Leadership in Video Games: Starting from the beginning…

I used to refer to Electronic Arts Canada as “the monolith on the hill”. It was a large, sprawling and very secure complex that an extremely lucky few were allowed to call their place of work. It was at the gates of this great compound one drizzly November morning in 2001 that I recall, with great trepidation, starting my new career in the games industry.

Eighteen years later, not much has changed. What happens behind the hallowed doors of most game companies remains a mystery to the rest of the world and indeed even to many who work in those companies. The strata between teams and departments is typically opaque and leaders, whether joining from outside or elsewhere within a company often struggle to adapt to the needs of their team.

There is a dearth of resources out there for prospective leaders in the game industry. Vital information about what goes on inside a game studio and how to navigate it is simply not available…until now. I am writing a book on leadership in the video games industry. It is a much-needed tome inclusive of my personal anecdotes and practical strategies to navigate the cultural complexities within the industry. It’s bound to be controversial, it may be amusing, but it is certainly going to be useful!

Look for the book to be published in the summer of 2019. Subscribe to my blog for weekly updates: https://medium.com/total-kinetic and check out my website to learn more about my services: https://www.totalkinetic.com/. Me or a member of my team are available for short or long term projects.