The game is on at Ilosaarirock Festival in Housemarque’s Game Tent

Another Ilosaarirock Festival first is Game Tent, brought to Ilosaarirock Festival guests by game company Housemarque and situated next to the Main Tent. But what is the Game Tent all about? We talked to Housemarque’s Head of Self-Publishing, Mikael Haveri, and asked him to explain.

What on earth is Game Tent? What can you do there?

– Game Tent is a collaborative project, intended to spread the word about the game industry in Finland and especially the oldest gaming company in the country, Housemarque.

– We will be showcasing all three of our current PlayStation4 games and talking more about our history and all the cool new things coming up. Game Tent will be open on both festival days, Saturday and Sunday.

– Housemarque CEO Ilari Kuittinen will be talking about Super Stardust and how it has transformed Housemarque, while our lead designer Aki Raula tells about designing Outland. I’ll be joining Tommaso De Benetti to showcase Resogun.

Mikael Haveri / Housemarque.

You are currently celebrating Housemarque’s 20th anniversary – congratulations! Twenty years in this famously feverish industry seems like a lifetime. What is your secret to longevity?

– True, surviving for 20 years in this fast moving industry is by no means an easy feat. It all depends on strong will and perseverance. We started by making games that we love and through all the ups and downs, we are still making games like that.

– Just like any successful rock band, it is very important to know what you are good at and what you love to do. Usually the audience will vibe with that and support you even through the days when you release some experimental stuff that they do not like that much.

– Undeniably, our games are a bit niche and maybe not that mainstream, but that’s why we feel that Ilosaarirock Festival is the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary. Here, we’re surrounded by cool bands that make exactly the kind of music they want to… That and our CEO Ilari is a local boy from the Joensuu area.

– After all, isn’t the secret to long life all about staying young at heart and keeping true to your roots?

Housemarque’s Resogun was one of the very first games released for PlayStation4. How was that possible?

– We had the pleasure of launching Resogun on the same day when PS4 came out, and that was possible only because of our long relationship with Sony. Basically, since 2007, most of our games have been available only for Sony consoles. This trend has worked out pretty well so far and is likely to be continued. Actually, Resogun was also the highest rated PS4 exclusive title for almost 18 months before Bloodborne came out. A very cool thing for a minor, digital-only game!

Your message to Ilosaarirock Festival visitors?

– A huge shout-out to the Ilosaarirock Festival crowd! We’re coming to your musical mecca every year and looking forward to an amazing party in 2015. Come say hi and have a go at some great games at Game Tent.

Text: Tommi Rinne
English translation: Elina Rinne-Kangasluoma

Game Tent programme on Saturday & Sunday:

4.00pm Super Stardust and it’s meaning to Housemarque: Ilari Kuittinen
5.30pm Designing Outland: Aki Raula
7.00pm Award winning Resogun: Mikael Haveri, Tommaso De Benetti