Closure

[alexxkay]

So yesterday, I finally finished playing the last bit of Bioshock Infinite DLC. The first time I've been able to play a Bioshock game with mostly fresh eyes in some years.

Not to get too spoil-y about it, but the story brought the "Bioshock saga" full circle in a way that I found quite unsatisfying. All the thematic development that was done in the full game was effectively UNdone by this DLC. IMAO, of course.

When someone leaves a game project before it completes, the standard industry practice is merely to list those people in the credits under "thanks". Irrational was at least a bit better. They put all such people (of whom there were *many* for this project) in a section at the end, with "Additional" next to their titles. So I'm credited as "Additional Design". That's the credit I had on System Shock 2, in 1998. Looks like I, too, have come full circle.

After the credits ended, and it brought me back to the main menu, I selected exit. "Are you sure you want to exit game?" Yes, I am. I've never been more sure. There are so many levels on which I am not playing that game ever again. That chapter of my life is OVER. There were lots of good times, but also way too many bad ones. Time to move on, and build something new.

Comments

[greatsword.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of this story when I saw today's Dilbert cartoon. (BTW, I'm used to people who get laid off as opposed to leaving on their own getting full credit.)

"Are you sure you want to exit game" can be read in so many ways - I'm envious of your courage to go out on your own, and look forward to seeing the result.

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

Some of it could be characterized as courage. But it also has a lot to do with my realization that "security" was simply no longer a possibility for me.

[jducoeur]

One of the most important insights ever provided to me in my professional life came from Steve, while I was picking up my comics one day.

It was just after Convoq had gone splat, and I was considering starting up the CommYou project: I told him the whole saga, and remarked on how scary the whole thing was. He agreed -- and it took me a minute to realize that what *he* thought was scary was the idea of having your life and career in someone else's hands. Striking off on my own was risky, yes, but he found it much more sensible than being dependent on the whims of a higher-up.

I've taken that quite seriously to heart ever since. There is no such thing as "security" in the job world. If you are working for someone else, you are subject to their whims, foibles and luck. That can work out well, but it isn't obviously all that much more secure than any other course of action. Since then, I've taken much more serious ownership of my own career, regardless of whether I'm working for someone else or not, and it's suited me well in a number of ways...