Moment of Geek Zen - Jan 5, 2009

We present todays moment of Geek Zen

We present todays moment of Geek Zen

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The Wii™ console’s Nintendo Channel is getting a makeover. On Sept. 14, the channel, which provides users with videos and information about current and upcoming Nintendo products, re-launches with a new look and feel. Some of the upgrades include higher-quality streaming videos, lists of top games that other viewers recommend and a new ability to rate and recommend Nintendo DS™ games.

Current features of the Nintendo Channel will remain, including Nintendo DS demo downloads and an extensive lineup of videos about Wii and Nintendo DS games.

As part of the update, Nintendo Channel will also premiere Nintendo Week, a weekly, hosted series about what’s happening in the world of Nintendo. The premiere episode includes an in-depth look at Mario and Luigi™: Bowser’s Inside Story, an interview with the developers behind the Wii version of Guitar Hero 5, plus coverage of the new Nintendo DSi colors, Nintendo DSiWare games and other surprises.

What are your thoughts on a weekly show from Nintendo?   What sort of things would you like to see covered?

We present todays moment of Geek Zen

Read the full story

We present todays moment of Geek Zen

Read the full story

We present todays moment of Geek Zen

Read the full story

We present todays moment of Geek Zen

Read the full story

We present todays moment of Geek Zen

Read the full story

So often in the gaming industry, we usually find that the magicians behind our favorite titles are generally men. The stereotype of the gamer started off as a nerdy boy with thick glasses, a pocket protector and a mullet. But as video games charge ahead in the entertainment industry, women have been working their way into the ranks. We too can be geeky! So what’s it like to be a girl behind the games? To find out more, I sat down with my dear friend Rachel Franco, Assistant Producer at HB Studios in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, Canada.

ABOUT A GIRL Rachel began her career in entertainment after obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree in Theatre and Dance from the University of Winnipeg and the School of Contemporary Dancers. She then began dancing and doing choreography across North America as well as Columbia, collaborating with husband Rafael and creating unique visual performance pieces. While living in Costa Mesa, California, Rafael was offered a position at HB Studios in Nova Scotia. With Lunenberg being such a small town (about 3000 people), Rachel quickly got acquainted with entire team at HB and was soon offered an Assistant Producer position. Despite not having a background in producing video games, her experience in producing for live theatre and dance proved that this girl knew how to get things done. And the rest, as they say, is history.

THE BANTER

Gun Street Girl: Have you always wanted to be a part of the gaming industry?
Rachel F: I’d like to say yes, that I’d fantasized about being in the game industry since I was little, but honestly, no.  However, I’ve always been interested in being part of a team, and creating something awesome, and having my name in credits… but I never imagined I would satisfy those dreams through video games.  I’m the type of person who can get interested in anything that I feel is worthwhile and genuine, and I’ll give it 100%.  I recognize that there are lots of people who would kill to be in the position I’m in, so I’m truly grateful that this door was open to me.

Gun Street Girl: Given that gaming was more of a male dominated industry in it’s infancy, what does it mean to you to be an assistant producer for a video game studio?
Rachel F: I’d say it’s still a male-dominated industry… mostly because men are generally more interested in pursuing careers in the field.  But that’s rapidly changing.  For me, it’s an incredible achievement and a responsibility that I do not take lightly.  If a woman can look up to me and feel empowered to pursue something that might not have been accessible to her even just 10 years ago, then I feel even stronger and more responsible to make sure I do my job to the best of my ability.  I don’t take this role for granted for a second.

Gun Street Girl: Tell us what your position at HB Studios entailed.
Rachel F: As the Assistant Producer for Rock Revolution at HB Studios, I managed a team of 15 Software Engineers, and three Artists.  I liaised between the Producer and the team, ensuring a smooth workflow by tackling and resolving any issues that came up from the team.  I oversaw our internal QA, and worked closely with external QA to make sure the game was the best it could be.  I created and maintained the team’s task list and schedule for milestones, and tracked bugs and bug fixes as they came in.

Gun Street Girl: Do you find that working in a smaller city, so close to many outdoor escapes such as hiking, kayaking etc, as opposed to a sprawling metropolis impacts the development of your games in a creative respect?
Rachel F: Living in a small town definitely affects my creativity.  When you’re able to look out the window from your desk and see the ocean and know you can stroll along the trails and go surfing anytime you want (when the weather’s nice enough, anyway), it brings a sort of freedom into the workplace.  The freedom of being so close to nature reflects itself in the studio, as the atmosphere remains calm and laid back, even during crunch time.  It’s really a breath of fresh air.

Gun Street Girl: Do you feel that your current and previous experiences in other creative arenas such as dance and theatre have given you a unique perspective in game development?
Rachel F: Definitely.  I came into the gaming world with a keen interest in team work, and seeing a project through from seedling to full bloom.  These are two crucial factors in both the performing arts world, and in the game industry.  A normal dev cycle can be anywhere from 10 to 20 months.  A typical new choreographic period can take just as long.  You’ve got to have an overall vision combined with attention to detail, as well as a firm belief in what it is you’re working toward.  That’s a delicate balance for many people, and can cause serious frustration and anxiety in those not suited for that kind of work.  It’s easy to lose sight of the end result if you’re not focused.

Gun Street Girl: HB Studio seems like a tight knit team. How does your team like to celebrate the completion of one of it’s games?
Rachel F: We work hard… and I mean really really hard. (I’m talking 16 hour days for 2 months straight.)  But we celebrate harder.  As the Assistant Producer, I have the unique task of organizing all milestone rewards for the team, not to mention being the team cheerleader even when people don’t feel like cheering.  When a game is launched, we have a huge party.  Jeremy Wellard, the owner of HB, really takes care of his employees and makes sure that everyone is involved with the celebration of the launch of a game, even if your team didn’t work on it.  All celebrations are held as a family.  It’s a good feeling.

Gun Street Girl: What challenges were there in creating Rock Revolution for the Wii (and DS!) when your studio primarily produces sports games?
Rachel F: I’m not sure I saw any new challenges aside from the normal things you’d encounter with any game.  For me, it was more exciting than anything else.  We were working with a totally new vocabulary, not to mention a publisher new to HB (Konami/Nintendo), so we were venturing into uncharted territories.  For the most part, the dev cycle was smooth, but we had to learn how the publisher worked - what they liked and didn’t like, and what would pass or fail for a milestone.  I think it’s great that HB expanded their relationship with different publishers, as EA has generally been their main publisher.

Gun Street Girl: HB Studios frequently appears in the 100 Most Successful Developers List, usually in the top 50. What unique attributes of your studio do you think keeps HB in the top 100?
Rachel F: Definitely quality over quantity.  HB prides itself on pumping out games that never let you down… that keep you wanting more.  It also strives to maintain the bar at a high level.  HB doesn’t participate in namby-pamby games that might sell a lot at first, but lose its novelty after the first few times you play it.  We all know how disappointing that is!  The reason HB continues to be so successful is because it’s run by a very smart and strategic person who understands how important its employees are and takes their opinions into consideration, and doesn’t condescend the gamers.  Obviously, our industry is made by the gamers, and HB values them above all else.

We present todays moment of Geek Zen

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