Attacking videogames

[KH Rising]

I notice a lot of people in the personal development community attack videogames as a very poor way to spend time. I read about it being escapist and causes you to miss out on life. Hopefully we can generate some discussion about it here given Steve Pavlina's involvement in the industry.

Soon I will be graduating with a business degree and will be beginning my journey to becoming a videogame producer / designer. At 21 I am still young and have much to learn. I have already had some experience in the industry and have reguarly been told about my potential. I feel that I can have a very successful career and enjoy the financial/personal rewards that come along with it.

However, no matter how stupid it may sound, hearing people curse videogames makes me wonder how productive following this career path is. While I love it now, I fear I will come to see it as a waste of time. It's hard to pinpoint what part of me this is. For the most part, I believe that games are a wonderful creative art that make millions of people feel better about their lives. I can't think of a more fulfilling career and it's what I'm talented at. I can see a day where I own a fantastic seaside home with my family and work for a prosperous company as a creative director. I'll be giving keynote addresses and working to deal with industry matters such as overtime and labour

My career in games will be the focus point of my overall business career, but I do want to branch out into life coaching, novel writing and also politics. I see myself as having a lot to offer and I want to maximise my potential.

I guess the point of this thread is to obtain some clarity about where I stand. I've already got some just by writing this. So I ask you guys on your thoughts towards my career and general lifestyle that I'll lead as a result. Yes it only matters what I think, but I'd appreciate the feedback.

[MSC2471]

I believe you have a good head on your shoulders and have a good vision for where you see yourself. Goal setting can gain clarity through writing down visions in terms of where you see yourself in 3, 5 and 10 years- and then working out mini-goals within those time frames to be working upon every day, week, and month to achieve what you desire. I think in today's career market people may shuffle around 3-5 times before they find what they truly desire to do. Steve's life is a good example of looking at where his priorities were during his 20's versus what his priorities are now.

If you believe you will provide value to the videogaming industry, I would go for it 100%. You can always pursue other interests as time allows. Myself, I currently work in the hospital field but I also have lifelong interests in music, writing and bowling. I'm always looking to expand upon my interests and if they eventually develop into another career, that's cool with me- but if not I also can keep pursuing them as hobbies.

See if you can find a mentor within the video game industry, someone that you believe is an inspiration and be willing to ask and learn as much as you can from that person. Continue to work on your own personal development at the same time and I believe you will find the overall answers you seek. Good luck in your journey and keep us updated with your progress.

Matt

[Chinese Dragon]

I feel the exact same way! I've always wanted to be a video game developer since age 12, now I'm 15 and on my way to being one, but then I thought "How is this helping people? Aren't video games a cause of child obesity in many countries?"

But then I realized, video games are an art just like music or painting or carpentry. Although it's overused a lot today someday video games will find their place in the world. In 50 years people might play for a half hour every other day instead of 4 hours a day, it will just become a hobby like any other. And video games are surprisingly benifitial in moderation. Multiplayer ones (not over internet) are a great way to spend time with people.

And the time people spend playing on video games is an effect of laziness, not a cause. If all the video games on the planet dissapeared, the lazy people would simply subsititute something else, like TV, internet, or food. So you can't really harm them at all. Plus, if they're playing your game instead of doing some other lazy activity, it means yours it more fun. So you have a positive effect on even the laziest of people.

When I make games I don't want people to spend their life playing them. Just a few minutes here and there is best. But if they decide to be lazy, it's their choice, not mine. Better be busy playing my fun games than watching boring tv.

[medaille]

I feel like I'm in a similar albeit different boat than you. I'm 24 and have a lot to offer the world, and I'm just starting to utilize my degree in mechanical engineering. I'm finding that most of my challenges aren't external and aren't based on my field of choice.

The challenges I'm struggling with are:
The world (society) seems to get in the way of me contributing as much as I feel I should. After a 40 hour work week, I have little time and energy left over to fit in all I need to do such as have a social life, spend time with my girlfriend, improve myself, and contribute to the world as my internal compass says I should.

Everybody else is running in puppet mode focused on mere survival and I feel their constant drag against me. If I'm not careful, its easy to slide back into that mode of existance.

I got student loans to pay off. The debt game really gets in the way of life. If I only had to worry about mere survival, I would have a lot of left over time to contribute, but I'm not really in a position to be working part time or switching jobs without a seemless transition.

Right now, work is work. I'm not running with my path. However, I am improving myself a lot in that area and gaining lots of skills that are really helpful. That's what I would focus on. Constantly improving yourself. Whatever you do, keep investing in yourself. Circumstances change, but your worth shouldn't (well decrease.)

[kellyrued]

"How is this helping people? Aren't video games a cause of child obesity in many countries?"

Ha. If I lived off a diet of video games (instead of food), I'd be quite skinny. Genetics, health conditions, lack of physical activity, and over-eating make people fat, not video games. What's the difference between sitting on your bum and reading books or bs-ing with friends for 4 hours a night relative to sitting and playing video games? No one goes around dissing book-reading or socializing because it's "escapism" or it doesn't burn enough calories. People just demonize video games when they don't understand the merits of the medium.

Games for education are very effective. Game technologies are being used to expand the scope of human experience and elevate people above the arbitrary limitations of physical experience (for example, a disabled, poor, or unattractive person can socialize, work, and play as the opposite condition in virtual spaces like Second Life, allowing them to experience parts of life that the physical world would never allow them to experience). Many video games exercise the mind (which is arguably more important than your body for overall health and happienss).

Some genres of games improve reflexes, physical prowess/accuracy (surgeons benefit from playing certain video games to refine their hand-eye coordination) and fine-motor skills (although some games also exercise gross-motor skills, like DDR and a few full-body-motion games on the Wii). Trends like the Wiimote, Eyetoy, and Guitar Hero type games indicate that the industry and players are embracing more specialized hardware to make gaming a much more physical activity. The future of video gaming is literally closer to the Star Trek hollodeck experience than it is close to sitting in front of a tv/monitor or sitting and reading a book. I expect gaming and interactive entertainment to soon encompass a LOT more full-body-motion experiences as hardware and technology advances make providing those experiences economically feasible.

People who write off video games as having little merit for mental, emotional, and physical health are ignoring or ignorant of the value that interactive entertainment software and hardware (including video games) provide to players. Do your own research, follow your own instincts, and form your own opinions. If you think the game industry is a place for you to make a real difference in the world, go for it.

Every industry has it's down-side or "sins" to be aware of (contributing to some childhood obesity *might* be a flaw of the video game industry, but think of all the horrible things the medical profession is responsible for- from promoting overmedication/drug use for profit to supressing effective natural cures/health education to continue people's dependency on lucrative western medicines all the way down to straight up quack medicine, unforseen long-term effects, and malpractice which has disfigured, hurt, and killed many people). No industry does nothing but good in the world; whether anyone does good or ill depends what people do with their skills and knowledge in a given application domain/industry. You can make a positive difference in the world even by following a career of crime (if you chose to target immoral enterprises and redirect resources to moral enterprises, etc.). It really all depends on your actions and results. So there's really no point in feeling you can't "help people" if you pursue one industry over another (you can help people from any career).

[sv800]

Originally Posted by KH Rising

I notice a lot of people in the personal development community attack videogames as a very poor way to spend time. I read about it being escapist and causes you to miss out on life. Hopefully we can generate some discussion about it here given Steve Pavlina's involvement in the industry.

Soon I will be graduating with a business degree and will be beginning my journey to becoming a videogame producer / designer. At 21 I am still young and have much to learn. I have already had some experience in the industry and have reguarly been told about my potential. I feel that I can have a very successful career and enjoy the financial/personal rewards that come along with it.

However, no matter how stupid it may sound, hearing people curse videogames makes me wonder how productive following this career path is. While I love it now, I fear I will come to see it as a waste of time. It's hard to pinpoint what part of me this is. For the most part, I believe that games are a wonderful creative art that make millions of people feel better about their lives. I can't think of a more fulfilling career and it's what I'm talented at. I can see a day where I own a fantastic seaside home with my family and work for a prosperous company as a creative director. I'll be giving keynote addresses and working to deal with industry matters such as overtime and labour

My career in games will be the focus point of my overall business career, but I do want to branch out into life coaching, novel writing and also politics. I see myself as having a lot to offer and I want to maximise my potential.

I guess the point of this thread is to obtain some clarity about where I stand. I've already got some just by writing this. So I ask you guys on your thoughts towards my career and general lifestyle that I'll lead as a result. Yes it only matters what I think, but I'd appreciate the feedback.

You should follow your heart's mandate. Game production maybe is your "north" right now.
You will see what looks so fantastic today maybe will not look so good tomorrow.
In the next few years you will be exposed to new frontiers and then suddenly your are driving in opposite way.

[Steve Pavlina]

Interesting topic. I think a statement like "video games are ..." is likely to be too general no matter what you say, since there's such a wide variety of games out there.

Are some games a total waste of time? Sure. But there are a lot of games that are much more. This judgment, however, is more about the individual gamer than about any particular game. One person's waste is another person's learning experience.

Overall I think games can be a great outlet for creative expression and fun.

The story of the lonely addicted gamer might not be as bad as it seems -- could be a lot worse if the person turned to drugs, alcohol, or crime. In those cases of people becoming totally addicted, I think the real issue is more the gamer than the game.

As for games causing weight gain, I don't think so. I just PhotoRead a book yesterday called You on a Diet which mentioned that playing games keeps your hands busy so you don't overeat and that game playing doesn't contribute to obesity. I tend to agree -- when I was deep into gaming, I'd often play for hours without eating. I wouldn't even notice I was hungry until I took a break. Game playing may be sedentary, but you're not gaining weight while you're playing unless you find a way to overeat at the same time.

Although I haven't played computer or video games at all this year, I wouldn't consider it a bad outlet for fun. I think the key is still conscious choice. If you choose to play games, then decide what you want out of it, and stay aware of the experience you're having. When you notice you're playing just out of habit but not having much fun... or if the game is taking over your life, take some time off.

The main thing that caused me to lose interest in games was when I began to see life itself as the ultimate game -- a game with real risks, real challenges, and real rewards. From that PoV, risking the assets of a game character is pretty boring when you can risk everything in the real world. The risk/reward aspect of games can be a fun training ground for the real world, but I think it's wise to eventually transplant your game-world courage to the real world and see what you can do with it.

One of the more rewarding experiences I've had was watching my kids play one of the old games I wrote before they were born.

Games are an amazing outlet for human creative expression. Shaming people for pursuing such a career seems silly to me. I knew when it was time for me to move on, but I don't regret being involved in the field. None of my games were big enough to survive long-term, but it's enough that I remember the great experiences I had creating them.

[Chinese Dragon]

Originally Posted by kellyrued

Ha. If I lived off a diet of video games (instead of food), I'd be quite skinny.

Umm... yeah. That was the whole point of my post, how I discovered that thinking some people are fat because they play video games too much is false.

That's an interesting point of view when you say people don't call reading books escapism, I never really thought of it that way. The human mind is in the present moment a lot less than we think...

[Calculusaurus]

Note: long, awesome post ahead

I've been playing video games since I was a kid. Gaming has probably been the single most important hobby of mine throughout life.

I started with the NES and have gamed extensively from most systems, including the PC, since then.

It's easy to point to the addictive quality of some games and determine that gaming as a hobby is bad -- or at best a mere outlet to chew up free time. But in my experiences, gaming is one of the best hobbies I could ask for.

The Good

For example, gaming as a kid got me familiar with using the computer. I find computers so natural now that I can learn programs like Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver, or 3DS Max with ease. This is, of course, a great marketable quality about myself (and just about every other hardcore gaming peer of mine). Secondly, I currently work in the best paying student job on campus doing specialized IT work. I don't think I would've had the same hands-on experience with computers as a kid if I couldn't game on them.

As a kid I played a lot of 3D games. I got very good at visualizing and storing 3D information in my head. Whenever I play a FPS, I can take an accurate 3D snapshot of a complex, multi-tiered level within only a few rounds of playing it. I remember playing multiplayer games on the N64. I would have a new level memorized so quickly that I used it to my advantage to find my friends and kill them. My friends often got frustrated from me constantly sneaking up from behind. On the N64, you could see your opponents PoV (split screen), so you could use that advantage to find them easily -- but you had to have the level memorized before doing so. Although I always told my friends that you just needed to memorize the level, most weren't able to do so within the same short time frame I was able to. And as a final bonus, this 3D visualization thing has really helped me in math (I'm a math major). I'm very good at visualizing 3D equations, and visualization is my favorite part of mathematics, which really fueled my passion for topics like topology.

I recently read a peer-reviewed scientific article that showed how video gaming increases lucid dreaming frequency. The article argued that video games could therefore be used as a consciousness-expanding tool. The study polled several college students and the researchers found that gamers had a much higher lucid dreaming frequency than nongamers -- and the more hardcore the gamer, the higher the lucid dreaming frequency. I can personally attest to this. One of my dreamsigns is "anything from a video game." Just about once every 3 dreams I dream of something from a video game. Sometimes I'm "inside" a game, using its "laws of physics" so to speak. Other times I just find something that is from a video game. The other night I had a dream where I opened a chest and items popped out Diablo II style. Immediately I realized I was dreaming. Sometimes I might, say, find rupees in the dream world, and think, "wait, aren't those from Zelda? Oh, I must be dreaming." Also, as far as I know, the ability to sort of "move about mentally in space" is helpful for lucid dreaming (or just dreaming in general?). So perhaps by playing, say, FPS games, you are developing the same mental muscles helpful in lucid dreaming.

Also, I think gaming is great just for general problem solving skills. I was pretty damn proud of myself for beating the game Myst without a guide at the age of 9.

Aside from all these benefits, gaming is simply fun, and often memorable. It's also one of the things that ties a lot of my friends together. In high school, I wasn't socializing with binge-drinking, drug-doing, emotionally unstable kids. I was socializing with good ol' healthy nerds -- and for some reason, just about every one of us was a gamer. It was a fun thing to bring us together. Nothing beats an overcrowded LAN party :P I even had memorable moments playing games like Diablo II with significant others.

The Bad

Obviously, games can have addictive qualities. Gaming becomes unproductive and meaningless when you play repetitively out of habit. Games like MMORPGs (World of Warcraft) or Counter-strike have you doing the same thing over and over for hours on end. These games are appealing because they draw you very deep into the game world. MMORPGs draw you into rich, populated fantasy alter-worlds. Counter-strike requires months of intense, repetitive gameplay to learn all the nuances of the game to start getting a decent amount of kills. Or take a game like Starcraft, which also requires an huge amount of time-investment (akin to training for a profressional sport, becoming proficient at a music instrument, or a foreign language) in order to be good enough to compete with the best.

I tend to stay away from these games entirely nowadays. I can no longer justify their time requirement, nor could I even fit them into my student schedule anyway. I now just stick to more close-ended games like one-time-play RPGs, adventure or puzzle games. These games are like books. You beat them once and move onto something new.

I currently game for only about 1hr every 3 days or so. But it's still an important hobby for me. I have a great appreciation for the pieces of art (yes, art) that some game designers are releasing nowadays. Games like Shadow of the Colossus, Katamari Damacy (:P), or Final Fantasy XII showcase a beautiful package of creativity that could only be experienced as a video game -- it's their better-than-cinema music soundtracks, their stunning visuals, and their heavily nuanced gameplay mechanics.

In summary: gaming kicks ass.

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I think the key is still conscious choice. If you choose to play games, then decide what you want out of it, and stay aware of the experience you're having. When you notice you're playing just out of habit but not having much fun... or if the game is taking over your life, take some time off.

That pretty much sums it up.

[Trustme]

pretty much sums it up - excellent post Calculusaurus

[Ilya]

I think that we've steered away from the initial question here.
Is the work in the gaming industry a waste of time?
I've been a professional game developer for close to 14 years, before taking a break from it. So I do have something to say.
Whether the career in game development will be a waste of time, does not depend on the opinions of the people who attack video games publicly.
I'm not even going to comment on that.

The danger is in economics of game development. It may be a funny thought, but games are still a niche product. The niche is growing every day, but it is not mainstream yet. It is amazing, since games are one of the most natural pastimes for humans.
The games cost too much to create. Simply because there is no straightforward way to do so. Nobody really knows how to make a good game. So the risks in the industry are very high, and the industry is hit driven.
Unfortunately there is no "long tail" that can feed those who do not produce hits.
And when there is not enough money, there are a lot of different troubles going on. To keep stable, the companies have to be frugal. If a company is not frugal, it is either a consistent hit maker, or it is headed for the crash. Since there are just a few hit-makers out there, the chances of working there depend only on the power of your intentions.
Now choosing between frugal and doomed companies to work for, it is not an easy choice. In both cases, sooner of later you'll find yourself working together with the low-paid young enthusiasts who, unfortunately lack experience and are not very effective.
You will have to deal with long hours, crunches and burnout. Bad.
You can take the path Steve has taken - being an indy developer. And the benefits of that are described by Steve very convincingly.
But then you'll have to be much more then game producer and designer.

Game development can make you financially independent and free. It worked for Steve and it worked for me in a completely different way. But you will have to be really passionate to pull it off.
In any case it will be very valuable experience of either working in software development or building the business, while the product is actually fun.

But you may be better off both emotionally and financially doing something else.

[geekchic9]

Originally Posted by KH Rising

Soon I will be graduating with a business degree and will be beginning my journey to becoming a videogame producer / designer.

My .02 USD:

Seeing the results of video game addiction in myself and my boyfriend, I personally can't recommend this decision if you are going to create a game with no ending. Unfortunately, games with no endings, like Second Life and World of Warcraft, seem to be the way the industry is heading. There's a ton of money to be made by hooking people into virtual worlds. When I quit Second Life, I told them the reason I was leaving was because "this game is like crack cocaine." This was after less than a week of playing.

Now, if you're going to create a great story with intense character development, unexpected plot twists, and a satisfying ending, I have no problem with it. Games that teach academic stuff and logic skills are also good for obvious reasons.

In sum, I couldn't create a game that would be all profit for me and knowing it simultaneously destroys people's lives at the same time. That's classic darkworker syndrome, in Steve's lingo. I would create games that could somehow benefit society. So, if I went into the video game industry, I would go with a conscience.

[KH Rising]

Thank you all for taking the time to write your very interesting replies!

I feel that I should first explain why I felt threatened by people attacking videogames as a use of time. The past year of my life has been a period of intense personal development. I shed my old life and rebuilt myself after a traumatic experience. I want to make the most of my life and not let any of my potential go to waste. Reading various materials made me question how productive sitting in a studio for most of the day would advance myself or the world around me.

Somewhere along the line I lost my passion for game development. I thought I knew it all. I began to rely on my past success and stopped growing while I persued other areas of my life development. Now I find myself almost ready to re-enter the industry and am in a very different place than I was several years ago when I first walked into a studio as a professional tester.

So where am I now? It was actually a childhood friend that reignited my fire. We spent our youth designing games and longed to be in the industry. I met him a few days ago and he told me of how proud he was when he saw my name in the credits of a million-unit plus selling game. He told me of how everyone around us (including him) abandoned their ambitions and moved onto more "realistic" careers. I was the only one who had made it - (though I would argue I haven't "made it" yet.)

Right now I feel 100% and ready to go. What other people feel about this career field is not of any interest to me. Though I must say the replies in this thread have really struck a chord and made me realise of the importance of the misison I'm on. I know that I can be one of the best and I'm excited about continuing along that journey. Already I have met my industry idol and to think that maybe one day I inspire others is just mind-blowing.

As for the economic side of this business... it's a very delicate situation. I'm going to have to really research that side so I can best make use of it to my advantage. I refuse to be here in 20 years time writing about how I'm working cruch time every week with no job satisfaction! I have my part to play in helping the industry come through its teething period and I'm excited about that.

Thanks again to everyone who has commented and please do continue to discuss the topic as a whole.

[Brutha]

Game development can make you financially independent and free.

That goes for a lot of areas. There are however a lot of people who played a lot of games in their youth and wanted to become a game developer. Supply and Demand works it's way and makes other software developers richer than those who develop games (statistically).

A nice Tedtalk from a game developer with a vision.
This is about using games to produce valuable information.
This is a nice video about someone who studies virtual worlds.

The interesting question is, what does the game produce? What result is left after somebody played the game.
Smart people who want to make a difference, can make a positive difference because a lot of hours are played. There is leverage.
One the other hand most games don't really really do much in terms of improving creating value besides the fun during the game.
A 3D shooter trains to think geometrical but it still isn't that much considered the amount of time spent playing. Their is a lot of room for improvement.

My career in games will be the focus point of my overall business career, but I do want to branch out into life coaching, novel writing and also politics.

Do one thing and do it good. Maybe add a second but you won't succeed in all four areas.
If you want to become a politician you would suggest you to join a party now, it allows you to build connections and learn the rules of the game that you need if you want to make a living in politics in ten years.

[Chinese Dragon]

Originally Posted by geekchic9

Seeing the results of video game addiction in myself and my boyfriend, I personally can't recommend this decision if you are going to create a game with no ending. Unfortunately, games with no endings, like Second Life and World of Warcraft, seem to be the way the industry is heading. There's a ton of money to be made by hooking people into virtual worlds. When I quit Second Life, I told them the reason I was leaving was because "this game is like crack cocaine." This was after less than a week of playing.

I really don't like how those kinds of games are actually designed to be addictive rather than fun, so people keep renewing their memberships *cough* Runescape *cough* I think the industry today is getting more focused on quantity than quality, personally I'd rather have created a quality game like Super Mario 64 than 20 mediocre first person shooters. Even if I can make more money by going for quantity I still wouldn't do it because I couldn't justify how many people I've gotten addictive by doing so.

[ken nubo]

Video game IS a waste of time, but it can be fun for an hour or so when you're shooting someone in the head (Grand Theft Auto, heh)

[Baltar]

It's silly to say that video games are a waste of time, because that can be said about any recreational activity. It's a subjective thing. You can also say that watching TV is a waste of time (and many people would agree with that). Or watching movies, or listening to music, or reading a novel. But humans need entertainment and recreation. In fact, my opinion is that those are some of the most important things that humanity has created. What's left without our art, games, music, novels? All that's left is survival.

Games have probably existed since the dawn of humanity. Video games are a new thing, but games like Chess date back to 625 AD (that's the earliest known record). I never studied sociology, but I imagine that games have played (and continue to play) an important role in human development. A game is a unique form of entertainment because it's not a passive activity -- it requires your input. Games also typically involve either direct or indirect interaction with other people. In single player games there's no direct interaction with others, but players will discuss the game with each other, or even watch another person play and give pointers. It multiplayer games, people play directly with each other. Therefore games are a social outlet.

I can probably say a huge amount about the benefits of games, because I grew up playing them, and right now I'm a game developer. Games can improve hand-eye coordination, improve logic and thinking skills. I grew up playing a lot of strategy games, which may have even raised my IQ.

As a game developer I too have given some thought to whether I should be doing something else. However, not because I think games are a waste of time. There are other reasons. One major problem right now is that the video game industry has changed significantly from what it once was. To me, the golden age of the industry was in the 90's. The industry as it is right now is nothing like it once was. In the early 90's, "AAA" games (those that are professionally made and sold in stores) would take 6-12 months to develop with budgets in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Right now development time is around 3-5 years with budgets of $3+ million, and some games like Half Life 2 and Spore costing an insane $40+ million to develop (that's almost the budget of a feature film in Hollywood). Half Life 2 took 5 years to make, and Spore has been in development since 2000.

This is quite ridiculous, and is the reason why the industry has become very risk averse. Risk aversion leads to stagnation, poor products, and profit chasing which ultimately results in "safe" projects like clones of previously successful games, sequels, and film IP licensing deals. I'm also not a big fan of games like World of Warcraft, despite the fact that I always had high regard for Blizzard Entertainment. Sure, it's successful, raking in $75+ million per month in revenue. But it's mindless, repetitive, and for many people addictive due to its design. Their new StarCraft II is looking very similar in concept to the original game from 10 years ago. This sort of lack of innovation is a shame, especially from a company that's swimming in cash and can easily afford to take a bit of a risk with something unique.

This is what I'd advise you to think about, KH Rising. Think about what games are today and what their future is. I personally don't see much future in the mainstream game industry. It will probably meet the same fate as Hollywood (if it hasn't already). Ilya was right about the hit driven nature of the industry. This makes it very difficult to develop original products, and if you can't do that then what's the point? For me that's one of the most important things regardless of what industry I'm in. Whatever you choose, do it with your eyes open. Consider the big picture, not just your small role in it.

[KH Rising]

Originally Posted by Baltar

It's silly to say that video games are a waste of time, because that can be said about any recreational activity. It's a subjective thing

That's what I've discovered lately. Anything could be considered a waste of time. I've had people tell me that personal development is a waste of time! Their theory is that time spent bettering yourself will eventually crumble and make you more depressed more than ever. Quite a shame they have that mindset.

Originally Posted by Baltar

This is what I'd advise you to think about, KH Rising. Think about what games are today and what their future is. I personally don't see much future in the mainstream game industry. It will probably meet the same fate as Hollywood (if it hasn't already). Ilya was right about the hit driven nature of the industry. This makes it very difficult to develop original products, and if you can't do that then what's the point? For me that's one of the most important things regardless of what industry I'm in. Whatever you choose, do it with your eyes open. Consider the big picture, not just your small role in it.

Sadly I don't have the time at the moment to discuss this in any detail, but I really must disagree with you on this point. We've seen Chris Crawford rant along similar lines and he never suggests a possible solution. The games industry is still in its "teenage years" and has a long way to go. While rising team sizes, budgets and publisher control have stagnated much of the market, I firmly believe there is great potential for fantastic innovative games. I've been recently playing Fahrenheit (known in the US as Indigo Prophecy) and I think that's a great example of taking a step away from the norm. Games have many directions to head in and I'm confident that it has a healthy long life ahead of it. I also think that the current developer/publisher/retailer setup will change at some point. Greg Costikyan has one interesting perspective with the online market phasing out the requirement for publishers. While I feel this is an exaggeration for several reasons (namely marketing and funding) I do think that he's on to something.

My role in the industry will very much be about contributing to pushing forward the creative frontiers. That's a clear focus I have now compared to the hazey nature of my original post when I was slightly off-track.