You’ve been playing against this guy for a while now, and he just never seems to lose – no matter what you throw at him. What’s worse, you’re beginning to suspect that he isn’t even trying! If only you knew his secret… Today, I’ll be taking some time to tell you what we at the Sirlin Games playtesting lab believe sets apart the best players from everyone else out there in the world of gaming.
How it all started
I used to think that I knew the answer to everything. I was never wrong and was always right. But then one day, I lost my job and everything changed. I found myself living with my parents again, feeling useless, and without direction.
With nowhere else to turn, I started a game company with my friends from high school just so we could have something to do. It didn’t make any sense at the time and it still doesn’t but it’s been a way for me to be productive since then.
Where do I fit?
I’m not here to talk about the 1% of games that succeed. I’m here to tell you about the other 99%. The games that never see the light of day. The games that haunt my dreams.
You might be thinking, But these games are all failures, why should I care? Well, chances are if you’re reading this blog post and have any interest at all in game development then you probably care a lot about games.
You might even be wondering where you fit into all this. Where do YOU fit? I’m so glad you asked! There’s no one size fits all when it comes to game development, but as a general rule there are two types of people who make up our world: creators and followers.
What if this isn’t for me?
It’s a question many of us ask ourselves when we’re starting out. There is a sense of fear that the idea you have will be one that other people find less than compelling, or worse still that it won’t resonate with anyone.
It’s the fear of sitting down at your desk to work on something for hours and coming up with nothing. But if you think about it, there are plenty of reasons why someone might not want to start a game or pursue a career in games as well. It might be because they don’t enjoy playing games themselves, or don’t see how they can connect their skills to this industry.
What do I need to be good at games?
There are many skills that are necessary to be a great gamer. If you want to become an expert at any video game, you will need to understand the game’s mechanics and rules, practice your techniques on a regular basis, and spend hours and hours playing the game. There is no way around it. The more time you put into gaming, the better of a player you will become.
Can’t I just play my mobile games?
The first reason that I started game development was to create something. It didn’t matter if it was a video game, a book, or a painting. I wanted to make something with my own hands and feel that sense of fulfillment when the end result is complete. The second reason is because I want to show myself that I can do this – that the limits that society imposes on me are not real.
The third reason for starting to develop games was because of how much fun it is! When you’re working on your own project, you don’t have deadlines or anything else weighing down on you. You have time to experiment and play around with different ideas without having to worry about getting things done quickly or at all.
Do I have what it takes?
I often find myself asking if I have what it takes to start a game company. Am I the right kind of person? Am I smart enough? Will people like my idea? The answer is, Maybe. It’s hard to tell whether you’re the right person or not until you’ve tried.
One thing that helps me is to remember that this isn’t just about me; it’s about a lot of other people who might not be able to do it on their own. That realization makes me feel less pressure and more excited about the prospect of making something new and fun for everyone!
