Oskar Eklund, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer at Hello There Games in Gothenburg, SE, boasts a wealth of experience gained from roles at Hello There, Hiq, Framfab, and Smatri. Holding a degree from IHM Business School (1993-1995), Oskar brings a robust skill set encompassing New Business Development, Digital Strategy, Mobile Devices, Management, and Business Strategy.
An entrepreneur at heart, Oskar’s journey began with a passion for sports and music, evolving into a DJ at the age of 14 and founding his first band, “The Bodyguards.” His diverse background includes studying economics in high school, venturing into computer programming, and co-founding a wood manufacturing company in southern Sweden. Despite facing challenges and eventually losing the business to a larger company, the experience proved invaluable.
Oskar entered the IT industry after studying marketing, sales, and law at IHM Business School and interning at Canon. His foray into the gaming industry started with his brother’s involvement in Pan Interactive, a game publisher that funded and published the foundation of the Battlefield franchise, CodeName Eagle.
Throughout his career, Oskar navigated the internet business, working with global brands like PUMA, Adidas, Volvo, and others to create marketing and educational games. He witnessed the evolution of gaming, utilizing it for various purposes, including healthcare and education.
Despite facing challenges, Oskar’s determination led him to successfully create partner games with industry giants like Google and Facebook/Meta. His ultimate goal of developing original IPs for consoles has become a reality, marking a significant milestone in Hello There Games’ journey. Oskar Eklund’s story is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the pursuit of creative excellence in the dynamic gaming industry.
The Company
Hello There Games, a creative game studio founded by Oskar Eklund and a team of like-minded individuals, emerged from a shared passion for collaborative and enjoyable work environments. The core values of empathy, playfulness, and creativity were distilled from a myriad of considerations, emphasizing the importance of fostering a workplace where everyone takes pleasure in their tasks.
The studio’s commitment is to continue crafting exceptional games in collaboration with music stars and bands, providing both old and new fans with fresh ways to experience their favorite music. A central goal is to add value to the artists they work with while prioritizing the creation of outstanding gaming experiences for music enthusiasts and beyond. With a keen understanding of popular culture, Hello There Games excels at transforming cultural trends into engaging games quickly and effectively.
Beyond their work in the music-gaming space, the team at Hello There Games has ventured into the realm of film. Their approach distinguishes itself by incorporating game elements and effects within the movie itself, as well as creating standalone gaming experiences connected to the film. Rather than replicating the movie’s plot, the studio aims to think differently, crafting side stories that expand upon supporting characters or touched-upon elements in the film.
Challenging the traditional approach of basing game experiences on movie scripts, Hello There Games explores innovative concepts. For instance, they envision game choices influencing the movie’s ending, offering a unique and dynamic connection between gaming and cinematic storytelling. This forward-thinking approach sets Hello There Games apart in the dynamic intersection of gaming and movie industries.
Personal and Professional Traits
From what Oskar has shared, he is described as a creative, energetic, and generally happy individual, especially within the gaming studio where he believes he inspires his team. Oskar actively provides feedback and compliments to acknowledge excellent work, fostering a positive and supportive atmosphere. He values a culture that reflects kindness, helpfulness, and a focus on helping colleagues grow, rather than establishing hierarchical structures with multiple layers of management.
Oskar takes pride in the positive culture within the team and considers himself consistent, being more or less the same person both inside and outside the gaming studio. He remains highly active in sports and training, and he engages in musical pursuits such as playing the piano and guitar, as well as writing music for relaxation. Oskar’s love for skiing, snowboarding, and wave surfing reflects his adventurous spirit. Additionally, he holds a 5th Dan Blackbelt in Taekwondo and usually instructs others in this martial art, although his current focus is on the gaming studio.
Perceived as a very social and outgoing person, Oskar is characterized by his love for action, a strong drive, and a penchant for spontaneous activities. Described as easy to make laugh, Oskar’s personality seems to bring a positive and lively energy to both his professional and personal pursuits.
Approach to Leadership and Continuous Improvement
Oskar is dedicated to continual self-improvement as a leader, a journey that involves surrounding himself with individuals who are smarter in various aspects. Recognizing his own shortcomings, Oskar strategically delegates tasks that may not align with his strengths in the short term, allowing him to focus on what he excels at. He is an avid reader and actively follows colleagues in the industry, fostering a culture of learning within the studio. Collaborations with other studios also serve as opportunities for growth and learning, helping him assess whether specific practices can benefit his own studio.
Oskar’s genuine care for people is a driving force in his leadership style. Witnessing the growth of individuals and receiving positive reviews from fans and players brings him immense joy. Drawing parallels with his experience as a Taekwondo instructor, Oskar appreciates the martial art’s philosophy of humility and the importance of helping others grow.
To foster leadership development within his organization, Oskar has established a creative board, an extended management group where lead individuals in each competency area can assume more responsibility and prepare for leadership roles in a growing organization. This approach facilitates the delegation of tasks to capable leaders within the team.
Oskar believes in adapting to the ever-changing needs of the industry and emphasizes the importance of being quick to respond to these changes. A key lesson he has learned is to always be kind as a leader. While maintaining clarity and the ability to make tough decisions, he believes that genuine care for the well-being of the team transforms a leader into a motivator. Working with core values of empathy, playfulness, and creativity, Oskar’s role is to ensure that these values are not just words but principles actively lived within the studio.
Leadership and Challenges in the Gaming Industry
Oskar holds the perspective that many in leadership positions tend to perceive themselves more as managers or bosses rather than true leaders. He observes a common tendency to shoulder too much responsibility and an unwillingness to let go of certain tasks.
In the gaming industry, Oskar notes a prevalent focus on profitability and results, which he believes might be overly emphasized. While acknowledging the importance of these aspects, he asserts that creative direction and vision hold equal, if not greater, significance. Oskar suggests that a common mistake lies in setting strict quantitative goals, such as selling a specific number of games or achieving certain metrics. He highlights the challenge in leading a creative organization, emphasizing that game developers often struggle in this aspect. Understanding the intricacies of the gaming industry and possessing a genuine passion for gaming are, in his view, crucial elements for effective leadership within a game development company.
Societal and Personal Improvements
Oskar envisions three improvements in society, the media and entertainment sector, or people’s lives:
- A More Relaxed Society: Oskar desires a society where individuals can enjoy life to the fullest, fostering an atmosphere of relaxation.
- Positive Energy and Light-Heartedness in Workspaces: Oskar has made a deliberate choice to work only with individuals who bring positive energy to the workplace.
- Universal Practice of Taekwondo: Oskar playfully suggests that everyone should practice Taekwondo. Beyond the physical benefits, Taekwondo carries a philosophy of humility and mutual support.
Perspective on Leadership and Motivation
Oskar, as a CEO, emphasizes the critical importance of being clear about the direction of the company and its goals. He acknowledges the challenges he faces in maintaining this clarity due to the multitude of responsibilities on his plate. Oskar highlights that failing to communicate the direction and the reasons behind it can be demotivating for the team. Providing regular updates on the company’s progress and articulating the “why” behind decisions are crucial aspects of maintaining motivation.
Acknowledging and providing feedback to individuals within the organization is another key responsibility for Oskar. Recognizing both exemplary and suboptimal performances allows for constructive communication and fosters a positive work environment. Cultivating the company’s culture and values is deemed by Oskar as more important than commonly perceived, emphasizing the impact it has on the organization’s overall success.
Oskar finds great joy in his daily routine when he receives updates on project developments, encounters new ideas, and witnesses team members finding solutions on their own. The sense of growth in employees brings inspiration to him. Additionally, the positive reactions received when the company receives favorable reviews for its games are moments that particularly resonate with Oskar and contribute to his motivation and enthusiasm as a leader.
Goals for the Next Five Years
Hello There Games, led by Oskar, envisions significant achievements in the next five years. The primary goal is to become the leading global game developer in the music sector, gaining recognition for top-selling Music Intellectual Properties (IPs). The studio aims to launch at least three additional IPs, showcasing a commitment to ongoing creativity. Additionally, a strategic merger with a partner studio is on the agenda, providing opportunities for collaboration and growth. Ultimately, Hello There Games aims to establish a strong revenue stream from its own games, ensuring financial stability and success in the industry. These objectives collectively represent the studio’s vision for expansion, innovation, and prominence.
Oskar reveals that Hello There Games has a strong focus on collaborating with the music industry, finding it exciting and dynamic. The team has successfully launched games in this space and has established a solid track record. Oskar, being an old musician and DJ himself, highlights that this personal connection has been a driving force from the outset. The company has worked on numerous games with artists, aiming not only to create another music-licensed game but to forge innovative partnerships with artists, management, and labels.
The vision is to go beyond the typical music-game model, striving to create new and innovative games that offer an immersive experience, enhancing both the artist’s work and the enjoyment of the music. Oskar notes the gratifying feedback from players who discovered and fell in love with new music through the games, describing it as the best review the team could receive. While the goal is to sell many games, the true motivation comes from the players’ acknowledgment that Hello There Games has successfully paid tribute to the artists.
Another key vision is to develop and launch new intellectual properties (IPs) and game concepts crafted by the talented teams within Hello There Games. Oskar sees his role as creating an environment where his team can be creative and build future popular games. The focus is not on becoming the biggest game developer in the music or other genres but on creating memorable games that stand out in terms of creativity and player experience. Oskar believes that Hello There Games holds a unique position and setup, aiming to deliver exceptional games while maintaining a core focus on the joy of game development.
