Developers are often gamers themselves, even if they play something completely different from what they develop. This is also the case for Stephen Kick, the CEO of Nightdive Studios, who is primarily known for the remasters of System Shock, Doom, and Quake. He is a fan of Dota 2.
What does the boss play? Anyone who has ever played a competitive game like Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, LoL, or Valorant knows the frustrating moments when you are ruthlessly outmatched by your opponents. Some might have even uninstalled the game out of frustration—only to reinstall it shortly after.
Stephen Kick, the CEO of Nightdive Studios, feels similarly. His favorite game is Dota 2, and he has played it for no less than 8,544 hours, recently achieving his five thousandth victory. The daily grind has even made him a better boss.
Here you can see the trailer for Dota 2:
Grind with positive effects
How did the boss get into Dota 2? For Kick, Dota 2 was more than just a game, as he started with a competition held by Valve, the creators of Steam. He joined to design 3D models for the characters that would enter the game if he won, which would have included him in the microtransactions.
To better understand the game, he started playing it himself, and has not stopped to this day. He plays position 5 – Hard Support and supports his team with healing and crowd control accordingly.
In an interview with PCGamer, the developer explains that he likes to take on the role of in-game leader. He enjoys giving commands to his fellow players: “Hey, I’m grabbing a smoke bomb, we all meet at this triangle. We set off the bomb, we attack, then we kill Roshan and either take Tier 2 or push up the hill.”
How does the game affect him? The boss believes that Dota 2 makes him a better leader. He says Dota 2 has helped him communicate better. He also handles frustration better now and no longer has outbursts when people do not meet his expectations.
Instead, it has become easier for him to help others. He offers suggestions when people need support and explains what they can do better. This is useful both in Dota 2 and at work.
Why is the relationship with Dota 2 toxic? The developer has uninstalled Dota 2 multiple times out of frustration. When that happens, everything becomes too serious for him. A lost match directly affects his mood.
After a month, however, the boss usually returns and has given in to his passion again. Since he plays the game with his wife, the rounds have now become a tradition. With his son, however, he enjoys playing Plants vs. Zombies, which teaches them both strategic thinking and resource management.
Video games may not be educational material, but they can still teach new skills and have a significant impact on one’s life. Yet, as in this example, they are not always positive and can also be frustrating. Other people spend their time in games even more creatively: Player spends 10,000 hours in GTA 5, but instead of driving through the city, he prefers to beautify it
