Game design ate my life

[ Source: http://www.gamespot.com/features/the-emotional-price-of-making-video-games-6404156/ ]

What makes a video game great? The tireless work of the individuals who dedicate a piece of their lives, and perhaps even their souls to make the best game they possibly can. This is a very truthful situation in certain entertainment fields, video game design, film-making, and even writing. When you create something for others to enjoy, you are putting your all into it, and making something that you hope will stand the test of time, and be beloved by all those who are touched by it. 

I'm discounting the fact that in our industry there are those who only care about money, perhaps studios who only want a sequel, a product, and for consumers to purchase and spend as much as possible on downloadable content, but I believe the occurrences of these money-hungry freaks is rare, frankly. I think by and large, the industry we all want to be a part of strives to make everyone happy, and to make products that aren't just products. They're works of art. They're immersive. They matter.

So what kind of toll does that effort and work ethic and dedication take on a person? Are we video game designers all nuts? Are we all loners? Do we all have emotional problems, work so hard we lose track of the real world? Are we living in some sort of sick dream-world of game design, where we're only semi-conscious of reality most of the time? These are stupid questions, because game designers are human beings, and those questions cross into the realm of stereotypes. Some of us might be bat-shit crazy. I probably am, but at the end of the day, we're all unique, and the types of games we love varies, and how much effort and time we're willing to dedicate probably could vary too, along with our mental state, and intelligence. We're made of variables. 

Game design is wonderful, and I'll tell you why. It's the magic of creating an immersive world outside of reality. A world where anything is possible. From humorous to serious, from first-person shooters to role-playing games, we create because we must. It's very much like creating a movie that you get to be a part of. If games could be equal to movies in every way quality-wise, movies would almost be archaic. Why simply watch a movie when you can be a part of one, and influence the ending?

So should we all just escape to a video game fantasy world, where our dreams come true, and where our imagination and the limits of computing power are our only limitation? Of course. Will designing games for a living drain away all our time and energy for everything else, and suck the life out of us? It could, but that's what I'm in it for. I knew the job was dangerous when I took it.

-Mark Johnsen