Portal Designer Joins Airtight Games

[Sexy Street]

Idiocy is great, isn't it?

 

[ObsessiveSketch]

Ok, wait, follow me here:

So you leave Valve, one of the most critically acclaimed and exclusive companies ever for whom millions want to work for, the company that gave you your first job straight out of college to work on your new brand new IP, a company known for it's creative licensing and work environment as well as their innovative games, to go work for a sub-par company whose only known game is a perfectly run of the mill flight simulator/arcade/thing... because you want the chance to create innovative titles?

Am I the only one not seeing the logic behind this one?

honestly. thats what i was thinking, like really? I mean i'd understand if Valve didn't give creative freedom or anything, but really? but whatever, her loss.

In all honesty?...ditto e_o the first thought that popped into my head was "why would you want to LEAVE Valve?"

 

[Mordwyl]

Friends or not it does seem rather odd to leave a company that hired you without work experience, allowed you to work on a completely new IP and is generally regarded as very close to its consumer base, with the first two any other company would laugh in your face if you even considered even ONE of them.

It's her choice in the end, but why Airtight? This is like someone with a BMW opting for a Toyota because their friends drive one too.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

Why's everyone bashing on Kim for doing what she wants? To quote:

"But when I heard I had the opportunity to work on innovative titles with my friends over at Airtight, I couldn't pass it up."

She wants to make games with her friends; who wouldn't want that?
Besides, while Kim had the original idea for Portal, taking it to Valve is what really shaped it into the title we know and love. And I'm sure they'd have her back if she wanted to return.

Good point, really good. Anyone else here played Narbacular Drop, Kim's senior project? As IP it's TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

But what worries me, is that what Kim and her team (I don't know their names, so I'm putting Kim in charge) brought to the table was the game mechanic and the impetus for the puzzle design - the two things that make Portal really really great. Unless Adam Foster and the rest of Valve's level design hotshots have some really brilliant tricks up their sleeves, the portal sequel could potentially suck rotten eggs.

Just saying, it'll take more than a new Jonathan Coulton song to ensure its fate.

 

[Brotherofwill]

oh look, Malygris is evolving,

(evolution music)

Malygris evolved into an Andy Chalk.

Hahaha.

Well, it's her call to make. I doubt she would risk messing her career up so she probably knows what she's doing. Even if her game development at Airtight bombs she will still get rehired. Portal and a young age aren't exactly low classifications.

Oh yeah and why does everyone want to see a sequal for Portal? I thought it was sublime as a stand-alone experience and the last thing it needs is a sequel which dries out the uniqueness. Actually, wasn't there a sort of sequel or atleast a level add-on?

Valve, why not hire some more talented young developers and get into a habit of creating fresh, inspired games with less development time for shiny graphics, rather than going for episodic content and sequels? It would do your reputation good and maybe we'd have the next Portal-like phenomenon in our hands before too long.

 

[qbanknight]

lots of talk bout dark void these days, hope the game lives to he hype and the studio's newcomer will have a good impact on it

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Or maybe Valve is too busy doing their own (awesome) things and can't support her creative direction. A smaller studio might be more malleable.

I'm betting that, at least in part, it's this. She's a fairly big fish that wants to swim in a smaller pond for a while, and stretch her wings... errr... fins. And get the chance to have more of a say in the production processes. And... yeah, I'm out of fish-related metaphors now.

 

[AceDiamond]

You know I really can't fault her for wanting to do what she feels like. If she can still be financially secure and wants to work with friends then I see no real big deal. I mean yes I'd kill to get a job at Valve but sometimes you just have to do what you want, assuming money not being an object, so that you can remain happy with your line of work.

 

[LTK_70]

Because everyone stayed for life at the first job they ever got.

Game design is still a job, just like any other. I know a guy, he gave up a full/part time job at the station, a major network station, to go to a small town in Saskatchewan to shoot. And he's happier than he ever was here.

Just because we may think ZOMG VALVE IS TEH WIN!!!1! maybe it's not the right place for her. And you know what, congrats to her, and good luck to her in her future endeavors.

Thank you for that. Good to know not everyone thinks she's being stupid. I mean, come on, it's just a job. It's not like she was Valve's CEO or something. They're not going to go bankrupt without her, either. We all play games with the ultimate goal to have fun, and it's unlikely the designers of our games have dissimilar thoughts when it comes to their careers. Okay, moving from Valve to Capcom won't increase her paycheck tenfold, but you gotta do what feels right. Personally I'm glad it's Dark Void she's decided to work on, because I think it's going to be a really good game.

 

[Jared]

Well, Valve's loss I guess.

Still, it's good to know that there are still some young, fresh, innovative minds in the video game world, regardless of where they're working.

Definetly! And as long as they are given the opportunity to vent there innovation into the community, we could still see fresh and new gams crop up!

 

[Eri]

Ok, wait, follow me here:

So you leave Valve, one of the most critically acclaimed and exclusive companies ever for whom millions want to work for, the company that gave you your first job straight out of college to work on your new brand new IP, a company known for it's creative licensing and work environment as well as their innovative games, to go work for a sub-par company whose only known game is a perfectly run of the mill flight simulator/arcade/thing... because you want the chance to create innovative tittles?

Am I the only one not seeing the logic behind this one?

This

 

[Slider2k]

I wonder if anything good would come out of this decision. Like another innovative game. If Dark Void would flop, then i doubt it.

 

[Miral]

Anyway, here's hoping Portal 2 will still be a great game. I think it's due out a mere month after Episode 3. Going by Valve Time anyway.

I suspect they'll end up tied together in another Mysterious Coloured Box affair. Especially since their plots are at least converging, if not intertwined.