Raised in a Civil War, He Makes Games to Bring People Together
Within a modern but nondescript building a few hundred feet from Stockholm's pretty Riddarfjarden Bay, a frosted glass wall in Josef Fares's office displays etched characters from It Takes Two, his video game studio's 'Toy Story'-esque cooperative adventure about an adult couple's broken relationship. Near his desk, in a lighted case, sits a pair of Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves.
'I can relate, you know, to someone who's speaking his mind,' Fares said.
In an industry where executives have become mired in tech marketing-speak and can be as protected by publicists as Hollywood stars are, Fares stands out. Many gamers know the garrulous designer for his appearance at the glitzy Game Awards in 2017, when he twice dismissed the Oscars with a swear word before raising his middle finger to the camera.
The sentiment could come as a shock from a person who began his artistic career as a moviemaker, including an autobiographical coming-of-age film set during the Lebanese civil war that was Sweden's entry for best international feature at the Oscars in 2006. But for the past dozen years, Fares's passion has been video games, especially cooperative experiences that can be played on the couch with a sibling, partner, child or friend.
Fares enjoyed games from the moment he played Pong on an Atari 2600 while living in Beirut; he fell in love in 1988 when he experienced Super Mario Bros. in Stockholm.
After working with a few students to make a game demo in 2009, Fares got excited. That very night he came up with the concept of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, about siblings working together in a time of crisis. His interest in movies dwindled.
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