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 Features
Tour of Chicago Pt. 4: Day 1 Studios
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“We take our projects to a concept level,” Thorley says. “And then get funding [from a publisher]. We’re working with two publishers. Vivendi Universal, which we’re doing the F.E.A.R. stuff on the next-gen consoles. And we’re also working with LucasArts.”
Something to note about Day 1 Studios is its two locations, the other office being in Hunt Valley, Maryland. The legacy of that office is that many employees were originally from MicroProse. Day 1 looked a combining the two entities, and found that the cost wasn’t worth it.
“So we kept it separate,” Thorley says, “It’s been working great because actually it’s really helped us now. With as big as these projects are, there’s still a lot of outsourcing that’s going on.” Day 1 is now prepared, because of having a remote location and the communication level required. The video conferencing has been an enormous help. “It’s funny, you start out thinking it’s just going to be used a little bit. And you’d be shocked: it’s used all the time. People get comfortable with it. It’s really a valuable tool.”
A screenshot from F.E.A.R.
Even though there are two locations, they don’t work on separate games. Thorley thinks of it as working on separate floors of the same building. Some disciplines might be tied more to one location. For example, the special effects that are so tied to the technology, mostly happen down in Hunt Valley.
Day 1 had tried to turn two locations into a strength, as far as recruitment efforts. With most positions, if Day 1 is relocating someone, they’ll be given an option. “If you like a more rural area, you’d probably enjoy the Hunt Valley area more. If you like a more urban setting, don’t want to drive and things like that,” Thorley says. “you’d prefer the Chicago location.”
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