45 Awkward Minutes With Harmonix Designers

Presenters

Dan Teasdale, Chris Foster, Casey Malone, Sylvain Dubrofsky.

Session Notes

Matt Weise's Notes

• Don't hire assholes.

• You have to work harder because it is harder to find good people quickly, but everyone is much happier.

• Bosses are not micro-managers. Bosses trust their staff to make good decisions, which makes things much more efficient.

• The people in charge *actually* know games. "It is weird to trust the people above you."

• Everyone wants to make a good game, not just get the game over with.

• You are not worried about other departments because everyone there is solid. You can focus on your work better.

• "Thanks for making this not awkward."

Jon Radoff's Notes

(from his blog)

"I expected this to be more about game design in Rock Band, but it ended up being a great window into the corporate culture at Harmonix. I asked what they felt their greatest cultural attribute was, and they said “trust,” which I think is great. Trust is the basis of any great business, but it’s amazing how often it is missing from companies."

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