Destiny Podcast Version 0

by urk, Saturday, May 18, 2013, 08:51 (3988 days ago) @ Kermit

A related point: I get this feeling that one goal for the mature Bungie is smart project management. Specifically, figuring out how to achieve their visions while retaining and not crushing the souls of the talented people they've attracted, in part by allowing them to have lives outside of their work. That's quite the hat trick in an industry that's infamous for grueling schedules.

I would love to see evidence of any of that. It is a great goal, I just don't think I've ever seen it mentioned even in passing. But maybe what you mean is mature=older and so yah as Bungie themselves gets older (the folks in the upper circles being parents and just older in general) then their sensibilities trickle down to the rest of the company's vision.

Well, here you go. I have seen asides hinting to this before, but I can't pinpoint those (one was from Jason, though). This from Rajeev Nattam seems on point:

Bungie is exceptionally friendly to families. Daycare, babysitting, time off, etc. Making a game like Destiny takes a lot of time and energy. Knowing that your employer cares about your family’s well-being is a good thing.

The schedule can still be pretty rough, especially when you have a dev milestone collide headlong into a major industry showcase event, but there's no doubt that the team is way more cognizant than ever about employee health and well-being. Things have steadily and significantly improved since the Halo 2 days. Bungie is a great place to work - easily the best place I've ever worked.

As far as benefits go, I'm constantly and consistently gobsmacked by all the packages and perks Bungie offers. I'll spare myself from having to type out the full list; I'd have to dedicate half a day to ensure I was being thorough enough. Perhaps the best term I can use to describe the full range of benefits is "thoughtful." That's pretty atypical for any industry, and I feel fortunate every single day I walk through the doors, even on the days that I know I'm not going to walk back out until the next morning.

:)