I, game designer.

When I think about it, I have to admit that what is most important to me in my work, is that its players enjoy it. So I’m not as different from other game designers as I sometimes flatter myself to be. They may call it fun, and I may call it joy. But that’s only a difference in nuance, if it is one at all. During the actual work, we have the same goals: we want to make something that gives pleasure to the player .

I’m far more satisfied by a player finding joy in my work without getting any deeper meaning out of it, than I am by someone who “gets it” but didn’t find the experience enjoyable. In fact, I don’t really have any message to share, or any insight -the interactive medium forces an author somewhat in such a position, anyway. I find joy in certain things and I try to share this joy with others in my work.

If there is a difference with designers of more conventional games, then it’s simply that I find other things fun than they do. But given the variety that already exists among even conventional games, isn’t this just a matter of adding to the range, rather than a subversion of the format?

Some of us find pleasure in running races or solving puzzles, others prefer shooting alien invaders and playing saviour of the universe, and once in a while, some of us like taking long walks along an empty sea shore. Since there’s already plenty of my colleagues involved in providing opportunity for the former, I’ll happily try and cater to the latter. So that everyone may have some software that amuses them.