Game Development Caution, Part 2

I talk more about development caution, based on comments from my first video.

[dodecahedron]

Legendary developer Tim Cain announces his new warehouse simulator horror game franchise

[Owl]

Tim, this is the internet. There are insane people who will misinterpret whatever you say, and will dislike you no matter what, so keep that in mind when you read ""criticism"". Some of it is not worth your time to care about.

[carlosramon]

From an outsider perspective it seems as though modern devs don't feel as if they have a stake in the game, as if they're just assembly workers putting together a product. It seems the non-indie side of the video gaming industry has been corrupted with the corporate mentality of "shut up and just do as you're told" and discouraging mistakes through punishment instead of encouraging good helpfulness with rewards.

[whyitsfun]

I would absolutely watch a video on the process of rapid prototyping. As someone who has been quietly working on their own projects as a hobbyist hearing your perspective on the workflow is always incredibly valuable!

[Iron_Wyvern]

I don't know how anyone could have come away from that video thinking you were the "bad guy". Imagine having reasonable work standards lol

[kaptainkommando]

Hey Tim, I totally agree that sometimes people mistake passionate discussions as yelling because they are not used to voicing their perspective in their personal life or inner circle without it devolving into a mess. Your inner circle or family raised you in a solutions oriented discussion environment. I think you've nailed the issue that most people are battling their ego in a discussion instead of looking for the root cause of the issue. Great topic!

[MFKitten]

After working at a nursing home and a hospital, I can definitely say that the kind of situations you've described are not "game development personalities" or something.

People are just like this. Everywhere. I've encountered situations that felt very similar to things you've described, but with nurses and doctors. People have sore points, people are difficult and precious and stubborn. They also do great work.

[gameboardgames]

So much of this rings true (especially Part 1) going from working at a Activision Blizzard studio to being a solo indie game dev guy. The larger an organization gets, the more inefficient and cautious it'll become. Likewise the more money is involved, the less risks will be taken.

[toffotin]

I also like to use lots of examples, because it's how my mind works the best.
But I notice it's not how a lot of other people think, and they tend to get caught in the specifics of the example.

Loved both of these development caution videos, thanks a lot!

[sasmoman]

Part one and two of your thoughts are the best thing I've seen on YouTube in a loong while.

Keep up the good work and thank you for keeping games FUN!

[Simon_Laserna]

Hey Timothy.

This will be my sixth year in game development, and I find myself dealing with many of these boxes. I have discussions about many of these things with my coworkers. While I might not be the best at driving youtube comments, I want you to know that you instigate a lot of healthy discussions for me and my colleges. Many great lunch discussions.

It must be hard bringing things like this up. Especially when discussions go in directions, or take tones, which are not productive, or healthy. However, you help so many people by highlighting these boxes, and jumpstarting discussions about them.

Thank you for all of the insights, and great discussions!❤

[TheBunnan]

This caution you're seeing is in most creative industries/ team environments where something is produced as an end product (think health care or even an abstract like justice). All pervasive is the managerial culture, geared toward micromanaging employes into what is perceived as increased productivity. Personal reasonability, passion, and a willingness to positively engage in good-faith open discussions are all unwanted traits that will be actively punished in that environment; you are seen as "difficult" or "hard to manage" if you want to do anything other than what you're told to do or question why things are being done how they are. Waiting to be told what to do is a sad survival trait developed from contact with thin-skinned managers who don't have the capacity to do anything other than what they have learned in business school.

Keep shining the torch Tim, we won't get anywhere without it :)

[Ihearvoicez]

I genuinely think there are people who have grown up in environments where they have to take everything literally. There is little to no implied sarcasm in their lives or hyperbole or exaggeration, which makes it hard for them to understand a story which is by design made to obfuscate the real events to hide identities and timelines.
These videos are an amazing window into the world of game development that you have experienced and I have never taken it as anything but thank you for them and never stop doing them or censoring yourself to avoid misunderstandings of people who can't see that this is only your experiences and they don't have to solve things you did decades ago for you lol.

[TobiasSherman]

Kidney stone = Get science in the room I want the pain to stop. This man has a great way with words!

[steinmov]

I have been reading several of your posts. As an artist in the industry, the situation you describe really hits home. BTW, out side of video game development, the problems you talk about are very common. Thanks.

[kibels]

The first video was great, as a somewhat junior dev who came up in this new culture and doesn't know better. Don't be discouraged, your insight is very helpful.

[jenninexus]

These are awesome game dev topics - keep 'em comin! I'm learning so much & you're so chill to listen to.

[Garresh]

This video and it's predecessor made me realize that almost every game I've loved and go back to also pisses me off in one way or another. Because it took risks and some of those ideas didn't pan out. Almost every classic or beloved game has a few rough edges.

[Average-Lizard]

Never seen/heard of your content before these 2 that just got suggested to me.

As a software engineer with 5 years in a couple companies, it’s awesome to hear your stories and wisdom.
Thank you for caring and sharing what you care about - it does certainly affect others like me. It gets me thinking about being considerate to others, but also how I can improve myself and our processes (and I’m not even a game dev). Very motivating

[lookalivebrett]

As a layman to game dev, I find your perspective valuable. I especially appreciate the metered and nuanced approach. I imagine it's gonna be pretty difficult to prescribe solutions to every issue mentioned because there will be one for every person, so I get why there aren't solutions provided for every bit of caution. If only closing a door could be used in more situations, right? 😂

But for all the nuance you include in your shares, it's negativity that gets clicks. I think it's great you show up to add to tense issues like this.

Keep up the good work.