In today's more cooperate gaming industry companies have been moving to a more politically correct environment where everyone can feel they are treated fairily and equally. Everyone wants to feel they are being heard and want the opportunity to have some input into the features of a title. Because of this the game designer's role can seem to be disappearing if you are living by "old ways".

Back in "the old days" designers were king. We'd sit on our throne and tell people want we wanted. We'd tell the programmers what features we needed, artists what art we needed, and the sound department what sounds we needed all to achieve our vision of the game's direction. Romero, American McGee, Level Lord, and even Cliffy B were lifted to near celebrity status and took much of the credit for the games they designed. But as we all know cooperate money makers took notice of our industry and jumped into it to make the money even bigger and fill their pockets. They started with bigger companies and more employees because the more people you throw at it, the faster it gets released right?? So we started seeing our 30 employee companies grow to 100+ with multiple teams. Also the cooperate types brought their new rules of conduct, no more shooting vulgar comments to each other or horsing around during work hours. Everything was turning all business and "P. C." soon the kings would fall.

Today's design meetings often include people in programming, art, and other departments not just their for the role they play be also all wanting to get some their design ideas heard. As a Senior Designer I found this extremely frustrating. After all it's my job to design the game, its what I get paid for so why can't I just go do it instead of listening to all these opinions from people that have other jobs to do? It seemed like everyone wanted a piece of my job and it drove me to the brink of leaving the industry all together. There was even a point where I would add their ideas just to show them how much they didn't work which was a complete waste of time and the company's money. I had to back up find my purpose again.

I was sitting up one night unable to sleep and thinking about how badly the design was going and it suddenly stuck me, I'm still the designer. I need to use my experience in game design and pick through the ideas and use what works. I need to keep the high level design in focus and make sure all ideas work within it no matter who suggests them. With this direction I found because of the increase in employees my role has become even more important since the number of suggestions also increased. All the ideas are worth hearing no matter who makes them but not all can make it in the game and as a designer that is my call. So I regained my job and a reason to have it.

It all seems painfully obvious now but at the time I was really at the end of my rope and thought I'd pass the experience along incase other designers are struggling.

- Chad