Distractions That Disrupt a Game’s Development

I’m a video game programmer who works from early mornings until late evenings. For me, it’s a 16-hour work day. I even work on weekends and holidays. I hardly have any time to play other games or do the things I want, but sometimes it ends up getting shoehorned in between my work.

What kind of distractions happen? Sometimes it could be me randomly watching stuff on YouTube. Other times, I would look up random stuff online or browse TVTropes. I take game development seriously and split the process up into smaller bites. This includes preparing assets such as graphics and music, as well as data files to be used in the game.

Another common issue in game development is procrastination and cramming. Waiting until a game’s release not a good idea. Although possible if very simple, a game can’t be completed in a day. If so, quickly rushing can lead to carless errors and buggy results. Spending more time on these results in poor reception and ultimately quitting the industry altogether.

Lack of proper rest can result in fatigue, which means loss of concentration while working and errors increase when a developer is tired. The tangible result with a rushed game is a poor reception. Even a single poorly-received title can severely hurt a developer’s reputation. Companies can’t take pity on developers who do poorly on their games.

The video game industry is a challenging experience for people of all skill levels. Most newcomers are unaware of how the industry works and a lot are unprepared to meet the demands of players since most games require a significant amount of time in and outside the workplace. Poor time management and procrastination is the result of companies failing, and it is very difficult to understand what is necessary to succeed.

Daily writing prompt

Which activities make you lose track of time?

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