Tim Schafer: 'There were so many occasions when I thought my career in games was over'

One of video games' most beloved creators on surviving a tumultuous career, running an indie publishing arm and earning a Bafta fellowship

We went through a period in the games industry where I felt I was being shamed for doing story. It was like, all games should be Deus Ex, all games should be design-driven and systemic. Interactivity is what's unique about games, a powerful tool that can't be ignored, but I don't like limited ideas about what games "should" be. It annoys me because there are so many different people playing games who like them for completely different reasons. Gamers aren't just one thing.

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