Thursday, February 17, 2011

Risk and Opportunity

I'm going to skip right over the 'sorry for never posting' bit and get to the point quickly this time. It's a simple message to the game development community, and I can sum it up in 3 little words: We're missing out.

Anyone could tell how I'm missing an opportunity. It's much bigger than the fact that I am not doing what I studied for a living. The fact is that at my core I am a game developer, and though I am one of you I am not among you. The only programming I can do is on my own in my short and scattered free time. Perhaps the worst of all is knowing that anything I create will probably only be experienced by a select few. Despite all of this I keep programming, but I would have to be insane to not aspire for more.

Now for the shot that you're missing out on. You're not only missing out on me, but plenty of others just like me. The fact is that we can contribute. We can we can inspire. We can each look at the same thing from a completely different perspective and use it to challenge those around us. We may not all revolutionize the gaming world, but we each could make a difference if given the chance.

Yet our applications get pushed to the bottom of the stack; our e-mails get categorized for auto-response rejections; or in all likelihood we are ignored and forgotten. Why? Because we haven't made a game you can buy at GameStop? Because we haven't used the $600 software that you're company uses? Because we don't know enough people who already work for you? I understand that these are reasons to make a safe choice, but by eliminating risk you effectively eliminate innovation itself. I'm not claiming that every company is so quick to disregard us, but I've seen it enough to know it's real, and as a community we cannot allow this to happen.

I realize that this must all sound like a sales pitch, and perhaps in truth; it is. In that vein it's important to acknowledge that its not me I'm pushing for. I'm asking that you give us a shot. Make a phone call, set up a web cam chat, even help us to meet you in person and shake your hand if you can. If you can give us one opportunity to demonstrate what we can do I guarantee we will surprise you.

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