• Name: Nicole ‘Nic’ Wiberg
• Age: 31
• From: “Born, raised, and rooted in Malmö”
• Enjoying: “I love hot yoga and weight training. I create music as NicVibe together with my crew Kvinnliga Situationen (The Female Situation). I am a foodie and a festival freak, who loves to travel, and hang out with family and friends.”
• Favorite games: “Ironically I largely grew up without video games and hardly had any computer games in my home, so the moments when I could play at friends’ houses were very special to me – I was always very happy when I got the opportunity to play Crash Bandicoot or Little Big Planet. Some years ago I got invited to a poker evening, but when my friends realized the level of my poker skills, I got sent to the sofa to play Journey instead – and wow, what an experience! I really loved ABZU as well, and Bug Fables is pretty cozy. I enjoy board games and card games like Monopoly, Skip-Bo and Yatzy.”
• Profession: Producer at Frogsong Studios

Nicole Wiberg

What is your background?

“In high school I studied to become a radio producer or radio host, and at university, I studied to become a production manager in media. I’ve also studied hip hop for two years. Non-profit work has been a part of my life since I was 14 years old when I got involved in the youth organization Sveriges elevråd – SVEA (Sweden’s student councils), working for students rights. I’ve also worked non-profit with Femtastic, focusing on gender equality questions in the male-dominated music industry, and with Fatta, working against sexual violence. The past year I’ve done some non-profit work for Pink Programming as their social media producer in Malmö, and also with the reggae festival Öland Roots where I worked with two of the restaurants at the festival. I’ve had many different work experiences throughout the years. A lot of it has been working with children and youth in different environments. I’ve also worked as a receptionist at my yoga studio. While studying hip hop, I worked a season at Helsingborg’s city theater to create the music for and perform in a production of Romeo & Juliet.”

Why did you start working in the game industry? 

“I graduated from Malmö University in 2015, certified as a production leader in media. At the time, things were going really well with my music crew, and thinking that ‘this is a once in a lifetime opportunity’, I decided to give myself time for creating and performing live. In 2020, when the pandemic hit, all possibilities to perform live disappeared. I felt understimulated in my worklife, and ready for a new challenge where I could use my strengths and skills in a better way. So, in the summer of 2021, I quit my job, and searched for a new one. One day there was a suggestion at LinkedIn – Frogsong Studios was looking for a producer. I recognized the name of the company, as I know one of the company’s artists, so I read about the job and immediately decided to apply. It felt like I finally found what I was looking for! Two interviews later, shortly before summer in 2022, I started working at Frogsong Studios. This is my first opportunity working in the game industry!”

“This is a new world to me, and I am thrilled to be dating the industry by enjoying many coffees and lunches with amazing people.”

How has working in the industry been for you?

“It has been a fantastic experience so far! I’m really happy that I got the opportunity to work in an industry that is new to me. I am being challenged and appreciated – the perfect combination. One of the highlights has definitely been ending up at a studio with such a big heart, and a lot of laughter. I appreciate the freedom, knowledge and creativity that surrounds me daily. No week is the same, and we’re always looking to develop and to not get stuck in old ways.

It can be a challenge to be a producer for a team that is partly remote. You want to get a good connection with everybody, and make them feel like a part of the team. The digital tools that we work with today are amazing, but sometimes I miss face-to-face time without digital distractions. It has also been a challenge to start in the middle of a project, but at the same time, very educational. I’m really looking forward to being there from the beginning of our next project.

I think it has been easy to get into and feel like a part of the industry. I’ve been blessed with fantastic colleagues at Frogsong Studios, and it has been great working from Game Habitat’s DevHub, and also taking part in their social events. This is a new world to me, and I am thrilled to be dating the industry by enjoying many coffees and lunches with amazing people.I would absolutely recommend others to pursue a career in the game industry! Even if you’re not a gamer, or worked in the industry before, you can contribute with unique perspectives.

My diverse background has absolutely helped me in my role as a producer. A combination of learning the job in theory during my university studies, and trying my knowledge out in several different non-profit organizations. I am a people person, and all my previous work assignments have had a social focus in some way. This helps me as a producer, since I believe that my social skills are important in this role. Creating games and music are two different creative processes, but they are still both creative processes, and of course, they have some things in common – always wanting to polish a bit extra seems to be one of them.”

“I have an overview, and make sure that the production is moving towards a finished product.”

What is a day in your work life like?

“I can’t really tell you anything about our current project, except that we’re working closely with Coffee Stain. Very exciting! I am the bridge between production and finances, and I try to figure out the best possible compromises. I act as a project manager by having the knowledge about what everyone is working on in the current project, and make sure that tasks are completed in time by reminding the team of our deadlines and milestones. I have an overview, and make sure that the production is moving towards a finished product. I facilitate most of our meetings for the project, like the sprint planning and test sessions. Since I have Scrum knowledge, and plan to certify myself as a Scrum Master in the near future, I try to bring agile perspectives to our processes. I’m responsible for the team’s competence development. I communicate with external stakeholders. I’ve also been responsible for internal social events, like the 1-year celebration of our game D-Corp, a kick-off, and a halloween party.”

What’s best with your job?

“Amazing colleagues and working environment. Being a producer is an exciting role with development possibilities, and I learn new stuff every day. A thrilling company in a thrilling industry! I want to become the best possible producer for Frogsong Studios – that’s my main motivation. Also, I just got accepted to the Digital Project Game Management program at The Game Assembly, so I’m very excited to further develop my theoretical skills while at the same time working.”

How would you advise others that want a job like yours to pursue it?

“Take a chance, and know your strengths! Even if you haven’t worked in the game industry before, you can still contribute.”

The WeMakeGames interview series allow individuals in the games industry to tell their story - about their current work, how they got to where they are, and why they believe the games industry is such an enjoyable industry to work in. We move beyond programmers and level designers, to showcase the wide range of roles making up the studios creating some of the world’s best games – right here in south Sweden!