Of course, its also a ponderous amount of difficult work to implement those ideas into a finished product.
Steve was kind enough to take time out of his day and play along with our questions.
Pictured above:Horn, a game developed at Phosphor Studios.
Tell us a little about yourself and your experience.
My name is Steve Bowler.
What drove you to choose your career path?
A love of art and a bit of fate got this path kicked off.
I lucked out when I found my way into traditional television animation (I can draw!
I have a degree in drawing!)
and from there pushed myself further when I found a position atMidwaydoing motion capture on their titles.
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
Did you need any licenses or certifications?
It all depends on the individual and studios being applied to.
We just want to see an ability to do the work.
Some studios have bigger hoops you have to jump through.
Then be proud about it and show it off!
What kinds of things do you do beyond what most people see?
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
What I think most people think is that we just do something once or twice and it works great!
Its just a matter of adding content, or maybe the right content.
What actually happens is we iterate on something 100 times before its right.
Even if weve done it before.
Last night I worked on making an AI animate properly as it dropped off a ledge.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
That its all fun and games.
Make no mistake, I really enjoy the challenges of making games.
Its one of the most mentally stimulating and rewarding fields Ive ever worked in.
Its also caused me the most anxiety and stress.
We work very, very hard making the stuff you love.
What are your average work hours?
Honestly I stopped tracking my hours because it becomes depressing to think about.
Most weeks I bet I do 80 hours at a minimum.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
Learning to fail faster and approaching each problem as a unique challenge has helped a lot.
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
Most designers I work with have been designers their entire career.
Whats the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
I think the worst part of the job is the hours and the stress.
Okay, it hurts all the time when youre not with your family.
If youre at work, work.
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
The very best part of this job is hearing from someone that they liked what you did.
Any stranger saying You worked on that?
will always make my day.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
How do you move up in your field?
What do your customers under/over value?
But it would be great if there was a bit more understanding.
Nobody looks at a giant building and says Oh my god what is this CRAP???
Most people dont make games, they just consume them.
So they typically only evaluate them as a consumer.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
Make games, write code, make art, every single day.
If youre not doing it for your job, do it for yourself on your days off.
You have to constantly challenge yourself.
And dont force it!
But most importantly, dont go into making games because you love playing games.
You will only kill your hobby.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
If youd like to share your career, email us at[email protected].
