English Translation

Here follows my opinion. I don’t presume to assert it as fact, but to me it seems like a realistic picture of the situation.

There might be a lack of governmental incentive, but that, in my opinion, is no excuse. We have examples of games which had literally millions of Reais spent on them, and at the end had a catastrophic or disappointing result. There are many examples of games with less exorbitant budgets – merely adequate – that have failed anyway. And some with a low budget that worked (and a few others that failed). I believe that examples of all categories will come to your minds.

Clearly, the financial matter is not the only obstacle. From what I can see, there’s a serious problem of arrogance in the Brazilian industry. It’s NOT generalized, and there ARE exceptions, but it seems far too common for a team without the least experience in developing games to try to bite more than they can chew. There’s nothing wrong in having a little ambition, but one should be fully aware of the enormous difficulties involved in the game development process. This most common case is of the person who has never developed a game, but has read two blogs and a book (sometimes, not even that) and considers himself a professional game designer. Like every other art form, game design is a skill that needs practice and is refined after many years. This kind of belief (where one considers himself an expert in a topic in which he’s a beginner) is a known psychological effect: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

What do I propose? I believe that the best solution is for teams to think small, and make simple games, at least at first. This is important for a number of reasons:
– To get experience;
– To be able to experiment, without the fear of sinking a big project;
– To have Brazilian games on the market, which is useful not only to inspire the remainder of the community, but also to start the flow of money and show them what we can do;
– Understand that it’s always harder than it looks.

And it truly is harder than it looks. Look at the “top” indie games. Note that all of them have a simple concept, and yet took a very long time to get there. Now imagine how much harder it would have been, were they complex ideas. Braid, for example, can be roughly described as a “puzzle game with simple physics and a basic platform movement, where you can go back in time”. Sounds easy, no? It took three years to be developed, and cost around 180 thousand dollars, paid by Jonathan Blow himself. It’s worth remembering that he had 16 years of programming experience, and wrote for game magazines, among other qualifications. Similar cases are seen in World of Goo, Super Meat Boy, Aquaria, etc. If your idea is to “make an MMO” or “make an FPS” or something even more complicated, stop and think about it. It’s not impossible, of course, but I consider it naïve to pick this path without a team that has obtained a lot of experience in successful games. Especially the Game Designer.

Currently, the situation is a bit sad. There are a few Brazilian games ranging from OK to Good available commercially (e.g. Eversion, Freekscape). I can’t think of any that I consider to be truly excellent. Outlive was mentioned on this thread, and indeed it had much potential, but its execution was underwhelming.

However, the future does not seem so bleak. With each passing day, I see people starting less greedy projects, doing it more for the love for the craft, truly studying – not merely trying to be famous like an “awesome guy from the industry”. iPhone’s rise might have helped, making it more “acceptable” to develop small and fun games. I hope that, through this path, our industry can learn what makes a good game tick (in the same way that Japan and the United States learned decades ago, at the time of the old consoles) and then use that knowledge to make true brazilian masterpieces.

I have some fear about this “cultural” concern in our games. I believe that the best games transcend the culture of the country that originated them, and speak directly to human nature, without the need to appeal to national identification. I’m no fan of Taikodom, but one thing that it did right was to deal with that tactfully – instead of throwing Brazilian culture in your face, there are mere subtle references, e.g. “Santos Dummont Station”. Other games take a less subtle path, and try to create a “culturally rich” experience… which ends being almost ridiculous. Remember that Demon’s Souls is Japanese, Heavy Rain is French, Minecraft is Swedish, The Path is Belgian (and I don’t imply that I like The Path), Darwinia is British, Crysis is German, Eve Online is Icelandic, Limbo is Danish…. and none of those felt the need to have a distinctive element of their countries visible. Why is there this need in Brazil? (Perhaps I am mistaken, but it DOES seem like a recurring theme.)

My advice? Make Flash games. Make iPhone games. Make cell phone games. Join the Global Game Jam (we had lots of fun Brazilian games last year – not bad, considering the mere 48 hours to develop them). Don’t take those things as “inferior work”, a mere obstacle on your path to glory; Face them as opportunities to experiment with gameplay, to learn WHAT is a real game, and later, YEARS later, bring your ambitious dreams into reality. Read books. Join forums. Exchange ideas. Your gameplay ideas are NOT as genius as you think they are: don’t make secrets out of them. If you’re a programmer, implement games and engines. If you’re a game designer, learn to use Game Maker or Construct and get to work.

I wrote my first game in 1997, in Klik & Play (probably the first Game Maker-like tool). Years later, I learned C, and then C++, but ever since that first game, I never stopped playing with implementing games. I’ve released several on different events, but the great majority lies unfinished – they ended up being mere experiments. Today I work on the field, and develop games professionally, for the casual market. Fourteen years developing games were not enough for me to consider myself an expert on the field – and another fourteen won’t be, either. Yet, I want to be able to keep practicing and studying, both because I want to improve, and because I love it. This is the least I expect of myself, and the least I expect of you. Dedicate yourselves and you shall have success. Just don’t expect to achieve it without much sweating.

Good luck and sorry for the long rant!

Original (Português)

Segue minha opinião. Não tenho a presunção de afirmar que é fato, mas me parece ser um quadro realista da situação.

Pode até haver uma falta de incentivo governamental, mas isso, na minha opinião, não serve de desculpa. Nós temos exemplos de jogos que tiveram literalmente milhões de reais gastos neles, e no final ou tiveram um resultado catastrófico ou decepcionante. Há vários outros exemplos de jogos com verbas menos exorbitantes – meramente adequadas – e que ainda assim fracassaram. E alguns com verba baixa ou zero que deram certo (e mais outros que deram errado). Acredito que exemplos de todos os casos surgirão na mente de vocês.

Claramente, a questão financeira não é o único empecilho. Pelo que eu observo, existe um problema sério de arrogância na indústria brasileira. NÃO é generalizado, e EXISTEM exceções, mas me parece ser muito comum que uma equipe sem a mínima experiência em desenvolvimento de jogos tente abocanhar mais do que conseguem. Não existe nada de errado em ter um pouco de ambição, mas deve-se ter plena consciência das enormes dificuldades envolvidas no processo de se desenvolver um jogo. O caso mais comum é o da pessoa que nunca desenvolveu um jogo, mas leu dois blogs e um livro (as vezes, nem isso) e se considera o game designer profissional. Como toda forma de arte, game design é uma habilidade que se pratica e se refina ao longo de muitos anos. Esse tipo de crença (onde a pessoa se considera ótima em um tópico na qual ela é iniciante) é um efeito psicológico bem conhecido: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

O que eu proponho? Acredito que a melhor solução é para as equipes pensarem pequeno, e fazer jogos simples, pelo menos a princípio. Isso é importante por vários motivos:
РGanhar experi̻ncia;
– Poder experimentar, sem medo de errar em um projeto gigantesco;
– Ter jogos Brasileiros no mercado, o que serve não apenas para inspirar o resto da comunidade, como também para começar um fluxo de caixa e mostrar que podemos fazê-lo;
– Entender como é sempre mais difícil do que parece.

E realmente é mais difícil do que parece. Observe os Indie “top”. Note que todos têm um conceito bastante simples, e ainda assim levaram um tempo enorme para chegar lá. Agora imagine o quão mais difícil seria se fossem idéias complexas. Braid, por exemplo, pode ser descrito (grosseiramente) como “um jogo de Puzzle com física simples e movimento básico de plataforma, onde você pode voltar no tempo”. Parece fácil, não? Levou 3 anos para ser desenvolvido, e custou cerca de 180 mil dólares, pagos do bolso do próprio Jonathan Blow. Vale lembrar que ele tinha 16 anos de experiência com programação, e escrevia para revistas de jogos, dentre outras qualificações. Casos similares são vistos em World of Goo, Super Meat Boy, Aquaria, etc. Se a sua idéia é “fazer um MMO” ou “um FPS” ou algo ainda mais complexo, pare e reflita sobre isso. Não é impossível, claro, mas eu acho ingênuo escolher esse caminho sem uma equipe que tenha obtido bastante experiência em vários jogos que já tiveram sucesso. ESPECIALMENTE o Game Designer.

Atualmente a situação é um pouco triste. Existem alguns jogos Brasileiros de qualidade OK a Boa disponíveis comercialmente (e.g. Eversion, Freekscape). Não consigo pensar em nenhum que seja realmente excelente. O Outlive foi citado nesta thread, e realmente é um jogo que tinha muito potencial, mas a execução deixou muito a desejar.

Entretanto, o futuro não parece tão ruim. Cada vez mais, eu vejo pessoas começando projetos menos gananciosos, fazendo aquilo pelo amor à arte, estudando de verdade - não apenas querendo aparecer como um “cara foda da indústria”. A ascensão do iPhone talvez tenha ajudado, tornando-se mais “aceitável” desenvolver jogos pequenos e divertidos. Espero que através desse caminho, nossa indústria possa aprender o que faz um jogo ser bom, (da mesma forma como o Japão e os Estados Unidos aprenderam décadas atrás, na época dos consoles antigos) e depois usar esse conhecimento para fazer verdadeiras obras primas Made in Brazil.

Tenho um certo receio quanto a essa preocupação “cultural” nos nossos jogos. Acredito que os melhores jogos transcendem a cultura do país de onde originaram, e falam diretamente com a natureza humana, sem precisar apelar à identificação nacional. Não sou fan do Taikodom, mas uma coisa que ele fez bem foi usar isso com tato – ao invés de ser uma coisa brasileira jogada na sua cara, há meras referências sutis, e.g. “Estação Santos Dummont”. Outros jogos pegam um caminho menos sutil, e tentam criar uma experiência “culturalmente rica”… que acaba sendo quase ridículo. Lembre-se que Demon’s Souls é Japonês, Heavy Rain é Francês, Minecraft é Sueco, The Path é Belga (e não implico que eu goste de The Path), Darwinia é Britânico, Crysis é Alemão, Eve Online é Islandês, Limbo é Dinamarquês… e nenhum desses sentiu a necessidade de ter um elemento distintivo de seu país evidente. Por que então há essa necessidade aqui no Brasil? (Talvez eu esteja enganado, mas me parece um tema recorrente.)

Meu conselho? Faça jogos em Flash. Faça jogos para o iPhone. Faça jogos para celular. Participe do Global Game Jam (tivemos vários jogos Brasileiros bastante divertidos ano passado – nada mal, considerando-se as meras 48 horas para desenvolvê-los). Não encare essas coisas como “trabalho inferior”, um mero obstáculo no caminho da sua glória; Encare essas coisas como oportunidades de experimentar com gameplay, de aprender O QUE é um jogo de verdade, e depois, ANOS depois, bote seus sonhos ambiciosos na prática. Leia livros. Participe
de fóruns. Troque idéias. Suas idéias de gameplay NÃO são tão geniais quanto você acha que elas são: não guarde-as como segredo. Se você é programador, implemente jogos e engines. Se você é game designer, aprenda a usar Game Maker ou Construct e bote a mão na massa.

Eu implementei meu primeiro jogo em 1997, no Klik & Play (provavelmente o primeiro programa estilo Game Maker). Anos depois, aprendi C e depois C++, mas desde aquele primeiro, eu nunca parei de brincar de implementar jogos. Lancei vários em diversos eventos, mas a maioria esmagadora nunca foi terminada – acabaram sendo apenas experimentos. Hoje trabalho com isso, e desenvolvo jogos profissionalmente, para um público casual. 14 anos desenvolvendo jogos não foram o suficiente para que eu me considere um expert na área – e mais 14 não serão. Ainda assim quero poder continuar estudando e praticando, tanto para continuar a me aperfeiçoar, mas também porque eu amo fazê-lo. Esse é o mínimo que eu espero de mim mesmo, e é o mínimo que espero de vocês. Dediquem-se e vocês terão sucesso. Só não esperem alcançar o sucesso sem muito suor.

Boa sorte e desculpem o rant prolongado!

—

“If programming languages were religions”

(Inspired by “If programming languages were cars“)

C would be Judaism – it’s old and restrictive, but most of the world is familiar with its laws and respects them. The catch is, you can’t convert into it – you’re either into it from the start, or you will think that it’s insanity. Also, when things go wrong, many people are willing to blame the problems of the world on it.

Java would be Fundamentalist Christianity – it’s theoretically based on C, but it voids so many of the old laws that it doesn’t feel like the original at all. Instead, it adds its own set of rigid rules, which its followers believe to be far superior to the original. Not only are they certain that it’s the best language in the world, but they’re willing to burn those who disagree at the stake.

PHP would be Cafeteria Christianity – Fights with Java for the web market. It draws a few concepts from C and Java, but only those that it really likes. Maybe it’s not as coherent as other languages, but at least it leaves you with much more freedom and ostensibly keeps the core idea of the whole thing. Also, the whole concept of “goto hell” was abandoned.

C++ would be Islam – It takes C and not only keeps all its laws, but adds a very complex new set of laws on top of it. It’s so versatile that it can be used to be the foundation of anything, from great atrocities to beautiful works of art. Its followers are convinced that it is the ultimate universal language, and may be angered by those who disagree. Also, if you insult it or its founder, you’ll probably be threatened with death by more radical followers.

C# would be Mormonism – At first glance, it’s the same as Java, but at a closer look you realize that it’s controlled by a single corporation (which many Java followers believe to be evil), and that many theological concepts are quite different. You suspect that it’d probably be nice, if only all the followers of Java wouldn’t discriminate so much against you for following it.

Lisp would be Zen Buddhism – There is no syntax, there is no centralization of dogma, there are no deities to worship. The entire universe is there at your reach – if only you are enlightened enough to grasp it. Some say that it’s not a language at all; others say that it’s the only language that makes sense.

Haskell would be Taoism – It is so different from other languages that many people don’t understand how can anyone use it to produce anything useful. Its followers believe that it’s the true path to wisdom, but that wisdom is beyond the grasp of most mortals.

Erlang would be Hinduism – It’s another strange language that doesn’t look like it could be used for anything, but unlike most other modern languages, it’s built around the concept of multiple simultaneous deities.

Perl would be Voodoo – An incomprehensible series of arcane incantations that involve the blood of goats and permanently corrupt your soul. Often used when your boss requires you to do an urgent task at 21:00 on friday night.

Lua would be Wicca – A pantheistic language that can easily be adapted for different cultures and locations. Its code is very liberal, and allows for the use of techniques that might be described as magical by those used to more traditional languages. It has a strong connection to the moon.

Ruby would be Neo-Paganism – A mixture of different languages and ideas that was beaten together into something that might be identified as a language. Its adherents are growing fast, and although most people look at them suspiciously, they are mostly well-meaning people with no intention of harming anyone.

Python would be Humanism: It’s simple, unrestrictive, and all you need to follow it is common sense. Many of the followers claim to feel relieved from all the burden imposed by other languages, and that they have rediscovered the joy of programming. There are some who say that it is a form of pseudo-code.

COBOL would be Ancient Paganism – There was once a time when it ruled over a vast region and was important, but nowadays it’s almost dead, for the good of us all. Although many were scarred by the rituals demanded by its deities, there are some who insist on keeping it alive even today.

APL would be Scientology – There are many people who claim to follow it, but you’ve always suspected that it’s a huge and elaborate prank that got out of control.

LOLCODE would be Pastafarianism – An esoteric, Internet-born belief that nobody really takes seriously, despite all the efforts to develop and spread it.

Visual Basic would be Satanism – Except that you don’t REALLY need to sell your soul to be a Satanist…

Thanks to jfs and other people on #aegisub for the suggestions. Keep in mind, this list is a joke, and is not meant to offend anyone. Also, if you’re a Muslim, please don’t kill me.