ABOUT ME
I’m Russ Harding, a creative director and consultant with over 30 years in games and interactive entertainment. What’s always interested me is finding new ways to play, bringing characters and stories to life, and creating experiences that people remember.
At PlayStation London Studio, I helped develop EyeToy, EyePet, Wonderbook and PlayStation VR Worlds. Later, as Chief Creative Officer at Maze Theory, I led creative strategy and game direction across experiences built around established entertainment worlds, including Doctor Who and Peaky Blinders.
Today, I’m a Partner and Director at Rhino Rock Studios, where we work with IP owners and development teams to make entertainment playable. We develop ideas, explore new opportunities for games and provide creative and development support through outsourcing and collaboration.
Alongside Rhino, I’m available for freelance consultancy, helping teams shape concepts, strengthen pitches and establish a clear creative direction. I enjoy working closely with people, asking questions, exploring possibilities and helping an idea become something a team can build together.
Whether you’re starting with a familiar world or a blank page, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.
"Technology is only interesting when it disappears"
Speaking & Media
I speak at global conferences on the future of immersive storytelling, from AAA console development to VR, XR, and AI-driven worlds.
My focus: how technology reshapes narrative, and how franchises evolve across platforms.
SELECTED AWARDS & FESTIVAL RECOGNITION
Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow
-
DICE Awards – Nominee
-
AUSTXR Festival – Best Virtual Reality Gaming
-
TIGA Awards – Best VR/AR/XR/MR Game
-
Raindance Immersive –Recognition
Infinite Inside
-
TIGA Awards – Best VR/AR/XR/MR Game
-
TIGA Awards – Best Puzzle Game
-
TIGA Awards – Best Creativity
Peaky Blinders: The King's Ransom
-
Official Selection – Venice Immersive
-
VR Awards – Finalist, Best AR/VR Game
Doctor Who: The Edge of Time
-
Official Selection – Venice Immersive
-
Raindance Immersive – Finalist, Best Game
Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins
-
Pocket Gamer Awards – Finalist, People's Choice
-
Official Selection – London Games Festival
Wonderbook: Book of Spells
-
Develop Awards – Winner, Most Original Game
-
Develop Awards – Winner, Audio Accomplishment
-
BAFTA Awards – Nominee, Game Innovation
EyePet
-
BAFTA Awards – Nominee, Best New IP / Visual Arts
-
BAFTA Awards – Nominee, Family & Social
The Chainsmokers - Paris VR
-
Raindance Award – Best Branded Experience
Maze Theory
-
VR Awards – Finalist, Rising VR Company of the Year (2019)
Global Conferences & Tech Forums
-
E3 Playstaion Conference
-
Wonderbook: Book of Spells (PlayStation)
-
Eyepet - The Virtual Pet (PlayStation)
-
-
Gamescom 2013- Storytelling in games (PlayStation)
-
GDC – Generative AI in Game Worlds (with Amazon)
-
EGX – Barclays Stage
-
EGX – Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom
-
MCM Comicon- London- Doctor Who
-
WASD London – Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom
-
PAX EAST- Boston
-
La Biennale di Venezia- Venice Immersive
-
Next World Forum – Riyadh
-
London Tech Week
-
GoTech World – Bucharest
-
Pocket Gamer Connects (London & Digital)
-
The STORYVERSE: Gaming Within the Metaverse
-
Innovation & Technology Track
-
Soft Launch / Publishing discussions
-
-
Beyond Games: Transmedia Summit – Barbican
-
Guildford.Games Festival
-
NFT.NYC / NFT London – Gaming Track
-
Vienna Design Week – SUBOTRON
-
VR World Congress
-
Raindance Immersive
Academic
-
Alliance Manchester Business School
MBA Workshop – Design Thinking, Creativity & Co-Creation -
Royal Hollway - Story Future
-
York University - Immersive Media
-
Goldsmiths, University of London
-
BAFTA - Augmented Reality
Broadcast & Podcasts
-
One More Life Podcast (RadioTimes.com). Discussion on Doctor Who, immersive storytelling, and IP adaptation. https://www.radiotimes.com/technology/gaming/david-tennant-doctor-who-one-more-life-podcast
-
Ruff Talk VR (PAX East Interview)
Video interview discussing Peaky Blinders VR development.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3f_bKc0vNI -
BeyondGames.biz Interview
Selected Press Coverage
Edge Magazine — Issue #401 (2024)
Feature Coverage: Infinite Inside
Available in print (Issue #401).
PC Gamer (2025)
Thief VR producer says VR is a natural fit for an immersive sim.
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/vr/thief-vr-producer-says-vr-is-a-natural-fit-for-an-immersive-sim
GameSpot (2022)
Peaky Blinders VR Game Will Be Authentic To Show, Developer Promises.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/peaky-blinders-vr-game-will-be-authentic-to-show-developer-promises/1100-6500911
Industry & Business Media
GamesBeat (2024)
Maze Theory’s Infinite Inside mixed-reality debut
Interview on cross-platform MR strategy and immersive design direction.
https://gamesbeat.com/maze-theorys-mysterious-infinite-inside-mixed-reality-game-debuts-on-july-12
MCV/Develop (2022)
Q&A — Russell Harding on Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom.
https://mcvuk.com/business-news/qa-russell-harding-chief-creative-officer-at-maze-theory-on-peaky-blinders-the-kings-ransom
Meta Blog (2025)
Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow — Developer Interview
https://www.meta.com/blog/thief-vr-legacy-of-shadow-interview
Specialist XR & VR Media
The Sixth Axis (2024)
How Infinite Inside blends augmented and virtual reality.
https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2024/07/05/how-infinite-inside-blends-augmented-and-virtual-reality-on-quest-vision-pro-and-beyond
UploadVR (2022–2023)
Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom — Developer Interviews & Previews
https://www.uploadvr.com/peaky-blinders-vr-interview
XR Must Magazine (2024)
Interview – Russ Harding (The Infinite Inside)
https://xrmust.com/xrmagazine/russ-harding-the-infinite-inside
TechStomper (2023)
Peaky Blinders VR Interview
https://techstomper.com/peaky-blinders-the-kings-ransom-interview-maze-theory-cco-russ-harding-speaks
