game dev why does it always tell me to focus the team

Why Does Game Development Always Tell Me to Focus on One Team?

As game developers, we've all been there - struggling to create a product that meets our initial vision, only to realize that it's not quite delivering as expected. It's frustrating when players become bored with the game after just a month or two, and we're left wondering what went wrong.

In my experience, this is exactly what happened with Gunshine. Despite our excitement and enthusiasm at the start, we slowly realized that we weren't meeting our original product vision. As a result, we had to make some tough decisions - including parting ways with our CEO Ilkka.

Looking back, I think one of the biggest challenges we faced was trying to cram too many people into a small space. Our first office was in a 30-square-meter room in Niittykumpu, Espoo, Finland, and it was bursting at the seams. We had six desks donated by a local recycling center, and a coffee maker - but that was about it.

Of course, we also borrowed as much money as we could from Tekes, the Finnish government's technology funding arm, to help get our project off the ground. And in the early days, the founders invested their own savings into the company.

But despite these challenges, I believe that focusing on one platform at a time is crucial for achieving high-quality results. Unfortunately, this wasn't something we learned until later on - initially, we were convinced that building cross-platform gaming services was the way to go.

Looking back, it's clear that we were trying to do too much too soon. In reality, our product vision has evolved significantly over time. While we still believe in the importance of cross-platform gaming services, we've come to realize that focusing on one platform at a time is essential for delivering high-quality results.

In hindsight, I wish we had learned this lesson sooner - but I'm grateful for the experience and the opportunity to share my story with others.

Game dev why does it always tell me to focus the team