It's not that I can't imagine how making new video games for major platforms would be stressful, but what seems life-threatening and intensely personal to the subjects of this documentary can often come off as a bit myopic/borderline-narcissistic. Ultimately, this movie illustrates not so much the sometimes-heroic, often frustrating creative process (and life in general), but good old-fashioned growing pains.
And that's just it. Essentially, these guys are still kids; they obsess about reviews, social media interaction, their futures in an industry they've only begun to participate in. I can understand that. But I could also tell they hadn't yet seen the other side -- that we can fail utterly, and yet come back in one piece to do something even better.
Still, there are certainly moments I rooted for the developers (except for that dude from Braid -- never complain publicly that people don't appreciate your work for the same reasons you do, *sheesh* NAGL). In particular, the bearded guy from Super Meat Boy comes off as humble, quirky, genuinely happy and surprised that people liked his game. Even the Fez developer, who at the beginning seemed practically a poster- boy for First World Problems, learns a lesson about life and perspective by the end. And maybe that's how best to enjoy this movie: as a snapshot of super-creative, ambitious young people dealing with adult problems, while wielding the emotional skill-sets of adolescence.
And that's just it. Essentially, these guys are still kids; they obsess about reviews, social media interaction, their futures in an industry they've only begun to participate in. I can understand that. But I could also tell they hadn't yet seen the other side -- that we can fail utterly, and yet come back in one piece to do something even better.
Still, there are certainly moments I rooted for the developers (except for that dude from Braid -- never complain publicly that people don't appreciate your work for the same reasons you do, *sheesh* NAGL). In particular, the bearded guy from Super Meat Boy comes off as humble, quirky, genuinely happy and surprised that people liked his game. Even the Fez developer, who at the beginning seemed practically a poster- boy for First World Problems, learns a lesson about life and perspective by the end. And maybe that's how best to enjoy this movie: as a snapshot of super-creative, ambitious young people dealing with adult problems, while wielding the emotional skill-sets of adolescence.