Supercell: looking back on 10 years of Hay Day – part one
Jun 21, 2022 23:23:28 GMT
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Post by lynnk2021 on Jun 21, 2022 23:23:28 GMT
Former Game Lead Stephan Demirdjian, former Game Designer Camilla Avellar, and current Artist Sari Latvala shared the following gem.
The influence of Clash of Clans, and shifting support from Hay Day
Demirdijan: Obviously Clash of Clans was an even bigger success, but that’s not to downplay the success of Hay Day. I think any company would be extremely happy to have a success of Hay Day’s calibre but, of course, Clash of Clans is a completely different planet in that regard.
If the Clash of Clans team needed support, and Hay Day was where we could reallocate resources, Clash of Clans would be the priority
But when it came to team resources, we tried to live by this order: Supercell first, team second, individuals third, although it’s not always that black-and-white. We had to think about what was best for the company.
So, if the Clash of Clans team needed support, and Hay Day was where we could reallocate resources, Clash of Clans would be the priority. Sometimes it was painful, but we found ways to balance it out.
Avellar: In general, we had flexibility to ensure Hay Day was never under-resourced. It was never as though our team was sidelined.
Latvala: This was done through strong pre-planning, knowing how many updates we had to make in the year, and having a backup plan if the team was supporting Clash of Clans. A lot of planning ahead.
Demirdijan: Maybe in other companies, in the past, this is different but, specifically, in my role as team lead, I would never describe Supercell as a political company. I never had to worry about being misled – I would sit down with the Clash of Clans lead, and we would create a plan together, for the sake of Supercell, without having to worry about anything hidden in the background or being mindful of keeping my guard up.
It was a case of sitting down for a coffee, discussing our needs, checking our planner, and doing this as casually as possible. It was always a pleasure atmosphere, even when it was challenging.
Demirdijan: Obviously Clash of Clans was an even bigger success, but that’s not to downplay the success of Hay Day. I think any company would be extremely happy to have a success of Hay Day’s calibre but, of course, Clash of Clans is a completely different planet in that regard.
If the Clash of Clans team needed support, and Hay Day was where we could reallocate resources, Clash of Clans would be the priority
But when it came to team resources, we tried to live by this order: Supercell first, team second, individuals third, although it’s not always that black-and-white. We had to think about what was best for the company.
So, if the Clash of Clans team needed support, and Hay Day was where we could reallocate resources, Clash of Clans would be the priority. Sometimes it was painful, but we found ways to balance it out.
Avellar: In general, we had flexibility to ensure Hay Day was never under-resourced. It was never as though our team was sidelined.
Latvala: This was done through strong pre-planning, knowing how many updates we had to make in the year, and having a backup plan if the team was supporting Clash of Clans. A lot of planning ahead.
Demirdijan: Maybe in other companies, in the past, this is different but, specifically, in my role as team lead, I would never describe Supercell as a political company. I never had to worry about being misled – I would sit down with the Clash of Clans lead, and we would create a plan together, for the sake of Supercell, without having to worry about anything hidden in the background or being mindful of keeping my guard up.
It was a case of sitting down for a coffee, discussing our needs, checking our planner, and doing this as casually as possible. It was always a pleasure atmosphere, even when it was challenging.