Living a creative life in the games business

Management in the games industry is plagued by a enormous lack of training, said Bates, and you take on lost of jobs that no-one provides any insight into. In a management position you also need to understand that someone will take you old job and do it differently, and you need to let that go because they'll probably do it better than you.

For those that want to go freelance, if you're doing it because you want more creative control then it's a bad idea, he said. Freelance involves helping others achieve their own artistic vision. It also requires a wide range of skills but you are able to pick and choose your projects a little more. When you're a freelancer you also don't live in fear of that one phone call that can shut an entire project down. But you have to ask yourself, will you be happy collaborating on other people's vision?

Of all the people Bates spoke to, one key piece of advice stood out. When moving jobs, or moving company, or going freelance, always look at the people you're going to be working with more than the actual role. It's more fulfilling to work with a talented team rather than the work itself. It's not about the salary or the product, it's about whether they respect the team you're going to work with. When you go for that big interview, you should be quizzing them as much as they are you.

Should you even make a change or not? "Please don't punch me on the nose in a few years time, but the strong consensus position was yes, you should embrace the risk," said Bates. The things you will worry about before you make the change will be fine, and the problems you face will be completely unpredictable.

"In my case, every time a company has crumbled under my feet, six months later I was happier in my new job than my old one," he added.

So how do you stay creative and sane in the business? To stand still is to be run over, said Bates. The more you know the more creative you can be. Most professionals Bates spoke to have side projects as an outlet for their complete creativity, which they "couldn't help" starting. Complete creative control, not answering to anybody, the freedom to explore and fail without any responsibilities were all important factors in side projects. And learning how to market your own project helps you gain an appreciation to disciplines you were previously ignorant of.

Delving deeper, and speaking from personal experience, Bates then addressed issues when you're facing "the long dark night of the soul" - when the idea of getting out of bed is more than you can contemplate. Developer's identity is wrapped in their work, a dangerous thing, warned Bates.

"Game creation is an unconventional path, society thinks you're nuts, your peers think you're nuts, you work without a safety net and your goals are under attack from yourself and others."

His advice was general but no less important. Eat well, sleep well. "Alcohol is not your friend and I'm not sure caffeine is either."

"A lot of us feel alone but there are a lot of us that feel this way. Eat one bit of the elephant at a time. Drop some things from the to-do list. And don't worry that you'll never be that good again. That's not true, there are always pleasant surprises ahead of you."

When you're at your lowest, "inside the belly of the whale" you're lost and uncertain. "But it's the final step before metamorphosis. It's the final stage before triumph. If you feel like a cog be patient, if you feel like you're trapped there are more ways out, more opportunities than ever in the games industry. If you feel isolated there are a lot of people that want to see you succeed."