Xu Xiaojun
Game Director and Studio Head on Lego Horizon Adventures
Sam Riley
- Rob Leane
What are your early gaming memories?
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My earliest memory is in Shanghai, where I grew up. I remember going to a barbers’ shop. There was a black-and-white TV set up at the back — probably as a side hustle for the owners. So, while you were waiting to get your haircut, you could pay for maybe ten minutes of gaming. They had Contra and all the old classics.
How did you become a game developer yourself?
I got into gaming via the computer science route, because we didn’t have any proper gaming degrees or education back in China then. I managed to find an internship at a game website, then got my first job as a level designer at Ubisoft [the video game publisher that created Assassin’s Creed].
Where are you now?
Studio Gobo — we are a team based in Brighton. We developed it together with Guerrilla Games, who are based in Amsterdam, but the bulk of the development team is here in the UK. There’s about 125 people working on this game.
What advice would you give to others interested in gaming as a career?
Pursue what you are good at and don’t feel you have to take up a different subject. Artists are always wanted, designers are always wanted. Music composition, sound design, engineering…
How would you describe your game?
In three words: Lego robot dinosaurs. That is, essentially, what it is. Horizon [the Sony-owned action game franchise] is all about futuristic giant machines in a majestic landscape, and Lego Horizon Adventures is a friendlier version of that.
How does it feel to be Bafta-nominated?
It’s an incredible honour. This is the first game that we’ve really made — to be nominated with our first attempt is just amazing recognition.
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Available on PC, PS5 and Switch
Authors
Rob LeaneGaming Editor
Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.
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