There are too many video games

The problem with Seattle isn't that plumbers aren't respected, it's political/economic in nature. It's NIMBYism and zoning laws and literally pricing workers into homelessness. I'd like to see more praise of plumbers too, but Seattle's problem is not a shortage of plumbers, it's rent.

Particularly:

> If you are happy that only 10 people play your game, fine, I guess. However, you should ask if you can't be bringing more people happiness with your limited time in the one life you get on this Earth.

The idea that people making video games for 10 people are making so much money that they're skewing the local economy or driving out plumbers, the idea that the reason potholes aren't fixed are because workers are in short supply instead of, I don't know, government spending on public resources -- this is just so silly.

People making games/music for niche audiences can't go out and fix potholes because potholes are on public roads. The city needs to pay people to do that. If blue collar workers can't afford to live in Seattle, the city needs to look at high-priced tech companies that are actually making enough money and paying large enough salaries to influence local economies and politics: ie, FAANG tech companies with massive audiences.

> Give up your dreams of the easy life sitting and making art indoors.

To be clear, nobody stays in indie game development because they want an easy life. The pay is nonexistent. If anyone is looking at indie art as a way of having a comfortable existence they should definitely stop doing that -- not because they're wasting valuable resources, but because actually they're going to be eating ramen for years and then picking up a normal job for a major tech company once they completely hit rock bottom, at which point the overvalued venture-capital space will use them to price all of the plumbers out of the city.

But society will only be saved if you can unite the gamers, pool together your combined knowledge from playing too much games, and put it to use in productive tasks in the real world. All those hours levelling up in game skills, finally proven IRL.

And thus, the economy was saved.

1. burnout, as someone else pointed out.

2. a very good troll :)

3. A somewhat poorly guided but honest attempt to dissuade people from joining the games industry (possibly mixed with 1.)

As someone who started their career in games and left - he's not wrong. The games industry is kind of shit. It doesn't pay well, the hours suck, and you might work for months or years on something that either never sees the light of day or nobody ends up playing (not to mention that in the beginning you're somewhat replaceable, there's a dozen young developers who would love to be in your shoes) - and this is just the life of a salaried game dev - the indie life is even harder.

...on the other hand, the projects and problems are interesting/unique and the people in it are some of the most wonderful I've ever met. I miss shipping games, even though I bailed out of my own volition. I don't blame anyone for wanting to join, especially as a young developer.

I remember at the age of 19 or so being asked (paraphrased) "why the hell would you want to do that?" by an ex-Bungie developer (and now good friend, even if we haven't chatted for a while) when I said I wanted to join the games industry. For better or worse I persevered, showed him I had some potential as an engineer and eventually he helped me get some interviews and a job. But I'd ask the same question of any young developer who came my way hoping to get in.

So I guess I agree with what the author is trying to say (the games industry is full-up! are you sure you want to try and squeeze in?), even if I don't agree with words he's using to say it.