Finding New Suns With...
Twin Suns Corp is a new world-class global video game studio developing action games for console and PC.
We believe that great people make great games.
In our "Finding New Suns with..." series, we showcase some of our Trailblazers whose journeys, passion and energy bring our games to life and into the hands of gamers all around the globe.
Ian Pang, Global Operations Director, Twin Suns Trailblazer
What was your journey from a Game Programmer to an Associate Producer to a Producer to an Operations Director?
Well, it was a long one lol. I loved videogames as a kid (I still do!) and spent way too many hours on devices like the Atari 2600, the GBA and the NES. Upon finishing school as a computer engineer, I decided that videogames needed to be part of my career. However, there was no industry where I was living (and remote work wasn’t a thing back then, we didn’t even have the internet… haha) so I looked toward other countries where there was an industry. Thankfully, a studio opened up where I live and I managed to snag a job as a Game Programmer.
The studio was a small one so I ended up playing multiple roles that included programming, design and production work. It was enjoyable (to a point before exhaustion kicked in) but eventually, I decided to focus on production. As luck would have it, LucasArts came along and needed an Associate Producer to help with a new studio they had opened up. As a huge Star Wars fan, I jumped at the chance. It was the best thing that ever happened in my career. I made cool games, got to know a lot of very talented people (some of whom I work with today!) and had the chance to work in multiple locations across the globe.
LucasArts unfortunately closed down and from there, I took a role with Bandai Namco Studios that straddled between production and operations. Fast forward to 2022, Tim (Longo) came to me with an opportunity to start a new studio (Twin Suns Corp) and here we are today!
Tell us about working at Twin Suns Corp.!
Having been in a few studios over the years, I can safely say that Twin Suns has brought together some of the best practices and is hands down, one of the best places to work in videogames. There is (real) transparency in everything that’s done here and people are put above everything else.
What is one of your proudest accomplishments?
I remember it vividly. I had just shipped my first game. I was on the train and I saw someone playing that game on a Nintendo DS. The smile on my face was so wide, I think I could have fit the entire train in there.
What would you recommend to other game development teams interested in working fully remotely?
Try it out! You’ll be surprised! I think part of why being fully remote works for game developers is the fact that game developers are a very passionate bunch. If you find the right mix of people, you’ll get the magical experience where management is self driven and on screen deliverables surprise you every, single, day.
What skills do you need to be an Operations Director?
Operations in videogames requires a broad range of skills since it covers HR, Finance, BizDev and IT that often crosses over from traditional systems to pipelines that integrate with game production. Having a keen knowledge of how videogames are made is crucial in my opinion.
What advice do you have for someone looking to break into a Producer role in game development? What would help them make the leap from Producer to Operations Director?
Play more videogames and start somewhere! Starting in the videogames industry is always tough so find a way in and build skills that will eventually take you into that Producer role. A Producer’s role varies depending on the studio you end up in but it almost always includes having to deal with things like schedules, timelines, milestones, budgets and people. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! My journey from Producer to Operations Director was a result of choices that I made along that way that just so happened to expose me to the various fields associated with Operations.
Learning about how a business runs is key so one way could be to explore how to land a role that entails that.