The Precipice of Change!

We're currently standing at the precipice of change in the creative industry; Of course, the gaming industry is always changing and moving in one direction or another; as is evident when observing how typical game-design have changed over a small period of years.

So the big question on everyone's lips is this "What's this change you speak of, and what’s my stake in it?"... OK so maybe not on everyone's lips but lets be frank, I’ve peaked your interest! Yes it's true I’m afraid; We are currently entering an age where focus is being placed on enhanced console-gaming. A world where motion controls are the homecoming kings and queens. And the regular controls are being gradually left behind.

This also means that game design is being forced in a specific direction. And i know, i know... "Motion controls are just a fad, it'll pass eventually!"; Yes this is true, motion controls have been around for many years and have only recently begun to gradually raise to the top.

However, this will impact the creative industry, and sub-sequentially the game-developers for years to come.

It's not all "doom" and "gloom" though; Because we know this is going to happen, we can adapt to the situation and begin to develop games before people even know that they crave them.
There is of course an inherent risk involved in this approach, so naturally the stakes are pretty high.

The reason behind my commitment to my cause is in actuality not one of necessity, but one of desire.

I have a desire to create my own company and produce games that will be enjoyed throughout the world. But i could equally be apart of another company's developer team.

I want to be able to look down on a product or at a forum and say proudly "I helped make this!" and i want to be able to do it repeatedly and with greater success each time.

By observing the current market, we can establish what exists and what the audience/consumers wish to see, it is my belief that by combining what has been established as good design with new elements that the public have yet to experience but crave.

You could say that my "Window of opportunity" stems from the fact that while bigger developers focus on whats tried and true; i could easily get funding for a smaller project that can rival the bigger ones simply by being daring and enhancing upon their model of success. The problem with doing this is that it sends ripples up the creek, and eventually the bigger companies will feel secure enough to "copy" your approach.

But there will always be competition in the creative industries, This is because most project are constructed upon the same existing model-frameworks. most FPS' games, for example, usually employ the same base-mechanics (such as WASD moment, interactive objects and CTF-gamemodes).

I feel that the correct approach to this is to alter the base-model each time you begin a new project to keep things fresh; with consideration of course. It's a bad idea to throw out a mechanic or function that works; simply because it's tried and true.

And as i mentioned above, this is a "high risk/potentially high reward"-approach and failure is always an option, but as Master Yoda said to Luke Skywalker; "There is no try, there is do or don't".

The cost however, and consequences of a failed product, is somewhat of a stain on your resumé. In worst cases it would potentially mean bankruptcy for a smaller development-company. In cases such as these, it's important to find alternate funding that can keep the company afloat until a successful product is released.

Now i could go into details about my current project; but i choose not to since that would compromise project-integrity; This is a public blog after all!

Now, we all know that one guy (or maybe your are that one guy) that thinks "I don't care about the evolution of the industry". Well you should!
Waaaay back; in the beginning when we first began to ride the computational-highways into "digitalized" entertainment, we were lucky enough to only have one game. Don't get me wrong, at the time it was awesome in every single way; but as time went on and we began to establish a wider market; that meant we also had to step up our game (pun intended).

Sure, we've all been there; we've all said to ourselves "Hey, time has nothing to do with it... some games will be awesome until the end of days" and we would be right! But have you ever tried going back to those "top-notch-of-their-times" games we loved when we were younger?

If you have, chances are that you remembered it differently, and you weren't as entertained now as you were back then. This is because we crave new and exciting things. And as old things become even older we tend to become spoiled with new performance and visual enhancements.

So you see; you should care about the evolution of games and conventional game design because in the end, you (the consumer) are responsible for how the industry adapts/evolves.

The process of developing games can be considered a "war on two fronts". Firstly there has to be a desire for that particular type of game; This is were consumers such as yourself must take action, Voice you wishes throughout every available media! Give cause for production!

The other end is the developer-side; We need to gather information and prototype mechanics to be sure that what we deliver is in consensus with your desires.

In contrast to that there is a opportunity here; Not only for a up-and-starting company, but also for the members of the project group.

You see, before any company evolves into a corporate giant, they usually start out as groups of independent developers.
Indie(Independent) developers don't have the financial backing that bigger corporations do and because of this, they cannot compete with AAA-titles.

But at the same time; This allows them to pursue new and unexplored territories, which is why they still hold a big portion of the market in a iron grip.
Because they can explore these territories they also gain greater insight on what works and what don't, A leisure that bigger companies usually don't have.

Indie games can help establish a previous un-tapped type of games, and because of this Indie games usually pave the future of game development. Good ideas are invested in, and bad ones are avoided. Because funding is relatively low, this is a good way to establish working parameters for a specific target audience.

Because Indie games usually explore "previously undiscovered" areas of the market; They have little competition (with the exception of similar game types of course!). Because of this they generate relatively greater revenue than what conventional games do. This can be considered a "gap" in the market, that people didn't even know existed.

However! Even if this is considered a financial opportunity, it is hard to give even a rough estimate of potential revenue that can be gained through this method of marketing. This is due to the fact that by moving further away from conventional design can cause both larger and smaller gaps in target audience, All i can say that is from my own observations is that my project is probably not gonna be the best game ever released, but still generate enough revenue to further allow us to create new games.

So what is to gain from this "project" I'm working on?

well... new (and existing) stakeholders/members of the project may be offered a financial compensation upon successful launch of the game. This is dependant on how well it sells and what resources are available to the company... the goal is, of course, to adequately compensate all members of the project, but short of that, the only thing that can be gained through working in this project is insight and experience. 

Im sure there are people who are thinking "Why not do it yourself and keep all the profit?". Well first of all I am hardly a graphical artist, and anything short of stick figures and geometrical figures is pretty much out of my league... but it is also my belief that projects can only benefit from additional points of view. Having more members can, of course, be difficult to control, especially when no clear hiearchy has been established, but it will potentially pay off in the end.

I also intend to try and circumvent many problems by inducing a strict "no-change" policy after a certain date. Changes after that, shall be discussed and comtemplated provided that they have good reasons.

Don't get me wrong, all projects start out a special way, but change drastically during production. The end-results usually end up quite different from the original idea. 

The cause of this is that as the project progresses sacrifices/revisions are essential to ensure good quality. This is mainly because ideas and opinions are always changing; and an idea that seemed good yesterday might sound less perfect tomorrow. I do not believe my project (or my idea) to be any different in this matter.

As with every project, new participants would have to invest time and skill into the project. Since this can be considered a "kickstart" for a company there is no promise of monitary compensation other than a share of the profits upon successfull launch of our first product.

Future Endeavours

Once you know where you want to go; and know where you stand. All that is left is the journey.

Where do i find myself in a few years?

Am i going to be on my way to realize my dream or simply be stuck at some crummy 09 - 17 ("nine to five") job? Do i even know the road which i want to take?

Since my major interest in game design comes from story-telling and/or integration of story into games i would very much enjoy working for, or collaborating with the corprate giants that roam those territories.

I am refering to four in specific. These four being "Bioware", "Bethesda", "Blizzard" and "Firaxis".

My success in gaining employment for one (or more) of said companies will have to rely heavily on my ability to pitch my portfolio, and/or any internship or work samples i can deliver.

What we have here is a classic catch-22 scenario; whereas i have no experience to appear attractive (at the moment), but because i can't appear attractive, i cannot get experience.

Hopefully i am able to land a sweet position in either design or programming as those are within my primary capabilities; However i would believe that someone with my personality traits would do his/her best work at a administrative position. However, such deduction can only be enforced by previous co-workers.

The knowledge being offered at the Gotland University, mixed with self-studies and project-work constructs a framework for a broad set of skills; Potentially this can be used to help "boost" existing projects with some new insight and/or observations; but can also assist in establishing the risk/reward when hiring me unto a more permanent position within a company.

Who Am I?

"Who Am I?"

Have you ever stopped to ponder this question? To review all your skillsets and flaws so that you may better portay yourself to other people?

In the creative industry, primarily the gaming sector, it is a question refering to being attractive; No, im not talking physically (It won't hurt though), I talking about having a skill or competence that someone else desires or can make use of.

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So in that sense, who am i?

Well, My name is Marcus and I'm 22 years old. I was born the youngest of a family of 4 brothers and a sister, and was at an early age introduced to the world of computers.

I have studied the process of designing and producing video-/digital games since the age of 16, with a degree from LBS (Ljud- och Bildskolan) and Gotland University.
I am currently in my fourth year (also known as the master-year) at the Gotland Unviersity with the long term goal of furthering my knowledge into production.

"Well thats great and all, but what about you personally?"

Good point! Degrees are really just a piece of paper stating that a school acknowledges that you have satisfactory knowledge into a subject. But personality is also important, and at times, and sometimes even crucial when you are applying for a job or want to hire someone into your group.

Being the youngest of 4 brothers and a sister, i learned at a young age that i had to take charge and not let others boss me around, this manifested into what others have called; "Strong leadership skills, to a fault", and "Stubborn once he has his eyes set unto a path". These traits can both be considered positive or negative, depending on the context in which they are placed.

I believe in taking responsibility for my actions, and thusly its important for me to deliver what i promise; This means that i'll make the neccecary sacrifices in order complete a task that i have knowingly accepted.
This could, however, mean that the end result might differ from what was originally intended.


If i had to guess, my interest in game design stems from a rooted desire to be creative; Since arts & crafts weren't my strongest subject in school, i had to satisfy that need through other means. Lo and behold, there was game design, a chance to let the imagination flow rampant!






"I see, and whats your background?"

My story begins at a very young age; Riiight around the age of 6 when i first started playing Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Of course, at this age i payed no attention to the design of the games, i merely found them entertaining and a good way to pass the time. However, as i grew older i began to pay more and more attention to the plot/stories told within the game, and the messages that they could sometimes bring.

in a sense, good game design became my abstract role model as i payed little, or no attention to the actual designers but more their results.
This inspired me to begin researching game design and how one would create and integrate a good story into a game.

By the age of 16 i had begun my studies into game development at LBS ( Ljud- och Bildskolan), and after a three year period i was eligible to enroll at Gotland University with a major in Game Design.
I am currently partaking in the so-called "Forth year" of studies at Gotland University which will further specialize my talents into the production of games.

However, i am not furthering my knowledge into game design because of the promise of fame or fortune; no no... It is a passion of mine, one that has been slowly growing ever since that faithful day when i first picked up the SNES controller and experience the world of gaming for the first time.




"What is it that you hope to accomplish?"

I want to learn how to become a better designer, And that means seeking out challenges near the border of my existing knowledge. The ultimate goal is to become a lot better at what i do so that i am able to create my own game production company, and be able to see my ideas come into fruition.

It is something of a dream to be able to tell a story that has such impact that people actually take something from it and makes the world a better place. The effort I'm putting into my education and sub sequentially all the games i'll be working on in the future is part of that dream...

Remember, its not always the destination that matters, its the journey there!



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There is a certain finesse involved when making a compiling your profile for a review, and sometimes it can help to go a little META and observe what you've chosen to share from the perspective of the person reading it.

Say that you for instance wanted to look beneath the surface and analyze in what manner the applicant chose his/her answers; what method does one use?

Well, there is a method in psychology that uses something called the "Five Factor Model" that allows you to observe and categorize the applicants personality. Lets try it out shall we?

• The applicant appears to be positive in his/her writing this suggests a positive attitude.
• The applicant likes to take charge but may have a problem with others leadership. Applicant also respects hierarchy.
• The Applicant seems to know where he/she wants to go in life.
• The Applicant seems to understand his/her responsibility and probably won't shirk his/her duties, might sacrifice quality to finish on time.
• The Applicant expresses a passion for being creative

The applicant is most likely a organized and consistent person who is confidant in his/her abilities but still wishes to learn more. The applicant can possibly come across as cold bur respectful to his/her co-workers.