Postby Saint Kevin » Sat Aug 25, 2007 10:41 pm
I've worked in software QA for about a year in the Interactive Entertainment (aka video game) industry. During my time there, I've developed a great respect for those who are successful software developers. It isn't easy to develop software that sells enough copies to pay for the salaries of those involved in its production and marketing. It's even more challenging to go beyond "breaking even" to where you make enough money to fund future projects.
I've worked on the projects of many different developers during my time, with a resume including about 15-20 titles, a slew of developers, and nearly every current-gen and next-gen console, including Xbox, PS2, 360, Nintendo DS, Wii, and PSP.
I can tell you that console development is not cheap, and almost no one gets their start by developing a title that will reach the shelves at Best Buy or Game Stop. More than likely, a developer starts making a small title with flash that can be played as shareware and then downloaded as a full version for $9.95. Startups can also succeed in developing for Xbox Live Arcade, or Wiiware (the Nintendo analog to XBLA) where users can demo a game and then download it for $5-$10. Other developers have gotten their start in the mod community, where they gain invaluable practice modifying and creating new content for an existing game engine. With enough practice creating mods (and enough money to license a solid gaming engine) it is also possible to create successful games this way.
People who have expressed skepticism in this thread are justified in doing so, and do so NOT because they want you to fail, but because they know how difficult success is in this industry, and how long it really can take to gain the experience, industry contacts, skilled employees, and capital required to succeed.
With that in mind, I wonder if I could ask you a few business-related questions in regard to your company, to gauge where you are, and perhaps give you advice that might help you take the next step on your way.
1) Are you a company in a legal sense? Have you registered your company name with the appropriate authorities (e.g. the US Patent and Trademark Office - uspto.gov - for trademarks, etc.)?
2) Do you have any capital to invest in your company? If not, can you raise capital or do you know qualified people willing to work for free?
3) How many people are there in your company? How many are you going to need (considering programming, art and music asset design, marketing, accounting, sales, and legal advice)?
4) Are you experienced enough to enter a venture like this, or do you need to gain more yourself (or others more experienced than yourself) before you can really make games that make money?
If you are unsure of the answers to these questions, that is ok, but they are very important questions that NEED to be answered before you are ready to make games for a living (or make movies, for that matter). These are bigger-picture questions that deal with your company's over objectives, mission, and vision, but there are a slew of smaller-picture questions that also need to be answered.
On a smaller scale (meaning on the scale of just one project), you are going to have to ask yourself other questions:
1) How big of a game do I want to make (how long to complete, how much art and animation is necessary, how much sound effects/music/VO, how long will I test it before release, etc.)?
2) What genre of game am I making, and to which segment of the gaming population will it appeal? (be careful in appealling to a niche-of-a-niche, such as fans of first person shooters that also happen to like Hello Kitty).
3) How much (realistically) time and money and people and experience will this ONE project cost to make?
and
4) Can I amass all of the assets neccessary to finish this project and finish it well enough to sell enough copies to cover all my expenses?
If you get all of the previous questions answered, but your answer to the above question is 'No', you are probably better off doing a project for fun and experience (and not necessarily profit). Until you are ready to make something for profit, don't call yourself a company. Call yourself a club, studio, or community, but not a company. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with start very small, being honest with others in saying that you cannot pay them, and telling everyone concerned that you are doing something for the experience rather than to succeed as a developer. I advise you to start there, and see where it takes you.
If you are really serious about spending your life in large, collaborative, creative endeavors, remember this - ALWAYS count the cost of a project before starting.
Jesus advised a man (and by extension - all of us) to count the cost of being his disciple in the book of Luke. Likewise, we ought to count the cost of any long-term project we might undertake.
I look forward to learning where you are along the process of becoming a game developer. I am a part of a group in my city that aims to do just exactly that, people with a lot of talent, and a lot of industry experience between them. Still, developing games is one of the toughest ways to make a living. It is an endeavor that will take a lot of grace from God, and a ton of hard work in order to do successfully.
Feel free to PM me anytime, and to ask any questions you may have in this thread.
Our lives are but a vapor, let us not let waste our time and breath on vanities, but let us spend ourselves for the Kingdom, seeking a better resurrection.
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