Inside Indie: Daylight? What’s That?

“Inside Indie” is where we invite some of our favorite developers to talk about their lives and careers in gaming. This week’s article is by Dave Gilbert.

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If there’s one thing I love about being a full-time indie game developer, it’s the total lack of anything resembling a cohesive daily schedule.

Today, I woke up.  I stumbled around for awhile, doing my usual morning routine.  I packed up my laptop and ventured forth onto the New York City streets en route to my alternate “office” – that office being a local Starbucks.  I sat down, plugged myself in, and dutifully began working on The Blackwell Convergence for a few hours before I was told by a staff member that they were closing and I needed to get the heck out.

“Closing?” I thought to myself. “But it’s so early!”

A quick glance at my laptop clock told me the truth. It was actually 10PM.

Huh? How did this happen?  I looked out the window and… yes.  The streets definitely had a certain late-night look about them. It was dark.  The streetlamps were on. University kids were walking around in clubbing clothes.  What happened? Where did the day go?

It went nowhere.  You see, the previous evening I had been working till the wee hours of the morning.  I was grappling with a particularly difficult part of the game, and it was consuming me.  The hours ticked by without me noticing, and when I finished I was too wired to even think about sleeping.  So I puttered around.  I had dinner.  I read for awhile.  I caught up on neglected household chores.  Eventually, I crashed.  I have no idea what time that was.  All I know is that it was late enough for me to snooze through the entire day.

This seems to happen more and more often lately.  It’s probably not the healthiest sleeping pattern, but I think back to an earlier time in my life and realize that it’s better than the alternative.

A few years ago, I had a 9-5 job like everybody else.  I was never without a watch or a clock nearby, and I’d check it constantly.  If I was out with friends and it was close to midnight? Then damn, I’d better get home and go to sleep or I’ll be a zombie at the office.  If I woke up and it was 8:30am? Then I’d better get a move on or I’d be late for work.  If I was late for work and I rushed to the subway platform only to see the train whoosh by without me?  Well, those are things that ulcers are made of.

That’s all changed.  Nowadays, I don’t even bother with a watch.  My wall clock stopped working ages ago and I haven’t thought to fix it.  If it weren’t for my cell phone and the little time indicator on my laptop screen, I’d live in a pure state of timeless bliss.

Of course, this probably explains why I am always so late in returning phone calls, or writing guest blog entries.  The fact that the rest of the world doesn’t conform to my sleeping patterns is a source of much disappointment.

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Dave Gilbert is the founder of Wadjet Eye Games.  His past titles include The Shivah, Blackwell Unbound, and The Blackwell Legacy.  His next game, Emerald City Confidential, is being released next month by PlayFirst.