Owlboy: The Motivational Power of Inspiration

In this 2017 GDC session, D-Pad Studio's Simon Stafsnes Andersen talks about the 9-year development cycle of Owlboy and explains how the team was able to stay inspired working on one game for 9 years, and shares lessons to help developers stay inspired with their game ideas until they're complete.
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[@TheRiotDX]

Some great advice here for people in all areas of game development. It's easy to get depressed and scrap some incredible ideas just because after a few iterations you realize they look nothing like the top games on Steam. You always have to keep in mind that the top indie games on Steam are the result of years of hard work. If you compared their first playable version with their release, you'd probably not even recognize them as the same game. Game design isn't anything like that high school book report that you could turn in for an A after just writing a decent rough draft.

[@Armaan8014]

That's good insight, thanks!

[@bcassol]

Your comment is better than the presentation which just seems like 30 minutes of humble bragging! Thanks @TheRiotDX

[@mcpepa]

that was insane, they improvise all the core parts of the game, the art, the script, the gameplay, the characters, the symbolism and some how they create an epic final product. they are talented beyond imagination.

[@ammonkunzler3948]

I realize this is an old comment, but like he said, "Creativity is a process. No-one is going to get something great on the first go, and you are going to experience multiple failures before you achieve great things" They are talented but more so persevering.

[@NeverduskX]

Wow, I have so much respect for this man.

[@Inogat]

moved to tears by a GDC talk, that's a new experience!

[@CristianoCang]

The best game I've played since my childhood. Thank you Simon!

[@cybershellrev7083]

This is wild because I also bought a little gameboy to play on my spare time to also explore the library of design ideas lol Everything about this talk resonated with me and how I work.

[@claudiosacchi3720]

What an amazing game! It was a joy to play it!

[@YoungNAF]

I did play and absolutely love it!

[@m0391n]

It was interesting to know how so long project have come to life, the ending of the speech was also a bit tough to watch.

[@hypetrain7134]

Dude. What a great talk. He also just sold me on his game :)

[@ZoidbergForPresident]

Just finished it and despite some quirks here and there, it's a very nice game! Gratz for finishing it! 13:00 I don't remember that stone, but I remember the boss. :P

[@devincory9695]

Dude! I didn't know he illustrated album covers for Savant! That's so freaking cool!

[@overdev1993]

these last 4 or 5 minutes WOW

[@Mark-fc7tu]

Very nice video.

[@ivanatanassov6542]

Thanks for the talk!

[@vama89]

Inspiring talk. Congrats on your success! That is some dedication. 9 years in the making puts my 1.5 years of pre-production anguish to shame lol Can't wait to pick up this game and play!

[@kaiiboraka]

Sorry for the necro here, but I just wanted to chime in-- I'm just now hitting that 1.5 years of Pre-production myself on my own game, and I'm feeeeelin the pressure of feature/scope creep and how huge my ideas actually are, but by golly if it takes me 9 years too, so be it. It's not the thing that's taking up all of my time, I still do work and stuff, but I am utterly determined, and after this talk TOTALLY MOTIVATED! to see it through to completion. It's been a dream of mine for so long, and I'm finally finding myself in a position to make those dreams come true... Ain't no chance I'm quitting now. I'm just barely getting started!

[@vama89]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWLMZaCKrs6XhcU :p

[@GabeWilliams]

Making me think about making a video game by myself knowing full well I do not have the time or energy for it lol

[@Alejandrothelocksmith]

GREAT VIDEO THANK YOU!

[@marcusj8623]

Im happy weird al yankovic found a new profession.

[@WickedWorld3]

lmao

[@limonadafrozentlv]

great game

[@homemacai]

Awesome!

[@roddanchill]

Wow.

[@glasssoup7549]

That GoNNER badge!

[@DaveFurbush]

Very cool, but these GDC things with the over sensitive microphones drive me fucking nuts. It’s like AMSR hell. I can hear, in graphic detail, every drop of saliva his mouth is producing... in real time. It’s unfortunately distracting. It’s probably just me. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@recurve3234]

first comment!!

[@Alastor255]

get out, you contribute nothing here

[@StarContract]

Good art, terrible gameplay

[@eunaoseibrother8902]

Ilan Lakan the demo version? yeah, its pretty lame.