody who wants to start a company or their first start-up, I think

the most important thing is: stop thinking and start doing. I do not think anybody

is ever ready for that first day, but it is iteration, work, lots of work, and again

iteration and iteration. Everybody can do this and I would like to encourage

everybody to start.


AV: I would encourage people to talk to others who are in the same situation or

to talk to people who are already in the field or running companies. Ask ques-

tions, ask as many as you can. Also use the available online channels, for instance, if

you are in any game industry, game industry biz. But I think the most important

thing is to talk to people, ask questions. there is no such thing as a silly question,

only silly answers.


70


AV: the first piece of advice is: Just start doing and stop thinking about the win-

dows. Another one is to participate in different kinds of industry events - locally,

nationally and internationally. discover that even the rock stars of the industry are

nothing more than humans who started, maybe one or ten years ago. But every

one of us has the possibility to become successful. Basically the only limits are

inside our minds.

Antti Villanen...

71


Asking questions help people to be more active, it helps them to structure their

thoughts and ideas by punching them around with other people. receiving feed-

back from questions, from people who have done some job already is very valu-

able. It is also important to have discussions with people who are in the same

position, for example, starting their own company. People on the same level can

support and help each other. they often struggle with the same problems and can

thus help each other find solutions.

In Finland, I recommend attending Mindtrek, IGdA events and Illusion which

are all exceptionally good.

74

conclusion

75

Games are, unquestionably, part of our culture. today, one can get information about all the different

aspects that are involved in the game industry from a myriad of sources. But no information can replace

the richness of experience achieved through talking with people in the industry who want to help you.

we are thankful for the opportunity to share moments and experiences with leaders in the game indus-

try and to summarise their messages in this book.

this project’s journey taught us that every region of our planet is special. It is not important how small

or big that region is, each one has its own characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. North Karelia pos-

sesses all that is needed to excel in the game industry. North Karelians are unique people who are able

to listen to others, and to themselves. they work hard and have built a thriving and evolving ecosystem

to support visionaries in reaching their dreams in the game industry. the work is never done as there

is always something to improve upon. However, it is time to inject the sisu required and to make things

happen - you are in charge of making your dreams come true!

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