The Making of an LRG Release, Pt. 2: Vision Quest

The Making of an LRG Release, Pt. 2: Vision Quest

How an LRG release makes the jump from signed product to must-have collectible.

A few weeks back, we kicked off a series exploring the process through which the physical release of a game goes from mere concept to a tangible object that you can hold in your hands. Our Head of Business Development, Jonathan Polan walked us through the different avenues by which Limited Run Games may pick up a game for publication.

But what happens then? To shed a little light on the next step in the process, we’ve asked LRG’s Product Development Project Manager, Jordi Thompson, to fill us in on her team’s approach to envisioning the best and coolest Collector’s Editions possible.

Limited Run Games: 
How did you land in this particular role?

Jordi:

I'd sort of go out of my way to get my hands on games and play them, then come up with ideas [for CE element]. As that developed, we wanted it to be a more rigid system. How do we do that? I got more invested in or involved in research and development and the process. How do we actually make an item? What bells and whistles does it need? All of that upfront stuff versus the production, which is more like we're handed things that we produce. That became a committee, and the committee was meant for me to lead a team of multiple voices with a lot of backgrounds. We’re brought titles by other departments that either we have interest in, or which have come to us [from partners].

With some of the earlier collector’s editions, I was working hand-in-hand with developers to find out exactly what they wanted. The level of involvement, if they really want to be involved, is something that we're more than happy to figure out with them. Some developers are like, “This is what I want.” And some of them are more like, “I kind of want this thing, but we’ll let you figure it out.”

LRG:
What's your background before joining the LRG Production team? 

Jordi:
I originally worked in print. I was contracted with a tobacco company and made their signage. If you ever go to a gas station and you see those signs that are up behind the counter, I made those.

LRG: 
Such a North Carolina story!

Jordi:
At that time, I was rooted in Virginia. But yeah, that was because I had just gotten out of university. I was a traffic coordinator, so my work was all proofing. I'm really good with those games on the back of cereal boxes where you spot the differences in images. That was a good chunk of my job. 

LRG:
Shylock Fox has nothing on you. 

Jordi:
There you go. But yeah, that started it off, and I ended up taking over a larger operational company there. So it's a weird transition from there to here, but it was all print, and it was all about working with a bunch of different teams at the same time. It was still a project management position.  Here, I often look at packaging and how I can elevate that sort of thing.

LRG:
But our packaging goes beyond just print. There are a lot of tangible physical components, 3D things. Has it been a challenge for you to integrate that discipline? 

Jordi:
At first, it definitely was, because I'd never worked with physical items, something simple as pins, having to be trained up on those. But at this point, being in my fifth year here, it feels sort of second nature, and I’m very used to it. But it definitely took a minute. I was able to lend my expertise on how to make a packaging more interesting, but actually getting inside the collection, that's definitely my favorite part. While the packaging you can elevate and make it very appealing when you get inside, I think is really what counts overall. 

LRG:
I know you shouldn't play favorites with your children, but... do you have a favorite child in terms of LRG projects? Is there a project here where you're like, “Nailed it. That was the one”? 

Jordi:
I think I have to go with Night in the Woods, because that was my first one. Funny enough, when I interviewed here, the standard question of course is: what games do you play? I had just finished maybe my third playthrough of that game. It's a story about a young girl fresh out of college, and it hit me right at that age as well, and it meant a lot to me. I mentioned that, and everyone was like, “Oh, crazy you say that!”

It took a little bit of time for us to develop [the Night in the Woods CE], but that was the first one where I was really able to work directly with the devs at Finji. Oh, and I can't neglect Animal Well. That one was very, I was very in tune with Billy Basso and the Dunkey team. I came up with a lot of the ideas for that one, and they sort of let me run wild with everything. We'd come up with something together, and then I was able to help elevate it. 

LRG: 
Is there something that you would love to incorporate into a CE that we haven't to date—a mountain we haven't conquered yet? 

Jordi:
Honestly, it depends. A lot of times, it ends up depending on the title and what fits the title. I do love when we're able to do something like figures and things like that, but in terms of an item, I love plushes. Whenever I can add a plush, I add a plush. 

I don't know if there is a specific item, though. Because everything in every game is so unique, what fits it is very unique. For more narrative ones, you're able to sort of explore those more unique items. 

I love art books, so anytime we can elevate something that's a hardcover and then I get to flex my print knowledge as well, that helps a lot. So anytime there's an addition that's really beefed out, where we have foil and embossing and things like that, that's sort of where I go nuts. And the packaging, too. Anytime we can elevate the packaging, that's what I really, really love.

Thanks to Jordi for taking the time to illuminate us. We'll be back as usual next Friday with a progress update on the Sonic X Shadow Generations project!

Check out more Sonic X Shadow Generations news and updates here