Christoph Stuber is a Producer in the hectic world of Live Operations and currently works on Operate Now: Hospital. He has been with Spil Games for 3 years and originally comes from Germany
Congrats on ONH hitting 20m installs. What is it about the franchise that makes it so popular with players?
Thanks a lot. I think it’s a combination of a few things — the players love how realistic the surgeries in the game are, as well as the deep storyline and how they get to manage hospital resources. I really think every little detail we put in counts.
How do you define Live Ops?
Live Ops gives us the ability to optimize a game in real time and so it is all about being up to date, following trends and keeping the users entertained in the game for as long as possible. This means constantly providing new and exciting content for the players.
What’s the biggest lesson learnt doing Live Ops?
It is not a 9-to-5 job — the games never stop. You need to be fast and flexible, able to react to changes immediately, to be prepared for anything and willing to take risks.
What are you most personally proud of when it comes to the success of Operate Now: Hospital?
It’s definitely our team. We have a great team of highly skilled people, dedicated to the product. It’s normal for a live game to have downtimes and problems, but we always react immediately and everyone helps out to ensure we get the game back up running quickly.
I always think back to the time we launched the game in 2016 and how much it’s grown. It has become a global leader in the hospital simulation market. It has improved so much over time, and we are still continually updating the game with new content.
What do you like about living in Holland?
I’m not sure if I can tell you about the whole of Holland, but I can definitely talk about Amsterdam where I live. I love the diversity in the city: there are so many different cultures and people from different backgrounds.
I love how easy it is to try new cuisines. You can just bike around and find something new every time (I’m a foodie, so I really appreciate that). The whole city is extremely accessible by bike. I like how busy the city is — it never sleeps. If you feel like having a steak at 3am, you can just go outside and get one.
It’s truly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen.
What was your biggest culture shock in moving to Holland?
The first thing that surprised me were the small apartments in Amsterdam and how tiny the staircases are. I’m accustomed to larger living spaces but you get used to it. I like how the Dutch people make the most of the limited space. You can see people taking their furniture on to the streets on sunny days to have dinner and drinks, or just sitting on their roofs or by the canals, enjoying the sun.
I think it’s a nice lesson — always make the best out of everything you do.
What do you like about working at Spil Games?
I think the people are Spil Games’ best asset. The company has some of the smartest and most experienced people in the industry from all around the world. It is a very welcoming and open place to work.
Did you always want to work in mobile gaming?
I wouldn’t say always. But I was an early adopter of smartphones and have followed the progress of games on mobile as they’ve evolved. Mobile gaming is one of the fastest growing markets and I’m very happy to be part of it.