Brendan McNamara, head honcho at Sydney game development studio, Team Bondi, has been honoured as one of the top 100 inspirational Sydneysiders who have made a unique contribution to Sydney's creative culture. The list of honourees are being celebrated as part of the Creative Sydney festival running from May 27 - June 12 this year).
The Creative Catalyst list is "a selection of 100 innovative Sydneysiders, as judged by their peers and contemporaries across the industries. Catalysts are people who have made a difference through their own work, people who inspire and support other creatives, people who have changed creative culture in Sydney and who have elevated practice in their fields through their own success."
You can find more about the inaugural Creative Sydney festival at the following link...
Bit premature I would have
Bit premature I would have thought given that Team Bondi has yet to release a game!
Nah
That just how awesum he is - doesn't even need to release a game to get an award.
I hope that LA Noire is
I hope that LA Noire is shown at E3 this year. I heard a rumour that it was going to be but that was a while ago now.
Yeah
I heard that rumor in 2006.
Creative Catalyst
All joking aside, he did create hundred/s of jobs and experience for creative people in Sydney, giving them a great opportunity that comes very rarely in this game-dev starved state. As a "creative catalyst" for Sydney, it's a title that's well deserved in my opinion.
Point well made, but...
Souri, that's a point well made about the "catalyst" aspect of Brendan McNamara's contribution to Sydney's creative life. He returned to Australia and built a major new studio from scratch, opening up new opportunities in a place previously starved of game devs. That is surely a service to Sydney's creative community.
But the naysayers might have a point too. All joking aside, I think everyone would feel a lot better about the whole thing if Brendan and his team would pull their collective fingers out and actually finish their first game. After that, sure, let the accolades flow. But until then, it feels a bit premature.
In my view, creative people are those who actually *create* things, not just try to create things, or talk about creating things. The best and most creative game developers are those who regularly release high quality games, bringing joy and wonder to our lives year after year. So far all we've had from Team Bondi is big talk, a little teasing, and a lot of waiting.
Come on Team Bondi! Blow us away with LA Noir, then blow us away with your next great work, and the one after that! Just please don't make us wait five years again.
Speed Bumps
Brendan McNamara is and always will be 100x more innovative and hard working than any of his "bitchin, disgruntled critics.
I know this, as he contacted me to do a soundtrack on 1 of his gaming developments while he was in Sydney and i was in the other end of Australia (the dead end), doing dry and dusty touring, thru places that are yet to get on the map.
With the latest technology at that time we were able to combine my work with other musicians in New York and London.
And I feel honoured to have been
* remembered for my abilities
*asked to contribute
*remunerated to the extreme
*and tracked down by homing pidgeon
Best wishes to Brendan and his development team, and to the Critics, well, you will be well known for your comments as Mr and Mrs Anonymous.(the secret snake in the grass, that the Ride On chops up,and uses as just another speed bump)
Marty Shiel