Why the tribe like enviroment at Dynamix?
by Jackson · in General Discussion · 01/15/2001 (1:08 pm) · 7 replies
I noticed that there was very little if no inter-team cooperation. The old right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing syndrome. Teams were adversarial, and there was a very "cliquey" attitude that permeated the entire building. Another thing that bothered me about Namix' was an attitude that people and ideas are cheap. People that are their right now comment on the horrific sense of apathy that is shared by most everyone that works there. I'm sure that the constant feeling of uncertainty and fear around ones job doesn't add much in the way of moral. What I don't get is how a place with so much raw talent could have so little vision? I don't want to come off sounding like a dynamix basher, there is a great deal of artistic and creative talent...but 9/10 goes down the toilet. I mean FPS bull riding. Yes, it fills a niche market, and that is very important...but the quality of product leaves much to be desired. Idealistic Design teams, unrealistic producers, marketing people that overstate, and an impotent QA department.
I'm curious, is it like this in all companies or is this just a sad fluke?
I'm curious, is it like this in all companies or is this just a sad fluke?
About the author
#2
As far as the rest of the industry, well in general the entire industry is consolidating, adapting and changing daily. If you like the excitement and can adapt to the changing climate, it's a fun and wild ride, otherwise you are going to be miserable.
01/16/2001 (3:00 pm)
I hesitate to respond because I am no longer at Dynamix and don't really feel like I know enough to comment on their situation any longer. I must assume Jackson's comments are not from the perspective of a Dynamix employee and rather from an outsider too. There are tons of rumors out there 99.9% of them untrue. Comparing the comments to my experience I would say that there is a bit of exaggeration, but I will not deny that all the buyouts and mergers, first Sierra, then CUC, then Havas, have not taken their toll on the employees at Dynamix. When I left I was really feeling good about the Havas direction and I felt like the next several years had a lot of promise. I had a great time while I was at Dynamix, I spent 9 years there, if things were as bad as suggested I don't think I would have stayed that long.As far as the rest of the industry, well in general the entire industry is consolidating, adapting and changing daily. If you like the excitement and can adapt to the changing climate, it's a fun and wild ride, otherwise you are going to be miserable.
#3
Hakagure Cannibalismos
01/16/2001 (4:50 pm)
No Rick, I worked at dynamix for two years. And I will be the first to tell any one that I have a colored view of dynamix. But in the time that I was there I experienced an environment that rivaled afganistan's feudal system. So much raw talent wasted by unrealistic management. Like Randy Dershams that cared more about money that the human or artistic elements than go into a stellar project. Project's like Red Baron 2 and Silent thunder come to mind. Project's that were grandiose and unburdened by reality. Or dominated by Hollywood style producers. And what really makes me fume is the human toll that 1600 millrace exudes on someone. 70 hour weeks....only to be tossed aside when a French sewer company shells out the dollars (DELETED BECAUSE OF SASSYNESS). Viva Pat Cook, Viva Pipeworks, Viva artists! We may only agree on one thing Jeff, Dave G, Rick. The time of the independent gamer is at hand! Hakagure Cannibalismos
#4
01/16/2001 (5:04 pm)
Sorry about that, I won't make any more assumptions. I am sure everyone there has had a different experience and is entitled to share their perspectives.
#5
01/16/2001 (6:10 pm)
No Prob. I wish you all the best of luck with garage games. It's a great concept And a valuble tool.
#6
01/18/2001 (12:47 pm)
I have to admit that I thought long and hard before chiming in on this but having put in 9 ˝ years at Dynamix, I decided to add my 2 cents. I'd have to say that I agree with much of Jackson's assessment of the political climate at Dynamix. I don't feel there are any easy answers to why it is like that nor would I say it is a climate unique to Dynamix. However that's probably the worst I've seen or heard of. Certainly with frequent layoffs comes a fear of one's job security particularly in a community where there are no other game companies. Unfortunately this fear turns to a fear of fellow employees and even entire teams or the absurd "us" and "them" syndrome that pits programmers against artists or employees against management and so on. Some of this was simply the cost of doing business in this volatile industry whereas other situations were quite deliberate. I won't mention whom but we had one executive that was actively creating an "us and them" scenario to pit the artists against the company in hopes of creating personal loyalty. This sort of divisive empire building can be found in a lot of companies and is, to some degree, a byproduct of a company's growth. When Dynamix was 25 people it felt like one unified team, when we were 200 (or whatever) it felt like a dozen companies under one roof. And as a company grows it attracts a certain amount of people who are more interested in building a resume than a game. This shift from being product-oriented to politic-oriented is expensive to a company's cost of doing business. That's why I feel you'll see an increase in small, lean independent developers, and companies like Garagegames springing up to fill the gap left by the large Mega Corp companies as they faultier under their own weight. Personally I feel that when a company's focus shifts from making great games to making stockholders happy the company is in trouble. All this being said I loved making games at Dynamix and hope they can keep the doors open. 
#7
It is hard to understand all of the behind the scenes decisions that go on in the management office unless you are there helping make the decisions. Much like "synthetic design" where it is easy to say what could have been better on shipping games, it is easy to second guess what has already been done by management.
That said, if I contributed to some of the every man for himself environment, I'm sorry. I was always pushing to make the games as good as they could be within the constraints that were present at the time. My biggest concern was always for the people that worked there. In fact, I left in June, 1999 because I simply could not stomach working through what would have been the fourth major lay-off during my time at Dynamix.
In spite of all this, I will stand by the Dynamix record. Founded in March, 1984, it's seventeen years in existence dwarf most gaming companies. During that period such titles as Stellar 7, Red Baron, Rise of the Dragon, FPS: Football, Trophy Bass, the 3D Ultra series, Incredible Machine, Tribes, and Starsiege were released. Even today, after numerous forced lay-offs, the turn over rate is way below the industry standard.
In Eugene, Dynamix has now spawned Loud Mouth Productions, Pipeworks, GarageGames, and Monster Studios. I still have the utmost respect, and wish the best for, every employee at Dynamix. My hope is that the "gaming wood chip" in Eugene will continue to grow so people don't feel locked into one company.
My vision is that large studio operations must be augmented with independent game development efforts. Hopefully, GarageGames can help fill that void. My sincere hope is that many of you will make a company large enough to have this kind of problem:)
Jeff Tunnell
Co-Founder, Dynamix
Co-Founder, GarageGames
01/22/2001 (12:36 pm)
I tried to resist, but I couldn't help but throw in a comment.It is hard to understand all of the behind the scenes decisions that go on in the management office unless you are there helping make the decisions. Much like "synthetic design" where it is easy to say what could have been better on shipping games, it is easy to second guess what has already been done by management.
That said, if I contributed to some of the every man for himself environment, I'm sorry. I was always pushing to make the games as good as they could be within the constraints that were present at the time. My biggest concern was always for the people that worked there. In fact, I left in June, 1999 because I simply could not stomach working through what would have been the fourth major lay-off during my time at Dynamix.
In spite of all this, I will stand by the Dynamix record. Founded in March, 1984, it's seventeen years in existence dwarf most gaming companies. During that period such titles as Stellar 7, Red Baron, Rise of the Dragon, FPS: Football, Trophy Bass, the 3D Ultra series, Incredible Machine, Tribes, and Starsiege were released. Even today, after numerous forced lay-offs, the turn over rate is way below the industry standard.
In Eugene, Dynamix has now spawned Loud Mouth Productions, Pipeworks, GarageGames, and Monster Studios. I still have the utmost respect, and wish the best for, every employee at Dynamix. My hope is that the "gaming wood chip" in Eugene will continue to grow so people don't feel locked into one company.
My vision is that large studio operations must be augmented with independent game development efforts. Hopefully, GarageGames can help fill that void. My sincere hope is that many of you will make a company large enough to have this kind of problem:)
Jeff Tunnell
Co-Founder, Dynamix
Co-Founder, GarageGames
Torque Owner Tyler Frans