Ten Ton Hammer:
And only 100 people received this iPod shuffle with their own
personalized message on each one. I didn't realize Mark Kern had
recorded a message for each person...
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: And the packaging was
important too. This overnight package shows up in my office and my
first thought was, "Did I order something off eBay that I didn't
remember?" I had other people sitting in my office at the time when the
package lady came by, so I'm ripping open this package and look at it
as other employees are sitting there with me. It ended up being a
series of multiple boxes leading down to this iPod, each with a saying
on it the front. For example, the first said, "This is not an end. It's
a new beginning." You could tell there was a box on the inside as well,
because there was a perforated edge on one side - it was like one of
those Chinese dolls where you rip open one edge to get to the next
side.
As you're ripping your
way in, it's like a momentum building experience to what you're going
to find on the inside. There was concept art on the outside as well.
Finally you get to the end and it's got a big Red 5 Studios logo on the
inside. You flip it open and you see the inside and the iPod and you
listen to the message. How could you not follow up on that?
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: There was also a secondary
effect because people started talking about the Golden Ticket effort
and became more interested in the company. And the whole thing is kind
of a metaphor for how we run the company; we don't have to do things
like they've always been done before. In some cases, it may be the best
way, but we really try to reevaluate the basic options that we've been
presented. The Golden Ticket is an example of that.
style="font-style: italic;">
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: And for me, I thought, "If
there recruitment effort is this intelligent, what's the idea? Is it
really that good?" And it is.
important too. This overnight package shows up in my office and my
first thought was, "Did I order something off eBay that I didn't
remember?" I had other people sitting in my office at the time when the
package lady came by, so I'm ripping open this package and look at it
as other employees are sitting there with me. It ended up being a
series of multiple boxes leading down to this iPod, each with a saying
on it the front. For example, the first said, "This is not an end. It's
a new beginning." You could tell there was a box on the inside as well,
because there was a perforated edge on one side - it was like one of
those Chinese dolls where you rip open one edge to get to the next
side.
As you're ripping your
way in, it's like a momentum building experience to what you're going
to find on the inside. There was concept art on the outside as well.
Finally you get to the end and it's got a big Red 5 Studios logo on the
inside. You flip it open and you see the inside and the iPod and you
listen to the message. How could you not follow up on that?
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: There was also a secondary
effect because people started talking about the Golden Ticket effort
and became more interested in the company. And the whole thing is kind
of a metaphor for how we run the company; we don't have to do things
like they've always been done before. In some cases, it may be the best
way, but we really try to reevaluate the basic options that we've been
presented. The Golden Ticket is an example of that.
style="font-style: italic;">
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: And for me, I thought, "If
there recruitment effort is this intelligent, what's the idea? Is it
really that good?" And it is.
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The Red 5 Studios
logo.
Ten Ton Hammer:
When the studio was originally forming and the initial team members
were being listed off, I found it striking that very few individuals on
the Red 5 team had experience building MMOGs. What's that been like?
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: I know I didn't. But we're
also all game players at heart, and you have to believe that Mark is
doing something right, because it's a similar sort of situation that he
created when he was originally building the World of Warcraft team. He
intentionally went for developers that didn't have any MMOG experience
because he wanted a fresh take. When you've seen how things are done
and you want to go to the next level and do something better, you have
to find people who are willing to look at things from a fresh
perspective.
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: That said, we do have folks at
the company who have worked on MMOGs before, or at least a similar sort
of game. But it's like Scott said, we go for people that haven't
necessarily worked on MMOGs before because we don't want those
preconceptions. It's like what I was talking about before and
reevaluating how things are done, and with fresh minds you get more of
that.
also all game players at heart, and you have to believe that Mark is
doing something right, because it's a similar sort of situation that he
created when he was originally building the World of Warcraft team. He
intentionally went for developers that didn't have any MMOG experience
because he wanted a fresh take. When you've seen how things are done
and you want to go to the next level and do something better, you have
to find people who are willing to look at things from a fresh
perspective.
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: That said, we do have folks at
the company who have worked on MMOGs before, or at least a similar sort
of game. But it's like Scott said, we go for people that haven't
necessarily worked on MMOGs before because we don't want those
preconceptions. It's like what I was talking about before and
reevaluating how things are done, and with fresh minds you get more of
that.
Ten Ton Hammer:
How's that been working for you thus far? How do you handle all the new
ideas coming in?
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: We're pretty open minded.
There are four main designers and we all sit in an open area with no
walls between us so we can openly discuss ideas with each other.
Anybody on the team is open to come up with any kind of idea and
present it to us. We objectively evaluate everything. It's not about
any preconceptions about what we think is right or wrong for the game.
If it feels right, we try it.
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: We spend a lot of time as
designers thinking of ideas, but it's just as important that we're good
at collecting ideas from others as well. It's our job to refine them
and filter them until the ideas can be implemented.
style="font-style: italic;">
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: It's a powerful thing, because
members of our team all have an opportunity to come up with something
that might be used in the game. It makes the entire team really jazzed
about the product and the process.
There are four main designers and we all sit in an open area with no
walls between us so we can openly discuss ideas with each other.
Anybody on the team is open to come up with any kind of idea and
present it to us. We objectively evaluate everything. It's not about
any preconceptions about what we think is right or wrong for the game.
If it feels right, we try it.
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: We spend a lot of time as
designers thinking of ideas, but it's just as important that we're good
at collecting ideas from others as well. It's our job to refine them
and filter them until the ideas can be implemented.
style="font-style: italic;">
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: It's a powerful thing, because
members of our team all have an opportunity to come up with something
that might be used in the game. It makes the entire team really jazzed
about the product and the process.
Ten Ton Hammer:
What phase is the project currently in?
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Garrett
style="font-style: italic;">: We're nearing the end of
pre-production and we're really still growing quite rapidly.
pre-production and we're really still growing quite rapidly.
Ten Ton Hammer:
As soon as pre-production ends, is there going to be an announcement?
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: We will do an announcement,
but the exact date has yet to be set.
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: There's a lot of moving parts
that we still have to work out that when we do announce it's worthy of
an announcement.
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: I wish we could talk about it
right now.
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: Of course, everyone talks
about it, and we'd really like to answer their questions. It pains us
that we can't talk about it.
but the exact date has yet to be set.
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: There's a lot of moving parts
that we still have to work out that when we do announce it's worthy of
an announcement.
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: I wish we could talk about it
right now.
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: Of course, everyone talks
about it, and we'd really like to answer their questions. It pains us
that we can't talk about it.
Ten Ton Hammer:
How does Shanghai work into the design of the game? Are they part of
the design or are they mainly focused on localization?
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: They haven't been so involved
with the design portion of development, but they have produced some
amazing pieces of work. We'll also see some programming done out in
Shanghai as well.
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: We have company wide email
lists and the direct line of communication to those offices, so they're
definitely included in what we do.
style="font-style: italic;">
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: We have a very flat structure;
if you're a part of the team you're a part of the team.
with the design portion of development, but they have produced some
amazing pieces of work. We'll also see some programming done out in
Shanghai as well.
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: We have company wide email
lists and the direct line of communication to those offices, so they're
definitely included in what we do.
style="font-style: italic;">
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: We have a very flat structure;
if you're a part of the team you're a part of the team.
Ten Ton Hammer:
Shifting gears, what's the next big step for MMOGs?
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: One of the main areas we've
been focusing on is making the player feel more important. We want to
give them the opportunity to effect the world in ways they never have
been able to do before. When players play MMOGs, it's all about their
personal experiences, not about some sort of scripted content that's
included in the game. We're aiming to provide an avenue for
self-expression and self-importance that's never been seen in an MMOG.
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: In MMOGs, there really is two
types of stories. People like to talk about story in MMOG and how we
can drive this. I'm totally fine with developers telling MMOG players a
story, but it's just as important to understand that players are also
telling stories to each other. Ask somebody what their most memorable
moment is in an MMOG, and you'll be surprised and how often it's NOT
the big raid boss. Instead, it's about a crazy series of events that
occurred almost exclusively with players.
been focusing on is making the player feel more important. We want to
give them the opportunity to effect the world in ways they never have
been able to do before. When players play MMOGs, it's all about their
personal experiences, not about some sort of scripted content that's
included in the game. We're aiming to provide an avenue for
self-expression and self-importance that's never been seen in an MMOG.
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: In MMOGs, there really is two
types of stories. People like to talk about story in MMOG and how we
can drive this. I'm totally fine with developers telling MMOG players a
story, but it's just as important to understand that players are also
telling stories to each other. Ask somebody what their most memorable
moment is in an MMOG, and you'll be surprised and how often it's NOT
the big raid boss. Instead, it's about a crazy series of events that
occurred almost exclusively with players.
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Blizzard and Bill
Petras proved that stylized graphics can win out over uber-detailed
game environments.
Ten Ton Hammer:
I hate to use this term, but is it going to be "MMOG 2.0" where the
game becomes more social type experience than what we've seen in the
past?
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: Without giving anything away,
we are taking quite a bit of care in providing an environment where the
social aspect is more meaningful and more rewarding to the end users.
we are taking quite a bit of care in providing an environment where the
social aspect is more meaningful and more rewarding to the end users.
Ten Ton Hammer:
So it's not just a giant chat room....
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: Right. I mean in games these
days there may be a shared guild space, but primarily it's just a
little thing over your head and a tabard. We're definitely planning on
doing things that makes the guild experience more rewarding.
days there may be a shared guild space, but primarily it's just a
little thing over your head and a tabard. We're definitely planning on
doing things that makes the guild experience more rewarding.
Ten Ton Hammer:
What is your overall philosophy on design?
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: Would we like to play it?
We're making a game that we want to play. We're building it for
ourselves, but it's going to be pretty cool that a bunch of other
people will be able to come in and share this world with us. When it
comes down to it, we ask ourselves, how fun is this going to be?
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: At the same time, we're also
looking at it from a broader audience standpoint too. We want everyone
to enjoy this game.
We're making a game that we want to play. We're building it for
ourselves, but it's going to be pretty cool that a bunch of other
people will be able to come in and share this world with us. When it
comes down to it, we ask ourselves, how fun is this going to be?
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: At the same time, we're also
looking at it from a broader audience standpoint too. We want everyone
to enjoy this game.
Ten Ton Hammer:
Is it going to be accessible from a hardware standpoint too?
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: We're pretty mindful of the
hardware platform is over in Asia, and we definitely want to make sure
our game can run on those machines. That said, we definitely want to
make a game that you haven't seen yet. We certainly don't want to
exclude people because they don't have the machine to run it.
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: You also don't need to have
crazy-detailed art to make beautiful art. That's the great thing about
having Bill Petras on board; he was the art director on WoW. He and Joe
Peterson, our main concept artist, are cooking up some great stuff.
style="font-style: italic;">
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: Every day they put up new
stuff on their wall. It makes me jealous. We just get to write on the
wiki about things going in the game.
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: That said, they'll put some
art on the wall, but immediately a conversation will start up
concerning the art that's been fleshed out.
style="font-style: italic;">
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: We have a mailing list called
"Cool Things" where people will send out whatever they think is cool
and get instant feedback on their thoughts.
hardware platform is over in Asia, and we definitely want to make sure
our game can run on those machines. That said, we definitely want to
make a game that you haven't seen yet. We certainly don't want to
exclude people because they don't have the machine to run it.
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: You also don't need to have
crazy-detailed art to make beautiful art. That's the great thing about
having Bill Petras on board; he was the art director on WoW. He and Joe
Peterson, our main concept artist, are cooking up some great stuff.
style="font-style: italic;">
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: Every day they put up new
stuff on their wall. It makes me jealous. We just get to write on the
wiki about things going in the game.
style="font-style: italic;">
Garrett style="font-style: italic;">: That said, they'll put some
art on the wall, but immediately a conversation will start up
concerning the art that's been fleshed out.
style="font-style: italic;">
Youngblood style="font-style: italic;">: We have a mailing list called
"Cool Things" where people will send out whatever they think is cool
and get instant feedback on their thoughts.
Ten Ton Hammer:
Do you have anything else that you'd like to tell Ten Ton Hammer
readers before you go?
style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Youngblood
style="font-style: italic;">: We are looking outside of
standard developers for new employees. If someone feels like they can
be a part of the Red 5 family, go for it!
standard developers for new employees. If someone feels like they can
be a part of the Red 5 family, go for it!
Ten Ton Hammer is your
unofficial source for Red 5 news and articles!
Make sure you check out all of our AGDC '07 content!
unofficial source for Red 5 news and articles!
Make sure you check out all of our AGDC '07 content!
