Straight from the Source: Vitei Backroom (Paper Garden)

Note:

CM = Chris McLaughlin
PM = Pauline Machabert
JC = Jetha Chan

Table of Contents:

Page 1 — Introductions and History
Page 2 — Working in the Backroom
Page 3 — Backroom vs. Frontroom and Creative Freedom
Page 4 — Throwing Chickens in VR
Page 5 — How to Organize a Flat Company
Page 6 — Escaping Nintendo’s Shadow
Page 7 — Wrapping up the Party

Page 3 — Backroom vs. Frontroom and Creative Freedom

I heard the Frontroom is more structured the way that Nintendo would like it.

JC: Yeah, I guess so.

PM: There’s a Nintendo member in the Frontroom most of the time as well, it’s not they could do it their own way.

There’s not a lot of creative freedom?

JC: What’s that Jurassic Park quote…” life finds a way”. [laughs]

You find yourself in the gaps where you can express yourself…but yeah…I never really had any problems with that. Wait, what’s the question again?

I never dreamed I would have this job. It happened too fast. I seriously…

[Glico lady comes in, conversation derails to talking about Office Glico, a service through which offices have candy and drink fridges from which employees can buy things without leaving the office]

If you were running a studio this size then I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t run things like this. Coming in late to the Backroom experiment, just seeing the model that has come up here…it’s really, really good. There’s no obvious inefficiencies, no obvious problems. Everyone seems to be able to do their job quite well.

PM: That’s only because Giles gives us the freedom. If you have a boss that doesn’t give the freedom…because basically…for me, the Backroom is self-created. I was not really in it, but I witnessed the core Backroom members becoming what they are now. For me, they made themselves. Giles didn’t make them but if Giles wasn’t here to give them the freedom. And Giles was also here to guide or ‘do what you want’. ‘You have that, so make some prototypes’. There was some structure, but it was so light but these guys made it themselves.

So that’s why when you say ‘I don’t know why anyone else is doing that’ that’s basically usually bosses want to put a big foot in, and kind of decide.

JC: So I guess to extend that a bit if Giles did create the Backroom indirectly by hiring good people and this just sort of spun out indirectly organically from that. Would you say that part is key? You can’t just say ‘We are going to do things the Backroom way’…you have to start like it.

PM: I think you need two key elements. You need the environment which Giles provided, and then you need the people. Not anyone can work in the Backroom and have the Backroom happening. You need these invaluable people like Peter [game designer] and Chris…I don’t know exactly who was there at the start…but for me, it was Peter and Chris. They were chatting and like ‘let’s do that game and try it out’. If they weren’t that independent then it wouldn’t have happened.

Even though I’m new to the Backroom, I don’t know what it is…but I feel really comfortable here. If I have something I want to ask, I don’t feel any hesitation to ask, or feel bad for asking. I always ask, and I’m glad I’ve asked as then I can move forward and be really efficient. It feels like you have to be independent but asking questions is still okay. It doesn’t mean you aren’t independent anymore.

I think the buzzword is ‘interdependent’

What do chickens and aliens have in common? A lot.