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Ask HN: I'm quitting my job, will create a game – any advice?

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Re: Ask HN: I'm quitting my job, will create a game – any advice?

#81

Post by tubularhells »

markus_zhang wrote: post #68
nicpottier wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I should add that we decided to stop doing this when we realized we were now playing the lottery for a living. We had a few times where we got featured in stores and made thousands a day but didn't take off from there and that was that for that title. If I can offer any advice it is to focus on simple mechanics and keep production costs way down. Don't spend more than three months on launching your first title.

When reviewing the history of ID Software I came upon an interesting fact: Back in Softdisk, i.e. before ID was a thing, the team managed a product called "Gamer's Edge", which is a bi-monthly subscription service (people nowadays would love the idea) that gave players two full games and a bunch of other smaller tools. I'm wondering if indie teams should more or less do the same if they are not eyeing big hits, which…

That's anninsane schedule that cannot be pulled off with today's audience expectations.

The main creator of the 10mg collection was on the Eggplant Show recently and talked about releasing games quarterly and how unsustainable that is.

Re: Ask HN: I'm quitting my job, will create a game – any advice?

#82

Post by friendlybus »

beningrad wrote: post #79

Don't make the mistake of dismissing game design. Spend way more time than you think is proper on non-digital paper prototypes and greybox digital prototypes. Get your half-baked games in front of people and watch where and how they struggle, get bored, have fun, lose interest, etc. All the best engineering, art, audio, marketing, and polish in the world won't make a game more fun. Stickiness comes from game design a…

Adding to parent, the premise of your game is very hard to change after you've started. You will think of new ideas that you will have to axe as you progress, so get a non-digital prototype you know has appeal. It will keep you on track.

Re: Ask HN: I'm quitting my job, will create a game – any advice?

#83

Post by nmfisher »

WhompingWindows wrote: post #13

Try working on the game 20 hours a week while keeping your job. If you truly love the concept and love working on it while still working full time, that'd be a good sign to potentially scale it up with your full 60-80 hours you'll be spending.

Have you ever done this though? This is how I started and progress was impossibly slow.

At some point you’re just draining yourself of every spare hour, you’re underperforming at your day job, and you’re not really moving forward.

It’s ok to do for a month or so as a litmus test, but after that I fully support diving in full time (in full knowledge that there’s a 95% chance you’ll fail).

You can always get another job.

Re: Ask HN: I'm quitting my job, will create a game – any advice?

#84

Post by nmfisher »

dinkblam wrote: post #11

just don't. i wasted 18 months on creating a game. it was an awful time with millions of boring-but-necessary tasks and sales on mac+linux+windows were basically zero. if i had a time-machine, this would be the one decision i'd reverse.

Don’t you appreciate the knowledge and experience you have now though? I’d never consider that a waste.

Re: Ask HN: I'm quitting my job, will create a game – any advice?

#85

Post by nmfisher »

tubularhells wrote: post #80

Yeah, that's not enough money. People think games are like startups, but with games you don't get to iterate after a failed release. People don't take a second look at games.

I’ve never tackled a game before, but as someone who has done the whole “iterate publicly” thing (link in profile), I’ve always wondered whether games are basically “startups on hard mode” for precisely this reason.

There’s so much competition and things can really unravel due to missteps early on in the piece.

I guess the flipside is the market is both huge and very willing to spend money. So swings and roundabouts.

Re: Ask HN: I'm quitting my job, will create a game – any advice?

#87

Post by markus_zhang »

tubularhells wrote: post #81
markus_zhang wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When reviewing the history of ID Software I came upon an interesting fact: Back in Softdisk, i.e. before ID was a thing, the team managed a product called "Gamer's Edge", which is a bi-monthly subscription service (people nowadays would love the idea) that gave players two full games and a bunch of other smaller tools. I'm wondering if indie teams should more or less do the same if they are not eyeing big hits, which…

That's anninsane schedule that cannot be pulled off with today's audience expectations. The main creator of the 10mg collection was on the Eggplant Show recently and talked about releasing games quarterly and how unsustainable that is.

Yeah agreed it's too fast. Back in 90s there was way less demand on resources.

Re: Ask HN: I'm quitting my job, will create a game – any advice?

#88

Post by spookybones »

nicpottier wrote: post #53
jek0 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funny how "lottery" is the word that comes out the most when we talk about making games for a living. Big studios solve this by publishing games by the hundreds.

Right. Ya, in truth I think the big studios were all built off a single hit. And those hits keep paying out for a long time and they leverage either the brand to build sequels or just start stringing out new titles hoping another will "hit". Cross-marketing is huge too. You can be successful building mobile games, just like you can win the lottery. :)

This sounds a lot like book publishing

Re: Ask HN: I'm quitting my job, will create a game – any advice?

#89

Post by terrycody »

Rely on games is always not that easy as you can imagine, but I will also say good luck to your adventures! Don't forget, there are a ton of youtube videos talking indie game making and alike, I am pretty sure you can learn many valuable tips from them!

Re: Ask HN: I'm quitting my job, will create a game – any advice?

#90

Post by davidtranjs »

I don't think this is a good idea unless you already have a great talent in making game. Leaving your job will put a great pressure on yourself.

Instead of doing it yourself. I think you can start by hire some developers from 3rd countries to get the job done. There are not short of talent developers from there.

When you hire a good developers, you can focus your time on tweaking gameplay, design, marketing, and build a community around your game.

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