Boom Blox Producer Departs EA For Flower Studio
On the week of the release of the new Boom Blox, one of the game’s chief creators heads to ThatGameCompany.
Video game designer Robin Hunicke, noticeable at any gaming event for having the reddest hair of anyone in attendance, is trading her big-company background for ThatGameCompany, a sign that the small studio behind Flow and Flower is growing its ranks.
Hunicke had served as lead designer on MySims, the Wii spin-off of the classic PC series that itself has launched MySims spin-offs. She also was a producer on the original Boom Blox and the sequel, Boom Blox Bash Party, which launches this week.
In an e-mail to Kotaku, Hunicke explained her move:
“I’ve always pushed to try new things. With MySims, we reached beyond core Sims compulsions, embracing a whole new range of casual game mechanics. With Boom Blox, we channeled the beauty and complexity of physics into an edge-of-your-seat game that’s also extremely accessible. Add intuitive editors and online features (a huge win for Bash Party) – and you’re allowing people to create and share experiences in a whole new way.
“These projects, GDC and Experimental Gameplay, teaching, research… all my work is united by a single thread. I want to reach new people, with new experiences, via the medium of games and the language of game design. TGC was founded with similar goals in mind, and is at the forefront of the indie movement as a result. The blend of emotion and exploration they have achieved with their titles is what sets them apart.
“It’s funny – I don’t think I fully appreciated their impact until I began telling folks about my new gig. ‘Oooh, Flower,’ they’d say, smiling. ‘I really *loved* that game!’ And in their voice I could hear this… resonance. It’s a connection to the game and its creators that goes beyond the experience itself. That’s the kind of connection I want to help bring to life!”
ThatGameCompany co-founder Kellee Santiago wouldn’t let slip what Hunicke will work on, but said “Her talents as a designer and her experience and skill as a producer make her an asset to any team, but make her a perfect fit for thatgamecompany, where we’re trying not only to change what games are made, but how they’re made. I think Robin is going to push us all to greater heights in video game development.”
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
@Black-Dog-Howls: I agree with you to a point, but I think the indie developer is more of a mentality than how much money they make.
@Rotmm: I disagree.
@Rotmm:
D:
My apologies Ms. Hunicke!!
@Kaminari: They stopped being indie the moment fl0w hit PSN and Sony started writing a few checks.
Black-Dog-Howls
I don't care what they are making or what genre it is, but ThatGameCompany is on the short list of devs, whose games I pick up sight-unseen day one. Cloud, flOw, and flOwer were all amazing in their own right...
What a great wednesday, ThatGameCompany was talked about and Trico leaked... ahhhh...
Looks very much like That Game Company are looking to expand their horizons and target the Wii next.
Rotmm
@Struct09: "He" is a "She"
Just though you'd like to know ;)
Rotmm
@Nitro378: lol, embarrassing fail
Booji-Boy
At least we got Bash Party before he left :D
Early reviews are good, can't wait for my copy to show up tomorrow!
Best of luck Mr. Hunicke.
Steven Spielberg is a sad panda...
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
Flower is fanstasic, I just hope other people recognize it and buy the thing.
It's good to know that their hard work got them some credibility, enough to pull someone away from EA. That's great to hear!
Keep up the good work ThatGameCompany!
@Nitro378: FAIL... ^_^
I hope she wasn't the one responsible for this honky ole characters in Boom Blox. That is not what TGC needs.
I fear that TGC is getting too much professional exposure to remain indie forever.
@Nitro378:Which also means you haven't tried out the game itself. I see potential from that game company.
PsycheE
Flower is probably one of the best games I've ever played.
Griefy
@Michael Forsberg: Stranger than Zoe Mode?
normalmode
@Nitro378: Must... Read... Article...
Nitro378
@Nitro378: The dev's name is "ThatGameCompany", not "Flower".
BubbleF**kingBuddy
ThatGameCompany is got to be the strangest VG company name ever.
That's not saying I didn't love Flower. I do!
Michael Forsberg
"It's funny - I don't think I fully appreciated their impact until I began telling folks about my new gig. 'Oooh, Flower,' they'd say, smiling.
Emotion interpretation Failure. They were actually laughing at you for moving to a game company called "Flower". Sorry, I thought you knew...
Nitro378
umm..okay then....
Love the name "Thatgamecompany""
Flower is the best game using the motion controller. Killzone 2 was also fun using the sixaxis motion control when you few times use it.
Loved Flower is was so beautiful, do bad it was so short. But that gloomy level made me feel sad, haha. But i became glad again when i saw the light end of the tunnel again.
Jenova Chen is ex-EA too.
SudhamayiBibaculus
@SudhamayiBibaculus: I think maybe I'd heard that forever ago...but that definitely slipped my mind!
Good call!
@Crippen: I just got ragdoll kungfu and the motioncontrols in tat are great.. but for easy pick up and play Flower as them beat.. kz2... meh since I usually have my controller propped against my legs, not held up in the air anyway, it doesn't affect sniping and the bomb planting was ok but nothing amazing R&C was much much better... I'm odd as I'm an older hardcore gamer but I love motion controls in games, where most people I know similar to me find them gimmicky and go back to the meat and potato games they are familiar with.
Congratulations, Robin! I'm sure you, Jenova, Kellee, and the rest of the crew will go on to do great things.