The final speaker at the end of the conference was in my opinion, the most inspirational. Amir Rao of Supergiant games talked to us about the creation of Bastion which was very exciting.

All the co-founders of Supergiant games quit their jobs at Electronic Arts to create their own small development team working from the living room of a house in suburban California. Self-funded, they worked long hours and weekends to get this game off the ground.

The reason this worked was because they all had a passion for their game. They did everything they could to get this game out there. They went to every game convention they could to have people try their product and give them feedback on how to improve it. It was a lot of work and I believe that the only reason that this game got off the ground is because they all believed in it.

Every photo he showed of the development process, he and his team were smiling, even during the most tedious of tasks. Amir told us of the seemingly endless feeling of exhaustion they had from weeks of work without a single day off. The pressure of being away from family which I have heard takes a massive toll on anyone working in game.

This is an industry that you can only be in if you are absolutely passionate and dedicated to the entire process. Don’t just make a game, create a brand that people will know and love and always try to create something bigger and better than the last. Ask questions and give answers because in this industry, we need a community that is willing to support each other. Get yourself noticed! Success is not just going to knock at your door, you need to work hard to make it happen!

Also, attend conferences like GCAP! If it does nothing else, it’ll motivate you to be the best you can be.