10 year anniversary at Lionhead.
On the 16th Feburary 1998, aged 26, I started my job at Lionhead Studios.
10 years later and albeit not as fresh looking,I’m still here.
When I started at 5 Frederick Sanger Road, there were just 8 people, we were making Black & White. We were a tight group of people, everyone knowing everyone else and what they were working on. Their strengths and weaknesses. It was a great team. When it came to hire a new starter, we were all involved in meeting them and asked our views of them.
Times have changed now, with the amount of people at Lionhead closer to 200. We still get to work within small teams, there’s just more of them. As the projects have become more complex and challenging,? with more at stake, we now don’t know everything that is going on in the company, but we still work as a team and create our bonds.
I can’t pretend to know every person at Lionhead, but those I have worked with I hope I remain a good friend. I’m hoping to create more friends as the years progress and as is with a lot of companies, colleagues leave and new faces begin.? Each change becomes a new challenge.
I guess I have an enviable position in that I periodically change my workload to fill whatever role is needed. I’ve never been bored for too long here. Working to my strengths and acknowledging my failings.
Memorable times:? Watching the solar eclipse, watching with horror as the twin towers fell, demonstrating B&W to an ever growing crowd at E3, the team meetings at Bargate that digressed into drinking games,? having the occasional half crazed fan turn up at the offices, watching C-Beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate, the Baftas, the xmas parties, the tradeshows, the deals that fell through, the deals that succeeded, the long nights and the occasional heated tantrum (you know who you are) 🙂
I am sure there will be plenty more memorable times to come.
If you’ve read this far, then I hope I haven’t disappointed you into thinking that this was my resignation letter. Far from it. I’m very much looking forward to the next 10 years at Lionhead and the challenges that have yet presented themselves. So long as we constantly strive for innovation and quality, but making sure we have fun and laughs along the way, I’m sure the next 10 years will fly past as quickly as the previous 10.
Much love,
Jamie.