Awesome: Searching for the Heart of Bungie

Russ Pitts writing for Polygon:

> Two things become clear as we sink deeper into [Pete] Parsons’ canned presentation.
> The first is that it really isn’t canned; Parsons knows every intimate detail —
> the memories are ingrained, not memorized. The second thing we discover is
> that Parsons’ affection for the Bungie Pentathlon trophy wasn’t a punt after all; of
> all of his company’s many accomplishments, crafting the perfect, nearly-insoluble
> team is the one of which he is absolutely most proud.

> He describes how he meets with employees on their first day, then again, a
> month or so later. He describes the indoctrination, the counseling, the nurturing.
> He uses the world “family” — a lot, and sincerely. He tells the story of how
> he finally conceded the studio needed an IT department after he became too busy
> to troubleshoot computers and lay cables himself. He lovingly describes every
> feature of the studio building — custom built from the ruins of a defunct bowling
> alley (downstairs) and movie theater (upstairs) — not in the way of someone
> describing their new mansion in the Hollywood Hills, but rather the way a
> librarian might describe a new reading room. As if it’s not a monument to his
> own largesse, but rather a construction for the benefit of others.

> He describes the intensive security measures: key-card coded front door;
> the beefy, menacing guards at the front desk; the cameras; the second set of
> doors guarding the stairway to the production floor and the third set of
> doors at the top of those stairs. And then he ushers us behind those
> layers of security to see what few have seen before.

Be sure to check out the embedded video as well. It’s always awesome to get a good behind the scenes look at a group doing work that you love.

[source: [Polygon](http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/1/24/3908184/heart-of-bungie-destiny-jason-jones-marty-odonnell-halo)]