A tale of two very empty game studios

When Stewart Needham, studio engineering director at Dambuster studios, became governor at his kids’ primary school, he expected to learn new things. What he didn’t expect, however, was to discover methods that assist him and his team in the creation of one of this year’s most anticipated games, the gory zombie slayer Dead Island 2.

Anas Rahhal has achieved the seemingly impossible. Growing up, he had two dreams: playing video games and working in finance. The latter was a challenge, since he was a stateless Palestinian living in Syria. Then the civil war broke out. Amidst all the chaos and violence, his dreams seemed forever out of reach. But Anas wouldn’t give up.

How do you develop a sequel to a game that simulates the violent life of a goat? A game that was partly successful due to its hilarious bugs. Well, Coffee Stain does it by skipping part two completely and going straight to Goat Simulator 3. And, of course, by making sure to find the sweet spot where the game is goat enough.

What would you like for lunch? How about a can of microwaved canned tomato soup, some office-cooked corn chicken with mushroom gravy, or perhaps nougat dumplings with gingerbread crumbs? In the global Embracer family, the lunch options are many and varied — and you are invited to join!

Why would anyone leave a place where you can swim with the dolphins, own an unlimited number of dogs and spend your days at the beach? Shanice Lapierre Armande did all that, but she also wanted a good education. So she left the Caribbean for a new life in the Netherlands. She still longs for the island lifestyle, but she also loves her new life — as a VR developer at Vertigo Games.

Natalia Boró was in the middle of her life and had a great career, when she received the devastating news. She had breast cancer. Then she was laid off. Everything looked very bleak. But now, three years later, she is not only cancer free, she has also started a new career. This time, in the games industry.

It’s busy days for Helen Haynes, as she and the rest of Dambuster Studios put the final touches to Dead Island 2. But as an HR manager, Helen’s mission is not killing zombies — it’s creating the best working conditions possible. And since retirement is just around the corner for Helen, she’s not holding back when she delivers some hard-earned truths about what HR should be in the games industry. Buckle up!

When David Lahmeyer received a Nintendo 64 for Christmas, he made his mind up — he was going to work in the games industry! He was only eight years old and since then he has never bothered to make any other career plans. Failing to become a programmer did not hinder his ambitions, nor did working in the industry stop him from collecting Nintendo 64 games.

Remember MSX, the Japanese computer standard from the 80s, with its huge selection of games? Did you know that Bomberman made its debut on this hybrid of console and home computer? If not, don’t worry. Thomas Sunhede, retro gaming advisor at Embracer Games Archive, will tell you all about this mostly forgotten console.

Growing up, Molly Ericson loved two things — horses and video games. When studying game design at the university she became annoyed when she watched her boyfriend play FIFA. Why were there no sports games like that for equestrian sports? So she decided to fix that problem herself, and brought her fiancé along on the ride.