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Games developer here. Yes, I do work insane amount of hours and I would get paid a lot higher for my skills almost anywhere. Why? We use technology not to 'dis

by phaser 11y ago

Games developer here. Yes, I do work insane amount of hours and I would get paid a lot higher for my skills almost anywhere. Why? We use technology not to 'disrupt' some industry, get bigger returns for a financial firm or big data problems with users information. Instead, we create software with the sole purpose of making people happy, And we also get the chance to tell stories that will influence thousands maybe millions of minds. So we are in a never ending search for big insights about the world and ways to encode them into fun games. I'll never grow tired of that.

TraderDuck 11y ago
Not to shit on you in particular, but you seem to have a bit of a chip on your shoulder about other forms of software development being done. Everyone rationalizes what they do. People working in those other industries will usually tell their version of your story: "I'm not working on some shitty game that will be forgotten in a year... I'm working on building a social revolution!!!!" Sorry. For the most part it's all about someone's bottom line. Indie game development isn't any purer than working for startup X on Bush st. that has similar lofty goals about "making people happy." > get bigger returns for a financial firm This is especially funny to me. If you're working for even a Mojang-sized studio, I hate to tell you but: You're definitely using technology to get bigger returns for a firm. Sure, it's not a financial firm. Let's not pretend that the differences are all that meaningful. Instead of stock market returns, game studios just seek to maximize the return they get on game development time. EDIT: s/Riot/Mojang. I didn't realize how large Riot has gotten. > I'll never grow tired of that. Great. And EA will never get tired of people working themselves to death for what inevitably amounts to minimum wage given the hours worked. Guess it's win-win.
- zodPod 11y ago
  All points well said. You spoke my mind really. I felt the same way. All of the stuff that I've worked on, it's not just so some company can get richer. The story is that we're helping people. They also will likely use our products for a lot longer and get a lot more productive use out of it than any game. Side note: Didn't Mojang get bought by Microsoft? Are they still considered small? (NOTE: I've not researched this is a serious, not-loaded question..)
  - TraderDuck 11y ago
    Yeah, they did. I'm not sure how independent they are, but they're still around roughly 50 people it seems. I was just making the point that unless it's essentially you and a couple buddies, profit and revenue is the elephant in the room. Or the center-piece, depending on how brutally honest management wants to be about it.
    - zodPod 11y ago
      Ah, alright, thanks!
EliRivers 11y ago
So we are in a never ending search for big insights about the world and ways to encode them into fun games. So what's with the raft of dull first-person shooter franchises that aren't fun to play? I suspect it's more like any other industry; churn out what sells.
- ramy_d 11y ago
  People like junk food. EDIT: and there's nothing wrong with that. But the games industry has grown immensely as an art form thanks to independent game developers.
nradov 11y ago
Do games actually make people happy? I used to play a lot of games thinking they would make me happy, but they hardly ever did. Mostly the games turned out to be a lot of extra unpaid work for no tangible benefit. Just grinding away trying to reach the next level, another cut scene, a higher score, etc. So I've pretty much quit playing.
- x5n1 11y ago
  The game of life is mostly like that. Most of the stuff that's suppose to make you happy does very little for you other than give you a reason to waste time and effort. The stuff that makes you happy is usually free but costs time, time you don't have because you spent it all trying to get money to buy stuff that doesn't make you happy.
- ionised 11y ago
  They make me happy. Maybe you're playing the wrong type of games. I find MMOs/MOBAs and a lot of loot-roulltte style games to be devoid of any value for me.

by phaser 11y ago

TraderDuck 11y ago

Not to shit on you in particular, but you seem to have a bit of a chip on your shoulder about other forms of software development being done. Everyone rationalizes what they do. People working in those other industries will usually tell their version of your story: "I'm not working on some shitty game that will be forgotten in a year... I'm working on building a social revolution!!!!" Sorry. For the most part it's all about someone's bottom line. Indie game development isn't any purer than working for startup X on Bush st. that has similar lofty goals about "making people happy." > get bigger returns for a financial firm This is especially funny to me. If you're working for even a Mojang-sized studio, I hate to tell you but: You're definitely using technology to get bigger returns for a firm. Sure, it's not a financial firm. Let's not pretend that the differences are all that meaningful. Instead of stock market returns, game studios just seek to maximize the return they get on game development time. EDIT: s/Riot/Mojang. I didn't realize how large Riot has gotten. > I'll never grow tired of that. Great. And EA will never get tired of people working themselves to death for what inevitably amounts to minimum wage given the hours worked. Guess it's win-win.

zodPod 11y ago
All points well said. You spoke my mind really. I felt the same way. All of the stuff that I've worked on, it's not just so some company can get richer. The story is that we're helping people. They also will likely use our products for a lot longer and get a lot more productive use out of it than any game. Side note: Didn't Mojang get bought by Microsoft? Are they still considered small? (NOTE: I've not researched this is a serious, not-loaded question..)
- TraderDuck 11y ago
  Yeah, they did. I'm not sure how independent they are, but they're still around roughly 50 people it seems. I was just making the point that unless it's essentially you and a couple buddies, profit and revenue is the elephant in the room. Or the center-piece, depending on how brutally honest management wants to be about it.
  - zodPod 11y ago
    Ah, alright, thanks!

EliRivers 11y ago

So we are in a never ending search for big insights about the world and ways to encode them into fun games. So what's with the raft of dull first-person shooter franchises that aren't fun to play? I suspect it's more like any other industry; churn out what sells.

ramy_d 11y ago
People like junk food. EDIT: and there's nothing wrong with that. But the games industry has grown immensely as an art form thanks to independent game developers.

nradov 11y ago

Do games actually make people happy? I used to play a lot of games thinking they would make me happy, but they hardly ever did. Mostly the games turned out to be a lot of extra unpaid work for no tangible benefit. Just grinding away trying to reach the next level, another cut scene, a higher score, etc. So I've pretty much quit playing.

x5n1 11y ago
The game of life is mostly like that. Most of the stuff that's suppose to make you happy does very little for you other than give you a reason to waste time and effort. The stuff that makes you happy is usually free but costs time, time you don't have because you spent it all trying to get money to buy stuff that doesn't make you happy.
ionised 11y ago
They make me happy. Maybe you're playing the wrong type of games. I find MMOs/MOBAs and a lot of loot-roulltte style games to be devoid of any value for me.