Ultimate Game Design : Building game worlds

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game sessions. If you’re 70, the game industry needs you. Maybe no one is making
the kind of games that you would enjoy, and console games are not the only kind of
games worth making. Some of the best games ever made didn’t start with poorly
constructed design documents. They started with an idea about what kind of action
might be fun to manipulate. They started with a feeling and someone saying “I’d like
to make a game that …”
You don’t stop being able to contribute to gaming at 24 years old, and you don’t
need to be 24 to contribute—regardless of what they tell you in job interviews.
Seventh grade, 70, or anywhere in between, I applaud your interest in trying to
learn more about game design. I can’t wait to play the games that you’ll make for all
of us.
Creating Your Perspective and Maintaining Your Passion
If you are beginning your foray into the game industry, it is extremely important that
you define certain goals for yourself. “Get a job in games” is not the kind of goal I’m
talking about, but it is an obvious part of the process. If you are persistent, flexible,
and passionate, you will find a way into the game industry if you haven’t already.
When I speak of goals, I’m not talking about deciding on a choice between becoming
a programmer versus becoming a texture artist either. I’m referring to your own individual
goals about what you want to accomplish in games, how you define yourself,
and about what you expect from your time in the game industry.
You’ll have to decide for yourself what you would like to accomplish in games, but
remember to enjoy the journey. It will be the journey that makes you look back and
smile more than any single ship date. It will be the barbecues and the road trips between
the milestones. If your game doesn’t ship after 19 long months of development, if it
gets cancelled, your team will experience a mini-grieving period, but believe me, you
will last and move beyond. I’ve seen developers have nervous breakdowns trying to
ship games. It isn’t possibly worth it in any way, and it is a tragic ending to a story
that began with great hope and excitement.
I can tell you that many developers start out in the game industry wanting to build
their own version of the greatest game ever made. Some have been thinking about this
particular game for much of their gaming life. This is a perfectly natural beginning.
Other new developers may dream of having their own game development studio
some day. This is another perfectly natural aspiration. Make sure that what you want
to accomplish in games stays true to something deeply grounded within you.
Some developers “define” themselves by their affiliation or work in the game
industry. If they couldn’t mention the fact that they work at such and such a game
company at a cocktail party, they just might shrivel up and die. You should absolutely
take pride in your work, but don’t make the mistake of defining yourself by it.
When you get your first game job at 19 or 22, it’s an exciting feeling to start living out
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Getting Started in Game Development