© Gerhard Kassner (Monotype)
Twenty-two years have passed since Ian first got into the gaming industry—and he’s got the tattoo to prove it. The Space Invader permanently displayed on his arm was covered by his shirt sleeve, yet ink aside, a lot has changed for Ian during this time. Originally starting out as a graphic designer, he had enough money to afford cigarettes and beer. He also had hair, energy and enthusiasm, and although he stated this in a sorrowful manner, it was clear during his talk that he still possessed two of these three qualities.
He introduced us to the work of his idols, with an anecdote from meeting Shigeru Miyamoto and in an attempt to shake his hand and bow at the same time—ended up head butting him in the face! These stories lead him to “wash up on the shores of Berlin like all the other designer drift wood”, and covered three main points in his talk:
1. The devil is in the details
Making something perfect and making something believable are two different things. Details make people unique and who they are. It’s the proportions, the shapes, the colours, the lines, the corners. Storytelling is in the details and this is how he portrays narratives within “beautiful sandbox worlds, creating settings so it’s as though the characters have just walked away, only moments ago.”
2. Beware of feature creep
Starting with something simple can easily be destroyed by gradually adding more and more features. What if we added this? What if it had that? Time and money can be so easily wasted on overthought projects and often get canned at the end. “Feature creep is a nightmare”, Ian explained “you solve this by knowing what you’re doing, having a plan and learning how to say no.”
3. It’s about people
Having worked for other companies and then founding his own, Ian knows the importance of great colleagues and team members. “It’s always been about the people, after all I spend at least eight hours a day with my work family.” He went on to say the work is best when people believe in it. When they believe in what they are doing and believe in each other.
According to Ian it all boils down to these 3 things … oh, and not head butting anyone!
Ian Bowden
Video Game Artist, Art Director / Gameduell (Berlin)
AR
