The discipline and its shape.
WHAT A GAME IS, TECHNICALLY
A program running a loop: read input, update state, render output, repeat.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SOFTWARE
It must produce a new frame many times per second, consistently It simulates a world rather than processing transactions Correctness is subordinate to feel The requirements are discovered by playing, not specified
WHY THAT LAST POINT MATTERS MOST
You cannot know whether a game is fun before playing it, so the design changes constantly.
WHAT DISCIPLINES ARE INVOLVED
Design Programming Art Audio Writing Production Testing
WHAT A SOLO DEVELOPER MUST DO
All of them, or acquire what they cannot make.
WHAT THE COMMON FAILURE IS
Scope exceeding what the team can finish.
WHY IT IS SO COMMON
Adding features is easy and finishing them is not.
WHAT FINISHING ACTUALLY REQUIRES
Roughly as long again as reaching a playable state.
WHAT TO ACCEPT EARLY
That most of the work is not the interesting part.
