Every generation-defining game was built by a bunch of passionate nerds.
It takes an obsessed mind to delve into the details that make a great game. If you want to create a game that stands the test of time, become a passionate nerd. Invest your soul into your craft. Surround yourself with passionate nerds.
The games that define a whole new genre first have to incubate in the minds of obssessed individuals focused on the fun. These people have played dozens of games just to extract one mechanic synthesized from all their experiences into their new game. These nerds can’t be bothered by social status, social skills, or other petty endeavors. Their passion for finding the fun overrides everything.
Environment
The environment they’re in encourages this passion, and frees them to wield it. It does everything to stoke the passion, and nothing to throw water on it. Their passion is protected and celebrated at all costs.
Passion and craftsmanship are the secret ingredient to any great project. As Gabe Newell once said, “Late is just for a little while. Suck is forever.”
Too many companies are concerned with deadlines. Passionate nerds don’t have deadlines. They wait until their passion is satisfied—when the game finally hums.
Passion singularities
Having never built a complete game, I see how intimidating that process can be. And how rare it would be to be surrounded by like-minded nerds to come together on a project like Starcraft, World of Warcraft, Gears of War, or Halo.
One person can have a ton of passion. Many passionate nerds together create a kind of passion singularity that feeds on itself and grows supermassive.
When passion is at the heart of a team, a silly joke can become a polished core game mechanic. You create a new gun just because you think it’s cool, and tweak it into a fan favorite. An easter egg that was made for a laugh between friends can sneak its way into the game, inspiring millions to be the weird people they were meant to be.
No fear
It’s only when the risk of embarrassment and failure is completely ignored that you get the kind of depth and creativity from the truly unique games and IP’s that came out of the 90s-00s.
I was lucky to be a kid when Halo: CE came out. I could only play it at my friend’s house because my parents had no interest in buying us an XBOX. I remember how big those controllers felt in my hands. The whole world of Halo felt so deep to me as a child, because the care and attention to detail was there from a team of passionate nerds that needed to scratch their sci-fi gaming itch.
A deep pool of experience
I couldn’t find the bottom of the pool because the passionate nerds had filled it deep enough that I was able to get lost in the experience. Their hard work and attention to detail was the water that filled my experience. I could dive into it, I could jump into it, and I never felt the bottom of the pool. It was as deep as it needed to be to give me the illusion that the world I was in was real.
It was a beautiful thing that grew and grew as more passionate nerds started to play the game created by passionate nerds. Internet culture evolved from this game as more passionate nerds talked about Halo on the internet, another thing built by passionate nerds.
So ignore the haters and the deadlines. Focus on building your passion and ignoring the things that bore you. Double down on the things that make you smile. Keep building until you make something great. Inspire the next wave of passionate nerds by being one yourself.
