Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to make video games. Video games were my life for a good portion of my childhood. At the time, I had 1000's of ideas for what I thought would be the most amazing games the world would ever see. I would often create my own games (the kind that weren't digital), change the rules of existing games, re-enact stories/TV shows/games leading to my own unique adventures. I also developed a passion for books at a very young age. I even started writing my own stories and adventures. My teachers and parents all seemed to think that I would be a writer. Looking back on it now, it seems it was during this time that my imagination was at an all time high (peaking around Jr high). I would assume this is rather true for most people. It was around this time I received a PC for Christmas. Most of my day outside of school was spent playing computer games or play with HTML to make fun little websites. I eventually started teaching myself to program, in order to help achieve my long term goal of creating games for a living.

I decided to go to college and study computer science. It was around this time I believe my imagination and creativity started to fade. My leisure activities went from video games and books to girls and booze. I too imagine this is somewhat typical. I soon lost all interest in gaming and my dream of developing computer games died. I remember distinctly talking to a recruiter from a game production studio at a career fair. He asked me what my favorite video games were and if I would be interested in developing games for a living. I more or less blew him off, thinking to myself "I have more important things to do with my life than make games". I am not sure what had changed, perhaps my creative side had been drowned by all the science/math/logic I was studying? Whatever it was, the change definitely took place in college.

After graduating with a respectable GPA, I took a job as a software engineer working on flight simulators. In an attempt to build upon my technical abilities I decided to pursue a master's degree (on top of a full time job). This semester I enrolled in a video game programming class, thinking it would be a fun/easy course. Since then, my interest in creating games has been revived. I started some small projects but they all tended to flop. It wasn't until tonight, after driving home from a seminar by Ernest Adams (founder of IGDA) that I realized why my projects had been failing. It wasn't because I was technically incompetent, which had held me back as a child. After some serious thought I have come to the conclusion that the problem is a lack of inspiration and creativity. I find this ironic, since I was FULL of imagination/passion/creativity as a young adult. Upon gaining my technical ability it seems my creative side has diminished.

Has anyone else experienced this? What is the solution? I have decided to make an attempt to make some time to start reading fiction again (last book fictional book I read was probably in high school). I also have picked up some video game and plan on trying to make time for some long needed play. Does anyone else have any suggestions for sources of inspiration or ideas for game design?

I have decided to make an attempt to make some time to start reading fiction again (last book fictional book I read was probably in high school)... Does anyone else have any suggestions for sources of inspiration or ideas for game design?

I think reading fiction is a really good idea. Don't "make an attempt to make some time." Read!
I've got some fiction books listed in my recommended game design books at http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson8.htm

Has anyone else experienced this? What is the solution? I have decided to make an attempt to make some time to start reading fiction again (last book fictional book I read was probably in high school). I also have picked up some video game and plan on trying to make time for some long needed play. Does anyone else have any suggestions for sources of inspiration or ideas for game design?

Something that always gives me massive inspiration for game design is playing a game. This is because while I'm playing it I'm often thinking "this is a great game, but if it had this it would be amazing", or "this is a rubbish game because of this this and this. I think this game should have been made like this this and that", or they inspire ideas that are tangent to themselves, or they are examples of good or bad game design principles/ideas/philosophy.

Do more creative stuff.

Like forsandifs said, play games. Read books again. Push your boundaries. Listen to music you usually don't like.

Personally what I do when my creativity seems to run out, is to get on youtube and watch a game videos, trailers, playthroughs or whatever, though I have the tendency to watch more indie games since they often are more experimental. If I have an vague idea of what I want, I search for videos of that kind of games. This has the bonus that I don't have to spend 10 hours playing just to be creative, a few minutes are enough.

The key question is, why do you still care? If you think you have more important things to do in your life, they why don't you pursue these other things instead? Why does it bother you? Why do you hesitate to say "I quit making games forever"? I think the answer to this question will tell you where your lost creativity is right now.

I would stop making anything related to gaming temporarily. And after a while examine how I feel. Do I find something missing or not?

It's not like all people are born to make games, actually, we here are just a tiny percentage of abnominions that love making games more than playing them. If you are not one of such people it is completely natural, you are the healthy and normal one You don't have to make games, you really don't have to. If you can quit making games and have no regrets I definitely recommend it. It is not the best career ever.

Do not pursue your creativity, it is your creativity that is supposed to hount you

Biologically, this has an explanation.

During childhood, you brain is growing neurons quite rapidly and the neurons that you have are making as many connections as they can. This increases the potential processing that your brain can do, however, it is not very efficient in terns of speed or energy usage.

Around the time puberty starts and until around the age of 25, you brain starts to streamline its operation and begins a pruning process of removing unused (or little used) connections and neurons. This has the side effect of reducing the scope of thinking that you can do (along with a whole host of other things that explain a lot of the problems with adolescents.

The good news is even after this (and though it as well) your brain still has the capacity for making new neurons and making new connections.

You can do this by experiencing something new or learning something new (the new bit is the important bit). The chemicals released during learning or experiencing something new trigger an increase in neural growth and connections. This is why playing new games often is accompanied by a burst in creativity as you are building new connections and neurons and you can co-opt this for making new connections and neurons that will increase your creativity.

The problem is that your brain operates on a "use it or loose it" principal. So it is important for you to keep using the creativity inspired by this neural growth spurt and to keep trying new things.

It is easy for use to fall into habits and ways of thinking. The secret of lasting creativity is to know how the brain works and to use that knowledge to take control over it.

Biologically, this has an explanation.

During childhood, you brain is growing neurons quite rapidly and the neurons that you have are making as many connections as they can. This increases the potential processing that your brain can do, however, it is not very efficient in terns of speed or energy usage.

Around the time puberty starts and until around the age of 25, you brain starts to streamline its operation and begins a pruning process of removing unused (or little used) connections and neurons. This has the side effect of reducing the scope of thinking that you can do (along with a whole host of other things that explain a lot of the problems with adolescents.

The good news is even after this (and though it as well) your brain still has the capacity for making new neurons and making new connections.

You can do this by experiencing something new or learning something new (the new bit is the important bit). The chemicals released during learning or experiencing something new trigger an increase in neural growth and connections. This is why playing new games often is accompanied by a burst in creativity as you are building new connections and neurons and you can co-opt this for making new connections and neurons that will increase your creativity.

The problem is that your brain operates on a "use it or loose it" principal. So it is important for you to keep using the creativity inspired by this neural growth spurt and to keep trying new things.

It is easy for use to fall into habits and ways of thinking. The secret of lasting creativity is to know how the brain works and to use that knowledge to take control over it.

This seems to make sense. I don't believe my problem is with learning "new" things. I am learning "new" things everyday, they just tend to be more of a technical nature. I am wondering/thinking that perhaps I should expose myself to new experiences outside of the technical realm...

The key question is, why do you still care? If you think you have more important things to do in your life, they why don't you pursue these other things instead? Why does it bother you? Why do you hesitate to say "I quit making games forever"? I think the answer to this question will tell you where your lost creativity is right now.

I would stop making anything related to gaming temporarily. And after a while examine how I feel. Do I find something missing or not?

It's not like all people are born to make games, actually, we here are just a tiny percentage of abnominions that love making games more than playing them. If you are not one of such people it is completely natural, you are the healthy and normal one You don't have to make games, you really don't have to. If you can quit making games and have no regrets I definitely recommend it. It is not the best career ever.

Do not pursue your creativity, it is your creativity that is supposed to hount you

Hmm, interesting point. I suppose my problem or motivation (depending on how you look at it) is that every time I play a great game I am trying to figure out how it works. Upon further reflection, I think what originally drew me into game development was the idea that I could create and design my own little world and then share it with everyone else. This is still a desire of mine, the problem has now become "what world can I dream up that is worth sharing?"

In response to "Why do you hesitate to say "I quit making games forever"?", I believe/hope what I am going through is just the equivalent of a writer's block. I think if every writer would quit writing forever whenever they experienced writer's block, the fiction section of books stores would be rather sparse in comparison.

"If you can quit making games and have no regrets I definitely recommend it. It is not the best career ever." [/quote]
I have no true intentions of pursuing game development as a career at this point. Just a hobby/moonlighting adventure...

Hmm, interesting point. I suppose my problem or motivation (depending on how you look at it) is that every time I play a great game I am trying to figure out how it works. Upon further reflection, I think what originally drew me into game development was the idea that I could create and design my own little world and then share it with everyone else. This is still a desire of mine, the problem has now become "what world can I dream up that is worth sharing?"

I feel the same way actually. But I think I have an answer. The answer imo is: whatever world you find fun and interesting that isn't already available to people.

I think reading fiction is a really good idea. Don't "make an attempt to make some time." Read!
I've got some fiction books listed in my recommended game design books at http://www.sloperama...ice/lesson8.htm

Your site is a great resource. Thanks for taking the time to create valuable content for aspiring game developers. Also, I didn't realize chicks digged game designers (referencing lesson 26)