the Bookof Magicians
andspells
Editors: Carolina Islas Sedano • Seppo Nevalainen
Reviewer and PR: Veikko Miettinen
Graphic Design and Cover: Leea Wasenius
Illustrations: Sampsa Laitinen
Translation: Mikko Vinni
Language: Estee Wiese
Publication: Science Park
ISBN 978-952-93-5976-9
Printed and bound by Grano Oy
the Bookof Magicians
andspellsEnhancing North Karelia’s Game Industry through Global Experience
the Bookof Magicians
andspellsEnhancing North Karelia’s Game Industry through Global Experience
ForEword by Ilari Kuittinen from Housemarque 6
INtroductIoN 9
A MAGIcAl lANd: North Karelia and its game education ecosystem 12
North Karelia 13
organisation of the educational system 14
Pkky 17
Karelia uAS 19
uEF 22
Science Park / Game Incubator 24
tHE orIGIN oF NortH KArElIAN MAGIcIANS: the Game Industry in North Karelia 26
timeline 30
Illusion 35
Veikko Miettinen reflects on the past, present and future 38
index
1
2
3
4
AdVIcE to IMProVE MAGIc SPEllS: Globally renowned personalities in the game industry visit North Karelia 40
Allan McKay Animation and Special Effects 42
Jesse Schell Game Designer 45
Ste curran Game Designer 48
dean Bent Quality Assurance 52
Ari Pulkkinen Game Music 56
Ville Sorsa Game Music 60
Markus Myhrberg Legal Matters 64
Antti Villanen Serial Entrepreneur 67
coNcluSIoN 74
6
foreword In recent years game development activity has witnessed rapid growth in Finland and several
promising companies in the gaming industry have been established, also in North Karelia.
the roots of this industry were established thirty years ago when domestic game develop-
ment history was realised in Joensuu. the impetus for this came from abroad, with the trend
having found its way into Eastern Finland a couple of years earlier. Electronic games burst
onto the scene in the latter part of the Seventies with the first game consoles, but a larger
breakthrough was the coin-operated video games which appeared in gas stations, cafes and
at public swimming pools. these wonderful games, with their colorful virtual worlds, mes-
merised the youth of the city to single mindedly compete their way to the top of the game
score lists. Shortly thereafter Nintendo released the first portable Game and watch one- or
two-screen game devices, running games like donkey Kong. the final breakthrough in
games was spearheaded by the commodore VIc-20 and c64 home computers which fi-
nally enabled playing games at home, for good.
Joensuu – a city of game development, its history and future
7
one of the Finnish game development pioneers lived in Joensuu during the early years of
the 1980s. For a short while the city birthed Finnish game know-how, thanks to Stavros
Fasoulas, who created his first internationally published commodore 64 games in those
years. the best known of his games was, most probably, ”Sanxion” which was published in
1986 and which received rave reviews in industry magazines around the world. I had the
rare opportunity to observe the development process from up close as I tested the earliest
versions of the game, and could even contribute ideas towards the creation of the enemies
in the game.
thirty years ago it most certainly was not possible to predict the current positive develop-
ments taking place in Joensuu’s game industry. one of the corner stones of this development
has been the pioneering game education provided in the region. Pelitalo in outokumpu
was, for instance, one of the first schools to offer game education in Finland. the Illusion
seminar, established to bring together game enthusiasts from all over Finland, and abroad,
takes place at the same time as Ilosaari rock, and is starting to bear fruit and spread the word
regarding gaming know-how in Joensuu.
8
Joensuu is a small, far away city in Finland which is, in turn, a small, northern country far
away from the centers of the world. the game industry is one of the most globally competi-
tive industries in the world, and therefore success and fame requires not only hard work and
excellent products, but also plenty of luck. thanks to the Internet the world has become
remarkably small and the new digital distribution channels for game products enable even a
small game studio to distribute games around the world.
No matter how the region’s game industry fares in the coming years, today it already has
all the makings of a small success story. Nothing like this could have been imagined three
decades ago when one of the pioneers of the industry spent his time programming his first
games in his small bedroom.
Helsinki, June 3th, 2015
IlArI KuIttINEN
cEo and founding member, Housemarque oy
chair of the Board, Neogames – Hub of the Finnish game industry
9
introduction
North Karelia is located in eastern Finland and, despite being located in a peripheral region
of the country, it has exerted a strong influence on the cultural development of the nation
as a whole. For example, North Karelia has inspired numerous Finnish artists including Jean
Sibelius, Eva ryynänen, Eero Järnefelt, Juhani Aho, Maiju lassila and Heikki turunen.
Among the more modern cultural influences that hail from here are Ismo Alanko and
Nightwish. In addition to this, the Karelia region is also the birthplace of the Kalevala, one
of the most significant works in Finnish literature.
this region, as is the case with other areas of our planet, is in a state of constant flux. today
it confronts a diversity of challenges including unemployment, out-migration and a future
change in population structure, to name but a few. However, challenging times awaken the
by cArolINA ISlAS SEdANo and SEPPo NEVAlAINEN
10
best in people as they rally in search of solutions; it is the time for sisu. during this modern
day quest, the education and games industry in North Karelia can help facilitate important
strategies to aid development in the region. the oldest school offering game education in
Finland is located in North Karelia. It has not only been a constant spring of knowledge
and employment in the region, but also a source of talent needed to sustain the national
game industry.
therefore, with the aim being to increase the expertise in this area and to deliver valuable
knowledge to further generations, outstanding workshops, lectures and similar events took
place in Joensuu. these were presented by, amongst others, globally renowned personalities
in the game industry. the audiences at these events included students, teachers and entre-
preneurs from the region. the funds, necessary to action these activities, were donated by
European Social Funds and administrated by Joensuu Science Park. this book, as one of the
outcomes of this project, offers written evidence of these efforts and is meant to be shared
with other project participants. the book also facilitates the sharing of relevant information
with those individuals who are interested in games but who were not able to attend the
different events.
11
In an effort to be inclusive in the transmission of information through this volume, this book contains three sections:
Section I: A Magical Land: North Karelia and its game education ecosystem
this section is tailored to enlighten readers who might not be familiar with the North Karelia region, its local game
industry or the Finnish educational system.
Section II: The Origin of North Karelian Magicians: Game Industry in North Karelia
In an effort to fully understand our present, it is important to know where we come from. this section introduces the game
companies with connections to North Karelia as well as the main seminar games event of the region, Illusion. In addition,
Veikko Miettinen explains the purpose of inviting distinguished game industry personalities to the region who, in turn,
add to the knowledge store and expertise of the region.
Section III: Advice to improve magic spells: Globally renowned personalities in the game industry visit North Karelia
this section presents the reader with summaries and tips from different experts who shared their experiences and know-
ledge with the local gaming community in North Karelia.
we invite you to discover wonderful North Karelia - its educational ecosystem and its game industry.
we look forward to sharing the insights imparted by our international guests which participated in the project!
12
magical land North Karelia and its game education ecosystem
13
the Magical land in which the different stories of this volume
unfold, is the majestic region of North Karelia, in Finland.
this territory is rich in biodiversity and has been recognised
by uNESco as a biosphere region. Additionally, this terrain
offers a unique, plentiful and unspoilt cultural heritage. one
factor which may contribute to this beauty is the low population
density of the territory as it is located far away from the capital
regions in southern Finland. In addition to the region being set
apart from the rest of Finland, it shares a 302 km border with
the Federation of russia. therefore, if one understands the
implications of this terrain and the intense history of the region,
it is possible to understand the particular strength and richness of
North Karelians.
Education and industry are indispensable factors supporting the
development of any region. Before attempting to describe North
Karelia’s game education ecosystem, a few general comments
concerning the organisation of the Finnish educational system
might aid a better understanding.
View of Koli National Park, North Karelia, Finland
1
14
the educational system in Finland is divided into three tiers. A young person commencing
his/her educational career in North Karelia starts at the first tier which consists of 9 years
at a comprehensive school.
After successfully completing the first tier, a person can then graduate to the second
tier. He/she must choose between a general or vocational upper secondary education of
which the duration is typically three years. If a person wants to start specialising in games
during the second tier of schooling in North Karelia, he/she can enroll at the North
Karelia municipal education training consortium (Pkky) for the game development study
program.
Organization of the Finnish educational system
15
the third and last educational tier in Finland includes universities and universities of applied
sciences. At universities the emphasis is more on research and instruction whilst universities
of applied sciences adopt a more practical approach. At this tier, North Karelia offers game
related education both at the university of Eastern Finland (uEF) and at the Karelia
university of Applied Science (KuAS).
Each of these North Karelian educational institutions places its own and unique emphasis
on game education. Pkky focuses on game graphics and level design, KuAS on game
programming and uEF on game design. It is important to mention that currently no tuition
fees are charged for regular degree programs, regardless of your nationality.
Organization of the Finnish educational system
1North Karelia and its game education ecosystem
16
Pkky
17
the North Karelia municipal education and training consor-
tium (Pohjois-Karjalan koulutuskuntayhtymä in Finnish, ab-
breviated as Pkky), which is also known as the North Karelia
college outokumpu, is an educational organisation managed
by 13 North Karelian municipalities.
Pkky offers education in eight different fields which comprises
over 300 qualifications. there are approximately 7 750 students
and 1 050 staff members in educational establishments located
in different parts of Northern Karelia.
Bird’s-eye view of Outokumpu, North Karelia, Finland
1North Karelia and its game education ecosystem
18
In the area of game development, Pkky offers a degree pro-
gram to qualify as a media assistant. the game studies program,
offered at outokumpu, was established in 2005 and is thus
the longest standing professional training program tailored for
the game industry in Finland. Here the emphasis is placed on
graphics and game design while other courses focus on pho-
tography, video recording, image processing and entrepreneur-
ship. A qualification in this field prepares the student for work
as a 3d graphics artist, level designer or animator. Students who
have graduated here have gone on to secure positions at top
Finnish Game companies including remedy Entertainment,
rovio, Housemarque and Frozenbyte.
19
karelia uasKarelia university of Applied Sciences (KuAS), formerly
known as the North Karelia university of Applied Sciences,
was established in 1992 and counted among the first polytech-
nics in Finland.
KuAS offers 16 bachelor degree and five master degree pro-
grams and has approximately 4 000 students and 400 staff mem-
bers. research activities revolve around six key areas: renewable
energy, competence in aging, russia-competence, precision
engineering, multimedia services, and wood construction.
1North Karelia and its game education ecosystem
20
karelia uas
21
Bird’s-eye view of Joensuu, North Karelia, Finland
the degree Program in Business Information technology
(BIt) attracts around 100 students annually. BIt has offered
game programming studies, with a focus on the programming
section of game development, since 2009. other aspects of
game development, such as game design and game art, are ad-
dressed through joint projects carried out by Karelia’s own me-
dia degree program as well as Pkky and uEF students. the BIt
degree program has produced several Bachelor theses covering
different areas of game programming. At this time, most game
related study projects in Karelia are done in the Game Studio.
1North Karelia and its game education ecosystem
22
university of eastern finland
23
one might think that the university of Eastern Finland (uEF) is a young university which
was only formally established in 2010. this, however, is not accurate as uEF is the product
of the merging of two formerly independent universities namely the university of Joensuu
(1969) and the university of Kuopio (1972).
uEF offers Bachelor, Master and doctoral programs and it is considered the most multi-
disciplinary university in Finland with 15 000 students and 2 600 staff members. the
university’s key interdisciplinary research areas are built around several global challenges:
Aging, lifestyles and Health; learning in a digitized society, cultural encounters; Mobilities
and borders; Environmental change and Sufficiency of natural resources.
the School of computing (Soc) is one of the biggest departments within uEF and has a
presence on both the Joensuu and Kuopio campuses. Soc actively cooperates in the devel-
opment of digital games in the region. In 2006 the first Phd studies, with a focus on game
design, in particular contextual games, commenced and today the School of computing
offers game design lectures and It projects and produces many theses and publications
related to digital games.
1North Karelia and its game education ecosystem
24
North Karelia, as one of the regional Game development hotspots in Finland, boasts an
oASIS Game Studio in Joensuu Science Park which contains 150 square meters of the
best facilities in the region. Joensuu Science Park is a building complex that offers services
and infrastructure to support the growth of the It industry by allocating workspace to
established companies, entrepreneurs and students in the same space, thus promoting an
ecosystem which fosters knowledge creation and innovation.
the Game Studio invites anyone – including students, hobbyist and professionals – with an
interest in the creation of digital games to access its facilities. the game creation enthusiast
can thus enjoy access to computers, software licenses, game gear, expert coaching and the
synergy of a like-minded community who shares similar interests.
the Game Studio works in close co-operation with the three North Karelian educational
institutes which offer formal courses in different areas of game development (Pkky, Karelia
uAS and uEF) to foster cooperation and collaboration. Additionally, the Game Studio’s
doors are open to both established companies and startups, thereby exposing the community
to real game industry projects. In short, the Game Studio is where game education meets
game development in projects that are professionally led by partnered game companies.
25
science Parkgame studio
1North Karelia and its game education ecosystem
26
the origins of north karelia magicians
the Game Industry in North Karelia
27
“Stray not into the path of darkness, or be lost forever” (Dark Maze)
28
Finland has valuable experience of the digital game industry which
started as far back as the eighties. In addition, the country possesses
the technical and educational infra-structure to grow the Finnish
game industry by making good use of the easily accessible distribu-
tion channels, development tools and encouraging innovation and
entrepreneurship.
International Investors are paying attention to the Finnish Game
Industry as exemplified by the years 2011 to 2013 during which
the investments in this industry were over $1.7 billion (€1.26 bil-
lion)*.
The Game Industry in North Karelia
29
the North Karelia region, in addition to offering education that
benefits the Finnish Game Industry, is home to 9.8%* of the
total number of Game companies in the country. the local indus-
try focuses on the development of games for mobile devices, Pcs,
online use, serious games and games for health. Moreover, the
region has access to different networks to support the growth of the
local industry, for example tekes with the program Skene (www.
tekes.fi), Neogames (www.neogames.fi), IGdA (www.igda.org) and
Suomen Pelinkehittäjät (www.pelinkehittajat.fi).
As long as there is creation and transmission of knowledge, access
to technology, creativity and sisu, innovation is possible. Innovation
is a key aspect to the game industry, and North Karelia certainly
fulfills all the elements necessary to successfully foster innovation.
* Source: neogames.fi
2the Game Industry in North Karelia
30
“Don’t let your mind wander - it might not come back.”(Braids, dementia summoner)
Time line North Karelia has witnessed many different visionaries, each with
the dream to create their own game company. Some of these vi-
sionaries are from this region originally, whilst others studied in
North Karelia at some point in their journey. today, for some, their
dreams have become a reality…
31
teacherGaming llc (based in tampere)
Shiver Games (based in Helsinki)
Mental Moustache
ramdroid Studio (based in Helsinki)
ubium oy
Process Genius oy
Koju Film company oy
Housemarque (based in Helsinki)
Kaamos Sound
collapick company oy
Polar Bunny
Kasauma Education oy
Joensuu Games oSK
1995 2006 2007 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Mountain Sheep (based in Helsinki)
32
Joensuu Science Park ltd. offers versatile services to support the
development and growth of enterprises. Additionally, the Joensuu
Science Park Business Incubator also includes in its focus the Game
Incubator. the objective is to support individuals in the growth of
their business game ideas into successful enterprises. this process
includes supporting entrepreneurs, with expert guidance, through
the challenging early years of an enterprise.
Aki Gröhn, deputy Managing director at Joensuu Science Park ltd,
explains that the Joensuu region is an international recognized hub
for forest bio-economy industry and knowledge. More than 600 for-
est bio-economy experts work in research and education organisa-
tions throughout the region. Many internationally renowned com-
panies, such as John deere Forestry oy, Stora Enso oyj, uPM oyj,
Kesla oyj, and others, have facilities in the region. In total, more than
500 forest bio-economy companies, totaling more than 1, 7 billion
Euros in turnover, operate in the Joensuu region.
33
Another important focus area of the region is the technology and
materials sector. the internationally known company, Abloy, is a
front-runner in the manufacturing of locks and other expert security
products. In recent times the Ict industry in the region has grown
significantly and several new growth-seeking companies have been
founded. For many years the companies Blancco oy ltd., Fastroi
ltd. and Arcusys ltd. have been amongst Finland’s strongest growing
companies. International high-tech know-how is represented by the
photonics company Nanocomp oy ltd, which exports 97 percent
of their products.
the gaming industry is expected to bloom into an area of growth
in the future and Joensuu has all the necessary elements to make this
growth projection a reality
2the Game Industry in North Karelia
34
35
Illusion is a magical event where we discuss games while
enjoying good food and drink in the company of interesting people.
All the while exchanging news and lecture information informally,
going to the sauna, enjoying the sun on the roof terrace and
soaking up the vibe of the legendary Ilosaari Rock festival.
illusion games & music
2the Game Industry in North Karelia
36
Illusion is an annual gathering of the front runners in the gaming industry which takes place in
Joensuu, Finland, at the same time as the local Ilosaari rock festival. In the growing game industry
environment it is important to identify and create spaces where people can connect and share.
therefore Illusion, which takes the form of a game music industry event, focuses on quality rather
than quantity.
the atmosphere of Illusion is unique because it combines aspects, which only North Karelia can
offer, to create a high quality event which connects its participants:
Illusion is big enough so that one can learn from different game industry experts’ presentations.
Illusion is small enough to enable quality time and meaningful conversations with other participants at the event.
All who participate in Illusion share in the same magical atmosphere. The event annually takes place in July,
when most of the country is on holiday. It is in this relaxed and enjoyable ambiance, under the magical midnight
sun, where participants connect and synergy is created.
37
2
“To one in tune
with magic, wizards
are not a threat,
but rather a vein of power
waiting to be tapped”
- Siren, Verduran mystic
38
while North Karelia has been one of the first regions
in Finland to not only offer formal game education, but
also to nurture some of the first entrepreneurs in the
game industry in this country, it is important to recognise
that we live in a time where change is the only constant.
this means that those individuals who learn quickly, and
from the best, will in all probability be the ones who will
succeed in their careers. North Karelia wants its residents
to succeed. consequently, we must support and nurture the
growth of a newer generation in the game industry whilst
simultaneously building and expanding the local game
industry environment.
Education is invaluable, but there is nothing better than
learning from the BESt. Based on this vision, the project
“Game industry working life skills and business environment
in North Karelia” was created and funded, enabling us to
invite globally renowned game industry personalities to
Joensuu.
veikko miettinen reflects on the past, present and future
39
the guests, whom we have had the privilege to host at the Game
Studio in 2012 and 2013, include: Allan McKay (Animation
and Special Effects), Jesse Schell (Game designer), Ste
Curran (Game designer), Dean Bent (Quality Assurance),
Ari Pulkkinen (Game Music), Ville Sorsa (Game Music),
Markus Myhrberg (legal Matters) and Antti Villanen
(Serial Entrepreneur).
Each of our guests either presented a lecture or workshop at
the Game Studio. Additionally, each guest contributed to the
growth of the local game industry by coaching or collaborating
with different key players in Joensuu.
to connect and identify with leaders in the game industry is
truly invaluable and to expand this experience beyond the life
of the project, we decided to write this book. we believe future
generations (e.g. students, entrepreneurs, teachers and investors)
will benefit from knowing who we are, what we do, who we
admire and where we want to go.
Renowned personalities connecting with the local game industry
2the Game Industry in North Karelia
North Karelia Region
Allan McKay AuStrAlIA KoJu FIlM
Animation &Special Effects
uEF
Jesse Schell uSA
Game Designer
Ste CurranuK
Quality Assurance
Dean Bent uK
Ari Pulkkinen Finland
Game Music
Ville Sorsa Finland
Legal Matters
Markus Myhrberg Finland
Serial Entrepreneur
Antti Villanen Finland
GAME StudIo
PolAr BuNNy
IlluSIoN
GAME INcuBAtor
JoENSuu GAMES oSK
Game Music
Game Designer
40
advice to imProve magic sPells
41
Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia
2
In the era of the internet and massive online
courses, it is relatively easy to source learning
material related to the game industry.
what is challenging, however, is to gain insights
from game industry leaders. It is an amazing
bonus to hear how they started in the industry
and to record their advice on how to be suc-
cessful.
In the section which follows, for the benefit of
our readers, we present the collected experi-
ences and advice offered by our guests to North
Karelia.
“Stay a while, and listen!” (Diablo II)
42
(an animation and special effects specialist) is an award
winning Visual Effects Supervisor and technical director
based in Hollywood. He has almost 20 years’ experience,
having worked for many leading studios - including
Industrial light + Magic, Blur Studio, Atomic Fiction,
Pixomondo, ubisoft and many others.
[Australia]
Allan McKay
43
3Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia
How did you begin in the industry?
AMK: I think that I was always an artist, in some form, and it was always one of
my big goals to work on big Hollywood movies. For a long time I thought it
would be unattainable, but having someone see my name on the screen, or doing
some big thing is definitely an exciting thing. I was pushing myself to achieve my
goal...a big journey.
Your message in Joensuu?
AMK: I think the idea was to get everyone excited about what I do, but also to
inspire them and show them what they can do.
Any valuable sources you can recommend?
AMK: with the internet, there is so much information, including youtube, online
courses, written articles and tutorials. there is so much information out there that
these days, really all you need to do is find the necessary elements to expand into
the field that you want to go.
44
I have my own training products, the stuff that I sell on alanmckay.com and then
there are other websites, like cgworkshops.com, which do a lot of online work-
shops. there are a few around. But definitely, if you google anything these days,
you are going to find the top five resources specific to what you need.
Some words of advice...
AMK: look at what you want to do and research the adjacent areas to what you
are doing, and start to learn about them So, if you are more interested in work-
ing as a producer, learn some of the processes involved in 3d, and if your aim is
to be a sponsor, then learn a bit about business management. At the same time, if
you are a talented artist, maybe learn some programming, some producing, some
photography...familiarise yourself with the surrounding elements that are going to
help you expand. Also, be a better communicator with the people that you work
with and try to continue to grow in that way.
Allan McKay...
45
3Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia
is a video game designer, an acclaimed author
(the art of Game design), cEo of Schell Games
and a distinguished professor of the Practice of
Entertainment technology at carnegie Mellon
university. He has also worked at Bell labs and
walt disney Imagineering.
[uSA]
Jesse Schell
46
Jesse Schell...How did you begin in the industry?
JS: Games of all sorts have always fascinated me - I am always interested in any ex-
perience that feels magical, and games really feel that way.
Your message in Joensuu?
JS: we covered a rather broad range of topics related to game design, but in a lot of
ways, that was the point. Game design is a broad field that demands the integration
of psychology, math, engineering, architecture, storytelling, graphic design and many
other fields.
Any valuable sources you can recommend?
JS: the Gamasutra website contains a wealth of information for game designers. It is
the largest, most comprehensive, most up to date collection of game design articles.
of course, I recommend my own book, the Art of Game design (now in its 2nd edi-
tion), which has become the standard at universities and in studios around the world.
47
3Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia
Some words of advice...
JS: Gaming will continue to become more and more diverse, finding more and
more platforms and new kinds of players. Before long, everyone will be playing
videogames of some kind, and the diversity of games will allow everyone to find
the games which best suit their personal preferences.
Game designers should be thinking and writing about game design as much as
possible. to that end, I encourage all designers to start a blog about design and the
games they play, and to update that blog weekly.
Beyond that, just start making games!
48
is a game designer, videogame journalist, presenter and author.
He is credited with writing the script to Sega’s PSP title crush.
Additionally, he was editor at Edge magazine, and has authored
and co-authored several books, e.g. Game Plan: Great designs
that changed the Face of computer Gaming (2004), the Art
of Producing Games (2005), the complete Guide to Game
development, Art & design (2005) and Game on: the 50
Greatest Video Games of All time (2006).
[uK]
Ste Curran
49
3Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia
How did you begin in the industry?
Sc: It was a very random journey. I was a writer for a while. I went to work at
Edge magazine and then I became interested in video games and decided I want-
ed to design them as they have a connection to film games. From there I moved
briefly to Sony and now I am an independent consultant.
Your message in Joensuu?
Sc: while there are many talks on brilliant things in education and about how
development works in the game industry, the best practice you will have is experi-
ence and over the last 10 years I have been working in the industry. I wanted to
share my experiences with the students.
My favorite point of the lecture is to emphasise that it is ok to be wrong some-
times, everybody can have bad ideas. one might have a great idea for your game
but it might not work, and it is important to acknowledge that sometimes this
happens. one can have bad ideas, and it is important to communicate with and
listen to other people and understand that no one is perfect. when you accept
50
this, game development is much easier. once you acknowledge that you are not
perfect, that you are allowed to make mistakes, then you can easily take the bad
idea out of your game, rather than desperately trying to put it in, trying to make
it fit into a game that it really does not belong in. that is another important as-
pect to consider, subtraction in game development is sometimes more valuable
than addition. It is easy to add flows but much more valuable to take things away
again and find the core. Generally, in life, there is such pressure to have the correct
answer all the time, everybody is desperate to talk. I know this to be true, we are
taught in this way, we score points when answering questions correctly and we are
reprimanded when we are wrong, but the important thing is that this is not how
life should work, your mistakes should help you improve.
Any valuable sources you can recommend?
Sc: this question is really easy, consume everything. Not only games but culture
as well. what I mean is: people who want to be the best at game designing study
Ste Curran...
51
3Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia
other people’s games diligently. you can learn a lot about mechanics, but your
games will still be different. Embrace things from other mediums as well, you
should be interested in all different aspects of culture. It is worth remembering
that if you see something that you think you might not like, it is often valuable to
consume that thing and not only stick to the things you like. It is probably more
valuable if you want something, or listen to something, that you think you hate.
In the worst case scenario you will learn something about that audience who love
it, think about it and challenge yourself. Best case scenario you actually might like
it and you might add aspects of that media to your media.
Some words of advice...
Sc: In the games industry it is very important to connect with other people. Be
nice to people because they will teach you things.
there are boring answers, like read a lot Gamasutra and learn about the industry
as much as you can, but I think to be social and inquisitive is more valuable than
a list of specific sources.
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(Quality Assurance) has been working professionally
in the game industry for over 18 years, specialising
in Quality Assurance, usability testing and customer
Services. one can find his foot print as Head of Playtesting,
European QA and test Manager at Nokia oy.
[uK]
Dean Bent
53
How did you begin in the industry?
dB: Many years ago I joined a company, u.S. Gold. they manufactured games
and I worked in the Pc help line section. Back in those days we had plenty of
technical problems. I joined the company thinking that I would be the guy who
knows nothing and it turned out that I actually knew a lot and I quickly became
respected within the company. when that job ended, I joined another software
company and they realised that I was actually quite good in quality assurance.
I created the QA department there and after that I moved to Babel and then
to Germany. Each time I gathered a bit more experience and this process sort
of smoothed the way. I looked at different scenarios and just kept adding to my
portfolio of skills. I have always been crazy about games and I love working with
them. I have done some production work, but I always come back to quality
assurance because I just want to see as many games as possible. I do not like
spending 12 months of my life working on one game. I like to keep it moving.
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54
I think it is also quite rare, in this field, to find people who want to do quality
assurance. Most people want to do production or programming. So, I think it is
important that people are passionate about this area. you need someone who cares
about doing a good job.
My very first job was definitely an accident. I just applied for the job and once
I started working with games I thought, I would be happy if I retired doing this.
Your message in Joensuu?
dB: I focused on the importance of including the consumer in the game creation
process. you should always do tests and really keep the consumer in mind. If you
do that, and if the consumer is happy with the game you have created, you can
create an even better game.
Dean Bent...
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Any valuable sources you can recommend?
dB: there are the usual sites, including Gamasutra.com. you can also google
this kind of thing as there is plenty of information online. Actually, an Ameri-
can book, published some years ago called “Game usability testing” covers the
basics quite well. that is the important thing to remember: the basics are simple.
It is the actual process that changes, improves, or which we complicate with new
technologies over time, but the basics remain the same.
Some words of advice...
dB: It is always important to think like a consumer. try to keep in the back of
your mind how you would feel if you were the consumer and you were buying
this game which happens to be disappointing. try to keep the consumer in mind,
as that is the most important person in the whole process, if you ask me. So, if you
can do things so that they will work for the consumer, you will eventually create
a good game.
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is a Finnish video game composer, musician and sound designer.
In 2008 he founded Aritunes, a company specialising in music
and sound design for games. Aritunes has worked on award
winning audio designs in games such as resogun,
Angry Birds, outland, dead Nation, trine franchise
and Super Stardust Hd.
[FINlANd]
Ari Pulkkinen
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How did you begin in the industry?
AP: It started as a hobby basically. I did not plan to be a game music composer or game
sound designer. I just happened to have this hobby of composing. I did it myself for
10 years, almost without publishing anything. then I got to know more people. I
was invited to frozenbyte games, as an in-house music and audio director...But the
thing is that you really have to want to be in the industry because it is not easy to
be a full-time game music composer. I do not know if there are even 5 full-time
game composers in Finland. Some are in-house, well most people are in-house
composers, but making money for your own company, that is the hard part. you
really have to establish a name. you really have to get projects behind you.
Your message in Joensuu?
AP: My main message is about game music and its importance now and in the fu-
ture of gaming. lots of music and commercialised hits originate from games. this
music should not be considered as game music, but rather as music inside games.
you can build a business on this, you can create great things through the music.
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Ari Pulkkinen...Any valuable sources you can recommend?
AP: the first thing I would recommend is that you know your games. Basically,
know how games are made and why they work the way they do, understand the
role of game music inside the game. And, of course, I would recommend meetings
like IGdA which is a great source of information about games and developing
games. the IGdA and international forums can help you to get to know the game
industry, as well as the music industry’s styles and genres, which is really important.
Also view the information at gangaudio.com.
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Some words of advice...
AP: Basically I have learnt everything by myself. this kind of business does not
have schools. there are some lectures, like the one I am doing here. So, a good
start would be to work for yourself, learn more and be enthusiastic about games.
you should also acquire skills which relate to overall game development. It is
important for a composer to know how the animations are produced, how the
code is made and how the textures and graphics are made. A game is a grand idea
and a combination of all these different things. when you understand how games
are made, you can compose better music for the game. the better you understand
the game and its mechanics, the more you can develop your skills as a composer.
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works as a Sound designer at remedy Entertainment.
Among his game audio productions are Quantum Break,
Alan wake: American Nightmare (winner of the Best
game of the year and best downloadable) and death
rally.
[FINlANd]
Ville Sorsa
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How did you begin in the industry?
VS: In the last 15 years I have worked in almost all audio fields. I have worked in
the music business, television, radio, movies, and this was just like the last frontier,
the field which I thought had the brightest future. I was excited and the field was
new and booming, so I figured out where information technology was going.
we have a lot of really talented people in Finland, so obviously the game would
be a massive success and, happily, that is what happened. It was a perfect fit for
a person with my skill sets. I really loved creating those weird sounds...a perfect
opportunity for me.
Your message in Joensuu?
VS: It is a 2 day lecture about game audio design and the development of mobile
games.
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Any valuable sources you can recommend?
VS: there are multiple sites providing information, e.g. designsound.org. It is a
group of audio professionals who work in both the video television and game
industry, and it is a good source, especially for new guys who are trying to get
some tips from the productions. Another one is a yahoo! Mail group called Sound
to Sound. It is closed, so you need to get a recommendation to get in there, but
it is easy if you work in a game design center. then there is gamedev.net which is
basically a forum, or portal, for young game designers. there is a “wanted” section
for people with certain expertise. It is a good way to connect with people with
dev and multi projects, to connect with people who are actually making games. In
Finland, the best place to visit is the “IGdA Arts” in Helsinki, every first tuesday
of every month.
Ville Sorsa...
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Some words of advice...
VS: First of all you need to know how the game industry works. I think that most
people who try to get in see themselves as game professionals, stating: “I really like
games, I have been playing them for 15 years”, which is basically the same thing
as saying: “I am a good guitar player, because I have been listening to music for 15
years”. So you should have an understanding of what is required for the position
you are interested in, an understanding of what it actually takes to build a game,
to design the sounds of the game. Have some sort of material which you can show
as proof to the people you need to connect with and make it clear that you have
the necessary skill set to do the job.
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64
is head of lexia’s IP, technology and Media practice.
His main focus is on IP intensive industries, including
software, media and entertainment, marketing,
the creative industry and other innovative industries such
as cleantech and the mobile industry.
He also advises on Marketing and company law,
Privacy matters, contracts and Financing – especially
Venture capital and crowdfunding.
[FINlANd]
Markus Myhrberg
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Markus Myhrberg
3Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia
How did you begin in the industry?
MM: I started my career as a telecom lawyer, and then I changed to law firms. I
have always worked with software companies, and in the beginning, 10 years ago,
game companies were considered little more than software companies, not only
content or creative companies. Now it has changed a bit and I think this led me
to understand that I possessed knowledge about the creative industry and software
companies, and that I could combine my knowledge experience and provide a
good service. the whole thing was also a little bit accidental.
Your message in Joensuu?
MM: you should know the legal basics and remember those basics if you want
to succeed. try to utilise all the information which is available in your business.
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Any valuable sources you can recommend?
MM: there are quite a few good blogs which you can follow. I would generally say follow
the discussion and those blogs which are written by uS and European lawyers about legal
matters. But be careful, remember the differences between the uS and Europe regarding
legal matters. Be critical and, as concerns legal matters, please read the blogs or articles
written by lawyers, not only other developers.
Some words of advice...
MM: the game industry at the moment is really promising. It is already bigger than the
movie industry. of course, it is growing really fast at the moment, and of course you should
be careful of the side effects because when a business develops so quickly... do some research
before joining a company and make sure you will be gaining the experience you hope for.
So carefully consider which firm you join. try to gain experience in different kinds of
products backed by a good education and deep understanding of roles. I know that in the
gaming industry you need guys who can do only one thing, but do it really well.
Markus Myhrberg...
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is a serial entrepreneur. Here is a glimpse of his work:
Game development – 20 games released worldwide
Strategic planning – over 200 companies consulted
ramping up the business – 15 companies founded and operated
Fund raising – More than 25 M€ capital and grants raised
Building up organisations – More than 400 people hired
capitalising companies - Several successful exits
[FINlANd]
Antti Villanen
3Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia
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Antti Villanen...How did you begin in the industry?
AV: I am passionate about games myself. I still spend a lot of time playing,
especially strategy games on Pc and tablet. I had a company which had all the
skills and expertise necessary for game production. we did not however create
games. I then thought: why don’t we also do games? we have the programmers,
animators, studios and editing studios and stuff like that. that was sort of the first
push for the industry. then we built a team, and suddenly we started a company
and after that I started my first game company. It was not too long before I started
the second, and third, and fourth, and fifth, and sixth.
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Your message in Joensuu?
AV: For everybody who wants to start a company or their first start-up, I think
the most important thing is: stop thinking and start doing. I do not think anybody
is ever ready for that first day, but it is iteration, work, lots of work, and again
iteration and iteration. Everybody can do this and I would like to encourage
everybody to start.
Any valuable sources you can recommend?
AV: I would encourage people to talk to others who are in the same situation or
to talk to people who are already in the field or running companies. Ask ques-
tions, ask as many as you can. Also use the available online channels, for instance, if
you are in any game industry, game industry biz. But I think the most important
thing is to talk to people, ask questions. there is no such thing as a silly question,
only silly answers.
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Some words of advice...
AV: the first piece of advice is: Just start doing and stop thinking about the win-
dows. Another one is to participate in different kinds of industry events - locally,
nationally and internationally. discover that even the rock stars of the industry are
nothing more than humans who started, maybe one or ten years ago. But every
one of us has the possibility to become successful. Basically the only limits are
inside our minds.
Antti Villanen...
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3Globally renowned game industry personalities visit North Karelia
Asking questions help people to be more active, it helps them to structure their
thoughts and ideas by punching them around with other people. receiving feed-
back from questions, from people who have done some job already is very valu-
able. It is also important to have discussions with people who are in the same
position, for example, starting their own company. People on the same level can
support and help each other. they often struggle with the same problems and can
thus help each other find solutions.
In Finland, I recommend attending Mindtrek, IGdA events and Illusion which
are all exceptionally good.
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conclusion
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Games are, unquestionably, part of our culture. today, one can get information about all the different
aspects that are involved in the game industry from a myriad of sources. But no information can replace
the richness of experience achieved through talking with people in the industry who want to help you.
we are thankful for the opportunity to share moments and experiences with leaders in the game indus-
try and to summarise their messages in this book.
this project’s journey taught us that every region of our planet is special. It is not important how small
or big that region is, each one has its own characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. North Karelia pos-
sesses all that is needed to excel in the game industry. North Karelians are unique people who are able
to listen to others, and to themselves. they work hard and have built a thriving and evolving ecosystem
to support visionaries in reaching their dreams in the game industry. the work is never done as there
is always something to improve upon. However, it is time to inject the sisu required and to make things
happen - you are in charge of making your dreams come true!
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