How we tend to be jerks…

I was reading this post on 7 Reasons Why YOU Are the Next Great Game Developer and it struck a cord.

For one thing, I went through that phase (yes, its a phase for Software Developers) where I wanted to create the next great MMORPG. And I knew for sure those jerks that kept telling me it wasn’t going to happen were all morons and should just shut up. There were lots of them too. But I ignored them, and marched on… aimlessly… for a few months (or years maybe?). In the end, the morons were right. But you know what? I learned a lot about open source, about programming, computer graphics, and a lot of other stuff from that experience. I also got to meet and make online buddies (from all over the world) with some really interesting people – and I still keep in touch with a few of them. Looking back, I would have definitely done things differently but I think as an experience, it was a useful and enjoyable one. … Eventually, I did make a few semi-complete games – one with some guys during my freshman year at UCI, and another during a Univ. course (this course/subsequent event was featured here actually). I also joined up with the Video Game Dev. Club at UCI, where we actually did make a few (OK, at least one) semi-complete game and even got to help out Dave Perry when he was working on a game design book (he even gave us some really neat gifts!). The thing is … if I had not cultivated the love for game design and development with the failed MMORPG, I wouldn’t have done any of the other stuff either – and I definitely would have regretted that.

Lesson? I guess it is kind of something like – even if an idea is stupid, and everyone is telling you so, you will eventually get something out of it. And the idea probably isn’t stupid anyway – people just tend to be jerks – they like to criticize first. I admit – even I have done it … in fact, a lot. I share ideas (software & business ideas) with my brother lots of times and he does the same with me. He shoots down most of mine, and I shoot down most of his (actually, I don’t think he has had any good ideas yet – just kidding bro). I think I do go with some slight hope that he finds a particular idea cool too. But most of the time there’s problems. I now prefer that he mostly point out whats wrong and why something won’t work rather than why it might. And its not just with my brother – someone else brings up something useful, I try to criticize first. I don’t know where I picked up that bad habit (is it?) but I do do it (Word would have highlighted the second do by now). Actually – it might have been the ##c++ channel on freenode – what a joyfully geek elitist channel that is. When you first go to the channel, you start out wondering why your simple polymorphism question turned into everyone ganging up on you to tell you how your program is fatally flawed (and they haven’t seen a single line of code in it!). Over the years, you eventually pick up enough of C++ to start being one the jerks on the other side who gets ready to pounce (with your gang of nerds) on that unsuspecting species – the n00bs. Yep… that was it – hanging out in that channel is what turned me into this arrogant criticize-first (I swear its like an instinct) guy.

Wait, I’m not going the direction I want to go … what I actually want to say is that critics are helpful most of the time. The reality is that most video games are not very successful – most companies are not very successful – most people don’t get filthy rich – most people don’t become famous – most MMORPGs fail. These are things you probably considered but in the end, you somehow dismissed them. I do that – I somehow dismiss important things – I later forget why exactly I thought my social networking idea was better than myspace, and why my groupware application was going to rule them all! Then my jerk of a brother or one of the friends comes along and says HEY STUPID! – you did realize you can’t dismiss that right? A lot of the time that little voice has been trying to yell in your ear but you haven’t been listening. But sometimes, there was no little voice and what the critics say is something you never considered at all.

So, even though this article was a nice pick-me-up and feel-good piece (OK, it was kind of helpful too), the let-downers and kill-joys also have solid advice to give. They just have to make it more friendly. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM people!