| The game development industry is in some ways quite similar to the film industry. We create entertainment for the masses, escapism for people as they are taken into different lives, and amazing worlds of imagination and wonder. The outsider’s view of what it must be like to work in these industries is often enjoyed through rose-tinted glasses.
I admit, creating characters and seeing them brought to life is an amazing thing. Given the opportunity to be creative, to be in a position where my hobby is also my work, is like a dream come true. I feel lucky to do what I do. I know a lot of people who don’t enjoy their jobs; they dread each day, which must be a sad existence especially since we spend most of our lives working.
Unfortunately, the game development industry is not all sugarcoated rainbows; being a game artist does have its tedious times. For example, when you’re faced with months of optimization, reducing someone else’s work to speed up the game can leave your creative juices running dry. Then there are the bug fixing stages at the end of a project. Imagine having to drive around a track, or search an expansive game world inch by inch to check for a rock that is sticking into the ground just a little too much. It’s at these stages in a project when the shine comes off the job, but there is always the next project. |
