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10 Game Industry Questions - Lauren Pears

AUSTRALIAN GAME INDUSTRY Q and A - 10 Questions with Lauren Pears - Project Co-ordinator at THQ Studio Australia

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Fullname: Lauren Pears

Nickname: I�m not cool enough for a nickname

Gender: Female

Age: 25

Current Company: THQ Studio Australia

Current Project: I can only tell my deaf-mute, palm-leaf waving eunuch servants, I�m afraid. Soon to be announced; and VERY, VERY exciting!

Gaming Systems Owned: NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Playstation�2, Xbox, Nintendo Wii. I will buy a 360 sometime soon. I never realised I was such a Nintendo person�

1. What is your job role where you work and can you explain what it entails?

I am Project Co-ordinator at THQ Studio Australia. It�s a junior-level production role and it varies from day to day, so it is difficult to exhaustively describe what I do. My responsibilities cover aspects of Project Management and Studio PR. I think I could sum it up by saying that I nag people. A lot.

For the PR side of things, we have an excellent PR team in Melbourne who promote our products. My role exists to assist HR (also in Melbourne) to promote our studio for recruitment purposes. I also help our GM to maintain relationships with government groups, press, universities and industry groups. I participate in vendor shows and events like Supanova when possible, and I really enjoy being able to go to industry events and meet scruffy games reviewers.

For projects, I coordinate the localisation process for our titles. I ensure that all text and VO is translated; implemented and QA�ed correctly. It�s great to be able to work with people in Germany, the UK, the US � all around the world. Working in different time zones can be a bit laborious, but I love getting phone calls from Germans, there�s no denying it. I also am responsible for ensuring the successful submission of our European SKUs, which is alternately stressful and gratifying!

I cover a wide range of other tasks, for brevity�s sake, I�ll rattle off a list: risk management; meeting follow-ups, printing and promotional materials; focus testing (internal and external); our new website (coming up); studio tours; preparing materials for marketing; assisting with ratings applications; assisting with scheduling� basically anything that comes up, I get it done, one way or another!

2. What games have you been directly involved with previously?

The Unseelie (demo)
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2 (Bush Rescue)
King Arthur
Spongebob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, PANTS!
Avatar The Last Airbender
Avatar the Last Airbender: The Burning Earth

3. How did you get your start in the gaming industry?

I began doing an internship at Eyecon whilst at Uni � I studied a Bachelor of Multimedia, majoring in Interactive Entertainment. I returned after the internship finished to help them with a demo they were working on at the time. In retrospect, I�m convinced that I was a completely useless appendage, but they were kind and let me try anyway.

Later, a friend of mine from uni was working as a programmer at Krome Studios, and suggested I apply as a tester there. I worked on some titles and moved on after the projects finished. I began working as an artist at an e-learning company on a short term contract and after a few months I ran into an old Krome friend at a party who said he was working at THQ now and I should apply. I did, I�m still here, and I love my job. I think I have one of the best jobs in the office!

Like any industry, it�s very useful to know people around the place � of course, you also have to know what you�re doing. People can get you to the door, but you have to get through by yourself!

4. What has been the most positive experience of working in the games industry so far?

I�m sure everyone must say this, but I really do love seeing the product on the shelf. I point and splutter rabidly �I made that game!!!� when I walk past an EB with anyone I know. I�ve worked on five shipped titles and it still hasn�t got old.

I also love how small children think I�m exceptionally cool. I really do.

5. What has been the most negative experience of working in the games industry so far?

The work-life balance can be difficult at some times of the project cycle � particularly around submission time. I used to have a problem with it; but I�ve since realised that it is an unchangeable part of games development � we have to submit titles; all titles have bugs; uploads take time� that is the reality, and if that is the worst I have to deal with, I consider myself lucky.

There are ways for studios to manage times like these, and I think THQ Studio Australia does a good job of minimising the impact � we have a lot of young family men in our office, and work-life-balance is important to them.

I have heard some horror stories; however I�ve heard horror stories from the advertising industry; visual effects industry; property industry, and I once worked cleaning cinema toilets, so my perception is tempered by this knowledge.

6. What advice can you give to other people looking to get into a position such as yours?

First up � know about games. You don�t need to know everything about every game ever made - I certainly don�t. What I do know are which games I think are kickass, and why. I look at games that sell well and I look at developer favourites that maybe don�t sell so well. I don�t worry if I haven�t played every game; or don�t know every retro game that has existed. Truthfully, most games repeat the same mechanics and you just don�t have to play everything to know where it�s at.

Next, I think it�s worth checking out your attitude. Members of the production team are responsible for selling the concept to their development team; to motivate them to do their best work. It�s important that you lack ego about the kinds of titles you work on. The reality is that sometime in your career, you are probably going to have to work on a Barbie title, especially if you work for an independent studio. However, you can still make the best damn Barbie title the world has ever seen. No-one has a monopoly on fun game mechanics. I believe that a person who loves the art of making games should be able to see the potential in any concept and run with it to make something great.

I also think it�s important to recognise that markets exist that you are not a part of. I may not play or understand the appeal of �The Sims� but it makes a lot of money and it contributes to the overall strength of games globally. All game genres are valid and interesting; and the games I don�t like still help to grow opportunities for me and the people I work with.

In more practical terms, I think studying project management or a games-related degree is worthwhile insofar as it helps you to build a small network of contacts early on; however I don�t think it is mandatory. Knowledge of project management process is helpful, but be prepared to adapt your �software product development� frameworks. It is very difficult to spec �fun� and this makes it difficult to apply traditional software development approaches to games product development.

QA is a great beginning for someone who is interested in production, and the production team and QA team need to work closely during key times of a project � milestones and submissions. Really, a strong QA team is a producer�s best friend and greatest asset. QA deal with every department throughout the entire project cycle and are usually involved in solving or verifying problems. An attentive QA is well-positioned to observe how producers go about their work. Another common route is through Design, but Design roles are tougher for a new starter to get into.

And finally, take on any work that you can that allows you to show that you can be trusted to deliver on what you promise; and then make sure you deliver.

7. How do you see Australia as a market when compared to the rest of the world?

I think the scale of the Australian market, although competitive, is small - particularly when compared to the United States and Japan. However, whilst I think our population, climate; culture and lifestyle will keep our market proportionally smaller, I do think it is growing and will continue to grow in the coming years as the global market grows.

Another thing I find interesting is how established markets tend to develop their own flavour- for example, the Japanese market is quite distinct from the American market � and my thought is that this is driven by the presence of local developers who imbue their titles with their own culture. With the substantial growth of development studios in Australia, especially Brisbane, I would be interested to see what this means for the Australian market; both as a consumer market and a developer environment.

8. Got any good stories you want to share?

Hm�

I have some really great memories from working in games so far, but most of my stories were only funny at 2am after eating takeaway curry, drinking beer/coke and playing SpongeBob for the 8th consecutive time that day. People get manic. I�ve nearly cried. I�ve definitely shouted. I�ve fallen asleep. The gamut.

I think if I tried to retell any stories they�d be met with the online equivalent of crickets chirping, so I�ll evade this one.

9. What are your favourite games and why?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on NES � fond memories playing with my brother as a kid. Lord I loved those turtles. I still do.
Super Castlevania IV on SNES � same reason.
Super Metroid on SNES � I was so addicted to Super Metroid, this was the first game I ever finished completely on my own.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Nintendo 64 � another game I was completely addicted to. I love puzzle-based games. I must have played this three or four times in full. I never found the last of the poes, so I had to have an intervention before I cracked.
Mario 64 on Nintendo 64 � the camera infuriated me, but I managed to play this one so much that I would dream the sound of coin collection.
God of War � I tend to fence-sit about consoles and I will only buy a console if there is a title that drives me to it. I bought a PS2 because of God of War. I suspect I will buy a 360 if I allow myself to start playing Bioshock at any great length. The combat in God of War is particularly satisfying.
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) � I love how I felt so GUILTY taking down the colossi. I admire a game with the subtlety to evoke a genuine emotional response.
Ico on PS2 � for the same reason as above, I felt like I really wanted to defend the little girl.
Psychonauts on PS2 � I really enjoyed playing this game, and I felt it was well balanced. I was learning new moves throughout the most of the length of the game, it didn�t feel like other games where you amass your skills early and then you plateau for the last 5 levels. It�s also nice to play a well-scripted game, I�m fond of Tim Schaeffer�s style of writing.

10. If you could meet any gaming character in real life, who would it be and why?

Kratos. He�s a buff, orgy-loving, Greek, undead Demi-God of War. Why? � � We�d talk philosophy.

Lauren will be available to answer any industry based questions in our forums which you can view here.

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