OK. I know I am not giving much away here, just a snippet or two, unfinished, iPhone, just to show something is there. Make of them what you will 🙂
What a fascinating new platform the iPhone is. Everything from the quality of the device, (the iPod Touch being equally valuable), to the way that you buy games, to the price and range of them. It’s brought back a way for independent developers to get their products easily to people, and all of the pain has been cut out of distribution by Apple. It has some of the feel of the 8 bit early games days.
And the other joy of it is the way that games are successful on iPhone by just being good games, entertaining with good gameplay. There is no domination by big budgets and big rich studios. This may change over time, but right now, it is very refreshing.
Sometimes life is just keeping your head down and getting on with the work. That’s what it is right now for me. But, there’s more to life than work, so you need to spend time on other things. I live in a great place, Auckland. But even here it can be raining, cold (it’s winter), and you just want to stay in by the fire. But, just kicking a football around in the park yesterday was great fun. I’ll never tire of football it seems. Crazy obsessed as I am :-).
It’s always good to see the background of people who’ve achieved a lot. The program on a year in the life of J.K. Rowling produced a great moment. They took her back to the flat she was in when her life was at rock bottom and she wrote the first Harry Potter book. On the shelf in the bedroom of the people who now live there, was a row of her books. It blew her mind seeing that. This was the place where life was hard and poor and she decided to give it a go to try to become a writer. She knew it might not work, but she wanted to try anyway. Now with millions and a vast business around the book series she goes back to the start place and her books are on the shelf. A circle of completion.
And, you know what. It’s always worth giving it a try. The worst case is you don’t make it. Better to have tried and failed, than always wonder what might have been if you took that risk. Glorious failure- better than regrets I think! And it could be a J.K. Rowling!
In the last few days I have spent plenty of time with creative, talented people. Creative people tend to spark creativity in each other. It’s fun working with them too. Creative energy is an increasingly important part of my work.
It can be strange at times to see the 2, the original Football Manager that I wrote, and the current Football Manager that adopted the same name. I am wondering if many people played both and how they think they compare?
I am wondering what the interest would be, if I should write a new game, now. A football management game? 🙂
