IamA U.S. Navy veteran that packed everything I could fit in my seabag, and moved to Finland, where I started a game studio. Today I released my first game on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam. AMA!

By any chance did you and your wife do a student exchange to a town in the centre of Ireland last year?

EDIT: Seeing as this is the top comment, you crazy people, make sure you buy this game. Also thank you to whoever gilded me.

This is odd... We certainly did.

I'm the Electrician who fixed something in your apartment. I forget what exactly. We talked about MMA. You were really cool.

Holy shit, dude! You were cool as fuck, too. Thanks for that, by the way. That dryer was a pain in the ass at first! :D

How's the language learning going? Is Finland like Norway where everybody knows English, so you can attempt to speak their language, but they'd rather you not for risk of butchering it further? :)

Dude... You hit the nail on the head. It is EXACTLY that. :)

I try to speak Finnish, and take courses and such, but everyone who wants anything beyond a "Can you direct me to the deli counter?" conversation gives up and gets to the nittygritty in English. :D

What was it like moving all of a sudden to Finland and what sparked the desire or idea of making games?

It was absolutely insane. I remember the first thing that hit me was stepping off the plane. I arrived in mid-January, and as I moved out onto the causeway between the plane and the airport my nose hair froze in my nose... Like... Solid. I immediately thought "Oh, shit... What did I do?" :D

The desire to make games has always hung around. I grew up playing, and always thought about games we would make if we could. So when I started over, I thought... That's it. I'm doing the stuff I always wanted to.

Cold rocks, good choice.

Right now, I'm sweating. :D

I remember how over-heated the buildings in Finland were. I actually loved it. I pretty much hung out in my underwear all day, looking at the thick snow tumble onto the trees and the pre-existing snow to produce the fluffiest snow image you can imagine...!

You made a good move. I really miss Finland, even with its reticent people. I mean all it takes is one beer, and they become sobbing blobs of emotions... :-)

Oh, man... Way too warm indoors in winter. I have to go outside all the time to cool off.

Hmm, guess if I moved to Finland I'd have to get a job where I could wear shorts, or have my own business just so I can control the temperature.

Fans help. :D

I have a friend that moved to Finland and started a brewery. Is Finland the new hot spot for everything right now? If so, why?

I love it. Lot of government support for small businesses, universal healthcare, intelligent and liberal nation... Just perfect for me.

Is it true you guys altered your control scheme because a disabled user mentioned he couldn't play?

We did, yeah.

EDIT: I've been asked to elaborate, so I will... We got the request and immediately felt like it was only fair that if it was within our power, we'd do it. We want everyone to be able to play and have fun, so we put in a little bit more work.

Oh, that was you guys? Respect.

Thanks. :)

Dude you just brushed that off like it was something anybody would do. I remember seeing that on the front page but I had no idea it was you. That is fucking legendary and only a truly dedicated dev team that really cares about their fan base would do that. Good on you

He asked me a super basic question, though. :D Didn't want to over-politicize it.

Hello nice Sir! Will you attend to my birthday party?

Hello, my Lord! Verily, I shall attempt it!

What part of Finland? Also, how do you like it here?

I'm in the south-west. A small town near the city of Tampere (which is Finland's third largest).

I love it here, honestly. The people are amazing (though culturally a little reticent), the cultural values are on par with my own, etc.

Sweet! I live in Espoo, which is just west of Helsinki.

Honestly, i don't think there's a better place to live. Yeah, it can get dark in the winter, but you'll always have a sauna buddy!

You speak of sauna tonttu, I assume? ;)

Nordic people are reticent, but it's all because it's considered to be polite not to disturb other people. We value our personal space, and being as nice as we are we value your personal space as well.

Personal space?! BOOOORING. ;)

Ah my uncle lives in Tampere, have you heard of a hockey club there? It has the lynx as it's symbol or something, my uncle runs it if I remember correctly, pretty proud of that even though I barely keep in touch with my finnish half family(it's a pretty dispersed family, last name is katainen).

Half Finnish guy here.

Wow... That's Ilves! It is a super popular hockey team here. They also denied my application for a marketing aid position back in the day. :D

Tappara vai Ilves? :)

Tough question... I choose... Neither. Tampere Saints! (American Style Football team! ;D )

Have you got your r's rolling yet?

Rrrrrrr. ;)

Is Finland the country where you go to saunas co-ed, completely naked, and no one thinks anything of it?

Edit: Thinks, not things.

Yep!

What is it like dealing with Sony, MS and Steam? How is the process done, and did you have any problems during that process?

It isn't easy. There are a lot of names to remember, and each concern may be handled by an entirely different person within a certain company. It's my job to know who to talk to, when, and why, and so on. When you're dealing with 3 giant companies, it can be hard. They helped and made the process as easy as they could though!

The problems we had are my fault. I had a lot to learn in a short period of time, and sometimes I wasn't quick enough.

I imagine its a bit of a mine-field. Good work my man, wishing you the best.

Also... whats the Nintendo NX look like? You got a dev kit yet? ha ha ha

Haven't seen it! :D Don't have the NX devkit, no.

Wow, I feel a sense of idolism toward you. You did exactly what my dream is. I'm twenty and just joined the navy, and I plan to move to england when I get out to be with my best friend. So, I guess I have two questions:

1) were there any difficulties or any resistance from the U.S. government about your move?

2) did you apply for citizenship in your new country, and how hard was that to accomplish? I plan on making it to England and never looking back.

Thanks in advance, for your service, and for just reminding me that what i'm doing isn't crazy; that it could be the best decision of my life.

Wow. Never been told I'm idolized. Feels like that moment in Fable "Hero... Your renown grows." :D

1. There wasn't any difficulty, beyond them just moving me to my home of record (Nevada). So I ended up just taking one seabag of stuff, which was fine, because I only owned like... 2 boxes and a seabag anyway. :D

2. I haven't applied for citizenship yet. I need to be fluent in Finnish and have lived here for 5 years. Once I meet those requirements, I will apply to be a dual-ie.

Sorry if that was over the top. It's just that i spent a good part of last night talking to her and making plans. And you know, i kinda feel crazy at times. Im going across the atlantic on a hope. Ive never even left the states! But to hear from someone who ACTUALLY DID IT, it's just very reassuring. And on top of that, ive always wanted to design video games.

Thanks so much for answering.

Edit: didn't even see the fable reference. You rock. Not my favorite game, but it was fun and silly, and honestly it felt like Sims, with guns and murder and a plot. I enjoyed it

Don't be afraid to take chances. Even if you fail, you'll have one hell of a story, and better perspective. Totally worth it. :D

Can you help me with one more teeeny tiny navy question?

I have to choose between three jobs. CTR, nuke, and seals. My biggest thing is i need to know what is most viable after i get out of the navy. Any idea?

From what I gather Nuke Techs make a lot of money while in, AND when they leave. I imagine SEALs go career most often, so civilian viability normally isn't a concern. CTRs... Man... I don't even know what they do. :D

What is allowing you to stay in Finland for 5 years?

Residence permit? I don't understand what you mean.

Yeah how'd you get that

I just applied. :D

where in Nevada were you from?

Small town called Pahrump. :D

Did you ever see any aliens while hanging out with the legendary Art Bell?

I did see a strange light once, but I imagine it was a meteorite...?

Are those the only two requirements to be a finnish dual citizen?

Well first you have to meet residence requirements, such as no felonies, know a trade or can procure work, etc.

Naw man I had a similar reaction; that's really badass. I've been fucking around since my first go around of college didn't work out. My dream has always been to work on or critique games, but I'm now a month into law school. It's totally like, right up my alley, but I can't help but wonder if I'm making a mistake.

Law sounds fascinating to me. Remember, whatever you do: it is never too late. You might be learning law to become the CEO of a game studio later. ;)

Steve, the Steam page for Stardust Galaxy Warriors says the following:

FIVE MECHS FOR DELIVERING GALACTIC JUSTICE Choose from four unique, badass mechs, each coming with its own special abilities.

Which mech is not a badass and why?

Typo, but I blame Silver Wolf.

Hi I just joined the navy last week. My question is how did your family feel about you joining the navy and moving to Finland right after it?

They miss me, but I visit as often as I can and skype pretty frequently. Since I had previously been in the Navy, they were pretty used to not seeing me.

In the end, they knew I was following my heart and they all adore my wife, so they supported me. :)

My first post was auto removed. There are about 4 of us Marine Vets living in Helsinki. You ever make it down here? Can you shoot me a PM?

Not as often as I'd like, but I'll for sure shoot you a PM!

What was the most difficult thing about moving suddenly to another country (other than the language barrier)?

I did a pretty weird shift. In something like 10 days I went from military air traffic controller, to unemployed civilian, to expat in a country where I know a handful of people (only my girlfriend for any length of time).

The difficult part was for sure social isolation. In winter, people aren't just walking the streets in small towns during the day, so getting out and meeting new people was pretty hard.

What's your favorite type of video games and what is like having your own studio?

My favorite type of games are usually games with a deep and involved story. The Last of Us is probably my favorite of all time.

Other than FPS/Third person shooters, I prefer strategy games, arcade shooters, and anything that tickles my fancy at a given moment, really.

Having my own studio is awesome. I've worked at other studios, and I love being able to take the things I learned should never be done, and give them a hard no. No one can make me act against my conscious, or tell me no without a reason. I love that. :) I get to make games I love.

If someone had the capital, and the skills of a writer, designer (graphic design), and a good sense of narrative (from studying literature/film etc), but had no programming knowledge, could they still run a successful studio?

Running a studio is about a knowledge of game development, finance, accounting, wise business decisions, leadership, and so on. It can all be learned, or the task can be delegated. If you have the capital... sure, it can be done.

Did you have any prior experience to game development?

How's the citizenship game coming along?

Do the huge taxes there live up to the hype that the world gives them?

The highest tax bracket is only 10% more than in the U.S., so... not really. :D

Citizenship is coming along nicely. In a few years, I will likely be a dual citizen. :D

Have you heard of the theory that Finland is not real? It's a big conspiracy that people believe. Can you give us your input on that?

I vaguely recall something like this, but don't know the specifics. It sounds like some debate team stuff people do "prove Finland exists or does not exist based on argumentative reasoning". Hahaha.

Verdict: Goofy. If it ain't real, some people are trying REAL hard to convince me. ;)

Congratulations! How is life in Finland compared to U.S? How much food do they pickle? That last one was a joke. :~P

Life in Finland is much better than it was for me in America. I came from a poor family that could never afford healthcare or dental care, and now I don't need to worry about that. Plus I have a game studio and my wife is awesome... :D

They pickle herring, beets, cucumbers, and not much else. I love pickled stuff.

How long did it take you to learn Finnish?

Still learning. :D

Didn't you just do an AMA not that long ago?

Regardless, what's up shipmate?

I did like 4 months ago, yeah. :D

Not much! Just... launched a game. ;)

Actually I have a question.

Does your game have trophies/ achievements?

I've always wondered the process behind that. Who chose them? Did you have to submit for certain trophy requirements (with or without a platinum) or were you given full control in that situation?

Normally games with platinums sell like hotcakes.

We do have achievements, yeah. Our lead game designer chose them. :)

They have some rules, but we were given pretty free reign.

How did you find developers and where did you get the money and knowledge to start your own game studio?

I worked in the industry for like a year and a half before forming my own studio. I took my knowledge of leadership and management from my time in the Navy, business acumen from being a lifelong student of business (entrepreneur, enthusiast, and university studies), and a deep knowledge of gaming from a lifetime of playing to start it up.

In terms of funding, we put up the initial funding ourselves, then a bank helped us get a bit more through a small business loan. After that, the Finnish government saw viability in our project, and threw us a little more funding.

After that, the Finnish government saw viability in our project, and threw us a little more funding.

This is what I don't understand. In the USA, I can go over $100K in debt with student loans. But I can't get a loan for a small business in the same manner. It's not even remotely easy unless you already have funding and collateral. Forget about grants, they're pretty much non-existent.

Finland has dedicated themselves to investing in their own people. The same, sadly, cannot be said of the US, in my opinion.

You would think that access to financing to create businesses would be something the USA would foster. With it's pledge to "create jobs". But from my experience in starting my own business here, that's not the case. The only easy financing I have is equipment leasing though a commercial bank. Getting a bank loan would have required 35-50% down and/or collateral. Neither of which I have. So essentially my only options are angel investments and/or venture capital. SBA suggests asking friends or family, but I grew up poor so none of my friends and family have money to invest.

I'm a Veteran too, aside from education I haven't found any benefits in the small business sector aside from free advice/workshops.

Just quick, unsolicited advice:

As a vet, use that GI bill. Study your ass off, and hustle to become an expert in your field, then leverage that reputation with investors. Network. Fellow veterans will likely show you love. Meet everyone you can and see how you can help them, and how they can help you.

How did you know that sehe was the Love of your life... I mean if you met in Highschool i cant believe that you knew back then that you are going to see here a second time. Didnt you have any Trust issues? Or didnt she have any? I know these questions are personal but its ama, Right.

We made the relationship work for YEARS before I decided she was the one. We were friends for two, then dated for 2. Sure, there are little hiccups, but we both decided to make it work, and (most importantly) acted accordingly. This means prioritizing the relationship, honesty, communication, etc. above all things.

I would stay in on Friday nights skyping her for 8-10 hours, talking about life, the universe, and everything. I would wake up at 4 AM before PT to Skype her. I'd come home after a 10 hour day, and Skype her. I'd send her viber messages about my day, etc. Communicating a lot, and prioritizing a relationship really does a lot for trust issues.

Thanks for putting yourself in the public like this. It takes true courage to put your personal life up for scrutiny.

That said I want to ask a complicated question. I'm sure there is no short and easy answer.

I have been developing a new RPG. I have all the combat math tuned and everything is on paper (I'm old). How do I go about turning it into a digital game? I can code HTML, CSS scripts and have a solid understanding of the object oriented Bethesda language. What language(s) do you suggest I learn? Is there a suite of software considered to be universal (like Maya is to animation)?

I have spent 3 years getting my game to function. For what it's worth (nothing) my friends enjoy the game. I will learn any language and/or software. Where do I start?

Find a mentor, I would say. Someone you can trust that knows design. Put your game up to their peer review (use an NDA if you want to be 100% sure they don't take anything). Perhaps learn C#, and start working with Unity.

When Finns hibernate during the winter, what do they stock up on?

Jaloviina, and salmon...

How does one just up and move to another country? I know you need a passport and all. But how are you able to get a house and be a legal resident. Or are you just considered an illegal until you apply for residency? I've always thought of moving to another country but am confused about the process.

For me it was super easy. My (now) wife and I had been talking about getting married. When I went, and saw her again after all that time, I knew I couldn't take my return trip. So we sped up the process, got married, and I applied for residency on those grounds.

Hi, Awesoem game, might grab a copy off steam! How long did it take you to develop this game? How many members on the team, what did each member bring to the team, and finally, how were you qualified to develop games, coding skills, designer perhaps. And another finally, how high were studio expenses when developing this game?

Hey there! From concept to release, we sunk about 2 years in. We didn't decide to become a company until it started to materialize a little more firmly.

Our team is now 10 members. I'm qualified in terms of writing, business development, and in terms of producing and release management. A lot of people forget you need someone to help coordinate between teams, communicate to outside parties (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.), and so forth.

We didn't take any pay during production, so our expenses were rent, and utilities.

What do you as a someone is and works with other game developers feel VR will bring us in 1year, 3years and 5years? First AMA I've actually been able to get in early!

VR is going to be awesome. Maybe. One of the big issues with movement still needs to be figured out. I think in 1 year it will bring us some potentially fun curiosities. In 3 years we might get our first legit AAA experience that feels like a full, solid game, and doesn't make you sick.

5 years? Virtual integration with the human hivemind! (Or something...)

How did the idea of a Game Studio begin? I mean Even if your writing skills are on point there would be Many other opportunities? Why exactly video Gaming ?

I went to work for other studios first. I decided to apply at game studios because they work in English usually, and I love games. There was an open position helping a local studio communicate with the English players, and I snagged it for a few extra bucks per month. Then I fell in love as they gave me cooler assignments (like world building, dialogue editing, etc.) and decided I wanted to stay in gaming. :D

I desperately want to move overseas when I'm done with college, but I've never even left the country. As someone who will have a moderate amount of possessions, more debt than assets, and little to no job experience, what advice would you give me? How hard might I expect it to be - getting a job and finding a place to live overseas? Do you think your move to Finland would have been more difficult if you weren't self-employed?

Slightly related question; what's your educational background and work experience vis-a-vis video games?

Man... That's tough. I, personally, didn't own much, had almost no debt, and a solid amount of experience in leadership and management. I found it hard. So, likely, you will find it hard as well. Not impossible, mind you, but hard. If you want to commit to changing your life (moving abroad is a life changer), then you need to consider having no possessions, more assets than debts and more job experience to make it viable. :)

My educational background at the start was an Air Traffic Control license, 2 years of business studies, creative writing programs, and my experience in the military, plus a TON of self study. Now, I'm is 3 years into my BBA, almost 4 years in gaming companies, 3 years as a journalist, and so on.

Below I read that you have a 10 person team and took no income during a 2 year development time for the game (which looks great!). I'm curious did you folks have other part time jobs during the development time? How did you convince 9 people to work on a game for no pay for 2 years? Hope you all start making some money now!

The team was free to freelance (and I did a lot). As a founder, I took no salary, but we were able to pay our team a bit along the way as we raised funding. :)

The team all knew me previously, and believed in our vision and drive, so they took meager salaries in hopes we could make it work.

Best and worst places you were stationed at?

I loved all the places, honestly. Can't say bootcamp was much fun though.

just wanted to let you know I bought a copy of your game on steam and am excited to try it out tonight! I'm always on the look out for good local co-op games to play with my housemates :) what's your favourite part about the Finnish language? do you have a favourite word/idiom?

Hey! Thank you so much. :D We appreciate it a lot!

My favorite Finnish saying is probably "we go together like a shirt and an ass". :D

How did your experience as a Navy SEAL help you with a space shooter?

Wasn't a Navy SEAL. :D

I make up words in my head. Same question, but Navy vet.

Hmm... I guess maybe just being able to help lead the team, and push hard when things are difficult.

Sounds like your wife is Finnish. How'd you two meet?

She was a foreign exchange student at my highschool!

How long has it taken to learn game development?

I'm still learning every day. Luckily, I only need to know a small piece of the puzzle, and I have a solid team that knows a majority of the rest. :)

Your story is actually kind of inspirational, gives me inspiration as to following my dreams ! Also, could you give us some insight on what your game is about and any future projects you and your friends have game-wise ?

It's a 1-4 player local co-op arcade shooter about mechs and their pilots who have superpowers and save the universe. :D It's about immediately accessible fun. Our next project is a tactical turn-based RPG/gladiator manager.

If she already said "we should get married," why did need to 'pop the question?'

Which scenario seems more like reality? ;)

A. We should get a burger. poof burger appears like magic...

B. We should get a burger. *friend: Okay! Does Tuesday at 4 work for you? I know a good place down by the bowling alley. Shall we take my car or yours?

I've always wanted to learn Finnish. How's the language so far if you are trying to learn it?

It is hard, but interesting. Not much time right now to devote to studying.

How did you have enough money to start a game studio in finland?

Save, scrimp, freelance, government grant for businesses, small business loan, and study at the same time to earn student aid so I didn't have to take salary.

Hey there buddy,

This reminds me of Project X on Amiga. Amiga had gems in this type of games ( Agony, R type, Project x, StarDust, Blood money and billion others). What is your favourite shoot em up (except yours of course :D ) and have you got any experience with the Amiga ?

Don't have much experience with Amiga, actually.

When it comes to shooters... Metal Slug!

How much difficulty/playtesting did you have to do to ensure the game worked smoothly on all three platforms? I mean, it's not an AAA title with hugely complex graphics, but certainly there were some differences you had to work through.

Graphics aren't the only part that causes problems. Logic and code is just as important. We conducted testing for weeks and weeks, and still have a few minor bugs. Just because a game appears simple doesn't mean that it will run smoothly with no effort on 2 different platforms, plus PC, Linux, and Mac. :D

Lots of testing. Many differences between platforms.

What was it like adjusting to a country where small talk is considered weird?

Very odd. For me, specifically. I like to talk to people and learn about them. So... It was weird at first. Now I am way better at getting Finnish people to talk to me. :D

Hi Steve, I'm a few months out from leaving the service myself and also hoping to find employment in one of the Nordic countries. Do you have any advice about moving for someone who doesn't speak the local language(s)? Are there any Expat websites or communities you found helpful?

I'd say... learn the language as fast as possible! :D That is super important. Otherwise, have a very high specialization in a given skillset.

Facebook communities are super helpful.

As someone who is also aspiring to be a game designer/dev, do you have any background in design or programming? Also how did you acquire funding for your studio?

I can do a Hello World in C#. :D I basically know enough about programming to understand what my team is telling me in ELI15 terms. I have more experience in design.

Funding was a lot of searching for investors, a lot of working hard to create prototypes, and a lot of building hype. Not easy.

Hey Steve,

Obviously big thanks for your service and congrats on moving to Finland. As both a veteran and a gamer you are actually perfectly qualified to answer this question. Is a hamburger a sandwich?

Ew. Hell no. Hamburgers are definitively non-sandwich bread encapsulated meat-and-topping combos.

Going to get this in a few for PS4 and as a fan of physical games and merchandise I was wondering is there anything of the game available like promo box or art or flyers or any swag like that? Also how different is it making games on PS4 vs Xbox One? Thanks and great work. Also had a girl from Finland be an exchange student at my high school many years back and she said how nice it was there and how life is better there so congrats man. I'm jealous!

We don't have any physical swag at the moment... But... I'll look into this. :D

Did you have to approach Sony/Microsoft to get your game on consoles or did they approach you?

Sony had a guy at a trade show who saw it and liked it, and told us to apply. Microsoft I went to myself. :)

Why did you join the navy? Do you think it helped you grow or prepare you at all for your later business ventures?

I wanted adventure, and to serve, and needed college money and healthcare. :D

It helped 100%. It made me stronger, more capable, and better able to say "I know I can do X, because I've done Y."

Idk why but I love games like this. Ever since I played Einhander on the PS1. I'll be buying the game asap.

What other games would you want to make? Like your dream game, no budget limit.

Dream game, no budget... Hmm. I have a few up my sleeve. One is a physics-based game where you use obstacles to create tower defense, then another is a turn-based strategy and management game, the third a post-apocalyptic TPS. :D

What was the biggest challenge in getting your gaming company off the ground? What is your favorite aspect of the day-to-day work in a gaming studio? Thanks!!

There are a few, actually... The first is actually getting your game done with limited funding. If you want a pro-level game, you need pro-level talent. That means money. Either you self fund by saving up for forever, or you find investors. You need business acumen to do that.

Assuming you manage to get a game done... now you need to make people aware, and get visibility. There are thousands and thousands of games who died coming out of the gate because there was no visibility.

Congratulations on finishing the game!

My question is: What was the best resource in learning Finnish? I ask because I'm currently an exchange student in a country where I know maybe ... 15 words of the language, haha. It's not easy trying to communicate without speaking in English, and then I just feel like I'm cheating and not learning anything. :P

Also, what is your favorite part of the game-making process? Haha, sorry, this one is quite broad.

Friends, really. They talk with me, help me out, and gently guide me by knowing my language skills.

I like the writing part, and concept art design stage.

I remember yoy from the previous AMA! I just browsed back the, but read your replies.

My questions, how has your knowledge of the language progressed? Is there anything you miss from back home?

Awesome! Good to hear from you again. :D

My knowledge of the language gets better daily, yeah! I miss tacos and Mexican candy, and hot wings. :D

What was your job in Navy and best moment/story?

I was an Air Traffic Controller. Once, when I was new to my duty station, I was stripping and waxing decks, and had no idea how to use a buffer. Turned it on full power and hit a desk at like 10 MPH. Ouch. :D

This looks really cool, and reminds me of Legendary Wings. What influenced you creatively when designing your game?

Thanks a lot! Obviously there were some Gundam influences, a lot of influences actually came (oddly) from arcade shooters in various hotel lobbies... :D

In the game, when in space and everything else is unaffected by gravity, why do the shell casings for the bullets (or w/o they're called) fall downward after being launched backwards?

Greetings from your new neighbour Sweden!

First off, homeboy, everything is affected by gravity. However, in the freefall state where gravity is largely negated, things behave a little differently, sure. I'll give you that. The ejection of the shell casing is thrown down and out by the specific mechanism in the gun. Or... (in actuality) you're overthinking it. :D

Any plans to visit Linus? :)

I'd love to hang out with him, but something tells me he is busy... :D