tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post114491012513202862..comments2023-11-03T01:45:11.288-07:00Comments on Lost Garden: The joyful life of the lapsed game developerDaniel Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437870541630835660noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-72559492857614832752011-07-25T14:06:09.170-07:002011-07-25T14:06:09.170-07:00Going into the game development industry is defini...Going into the <a href="http://www.gameshastra.com/Video-Game-Development.html" rel="nofollow">game development</a> industry is definitely not easy. The long hours can put a strain to the family, and the pay is not significantly that high. However, the end product can be quite rewarding if you are truly interested in the development of games.Lux Reyeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16775584582793681261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-55409233569942846222007-01-25T15:40:00.000-08:002007-01-25T15:40:00.000-08:00"Do your time and get out?"
...sounds like the mil..."Do your time and get out?"<br />...sounds like the military, but with little hope of things like a GI bill or what have you. ;P<br /><br />I'm with the bloke who mentioned the point of games. Is there really one? Is there really a point to entertainment in general? Games have a unique ability to enable interaction between designer and consumer... but does that even matter if all we can come up with is bigger, more blatant gore-fests or the latest "hawt chix" travesty?<br /><br />Meh. I'm going back to school to follow my secondary interest in science. Maybe there's a place for using art to teach science. ;DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-15838856491464511832007-01-08T21:31:00.000-08:002007-01-08T21:31:00.000-08:00Great article! We had a great little
development s...Great article! We had a great little<br />development studio at PopTop Software. We didn't make great games, but it was a fun job. Phil Steinmeyer set the company up to fail prior to his dismissal. Terrible game designer! I say do your 5-8yrs and <br />start looking for a way out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1155399615454801362006-08-12T09:20:00.000-07:002006-08-12T09:20:00.000-07:00Looks to me like you simply left because you were ...Looks to me like you simply left because you were hurt. I say to hang in there no matter what. Don't quit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1149004048210788172006-05-30T08:47:00.000-07:002006-05-30T08:47:00.000-07:00Im a coder for a games company who has just come o...Im a coder for a games company who has just come out of 6 months of straight crunch on my 3rd game (<I>the first one was cancelled btw</I>). It's a 2 hour commute from my home to work on a good day so i average 4 hours travelling for an 8 hour job.<BR/><BR/>I used to feel that this was worth it, for various reasons like the experience, the pay (<I>it's ok where i am</I>), the people i work with are great etc etc. However, 4 hours commuting takes time out of your life, and <I>generic-shooter-ver5</I> just isn't the game that i want to make.<BR/><BR/>So i've got my CV open on the other monitor and i'm looking for something else :)<BR/><BR/>Very good article, hope you continue to enjoy your job and everything else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1148645765266553702006-05-26T05:16:00.000-07:002006-05-26T05:16:00.000-07:00hey, coming from just a mere 17 year old but how a...hey, coming from just a mere 17 year old but how about thinking back to Tyrian. I've only just managed to find the game on the net and the music..ok seems like i wasn't trying hard enough BUT thats not the point. Point is the illustrations were imense, absolutely great. had that whole.. well kinda .. damn.. cant remember his name.. guy who did the Alien stuff G.R. Agar.. or somethnig.. #thinks# damn.. anyway yes, how about a more modern version of Tyrian #puppy dog eyes# obvsiouly including the old story because you can never go too indepth on an arcade came like that really i suppose. would be .. well indecribable if you did.. would be most indebted. You could even get that 'drive' again for the games industry!<BR/><BR/>scotty8803@hotmail.com - if you want to reply<BR/><BR/>and many thanks for the work you did. good part of my childhood that twas..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1148511853310615802006-05-24T16:04:00.000-07:002006-05-24T16:04:00.000-07:00JstepI figured I would post an example of what som...Jstep<BR/><BR/>I figured I would post an example of what some hobby developers are making.<BR/><BR/>www.mvpmods.com (I am not affiliated)<BR/>A bunch of people modified mvp 2005, to make it mvp 2006, including new stadium designs, player designs, rosters, etc. etc.<BR/><BR/>Its pretty cool work, done for no money, This is the type of thing I see as being more rewarding<BR/><BR/><BR/>JstepAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1147681677690906602006-05-15T01:27:00.000-07:002006-05-15T01:27:00.000-07:00As yet another anonymous in the very same situatio...As yet another anonymous in the very same situation, all I can say is: what if you have NO other company to jump ship? What if it's the only one in your country? What if you've already worked on most/all the other game dev teams/companies in your country? Now, if you ask me, THAT's what being really stuck means :)<BR/>Anyway. My advice for my fellow anonymous - get the hell out of there. Get a job that allows you to be creative AND have the free time you need. Use that free time to become the next Jonathan Boakes, if you feel like you MUST do games.<BR/>That's what I'll do, anyway. Wish me luck :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1147416256677213882006-05-11T23:44:00.000-07:002006-05-11T23:44:00.000-07:00I am sad that not one single comment has brought u...I am sad that not one single comment has brought up the "point" of games. The essay above talks about<BR/><BR/><I>Making the world a better place: The applications I build now help people in a very concrete way. I like that warm fuzzy feeling. I was talking to a fellow lapsed game developer who now works in 3d imaging in the medical field. He told me “The work I do now saves people’s lives. You can’t beat that.” There is a moral core that is missing from the game development community that exists in other industries, even in other entertainment sectors. In movies, you can still make documentaries that right past wrongs. In books, you can seek to help and enlighten. In games? I wonder. </I><BR/><BR/>But all of the comments only concentrate on work environment. Assume the work environment was 100% perfect. That still wouldn't fix this point. I'm far more concerned with out to fix that point because if was fixed the hours wouldn't matter, I'd be making the world a better place.<BR/><BR/>As it is I agruably make the world a worse place. Look at all the time wasted playing games. Look at all the relationships destroyed by WoW or EQ, all the fat kids because they never move more than 5 ft from the TV. Some people are going to take this the wrong way, of course people are free to entertain themselves anyway they want and there is the abstract benefit that games make money and provide a way for people to make a living but beyond that abstract good it sure would be nice to find a better "direct" way to help games make the world a better place.gmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15577431323125306365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1146898482834546912006-05-05T23:54:00.000-07:002006-05-05T23:54:00.000-07:00Hey anonymous!I can't tell you how to avoid those ...Hey anonymous!<BR/><BR/>I can't tell you how to avoid those pitfalls - I don't know if you CAN. <BR/><BR/>I just returned after over a five-year absence to a small gaming company run by guys I *trust*. The pay ain't what I'm used to. But after doing nearly as many years in the "enterprise software" world as I did in the "games" world, I feel I have a pretty good handle on both. And things pretty much suck all over. But you can get lucky and get with a good company for a few years.<BR/><BR/>My advice:<BR/><BR/>1) Be loyal to PEOPLE. Not a corporation.<BR/><BR/>2) Learn ALL YOU CAN. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn your craft on someone else's dime.<BR/><BR/>3) Be professional. Do your best effort. Make sure that if a project or company fails, you can have a clear conscience that it was in spite of you, not because of you.<BR/><BR/>4) DO NOT SACRIFICE YOUR FAMILY OR LOVED ONES for the sake of work. Making games is not that important.<BR/><BR/>5) Do not define yourself by what you do. It is only what you do, not what you are.<BR/><BR/>6) Be devoted to what you are doing, but always be willing to walk away if the time comes.The Rampant Coyotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15387255479630422698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1146842700356236272006-05-05T08:25:00.000-07:002006-05-05T08:25:00.000-07:00Well, I guess I'm a lapsed Enterprise Software Dev...Well, I guess I'm a lapsed Enterprise Software Developer then. I have some sad news for people. The grass isn't greener. <BR/><BR/>Everything I have heard about the games industry I can match with stories about the software industry. And then I can raise a few truely horrendous ones because the stakes are higher and the damage more costly (usually in the billions of dollars). <BR/><BR/>I find the 40% cut in pay definitely worth the 80% cut in stress level. That, and I feel like I own my own soul again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1146714364925894932006-05-03T20:46:00.000-07:002006-05-03T20:46:00.000-07:00What would you guys say to someone like me who's h...What would you guys say to someone like me who's heading into the industry? Do you have any suggestions as to how to avoid such pitfalls? My dreams of having the games in my head made by non-indie developers have already crushed, but I'm not going to let that stop me. If nothing else, I'll be learning how to make indie games.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1146233427661187952006-04-28T07:10:00.000-07:002006-04-28T07:10:00.000-07:00Hello,I'm a former developer. In fact, I'm a forme...Hello,<BR/>I'm a former developer. In fact, I'm a former producer so maybe I was on the wrong side of the fence. I had a sobering moment three years ago that made the want to quit the industry forever. Which I did: I am now a diplomat (of all things!). Yet, there are so many things that I miss in the game development that I would love to return to the industry. <BR/><BR/>I've been around, literally, and I never found such a gathering of bright and curious people as game developers. Also, there are few mental activities which are as demanding and as rewarding than a good pre-production phase. <BR/><BR/>As a side note, I am not completely convinced by agile development, which I used for my last project because it was the right technique for the team and the project. It probably wouldn't have been possible to ship the game otherwise. Yet, I don't think it is well-adapted for every project. Clueless management and wild, late changes of direction will lead to stupid crunch times as people higher-up will blame developers for delay anyway. so that's what should be addressed rather than the project management approach. Ah well, you probably don't care anymore... <BR/><BR/>Leaving the industry brought me unsuspected peace during the first year, I wish you just as muchAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145915134713805202006-04-24T14:45:00.000-07:002006-04-24T14:45:00.000-07:00Hello there, Daniel Cook! My name is Rafael and I'...Hello there, Daniel Cook! My name is Rafael and I'm from Brazil. I'm a great fan of your pixel art works.<BR/><BR/>I'm currently with a project of redesigning the backgrounds from the games Monkey Island 1 and 2. They're all 256 colors and I need someone to advice me and helpe me doing the modifications I have in mind.<BR/><BR/>If you want to see the works I've already done to have a glimpse of this project, I ask you please to contact me by email: rafa_elgc@hotmail.com<BR/><BR/>I thank you for you attention and congratulate you once more for your great job. Tyrian is awesome!Leafarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03797522845946860297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145821160563956332006-04-23T12:39:00.000-07:002006-04-23T12:39:00.000-07:00Most of what has been written here maps directly t...Most of what has been written here maps directly to my experience as an electrical design engineer.<BR/><BR/>After years of 80+ hours weeks (including a 300+ day stint without a Saturday or Sunday off working on a project that then got cancelled for reasons I had pointed out, to deaf ears, in the first week of the project) I quit, sure that this decision meant the end of my career. Now I do (very little) consulting work, work on my own projects, see my family, see DAYLIGHT, and if you're looking at sheer numbers I'm making more per hour than I was making as a full-time employee. Sure my overall income is down (so is my blood pressure and weight), but this turned out to be much less of a deal than I feared it would be.<BR/><BR/>Money means nothing if the method you use to obtain it kills you, or even worse leaves you one of the walking wounded.Foobariohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11999716495165552689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145385849994288582006-04-18T11:44:00.000-07:002006-04-18T11:44:00.000-07:00Amen, Brother Danc! :) It's good to see you embrac...Amen, Brother Danc! :) <BR/><BR/>It's good to see you embracing a good dose of reality. The heady days of game design glory were what they were... <BR/><BR/>Though I can design a game about family life, nothing compares with actually living a real life. :) <BR/><BR/>--RayRaymondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07035842500415940617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145385006773692672006-04-18T11:30:00.000-07:002006-04-18T11:30:00.000-07:00I like 'lapsed' as well. The implication is that y...I like 'lapsed' as well. The implication is that you may decide later to return, if you have a change of heart or if the conditions that drove you away change. That term suits former game devs well.<BR/><BR/>'Retired' implies a permanent, nonreversible transition...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145382509224012492006-04-18T10:48:00.000-07:002006-04-18T10:48:00.000-07:00Interestingly, this gives us three terms, all of w...Interestingly, this gives us three terms, all of which have their own connotations.<BR/><BR/><I>Lapsed</I>: I have forsaken it because it was false to me, but I still believe in the promise.<BR/><BR/><I>Recovering</I>: I am a 'recovering' game developer in the sense of a 'recovering addict'.<BR/><BR/><I>Retired</I>: I am retired from game development, much as a professional athlete retires when the demands of the profession become too much for the body or the soul.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145380836711181492006-04-18T10:20:00.000-07:002006-04-18T10:20:00.000-07:00I used 'Lapsed' (as well as all the religious rhet...I used 'Lapsed' (as well as all the religious rhetoric) because game development is a rather passionate faith. You've heard from Chris who lives in order to make game design. This is not a simple 9-to-5 banking job that you leave lightly. Game development is driven by inspiration, passion and faith more than most careers. <BR/><BR/>On top of that you are immersed with your brothers in an isolated commune for long periods of time. You all share the same passionate beliefs. You are all willing to sacrifice for the greater good. The camraderie mentioned in the posts above runs deep. <BR/><BR/>To leave all this behind...to 'forsake' the cause of making great games is not a decision made lightly. It is very much like a lapse in a religious faith. :-) <BR/><BR/>You'll note that most of my essays are far less emotional than this one. It is an emotional topic...the ideas discussed in this article and the wonderful comments that follow speak to the heart of our attempts to do what we love in the face of a highly unpleasant work environment. A few have found a way to balance the two. Many have not. With all the intellectual talk of optimization and design methodologies, we cannot forget that game development is an activitity run by people, for people. How companies are run fundamentally affects lives. This is a huge burden that I worry many do not take nearly seriously enough. <BR/><BR/>take care<BR/>Danc...not a bleeding heart. Just a pragmatist.Daniel Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10437870541630835660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145370563528947632006-04-18T07:29:00.000-07:002006-04-18T07:29:00.000-07:00I prefer "retired". As in "retired from profession...I prefer "retired". As in "retired from professional game development". Seems more appropriate than lapsed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145336516826225142006-04-17T22:01:00.000-07:002006-04-17T22:01:00.000-07:00A year ago I was all set as a college student to e...A year ago I was all set as a college student to enter the industry...not the mainstream one, really, but indie dev.<BR/><BR/>But I was failing classes. I had to stop myself, at least for a while. I got into economics rather than comp sci, and then last quarter, I took a class on game design. We worked in teams of three, made a game in three and a half weeks. My team, other than myself knew nothing about making games; we had an ambitious project, too, something that was very much along the lines of an industry project, though scaled down, with a big story and dialogue and worlds and *content*. I crunched the thing out over the full three and a half weeks, and sacrificed most(not quite all) of my free time to do it. I kept my sanity with frequent breaks, and I was proud of the accomplishment, but I realized that I never wanted to go through such a hell again.<BR/><BR/>What I plan to do, instead, is to go get an MBA, work in "real" business, and contribute to open-source gaming, where the successful projects have a minimum of bullshit and flashbangery and have legacies spanning multiple decades(see nethack, empire, xconq). You may be a gamedev hero if you risk life and limb to finish the milestone, but what point does it serve if your project fails in the market, or gets canceled? I couldn't imagine a career like that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145312758359464672006-04-17T15:25:00.000-07:002006-04-17T15:25:00.000-07:00Having worked in film & TV and game dev (and yes, ...Having worked in film & TV and game dev (and yes, all on "real" shows, movies and games that you've heard of), I wanted to drop a line to mention that looking at TV/Film production methods is probably going to be less helpful then you'd think. Film production is largely run in the same way as game development -- start out with a plan, get waylaid for one reason or another, start going crazy. And to whomever asked up there, there is *defnitely* crunch and day/date pressure in film/TV; I've worked way too many 6 or 7 day weeks of 16 hour days in both fields. <BR/><BR/>There are a lot of reasons why I think these two industries share a number of similar issues, and not all of them are "bad publishers/bosses/The Man" -- there's also an awful lot of "if you want to play the blues you have to pay the dues"-type hazing in both fields and though it's understandable (yeah, there actually are hundreds of people out there who'd love to have Job X), it's also a self-perpetuating nightmare (...and they'll wind up leaving in five years, too). <BR/><BR/>Didn't mean to sound doom and gloom, because I really do love working in games and don't plan on leaving (even the low spots are really high for me), but I just wanted to chime in on the games/film comparisons as someone who's walked the line.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145215001147799782006-04-16T12:16:00.000-07:002006-04-16T12:16:00.000-07:00I prefer the term "Game Designer Emeritus."I enjoy...I prefer the term "Game Designer Emeritus."<BR/><BR/>I enjoyed the work itself. I'd go back if I could find a 40-hour week company with good management. Unfortunately, I suspect my chances of running into one at random are slim.AFFAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974929322142461146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145193452395124202006-04-16T06:17:00.000-07:002006-04-16T06:17:00.000-07:00Like several posters here, I also have to make gam...Like several posters here, I also have to make games. I'll do it whether I'm paid to or not. <BR/><BR/>However, I still left the industry after 20+ years for a teaching job. The pay was lower, but I get 22 weeks a year off, and when I figure out my per-week average, I make more now than I used to. The big benefits? I'll see my kids grow up. I'll be present in their lives. I have lost the absurd "hit the next milestone or die" death-stare-of-intensity I see in my fellow devs, and I like not looking that way. <BR/><BR/>I still make games in lots of ways: I'm contracting as a designer on a 360 title. I have another contract lined up after that. I make board games and card games with my students. I make them on my own. I make them with my kids. I still have lots of time left over for trips to the beach, vacations, etc. I once did not take a vacation for three years running! My family told me they enjoyed themselves while they were away. That's crap. No one would have to live like that.<BR/><BR/>I really wanted to have my cake and eat it, too, and it's worked so far. I will still make games, but my life, my family come first.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719805.post-1145176588588697522006-04-16T01:36:00.000-07:002006-04-16T01:36:00.000-07:00Articles like these are the biggest reasons for me...Articles like these are the biggest reasons for me to approach the game industry cautiously.Greg Liebermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08083153987589335224noreply@blogger.com