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Meet the talent - Jon Hare, Award-winning games designer and smash hit making Creative Director.
Jon Hare is the first talent to sign with 1 Game Agent. Founder of the legendary Sensible Software, creators of Sensible Soccer and Cannon Fodder, Jon is one of the most highly rated games designers in Europe. From 30 games over 20 formats spanning 3 decades he has created over 20 top 10 hits including 10 titles which have reached number 1 in the game charts.
What attracted you to working with 1 Game Agent?
I have been aware for the last 3 years or so that having an agent would
be of great benefit to me in keeping my work flow steady by lining me
up new jobs as I am finishing off the old ones. This is something that
is very difficult to do as a one man band during the crunch end time
of any game development. 1 Game Agent is the only agency in the country
offering representational services to individuals such as myself in this
industry. The fact that David has vast experience in the area of recruitment
within the industry is obviously a massive bonus.
How do you think the agency model will develop in games?
I feel that David and I are very much pioneering at the moment but that
with time the model that we are using will become commonplace in an industry
that desperately needs to find solutions to the fact that at any one
time approximately 20% of all staff within development teams are on the
pay roll but not creating any substantial product that is generating
the company any sort of return.
By using consultants such as myself teams can shed their excess staff and call upon individuals as and when they need them at specific times in the development cycle of a product. I am sure the push towards this model is quite inevitable.
Why would you not use a recruitment agency?
I tend to do jobs between 3 months and 18 months long that are not usually
full time but paid at a daily rate where I work typically 1 to 3 days
per week, which means I often end up working on more than one contract
at once. Recruitment agencies are not really set up to deal with this
situation, nor do they give the kind of personal attention to promoting
me that an agent can.
What do you think are the advantages of 1 Game Agent over a typical
recruitment agency?
Promotion of me as an individual as opposed to one of many, a personal
relationship with someone like David who can get to know the kind of jobs
I like and requirements I have and the ability to factor in my overall
working commitments to any additional potential job that I might be looking
to undertake.
What advice would you give to others thinking of working with
an agent?
Make sure that you are truly comfortable with the fact that the agent will
be taking some of your money and that you see this as an investment in your
business. Also ensure that the person you are looking to work with has the
right contacts to be able to benefit your business and that you can get on
with him/her on a personal level. Also I would advise taking a long term
view on the relationship and give it time to build into a proper business
partnership.
What do clients say about Jon Hare?
"Jon is one of the best designers to have worked in the industry. He has a good understanding for all types of game and knows what makes great gameplay. I found him particularly good at working, one to one, with individual programmers and artists as well as with the full development team. I can't wait to work with him again." Mike Montgomery, Cofounder and Owner, Bitmaps Brothers.
"Having known and worked with Jon for several years it is easy to see why he has been involved in so many hit products. His enthusiasm for games and capacity for creative thinking are second to none..." Kevin Holloway, Managing Director, Finesse Mobile Ltd (formerly Kuju Wireless)
You can download Jon Hare's Game Biography by clicking here
Jon Hare is available for hire through 1 Game Agent. Please contact David Smith for further details. 1 Game Agent charges no introduction fee.