I just returned from a complicated 2 week business trip. In the "last but not least" category, I ended the trip with 3 days in Helsinki (well, technically Espoo) working for Remedy Entertainment. Their high-tech offices pictured above are in a suburb just a 15 minute drive from Helsinki. I came out there 2 years ago to provide an outside eye to help them with some design issues on Alan Wake, released earlier this year, and was happy to be able to get involved with their plans for next steps early in the process.
The Remedy team is very impressive. They have a very cohesive group - many have been with them since the early Max Payne days, and there's a great vibe in the office of a group of people that know each other well and enjoy working together. I feel a particular affinity to Remedy as they are a bit unusual as a developer, with a remarkably small team (a few dozen people) to create great AAA games like Alan Wake, and a strong focus on single-player, story intensive games that reminds me of my LucasArts roots. Sam Lake (Sami Järvi), their lead writer has that rare combination of a great sense of story development and design mixed with an ability to make the story work in an interactive context. Saku Lehtinen brings a strong sense of visual quality that has become a Remedy trademark, their games are very striking, and they manage to blend the story and look of the game into a great synergistic whole. They also have a very strong and benevolent management team and structure, with people from the top down who care both about making great games and keeping a high quality of life. Matias Myllrinne, Markus Maki, and Jyrri (Jay) Ranki all have their specialty positions to keep the company running smoothly while creating games that look like they were made with teams 5 times larger. I can't say much about what I actually worked on with them, but I expect players to be very happy with the results, they're very honest about examining their own work for areas of improvement. Their plans are both loyal to their fan base, and boldly incorporating some very fun story ideas that already are spawning some mind-blowing gameplay and imagery. I can divulge one secret weapon that helps their productivity:
The Remedy team is very impressive. They have a very cohesive group - many have been with them since the early Max Payne days, and there's a great vibe in the office of a group of people that know each other well and enjoy working together. I feel a particular affinity to Remedy as they are a bit unusual as a developer, with a remarkably small team (a few dozen people) to create great AAA games like Alan Wake, and a strong focus on single-player, story intensive games that reminds me of my LucasArts roots. Sam Lake (Sami Järvi), their lead writer has that rare combination of a great sense of story development and design mixed with an ability to make the story work in an interactive context. Saku Lehtinen brings a strong sense of visual quality that has become a Remedy trademark, their games are very striking, and they manage to blend the story and look of the game into a great synergistic whole. They also have a very strong and benevolent management team and structure, with people from the top down who care both about making great games and keeping a high quality of life. Matias Myllrinne, Markus Maki, and Jyrri (Jay) Ranki all have their specialty positions to keep the company running smoothly while creating games that look like they were made with teams 5 times larger. I can't say much about what I actually worked on with them, but I expect players to be very happy with the results, they're very honest about examining their own work for areas of improvement. Their plans are both loyal to their fan base, and boldly incorporating some very fun story ideas that already are spawning some mind-blowing gameplay and imagery. I can divulge one secret weapon that helps their productivity:
Their espresso machine is amazing - as a fan of cappuccino, I love the little refrigerator at the left that is connected by hoses to supply cold milk for steaming, and the two bins for coffee (regular beans and espresso roast, depending on the drink - no decaf here!) that grinds the beans fresh for each shot, and turns out excellent drinks in seconds. Very helpful for the dark of winter (you only have to look outside to see where they got the idea for Alan Wake finding his way through dim, menacing forests) and for jet-lagged American visitors.
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