Aside from one or two of us, all my friends are in the game industry and we've made it a point to do something other then sit in front of a computer when we are not at work.
For myself, I try to balance sitting at a computer at work with exercise and eating healthy outside of work. I play a lot of soccer (2-4 times a week), flag football, work on my car, bbq/grilling with friends, movies, Rock Band get-togethers, etc. Basically, anything to stay off the computer. There are times where I sit down to enjoy a game or two but I'd much rather be out with friends, etc. then spend more time in front of a monitor. If I do play a game, I try to make it a co-op game on the 360 or PS3.
its really not so bad once u get into the game industry... then everyone around u is just a bunch of art/game nerds who never go out and eventually you all get together and start going out and its not so bad... then you meet some chick who does 3d and you get married and ... etc.
I try to have a life, unlike the "true" gamers. I try to make time for a movie, a board game, a good conversation/debate, local events, or a nice motorcycle ride. And I try my best to avoid MMOs. I'm lucky the last 3 years of my life isn't a pink and purple blur. I hate sitting on a computer for long hours at a time. I hate the pain in the neck and poor posture I get from it. I fear looking back at my life to see I spent the majority of in stuck in a small box looking at the colors and lights emitting from another small box. Isn't that why I avoid TV. Occasionally I need a vacation from my computer, to spend time with my family. Which is spent fixing their computers. Kill me. Please.
But once you get in with the other socially awkward types, you hang out, and talk about what you play in common.
i hate the pc, but somehow im allways drawn back to it.
your health gets fackedup by it, and switching from the pc to the tv and play video games doesnt help.
try switching art forms, pick up a pencil and start drawing.
this doesnt just fix the pc problem, it helps you with alot of things, clear your head, better eye hand coordination, ect bla bla bla
social life?
yes indeed, i sculpt boobies.
believe me, there is alot more to do besides staring at a monitor, i just havent found out yet.
I draw and play guitar, go to university lectures and go out with friends quite alot, gives me a good break from computer, I need to do more of my sports like climbing and soccer.
Sometimes I go to my parents place for the weekend and stay away from the pc, also Ive recently been keeping sundays as a day that I dont do any work, helps me to refresh
its really not so bad once u get into the game industry... then everyone around u is just a bunch of art/game nerds who never go out and eventually you all get together and start going out and its not so bad... then you meet some chick who does 3d and you get married and ... etc.
This has never ever happened, and it will never ever happen. You fail for being a liar liar pants on fire!
Living the dream, V... Living the dream. Son of a bitch! :poly107:
I find that I've been getting less and less social. I still go out from time to time (mainly with dudes from work), but a lot of the time I just enjoy staying home and not doing anything in particular. Its the time spent to relax and unwind that I most enjoy.
Been working freelance from home for 2 years, hardly see my mates now. Pretty much wasted a big chunk of my youth on game dev. Gonna jump to a in-house job hopefully, start seeing my mates again etc. and makes some new ones hopefully.
I'm still 21, so its not too late. But yea, gotta get my life back together. All work and no play is fucking stupid.
yah, go find something you're interested in outside and do it. If you live near a park, there's a good chance of a weekly pickup game of soccer or ultimate frisbee you could probably join. Or join a bowling league, or something like that. Pseudo-organized gatherings of similarly-aged people all lookin to do the same thing is a great way to meet folks.
Yes, stay off the computer, and away from the tv. I hardly spend any time in front of a screen outside of work now... I lost a large chunk of my youth to them as well
Sadly my options are limited. Sunlight isn't the best thing for my skin (kind of a slight UV light allergy, so I burn VERY easily), so Seattle and it's cloudy days will certainly be a good thing for me. I hope to be able to have more days outside than I do here in Reno.
I tend to do most of my outdoor activities in the winter, when everyone else is crying about the cold. I love it. I'm outside taking long walks, pictures, etc. And no one else is around. hehe.
As for getting burnt out in general.... that can take a long to to recover from. I got burnt out really bad working at 5000ft, and I've had absolutely no motivation for the last 2yrs. Since I started applying at studios the past few weeks, and now landing that MS gig, I'm very inspired again. I feel better, and I can think clearer. I suppose it was not only being burnt out, but very possibly depression as well. In short, the best way I think of to cure burn out, is to get outside, and get a new job or project that you absolutely love.
I have a son, friends, a gym membership, the occasional date, a place to host parties and gatherings, a new bass guitar, the occasional concert, the insane amount of bars to explore around here, joined a flag football league, break dancing classes, etc etc.
Other than work and those things I listed, being on the PC at home is the time for me to vege out a few hours in the evening before sleep, or spend a lazy afternoon once in awhile.
I find that burnout happens when I'm doing something that doesn't match any of my needs anymore; that is, i don't want to fucking do it.
dealing with that is really easy. first stop everything. forget about the computer and remind yourself that you can do what ever you want.. then, pay attention to your body and ask yourself, how do i feel? what do i want?
i thought "computer burnout" was something that happened if you plug a DC adapter in the wrong hole or your power supply goes or something. If this happens to you, you best get yourself down the hospital quick.
Computer burnout ... pah. Wallowing bollocks more like. If you're knackered, you're knackered, you're gonna get knackered doing whatever (including sat on your arse on the sofa). Get more exercise, get more sleep, eat better. Goddamn how i hate these threads. Oooooh woe, i'm a tortured artist, how my tools do rise up against me, oooh lets all get in the right mindset, oooh how do i find different approaches of just getting the fuck over it like a grown human
Computer burnout ... pah. Wallowing bollocks more like. If you're knackered, you're knackered, you're gonna get knackered doing whatever (including sat on your arse on the sofa). Get more exercise, get more sleep, eat better. Goddamn how i hate these threads. Oooooh woe, i'm a tortured artist, how my tools do rise up against me, oooh lets all get in the right mindset, oooh how do i find different approaches of just getting the fuck over it like a grown human
He started this thread to discuss people overworking themselves, and neglecting social activites, which I sure do and would like to discuss. Though he did edit his initial post I believe, which was much more elaborate.
Of course the genuine stress in other peoples lives pales in comparison to you having to see another one of these threads.
i thought "computer burnout" was something that happened if you plug a DC adapter in the wrong hole or your power supply goes or something. If this happens to you, you best get yourself down the hospital quick.
Hey I found theres a switch on the back of nearly every computer that lets you switch between voltage settings for your power supply. Blew up my dads computer twice in one day like that...it was epic , bangs, smoke and everything. My dad thought it was really funny, it was a rubbish broken pc anyway hahaa.
Based on past experiences in older jobs i find that i cant be that guy in the office who wears his lack of life as a badge of honor as he lives and works in the office. I have my friends at work but i also do go out on my own and try to meet people outside of work.
But to be honost if i want to make friends in this country the only way ill do it is by being active instead of keeeping myself locked away at work or home.
i thought "computer burnout" was something that happened if you plug a DC adapter in the wrong hole or your power supply goes or something. If this happens to you, you best get yourself down the hospital quick.
Computer burnout ... pah. Wallowing bollocks more like. If you're knackered, you're knackered, you're gonna get knackered doing whatever (including sat on your arse on the sofa). Get more exercise, get more sleep, eat better. Goddamn how i hate these threads. Oooooh woe, i'm a tortured artist, how my tools do rise up against me, oooh lets all get in the right mindset, oooh how do i find different approaches of just getting the fuck over it like a grown human
I guess it really depends on what you want. As justin said, there's only so much time in between when you get off from work and go to bed. That time (for me at least) is usually spent making dinner/cleaning up, then maybe an hour or so of wind-down time (either watching a movie, reading, etc). That's about it. Outdoor activities are relegated to weekends only for the most part.
i thought "computer burnout" was something that happened if you plug a DC adapter in the wrong hole or your power supply goes or something. If this happens to you, you best get yourself down the hospital quick.
Computer burnout ... pah. Wallowing bollocks more like. If you're knackered, you're knackered, you're gonna get knackered doing whatever (including sat on your arse on the sofa). Get more exercise, get more sleep, eat better. Goddamn how i hate these threads. Oooooh woe, i'm a tortured artist, how my tools do rise up against me, oooh lets all get in the right mindset, oooh how do i find different approaches of just getting the fuck over it like a grown human
don't get me started
hehehe
pardon me danr, i dont mean this as a personal attack, but this is so totally and completely saturated with bs i don't even know where to begin. first and foremost, if someone's stressed out, invalidating those feelings is in no way (most of the time) helpful. secondly, there is a such thing as burn-out and it's well within reason to ask for advice as to how to deal with it.
I don't understand why in the name of god this culture has such a fear of internals. you people don't hesitate to ask for help improving your painting skills. why would you think that internal navigation would be any different? get therapy, you'll be in for a surprise. burnout exists. it's not a HUGE deal but it's as worth talking about as anything else. i wouldn't post "grow up idiot" on a thread of some guy showing what he had for dinner, so wtf?
by the way. "getting the fuck over it like a grown human" is an over-generalization of your internal strategy. if you looked at yourself to find out what specifically you meant by that, you'd realize you have an incredibly specific internal strategy that you developed at some point on your development, and not many people have that same strategy.
hense the point of this fucking thread.
remember guys! you're unique! like a beauuutiifuullllll fucking snowflake.
I barely use my computer at home since I'm on the computer at work everyday. Home is usually spent playing console games. As far as social life, Gearbox is very social so theres always something going on outside of work.
My original post was definatly more elaborate, but i changed it as not to piss people off, but this answers my question more or less. Ive been burnt out for the past 3-4 weeks and it just hit me hard all a sudden. I think partly because i overworked myself(long hours on the computer) and investing like, ALL my energy into game dev and neglecting other areas of my life.
Ive sence made a effort to only be on the computer a few hours a day, and begin to focus more on other things such as bodybuilding, being social, flirting with women, ect.
My fear of joining the game industry is that it will begin to consume me, and will be a stressfull draining experience, were its hard to have a life outside work, were they crack the whip to make sure you are producing. Hopefully im wrong. But if i get to go home after 8 hours like a normal day to day job, and hopefully get to socialize during work some, than i can probably manage to balance it out, and enjoy my job nonetheless.
Thanks for your replys, ive just been stressed out, my fault most likely, not the computers.
My fear of joining the game industry is that it will begin to consume me, and will be a stressfull draining experience, were its hard to have a life outside work, were they crack the whip to make sure you are producing. Hopefully im wrong.
Run! They are horribly mismanaged and they are going under probably before you make it to your car. I also strongly recommend spreading the word that the place is a disaster and other people should avoid working there. At most places that have been around a while crunch still happens but its not the all consuming never see the light of the moon again, kind of crunch.
But if i get to go home after 8 hours like a normal day to day job, and hopefully get to socialize during work some, than i can probably manage to balance it out, and enjoy my job nonetheless.
I can only speak from personal experience but I work at a relaxed studio. As long as the work gets done and people are here for meetings it really doesn't matter what hours people work, everyone is trusted to do their job the best way they know how. Dedication to your job and delivering quality assets on time will help earn you and your fellow coworkers that kind of freedom if it doesn't already exist.
As long as the work gets done and people are here for meetings it really doesn't matter what hours people work
That's certainly an awesome benefit of smaller studios, and something I will miss over the next year. At 5000ft,. we could come in at 10am if we wanted to. Was a nice option pulling later nighters
We also had horrible horrible crunches though. So I guess it wasn't all peaches and cream there. But as Vig said, once the studio is on a roll and understands what they're doing, that crunch cycle will shrink significantly.
I tend to work about 12 -15 hours per day apart from weekends and go out drinking on friday nights. (Even if they brought back prohibition I would be out on friday night)
I am suffering physcially though.
ten years of siting on my arse all day and I have put on about 5 stone, have two numb fingers on my left hand and my eyesight is terrible where it was once 20/20.
I never really felt burnt out, just got a bit bored after doing the same thing for months on end.
I spent about 4 months modelling and texturing rugby player heads , 3 a day on average and it did start to get a bit draining near the end, but I still kind of enjoyed it.
I think that when you first start doing art/computer stuff, its hard to work for long hours, but you get used to it and it becomes second nature.
I have never had to work crunch, we always organised it so we didn't have to.
Replies
What is this "computer burnout" you speak of???? There is no such thing as limiting computer use....Just finding time for computer use =P
For myself, I try to balance sitting at a computer at work with exercise and eating healthy outside of work. I play a lot of soccer (2-4 times a week), flag football, work on my car, bbq/grilling with friends, movies, Rock Band get-togethers, etc. Basically, anything to stay off the computer. There are times where I sit down to enjoy a game or two but I'd much rather be out with friends, etc. then spend more time in front of a monitor. If I do play a game, I try to make it a co-op game on the 360 or PS3.
But once you get in with the other socially awkward types, you hang out, and talk about what you play in common.
i hate the pc, but somehow im allways drawn back to it.
your health gets fackedup by it, and switching from the pc to the tv and play video games doesnt help.
try switching art forms, pick up a pencil and start drawing.
this doesnt just fix the pc problem, it helps you with alot of things, clear your head, better eye hand coordination, ect bla bla bla
social life?
yes indeed, i sculpt boobies.
believe me, there is alot more to do besides staring at a monitor, i just havent found out yet.
Sometimes I go to my parents place for the weekend and stay away from the pc, also Ive recently been keeping sundays as a day that I dont do any work, helps me to refresh
Living the dream, V... Living the dream. Son of a bitch! :poly107:
I find that I've been getting less and less social. I still go out from time to time (mainly with dudes from work), but a lot of the time I just enjoy staying home and not doing anything in particular. Its the time spent to relax and unwind that I most enjoy.
-caseyjones
Been working freelance from home for 2 years, hardly see my mates now. Pretty much wasted a big chunk of my youth on game dev. Gonna jump to a in-house job hopefully, start seeing my mates again etc. and makes some new ones hopefully.
I'm still 21, so its not too late. But yea, gotta get my life back together. All work and no play is fucking stupid.
Yes, stay off the computer, and away from the tv. I hardly spend any time in front of a screen outside of work now... I lost a large chunk of my youth to them as well
I tend to do most of my outdoor activities in the winter, when everyone else is crying about the cold. I love it. I'm outside taking long walks, pictures, etc. And no one else is around. hehe.
As for getting burnt out in general.... that can take a long to to recover from. I got burnt out really bad working at 5000ft, and I've had absolutely no motivation for the last 2yrs. Since I started applying at studios the past few weeks, and now landing that MS gig, I'm very inspired again. I feel better, and I can think clearer. I suppose it was not only being burnt out, but very possibly depression as well. In short, the best way I think of to cure burn out, is to get outside, and get a new job or project that you absolutely love.
socializing? Hell is other people my friend.
Honestly, the time between punch out (6:30pm) and bedtime (10:30pm) goes by really quick, typically only really do stuff on the weekend.
True story.
Other than work and those things I listed, being on the PC at home is the time for me to vege out a few hours in the evening before sleep, or spend a lazy afternoon once in awhile.
dealing with that is really easy. first stop everything. forget about the computer and remind yourself that you can do what ever you want.. then, pay attention to your body and ask yourself, how do i feel? what do i want?
that ends burnout for me in a second.
Computer burnout ... pah. Wallowing bollocks more like. If you're knackered, you're knackered, you're gonna get knackered doing whatever (including sat on your arse on the sofa). Get more exercise, get more sleep, eat better. Goddamn how i hate these threads. Oooooh woe, i'm a tortured artist, how my tools do rise up against me, oooh lets all get in the right mindset, oooh how do i find different approaches of just getting the fuck over it like a grown human
don't get me started
now i can laugh once more
He started this thread to discuss people overworking themselves, and neglecting social activites, which I sure do and would like to discuss. Though he did edit his initial post I believe, which was much more elaborate.
Of course the genuine stress in other peoples lives pales in comparison to you having to see another one of these threads.
Hey I found theres a switch on the back of nearly every computer that lets you switch between voltage settings for your power supply. Blew up my dads computer twice in one day like that...it was epic
Blue LED eyes and everything, schweet!
But to be honost if i want to make friends in this country the only way ill do it is by being active instead of keeeping myself locked away at work or home.
Theres too many beers to try and women to meet.
HA!
hm, your dog is placed at a somewhat suspicious position in this picture.
My brain was fried this morning, leave me alone
hehehe
pardon me danr, i dont mean this as a personal attack, but this is so totally and completely saturated with bs i don't even know where to begin. first and foremost, if someone's stressed out, invalidating those feelings is in no way (most of the time) helpful. secondly, there is a such thing as burn-out and it's well within reason to ask for advice as to how to deal with it.
I don't understand why in the name of god this culture has such a fear of internals. you people don't hesitate to ask for help improving your painting skills. why would you think that internal navigation would be any different? get therapy, you'll be in for a surprise. burnout exists. it's not a HUGE deal but it's as worth talking about as anything else. i wouldn't post "grow up idiot" on a thread of some guy showing what he had for dinner, so wtf?
by the way. "getting the fuck over it like a grown human" is an over-generalization of your internal strategy. if you looked at yourself to find out what specifically you meant by that, you'd realize you have an incredibly specific internal strategy that you developed at some point on your development, and not many people have that same strategy.
hense the point of this fucking thread.
remember guys! you're unique! like a beauuutiifuullllll fucking snowflake.
hahaha good point.
Ive sence made a effort to only be on the computer a few hours a day, and begin to focus more on other things such as bodybuilding, being social, flirting with women, ect.
My fear of joining the game industry is that it will begin to consume me, and will be a stressfull draining experience, were its hard to have a life outside work, were they crack the whip to make sure you are producing. Hopefully im wrong. But if i get to go home after 8 hours like a normal day to day job, and hopefully get to socialize during work some, than i can probably manage to balance it out, and enjoy my job nonetheless.
Thanks for your replys, ive just been stressed out, my fault most likely, not the computers.
Peace
-Buddikaman-
Well theres your problem. You have to piss someone off in every post, its a rule around here. From now on just end every post with fuck you.
J/K
But yea your original was much clearer, without the backstory it does seem a bit like the other threads we get about not being motivated etc.
-Buddikaman-
I can only speak from personal experience but I work at a relaxed studio. As long as the work gets done and people are here for meetings it really doesn't matter what hours people work, everyone is trusted to do their job the best way they know how. Dedication to your job and delivering quality assets on time will help earn you and your fellow coworkers that kind of freedom if it doesn't already exist.
That's certainly an awesome benefit of smaller studios, and something I will miss over the next year. At 5000ft,. we could come in at 10am if we wanted to. Was a nice option pulling later nighters
We also had horrible horrible crunches though. So I guess it wasn't all peaches and cream there. But as Vig said, once the studio is on a roll and understands what they're doing, that crunch cycle will shrink significantly.
I am suffering physcially though.
ten years of siting on my arse all day and I have put on about 5 stone, have two numb fingers on my left hand and my eyesight is terrible where it was once 20/20.
I never really felt burnt out, just got a bit bored after doing the same thing for months on end.
I spent about 4 months modelling and texturing rugby player heads , 3 a day on average and it did start to get a bit draining near the end, but I still kind of enjoyed it.
I think that when you first start doing art/computer stuff, its hard to work for long hours, but you get used to it and it becomes second nature.
I have never had to work crunch, we always organised it so we didn't have to.