Sampo Karjalainen
Chief Creative Officer, Sulake
Expanding PC online virtual world into mobile devices
Sampo Karjalainen is responsible of the concept design and look and feel of
the original versions of Mobiles Disco and Habbo Hotel. Mobiles Disco was
a non-commercial predecessor of Habbo Hotel launched in fall 1999. It was
a browser-based graphical chat environment with a strong visual look and
feel and it became a small online phenomenon within some months. Keen to
develop the concept further, Sampo Karjalainen and Aapo Kyrölä founded
Sulake in May 2000 and launched a Habbo Hotel in August 2000. It turned
to be a success both in the number of visitors and industry competitions
(e.g. Grand Prix in M&M Grand Prix 2000, Golden Nica in Net Excellence
in Prix Ars Electronica 2003).
In July 2005 Habbo Hotel has been localized for 16 countries and the
company employs about 200 employees. Habbo Hotel has become one of the
most popular teen websites in the world. Today Habbo, as a brand, is
expanding outside the hotel, into other platforms, containing mobile,
animation and merchandise. As the Chief Creative Officer, Karjalainen
is responsible of the concept and visual design quality in the company.
He also runs the Research and Development team, which works on new game
and online community concepts in their early phases.
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