How were people alllocated to a new game?

[Codetapper]

When Ocean obtained a licence for a title or a new game idea was decided, what were the steps involved in getting the team together to write it?

Who decided the people that would work on the game, who would do the music etc? Was it a case of whoever was available/free would get it, or did you have a list of people and you'd say "Programmer X is good at horizontal scrollers so get him to do it" etc? Did some guys always get the strategy type games because they were into them or was it up to the programmers to say which ones they'd like to write?

If somebody for example hated sports games, were they sometimes forced to write a sports game? If someone had botched up a racing car game, would they ever be allocated another racer etc?

Did some people ever decide to start a certain game in advance so that when it was confirmed that Ocean had it, that they would get to work on that title?

I'd love to know the answers to any of those from those in the know!

[Bill Harbison]

"So you're finished your project eh? right! (rustling of papers) err OK you can do this then."

"Gary that's your shopping list"

"It's a Tesco license - it's gonna be big!"

"You made a mistake didn't you?"

"Shaddap and get back to work!"

;D

[Simon Butler]

You didn't really have much say in what you worked on or who you worked with...not at first anyhow...it was only later when the Prima Donna mentality abounded that people chose who they wanted to work with because they didn't like person A or Person B might upset the apple cart by being too forceful a personality and not letting them have their say-so...

that was also when the rot set in...

The place was a mess from a managerial point of view.

It didn't play to it's strengths...people were put together because they used to hang around together or they played pool together or they shared a flat...not because they worked well together.

As the oldest member of the development staff I felt sorry for Gary at times (only at times mind you...) because he would attempt to lay down the law and then once his back was turned everyone tittered like schoolkids...which looking back was what most of them had been not too long ago.

[Paulie]

surely Fossil was older ;D

[Mark Jones Junior]

Paulie said:

surely Fossil was older ;D

Who knows. I was told that Simon used 'Oil of Ulay' and Fossil didn't.

[Simon Butler]

Ah...forgot about Colin.

Mind you...he never moved to the new building did he?

he probably would have dried up and withered in all that sunlight.