I love co-op games and have had the chance to work on some amazing ones (Left 4 Dead 1 & 2, Portal 2). After the release of Left 4 Dead (L4D), I received an email that changed forever how I think about making games. It was from a soldier stationed in Iraq who said L4D had saved his marriage. It was simple—he and his wife missed each other and talking on the phone just made them realize this more and feel even more miserable. But jumping into a game of L4D let them forget that and just exist in the moment. They could spend time in each other’s company as if they were sitting next to each other on the couch at home.

That is powerful and something only the shared experience of games can bring.

Players are smart, they are social. But games often don’t reflect that and we think that can change. So we’re forming a new studio in Seattle that is itself co-operative. There is an old adage that you should never be scared to hire someone smarter than yourself...for me that’s a pretty easy task. Choosing my co-founder was even easier—I just asked the smartest person I know to join me, Dr. Kimberly Voll. Kim's an expert in AI and human-centric design. She's worked on products that have touched millions and is equally excited about the power of games and the future of playing together.

As Kim and I talked over the years about the kind of games we want to make, we realized we want to create games that give players a place to breathe and live in the moment. Games that tell stories knowing you are going to come back again and again, that change each time you play them without feeling completely random, and that help you feel like a real team that supports each other...not a bunch of folks in each other’s way. And where AI drives not just the enemies but helps drive the entire experience.