• 9Dec 09

  The Long View

  I just celebrated another birthday, but it didn't hit me until I was sitting across the table from one of EA's senior engine programmers just how far removed I've become from my younger self. It's not the years, it's the content in them that's changed, and with all the shifts in my life from "young gamer" to "college grad" I thought it'd be worthwhile to share the truths I've gleamed.

  I won't waste your time with straight "advice" - but as someone whose worked in, and with, the gaming industry, I have to say - it might be worth your time to take a break from arguing about the latest Marios and give it a whirl.

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  Authority

  There is no false authority in the universe... because there is no authority. In my youth I believed the "adults" and "experts" out there at least knew something. The further I've gotten into the industry, the more I've come to see that they simply don't. There's no special "magical solution" lobe that grows on your brain the moment you turn thirty.

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  Authority doesn't exist outside of what credence we give it, and it never will. Kingdoms crumble, presidents are replaced and senators die of heart attacks. I don't mean that you should have disrespect for people in high places, but you should carry a healthy degree of skepticism.

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  I became "known" on GameSpot for having a rebellious attitude towards the "establishment" of review media on the web. To this day, I'm happy to prove exactly why MetaCritic, VGchartz, and friends are the worst thing to happen to gaming since the Virtual Boy. In fact, much like the Virtual Boy, they provide a fuzzy, monochromatic view of gaming that benefits no one.

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  Trust yourself, the older I've gotten the more I've found that the only authority on my enjoyment is myself. It seems so obvious, but in a gaming universe dominated by social pressures and big names, it's easy to miss the forest for the trees. As odd as it sounds, the only games I remember, the only games I feel retain impact all these years later, are those weird little games that no one played... the games that felt like they were made just for me.

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  Pass the message along - "authority flop confirmed" - think for yourself and you'll be far better off.

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  You Heroes are Ordinary People

  This is a hard one, because in the gaming world we have egomaniacs like Peter Molyneux who would like you to think otherwise, but you need to know that your heroes are normal people. I know them, I've met them, I know many of the staff of EA Games on a first name basis, and they're simply no different from any of you. They get up, pay the bills, go to work, go to school - just like anyone else.

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  The people who think otherwise are intolerable. I warn you of this not simply because it will screw up your career advancement (no one is going to keep an uppity intern) but because it will make you a miserable person. Working in the gaming industry doesn't make you better than anyone else, and people who are down to earth and accessible are FAR more popular than the jerks out there. You may never be as wealthy as Bob Kotick, but you'll have friends you can trust and genuine loved ones at your funeral.

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  For those of you trying to get in to the gaming industry, I wish you the best of luck, but I want you to know you shouldn't be unhappy just because you "don't make it". You don't have to be a game programmer to have a less-than-ordinary life, the same ambition and creativity that drive you to build new worlds will serve you well no matter where you work. You have a gift in your intellect that no one can take away - don't let money or employment come between you and your happiness.

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  In the immortal words of the Rolling Stones "you can't always get what you wanna... but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need". The father of gaming, the Mario man himself, Shigeru Miyamoto, is always smiling, and is renowned for his simple life of gardening, gaming, and caring for his family.

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  You Only Get Tired of the Bull

  I suppose I'm part of the generation that never stopped gaming. Unlike my parents, who put down the joystick as they got older, I've found that gaming has become more a part of my life the older I've gotten. Graduating from college has given me the free time (not to mention financial resources) to finally live some of my dreams. From owning the giant TV I'd always wanted growing up, to competing in Magic: the Gathering tournaments against globally recognized Pro Tour champions, I've only found my love of gaming to increase with age.

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  While my love of gaming has aged like a fine wine, my tolerance for the stupidity in the industry hasn't. When I first ventured onto the internet at the age of thirteen, the average message board was a stomping ground for intellectual discovery. By my early twenties the internet chatter was getting tiresome, and now I find it downright annoying. It's not that it's pointless, it's simply that it takes too much effort to change someone's mind over the internet.

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  With the duties of work, family, and Modern Warfare taking up much of my free time, the value of someone's opinion on the internet has reached roughly zero. Don't take that the wrong way - I'm still fan of reading reviews, watching funny videos and that "sha-bang" - it's just the days of caring about trolls on a message board are long past. Take it from me, the older you get, the less time you have to waste on stupidity.

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  Summing it Up

  So what's it all mean to you? Well, take it for what it is - trust yourself, remember that your heroes are no different than you, and don't waste your time with the trolls. If you love gaming, you'll be doing it the rest of your life - and you'll be better off avoiding the people who want to steal your enjoyment. Oh, and eat some vegetables! Yeah, old people are always saying that...

  • Posted Dec 9, 2009 9:47 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 29Nov 09

  And Now for Your Regularly Scheduled Broadcast

  

  stolen from Other People's Business- it's the best neutral take on MW2 thus far.

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  I'll be returning to regular posting on December 7th.

  • Posted Nov 29, 2009 9:04 pm PT
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• 26Oct 09

  I'm Throwing Breath Mints in the Sewer Again

  Linked

  For those of you who complain I don't post enough in SW anymore

  • Posted Oct 26, 2009 10:28 pm PT
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