A journey in 11 bit studios
Imagine a place where magic happens.
Well, it might not be the kind of magic that you can find on platform 9 ¾ , or in the hands of a long-bearded white wizard, but still – the magic of bringing fantasies to life. A place, where creativity and logic, art and technology, what’s real and what’s not, exist together.
The place
There’s an independent (but not an indie!:)) game design studio in the very heart of Warsaw that revealed exactly this kind of magic to me last week. It’s an experience beyond everything I’ve ever imagined would happen in my life. As a person firmly planted on the ground, I’m telling myself – Oh, what an incredible luck! But as someone who never stops dreaming and exploring, this experience comes not as a surprise, but more as a challenge to be accepted - with great care and responsibility.
After all, dreams should be nurtured carefully.
And it’s not the place itself, of course. What was most important to me during my one-week stay at the office of 11 bit studios in Poland, was the opportunity to meet the people behind the P8 project. All those designers, programmers, artists, producers, technicians, who can make worlds appear in front of your eyes. People from all around the world, speaking different languages, who can tell you all kinds of stories - funny, peculiar, dramatic, stories of bravery, treachery and friendship. Not only with what they say, but also with what they do.
The people
A psychologist?
And in case you’re wondering what is a clinical psychologist doing in such a place (you’re quite right to wonder), I have the simplest, yet at this point mysterious explanation. I was working in a new environment, on a path that I’ve never taken before, in an effort to support the team of P8 on a journey through the labyrinth of emotions and behavior. They do what they do best, while I listen, observe and follow their steps. Then, with the help of my theoretical background in psychology, as well as my 15 years of clinical experience, I try to suggest a slightly different approach to the task – the one of a professional, working with the depths of psychic life.
I’m back in Sofia. And while I’m returning to what I’ve been doing up until now, there’s this portal in my heart to a strange, mysterious dimension, in which emotions take different shapes, colours, sounds and images. A dimension of games, becoming something more than a product to be played. And if you think I’m overwhelmed with positive emotions (which I am) and not thinking straight after a wonderful week (which is somewhat true), do not be fooled. I’m experienced enough to know that there's plenty of time to also see the hardship, doubts, tiredness. I know they exist, and I would probably confront them too during my journey in the project. That’s to be expected.
But have you ever been on an adventure without risk, difficult choices and hardship?
Good luck to the team, and let’s hope that
P8 makes its mark!
