Often people bumping into what I write on a forum or on this website point at me as an idiot. They define me as an arrogant, egocentric and superficial stupid who believes to know everything. With the right to criticize and attack people from a self granted podium. well, I can easily understand why it happens but the truth is that my behaviour is the consequence of opposite feelings.

I do not believe “talent” exists. Or, better, it exists in extremely rare cases but with two characteristics. The first is that it isn’t easy to spot. Never. Often you need another talent to find the other. The second point is also related. “Talents” do not make the history (after they die, maybe). The true talent is always a strongly personal attitude and sensibility that rarely has the quality of being popular and evident. The talent isn’t a bold line, it’s something thin that requires a dedicated and sincere observation. It’s hard to understand because it’s so personal. What makes the history and what is way more easy to recognize is the commitment and dedication.

If you go read what people in the game industry write to who asks for advices about how to find a way in this world the answer will always be similar: “demonstrate that you can finish the work”.

That’s it. That’s the main skill you are required to have. It’s not about having fancy ideas or approaches. It’s just about the practical sense. The reality. Concreteness. The ability to take compromises. The possibility to get the work done even in a terrible situation that is clearly going wrong. This because working and making games is real. There’s a definite line between perfection and ideas from a side and compromises and restless work from the other. Even the best games do not come out as ideals. They come out of “labor”. And a lot of “wrong” compromises.

For sure noone tries to do something wrong deliberately and, without ideas, you do not go far away. But the practice is always filled with walls that you can easily shatter only if you are staring while sitting on a chair, spitting words. Everyone is able to see the mistakes of someone else or simply pick carefully that 1% of the total work done that didn’t go as expected. It’s always a “granted” position. You are completely safe with the luxury to choose exactly that single element you feel like criticizing. Dismissing all the rest.

All this to explain and support my idea about “talent”. I do not believe you can trust “talent” to make games. I also do not believe to have it, personally. Nor it’s the reason why I like to be the “armchair designer”. I know that what makes someone valuable is the dedication, the passion. The endless struggle to move forward, learn new things, accept the critics ans still gather the strengths to understand how to move. The best and successful games come from people who are “workers”. I know that often they lose track of what they are doing. They swallow stuff they do not understand and do not accept. The competence is hard and slow to acquire.

The result isn’t that “fun”. The reality doesn’t look good. It’s a type of world where who accepts more compromises and knows how to behave wins. Experienced developers have their hard and slowly acquired competence as the only strength because there are youngsters out there with fresher minds and without ties like a family to keep care of. They are easily “seduced” by the system and used. But from the other side they know nothing about how to get the work done and how to deal with endless compromises.

Horrible, cloned games will continue to be made. Clueless managers will continue to lead projects and promote all the worst ideas. The design mistakes will reamain glaring. It’s the world of the compromise. The best people are those who are able to look at this with some sense of humor. Those who can keep finding and valorize the little nuggets. Those who enjoy the ride. As opposed to people like me that keep looking things wrongly, that are always dissatisfied, discontent and jaded. Those who find so easily plenty of very good excuses to not move a finger :)