I haven't yet completed a game and perhaps I never will. But for the past few months (in what little spare time I have) I have been engaged in the making of a game and it has been one of the most thrilling intellectual and creative pursuits I've ever engaged in. This brain food is the reason why I (try to) make games. While I would be disappointed if I never actually completed a game, it actually doesn't matter too much to me. The old saying about the journey being more important than the goal rings true in this particular case for me.

One thing I have learned from this experience so far: I have come to the opinion that the very high quality games, e.g. Unreal Tournament and Half-Life, represent some of the most advanced intellectual endeavours currently being carried out by humans. The attempt to simulate the real world in real time ... that combination of tasks is a daunting one requiring great minds. I don't think I exaggerate when I say that. So I'm in awe and admiration of anyone who has completed a game, no matter how rudimentary it might be. Which is perhaps another reason why I wouldn't be too fussed if I failed to complete one myself.

Game genres is one of my pet topics. I feel that there are too many games on certain subjects, and too few on others. First, there are too many violent games. I am not against violence in games, but I just think that there's too much. Second, there are too many WWII wargames. I feel inspired to buck this trend, at the risk of contradicting my first point. Third, there are too many Tolkien-style fantasy role-playing games. I suppose I'm not much of a fan of Tolkien and the Oxford "fantasists" with their longing for a simpler era. Fourth, AI sucks. While graphics have come an insanely long way in an insanely short amount of time, AI has advanced relatively little. Not surprising when you consider that AI is not a matter of faster processor cycles and larger memory.

OK, I've written enough nonsense.