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you can bring an orth to water... who whowentwhere
/// rovio has hired former easy studios
aDam orth joIns mIcrosoft by way of popcap
general manager oskar burman to
head a new studio in stockholm. also
In the past few years, many respecteD game Developers have mIgrateD to posItIons In the casual/socIal joining burman is patrick liu, previously
space—aDam orth was one of them. In march 2011, he moveD to casual gIant popcap, but before that he
workeD at sony, ea, anD lucasarts. but he’s sInce left popcap, anD Is now workIng on an unannounceD Battlefield 3 producer at DIce, who will be
project for hIs new gIg at mIcrosoft. Game Developer checkeD In wIth aDam to ask about the experIence signing on as creative director.
of movIng from core Development to socIal/casual, anD back agaIn.
/// Ito masahito recently resigned as
I’ve done both and I can’t president of shoot-’em-up luminary cave
say which I prefer. It depends Interactive. his is the second high-profile
on the end goal. I’ve enjoyed departure in recent months, following
the safety of a steady former vp and coo mikio watanabe.
paycheck and the electricity
of not knowing what’s next. /// epic games’s former director
the only cultural point that of production, rod fergusson, has
matters to me is dedicated transitioned over to Irrational games
developers working hard to help the studio ship the anticipated
every day to make awesome first-person shooter BioShock infinite.
interactive magic. you can the project has seen a number of key
have that anywhere, you just departures over the past year.
have to be realistic about
new studios
where you are.
AH: You’re working on an
unannounced microsoft /// many of the maryland-area developers
Alexandra Hall: What did you AO: absolutely. It’s a very project. Can you talk at all left unemployed in the wake of the 38
learn at popCap that applies different style and approach about the experience of studios debacle
to your return to core- to making games. being working in a newly formed have landed on
oriented games? fluent in that language is internal studio? their feet, thanks
Adam Orth: I learned so only going to make you, AO: I can’t really say much to a little help
much about social and casual your team, and your game other than I love what I’m from epic. the
games during the year I spent stronger. even if you aren’t doing. It’s very different inaugural project
at popcap. I’ve always been going to make a game in from anything I’ve ever of newly formed Impossible studios is the
interested in that space, and that space, it’s crucial at this done, and I was desperate upcoming ios title infinity Blade: dungeonS,
take great care to try and point in the evolution of the for something like this at which Impossible is codeveloping with epic
be as current as possible, industry to be an expert, this point in my career. and chair entertainment.
although I wasn’t nearly as otherwise you are going to microsoft is very big, and
prepared as I thought I was. be passed by. being a small entity within /// online shopping giant amazon.com is
popcap is full of experts and a giant machine can be stepping into casual game development
academic-level developers. AH: Do you see any terrifying, but I kind of with the founding of amazon game
I often refer to it as gaming significant differences in love it. It’s unpredictable studios. Its first game, living claSSicS,
grad school. I think I actually workplace culture between and exciting. It takes a lot is already available on facebook. the
learned more about core core game development of work to get everyone studio joins amazon’s other game-
game design than social/ and social/mobile games talking together, but the related initiatives, such as gamecircle, a
casual. It’s the basis for all the development? talent level and drive of the service for kindle fire gamers, and game
popcap magic. the knowledge AO: obviously, when there is people I’m working with connect, which lets customers download
I gained from being able to a corporation involved, that is make the results amazing. free-to-play games.
touch things like Bejeweled, going to dictate the culture. there’s always the risk that
Peggle, Zuma, and PlantS vS. the Dna of the corporation whatever you are working /// activision recently founded the blast
ZomBieS on various platforms permeates everything on will never see the light of furnace, a new mobile development studio
was incredible, and I refer and drives the creation of day, but if you start thinking in leeds. the studio will be headed by mark
to those methodologies and multiple products. start-ups like that, it’s already over. washbrook and gordon hall, both longtime
principles every day. I’m and independent studios are you’ve got to believe veterans of rockstar’s uk studios.
very lucky and grateful for completely different because passionately in what you
the experience. of the risk—it’s very much are doing and who you are /// In the wake of Zipper Interactive’s
like being in a band, with doing it with, otherwise it’s closing in april, former employees David
AH: Do you think core game everyone focusing all of their pointless to get out of bed in kern and russ phillips have started
developers should put in time energy on the one thing. all the morning. that’s where I nobodinos (say it: “nobody knows”), a new
on the social/casual beat? or nothing. am right now. studio that will focus on mobile titles.

48 game developer | october 2012