Today is officially my last day at Harmonix (I say "officially" because I've actually been on vacation for a couple of weeks). I'll miss the place, and the million friends I've made there, a lot. The place is just ridiculously switched on and I felt lucky every single day that I got to go there and make games (and get paid for it! How bizarre!). Working at Harmonix and getting to make a game like Dance Central was a dream come true, that dream being "make a game that my nieces and my grandma can understand, play, and enjoy". Helping to make the world dance was just the best.
(this is the part where I try to find the best way to say "and I'll be watching just as excitedly as the rest of you to see what they give us next" without summoning John Drake right through my living room ceiling, dangling from the Official Harmonix Helicopter - Eric Pope, pilot. Alex Rigopulos, co-pilot - right onto my head, skewering my brains with a Rock Band guitar. Love you guys)
I've been making "big" games for over 10 years now, but in the beginning I was a modder, working on much smaller stuff with organically-formed teams of people that just did it for the fun of it. I really miss that way of making games: the camaraderie, and most of all the excitement that comes with having a tight feedback loop between the game and it's audience. It was like getting to wear a silly costume and put on a silly play every week. I've really missed making games that way!
It's time to chart my own Video Game making course, starting with something small but very unique and fun that I've been cooking up for some time now with my good friend Owen Macindoe ( @Illykai ). More on that very, very soon. It'll give you a taste of what I'd like to make more of: tightly designed experiences that feel personal and hand-crafted. And feature secret hidden dinosaurs. Ninja dinosaurs.
I'm more excited than ever to be a Video Game maker. Can't wait to play with you all.
- @iamdeantate
