quote:
Original post by Gregor_Samsa
Maybe I''m on my own here. Maybe I just have an impossible dream. But, I would love to see game design change. Designers, programmers, graphic artists, sound artists, writers, and maybe even others should work damn hard day in, day out to make the best game they possibly can. Who cares if it makes a penny? What does money really matter in the end. Our society is much to obsessed with material things these days. They forget that there is so much more.
This is a nice idea, but in the real world we have to make money to pay our bills.
Being a game designer is no different than being any other kind of artist. Take writers, for example. Very few professional writers can put food on the table selling novels and short stories. Most have to write travel pieces, op ed pieces, advertising and the like.
It''s said that even Ernest Hemmingway got his start writing automotive repair manuals. That may or may not be true, but the example is apt.
Good writers, talented professionals, attack these mundane subjects with the same dedication and passion that they do their personal work. That''s what makes them good writers, instead of dilletantes.
Just like writers, we should strive to learn whatever we can from our money gigs. Good writers hone their craft on these assignments. Similarly, good game designers can hone their skills on projects they might otherwise find uninteresting. The problems of user interface design, fulfilling audience expectation, team management, effective communication etc. apply to every project. If you build these skills on someone else''s dime, it increases the likelihood of success when you *do* get the opportunity to implement your vision. Or you can be a prima donna. The choice is yours.
Jason
