Re:Definitions of terms (Score 1)

Whilst this definition has some validity to it, it really has to be examined in terms of the environment in which people like JC and JR work.

The software industry has changed immensely in the last few years. It has gone from garage-tinkering to multi-million dollar companies. And this is where the problem lies.

If you have a firm financial background and complete executive control then you can choose to approach a problem in whatever way you see fit. If you don't, like 99.9% of developers out there, be they game developers or real-world developers, then the essence of creativity is taken away from you.

All of your decisions end up being made by whoever has the finger on the purse-strings. I've worked in the software industry for over 10 years now as initially a real-time software expert but in the last five years as a JAVA technology guru, and countless times I've ended up doing things the crap way because of the financial weight of the higher management types.

I think Ion Storm failed not because of a backlash towards JR and his miss-timed adverts, but more because of a certain naivety of the development team towards the actual financial side of the business.

The problem is simple - in most cases now the people who have the money and power to commission and terminate software projects often have little or no experience of managing projects or user expectations. They are driven simply by figures. Its why we no longer see the plethora of radical new gaming ideas, as the management see development only as a way to make money, not to be creative.

Just my opinion of course ;-)

Ian 'Uth' Lawson
Managing Director, Pendragon Internet Consultancy Ltd.