In 2005 Bastion’s co-founder
Ciaran Brennan also left. “There’s no big scandal,” he says. “I was turning 40 and I think I’d probably had enough of having ten bosses, which is how it can feel when you have a lot of different clients.”
Ravi Vijh, Bastion’s creative services director, who joined in 2008
MORE INPUT Another period of rebuilding came in the wake of the 2008 recession, during which Ravi Vijh came on board. The ship would appear to be steadier since his arrival and Bastion has grown from a handful of people to close to 20. It’s a period, let us not forget, during which the games industry has seen the greatest change, not just in terms of success, but in how games are conceived, made, marketed, sold and supported. It’s a new reality that Bastion quickly adapted to, by orchestrating all the tools at its disposal simultaneously and effectively. The word that comes up repeatedly in relation to latter day Bastion - and one you’d never hear in the good old bad old days of
“Being curious and being creative. It sounds obvious, but if you’ve got those you should be able to crack PR because you are learning while you’re talking. PR is as much about listening as it is about getting the right words, the right content.”
games PR - is ‘data’. Barrett sees the future as being about “More data. More feedback on where stuff ’s being consumed. We want to understand - why is that going to work, has it worked and how can you make it work again?”
22 | MCV/DEVELOP September 2022
LISTEN UP While PRing games might not be quite as much fun as it used to be, it’s clear that Barrett hasn’t lost any of the passion that drove him to establish Bastion 30 years ago. Not that I’ve crossed paths with him many times during my own 25 years in the industry, but he is as relaxed as I can ever remember. “Apart from halfway through, when it got a bit wobbly, I’ve really enjoyed it.” What about now, 30 years on. Does he still have that same passion today as he did as a younger man? “Yes.” No hesitation this time. ”I really enjoy it. I mean, you’ve seen the crowd that we’ve got. I love working with Ravi. That’s transformed it - having someone working alongside you that’s got the drive and the energy and attention to detail and ambition. It’s all there. But we just got a great crowd of people who just all really like what they do. They like being where they are. They make me laugh - they drive me nuts - but they are good fun to be around.” It matters that the team is diverse and different, says Barrett, “Because clients aren’t all the same.” The team’s
skillset is different, but one gets the impression that, 30 years on, Barrett still looks for the same qualities in people than he always has: “Being curious and being creative. It sounds obvious, but if you’ve got those you should be able to crack PR because you are learning while you’re talking. PR is as much about listening as it is about getting the right words, the right content.” No belated PR career for me then. Thank the maker for transcription services.
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