Tue, Feb 09, 2010 | 20:39 GMT
Naughty Dog’s Amy Hennig chats about getting her start in games
Naughty Dog’s Amy Hennig had a chat with the LA Times this week regarding how she went from being a student in film school to creating videogames.
Turns out, the videogame bug bit her hard while working as freelancer for Atari in 1989.
Apparently, the aspiring cinematographer with a bachelor’s in English Lit from UC Berkeley had a “light bulb moment” while working as a freelance on Atari’s Electrocop videogame, and decided that games were the way to go.
“It was purely for pay. But once I started, my wheels began to turn and I had a light bulb moment: that this was a more interesting and pioneering medium than film,” she told the paper.
This lead to a stint at Electronic Arts, where she became the lead designer on Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City after the previous lead quit.
As far as giving advise to others on how to break into the business like she did, she says hard work has more to do with it than luck, and you have to continue to be creatively flexible while constantly learning along the way.
“Everything I learned as an undergraduate with English literature and in film school about editing and shots and the language of film has come into play, but in a way I couldn’t possibly have planned,” she said.
“It’s a meritocracy in the sense that if you’re a hard worker and people see you have an aptitude, you get a shot usually. Then your fate is in your hands.
“This is an industry in which you constantly have to relearn things and almost start over. If you can’t do that, you don’t last”.
It’s a very good read, and it’s refreshing to see that someone as talented as Hennig still harbors a sense of wonderment and appreciation for her field after so many years in the business.
Hennig’s latest game, Uncharted 2 is up for a Writer’s Guild of America award.
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Posted in: Action, Adventure, Development, Hot, Jobs, PS3, Sony, Stuff
Tags: Amy Hennig, naughty dog, Uncharted 2, writing
17 comments
#1
onlineatron
09/02/10, 9:13 pm
‘henning’s latest game, Uncharted 2′
Nope, can’t say I’ve heard of it
#2
Dr.Ghettoblaster
09/02/10, 9:26 pm
Re-boot Crash Bandicoot!!!
#3
The Hindle
09/02/10, 9:56 pm
Uncharted 2 has sold 2.5m copies so far didnt know that. It took the first one 2 years to do 3m so thats pretty impressive.
#4
onlineatron
09/02/10, 10:10 pm
True… but given the amount of PS3s out there now it deserves to sell A LOT MORE!
#5
The Hindle
09/02/10, 10:12 pm
Not really dude it doest have the words Halo or Cod or Fifa in the title, you could say the same for L4D or Forza they have sold the same amount.
#6
Michael O’Connor
09/02/10, 10:26 pm
“True… but given the amount of PS3s out there now it deserves to sell A LOT MORE!”
Given the number of PS3s out there, that is a very good figure actually.
#7
The Hindle
09/02/10, 10:31 pm
L4d has done 2.9 and thats on the Pc plus the 360 so id say 2.5m is pretty good
#8
DaMan
09/02/10, 10:50 pm
L4D 2 sold 2+ m in two weeks.
#9
The Hindle
09/02/10, 10:53 pm
http://www.vg247.com/2010/02/09/dragon-age-origins-left-4-dead-2-sales-hit-3-million-units/ its at 2.9 so far according to the dude at EA
#10
DaMan
09/02/10, 10:54 pm
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/26309/Valve_Left_4_Dead_2_Sells_2_Million_In_Two_Weeks.php
#11
The Hindle
09/02/10, 11:03 pm
Ahh looks like it sold 900k in the months after its launcch then who knows
#12
DaMan
09/02/10, 11:27 pm
that doesn’t include Steam I think.
#13
Dr.Ghettoblaster
09/02/10, 11:57 pm
Need more Crash Bandicoot!
They need an Uncharted 1 and 2 PS3 bundle where they through in both games for free!
#14
onlineatron
10/02/10, 12:00 am
@O’Conner
Errr if I’m not mistaking the PS3 has sold over 30million worldwide… that makes the 2.5 sales figure pretty low.
#15
The Hindle
10/02/10, 12:05 am
Not every game will do mw numbers though man. There is 39m 360s and Forza 3 has only done 2m. Only certain games will ever do MW kind of numbers
#16
onlineatron
10/02/10, 12:20 am
Yeah i know and I’m not trying to belittle Uncharted 2′s accomplishments… It’s just the game is so fucking good and won so many awards and recieved unanimous praise… that it deserves to sell more
#17
RGW1982
10/02/10, 2:03 am
You Can’t Get MW2 Numbers Unless Millions Of Kids Are Buying The Game, That’s Why Wii Games & Kids Games Like MW2 Sell So Well.