Advice on making money (New Dev)

(skip ahead to "My Point" if there is too much reading involved)

i'm new to unity and a new game developer. i'll cut to the chase. i don't know how much longer i can continue to live in my mom's home before i start thinking about desperate measures to get out of here. it's time to make some moonah.

i'm confident that i have the interest, motivation, passion, and capability for game development in general. unfortunately, certain aspects of game development are not my strong suit. graphic design and music, just to name two, but it goes beyond that.
the core of my passion for game development is storytelling and designing systems for games (like designing how the game should feel and the game play mechanics). even more unfortunately is that i struggle with coding, but i'm slowly improving on the things that i'm not good at.

i really want to start out as a solo dev, making money and living the life style that i want for myself, dedicating MY time to MY projects. i already wasted so much of my life being held back. more than that, i am simply incapable of handling full time work.
the only exception is if i'm super interested in the work that i'm doing. one time i spent over 12 hours a day for what felt like more than a week building a minecraft server. THAT kind of game dev work is completely up my ally. the only coding i did was altering the values in text documents and all of the art was pre-made. aside from dealing with the insane learning curve at the time, i was free to unleash my creative and imaginative freedom.
that project never left the ground, but whatever.
anyway, after i make a lot of money, enjoy the new lifestyle, make up for all of the time that i lost as a teenager and in my early 20s, and finally embrace adulthood, and then make even more money, i will move on to bigger things in the world of game dev.
i am feeling very ambitious about it.

just to make my intentions clear... i only want to be a solo dev to start out and get my life started. i have ideas for projects that are small enough to be handled with minimal extra help after i get some skills.
later on when i move onto bigger projects, i will need a lot of help. i fully understand the necessity of cooperation and intend to get the appropriate extra help when that time comes.

My Point:
is there any advice for how someone like me should get started in unity to start making money ASAP? i know a lot of the basics of C# and i've been through the editor tutorials and scripting tutorials for unity. i am ready to make my first, simple unity game and i have a great idea for it too. it might not be good enough to go anywhere aside from newgrounds, but it's a start.

 

Realistically you won't make enough money to live off and you should probably get that idea out of your head because there are a lot of people that ask the same thing and the replys are usually, a) don't forgo a real day job in pursuit of game development income and b) make games for fun before trying to make money.
Why not get a real job and then transition into game development? That way there is no risk of failure. Ask anyone here if they have got rich of solo game development and 99.99999% of them will say they haven't. Every man women and some intelligent babies are building games and the vast vast majority of them get lost in a sea of endless crap. Unless you have a very good marketing strategy your game will most likely go the same way.
Good luck with the game dev but set your expectations incredible low. It's a tough industry to break even in.

 

If you need to make money asap, then you get a day job. Part time or full time. And not in gamedev.

If you know "a lot of basics", and "have been through a lot of tutorials", then you are not employable. It will be more than a year or at least several till you maybe become employable, and even when you become employable, the source of income will be from contracts... meaning you'll be working for other people, on THEIR projects.

There's also a matter of "lifestyle". If you expect to make a lot of money from your games, then it is highly likely that it won't happen. As a solo gamedev the closest you can expect to be is spiderweb software, which is mostly one dude making games since 1994 (geneforge, avernum...). Games like this:

Spoiler

Additionally, working on minecraft server is not really gamedev.

------

Basically, you don't walk path of "solo gamedev" to get rich. You do that to do what you like. If you need money, that's not the right way to get it.

 

The chances of making a day job income in the first few of years of game dev are slim to nil. What many people don't realize is that game development is about a dozen quite different vocations put together, and frankly it seems like you've hardly dipped your toe in one so far.

If you were desperate to make money and game dev was your only option, I would say use the asset store and crank out clones as fast as you can. By the sheer volume of productivity, you might make a few peanuts but it would be nothing next to a normal job, and you would be selling your soul in the process.

Without going into gory details, I can relate to your situation from experience, and I have only one thing to tell you: get the hell out of the situation you are in right now, and get any job that comes your way. I have worked as a trolley collector at a supermarket, setting up exhibition booths etc, any drudging job I could get just to be able to go through life with a clear mind and a good conscience. No possible reward is worth staying in the same spot and risking that it continues to grind away at your soul. The only time when you can make a course correction this big is when you are willing to do anything at all to make it happen, so don't sit around waiting for a golden opportunity. Take responsibility and do whatever it takes right now.

 

Just guessing but I think the quickest way to make money would be with sex. That's my plan B if A doesn't make a profit.

 

go to a vocational school or become a truck driver.

 

Don't discount entry level QA jobs at a game studio. You won't make as much as a non-gamedev job, but you'll get experience working in the games industry and may be able to move up. There's a lot of turnover in QA. If you're in a place with a decent number of game companies, your odds of getting an entry level QA job aren't too bad.

 

This is really good advice. As unglamorous a QA job is, you get "integrated" into the system. You form friendships, contacts, you get to know people and people get to know you, familiarize yourself with the process, and get paid for it. After getting my Bachelor's in Computer Engineering, I couldn't get any entry level game programmer jobs, mainly because of the dot com bust. I decided to start at QA at a major AAA company and worked my way up to SE III.

 

You also get paid about as much as you do working in a standard data entry job for a significantly higher workload and far less job security.

 

Not happening.

Not even close.

In bold, I outlined the things that utterly wreck any chance of making money in game development.

 

It is actually quite challenging for experienced game developers to make enough money to survive being a solo game dev. It is nearly impossible for a person just starting out to do it. The best thing you can do is find a stable job to pay your bills while continuing to invest time into pursing your dreams. There is no path for inexperienced people to learn as they go and make money ASAP.

You need to think of game dev as being similar to being a rock star, and think of tools like Unity as being a guitar in that rock star analogy. Musicians get a guitar, spend many years practicing, and then a super tiny few get to make living being a rock star. The only way anybody can spend enough time practicing to even have a chance to chase their dream is if they find a way to make enough money to feed themselves during those many years of practice.

 

My money making advice is to first get any job. Then do your game dev in your spare time. That will give you the freedom to design the games how you want, instead of feeling pressure to rush unfinished games out the door for an attempt at fast cash because your rent is due next week.

 

Exactly the same title as an earlier thread by the same person, and with the same post content, but in a different sub-forum. https://forum.unity.com/threads/advice-on-making-money-new-dev.820491/#post-5435547

 

Definitely, as I did have my low points as well working QA at the time. That's part of the "unglamorous" that I spoke of. But compared to OP's "plan" of doing solo indie dev to make a quick buck, it's still far more stable.

 

Honestly, if you want stability and you want to make games, get a desk job and make them in your off time.

 

Well, the OP needs to take that advice, because that's exactly what I'm doing right now.

 

All good points in @neginfinity's post. However, I did want to point out that successful "solo" game developers hardly ever do ALL the work on their own. In the case of Spiderweb, Jeff Vogel has spent plenty of money on contract artwork, and I believe his wife is the accountant and/or business manager.

 

.I don't consider those issues actually, quite minor roadblocks. The game design, programming, levels, story, all of that easily is 90% of the work. Outsourcing is normal. Unity is an outsourced engine.

 

Yeah, I know that they hired Phil Foglio and (I think) his wife to do avernus artworks, for example. Those artists were responsible for Girl Genius, Buck Godot. However, like hippo said, outsourcing is normal.

The reason why I brought up Vogel/Spiderweb is because those guys are an example of long-term successful ultra-small teams. So, basically, if you lone wolf your way to success, that's what you'll be. Another Spiderweb.

 

Just seeing this thread's title here triggers me every time.

 

This if you make games for fun. But games made for fun usually sucks.

Closed circle:
You cannot make a living from solo game development. This is why you got to get a job, since you got a job you don't have time and energy to make good game.

So there a re two options.

1. Get a job and try to make game part time, this game will suck but only if you miraculously finish it.

2. Don't get a job make your game full time. Survive lack of money (about 3 years), survive burnout.
Your game will probably suck when you somehow finish it.

And all this if you actually can create a game. Learning not included.

 

lmao if you expect people to survive a lack of money for three years

Anyway, your post is garbage. Its entire reasoning basically results in the conclusion that all games suck and also game never get made.

 

There's a GDC talk that somewhat addresses this question:

Note: I'm another one of those "get a dayjob" people. I don't have anywhere near the guts to what that guy does.

 

To be honest with how Jeff Vogel got mentioned I'm surprised no one mentioned the talk he gave about his company.

Spoiler: Failing to Fail: The Spiderweb Software Way

To be fair the reason why that guy never achieved and still hasn't achieved a hit is because he never took the chances that are required to have a hit. Every single game he shows in his talk is some variant of Match 3. He never made anything out of the ordinary. Just non-stop shovelware trash. That they were successful at all is the amazing part.

 

I'm forcing myself to even reply to your post.

I assumed bright people understand what hyperbole is.

Your post is totally illogical considering what I have written.

I'm talking from some experience.
Please show me your achievements so I can determine how seriously should I take your opinion.

 

lmao

 

Don't respond to each other, I'm not interested in seeing people trade blows. Your blows would not even be about the topic after all, and the rest of the forum would have to endure it

Or not, after mod thread bans.

 

I feel like my last reply pretty much sums up my entire position. I couldn't say any more that wouldn't be a permutation of that and I only know so many different words that are synonymous with "butt" to stick into the lmao format

 

If you don't find the game you're working on fun, then you'll never finish the project.
There has to be some sort of fun, otherwise you'll just end up feeling miserable, no matter how much you're paid. If you aren't paid, then it won't get any better.

Uh-huh. Convincing yourself that something is impossible is a great way to never do anything. That was sarcasm.

It can actually go like this.

1. If you get a job you hate that pays well, you may end up feeling miserable, because you're not doing what you want.
2. If you work on project for fun, without earning money, you may end up feeling miserable, because you don't have enough cash, and bills/food/healthcare is now a problem.
3. If you give up on your idea, you may end up feeling miserable due to never implementing it till the end of your life.
4. And if you implement your idea, you may end up feeling miserable due to all the lost opportunity, because instead of the project you could've been doing other things.

There's no path to completely victory, you gain something, you lose something.

However, the point is that you need to balance your needs and ideally arrive in situation where you're at least content. Because you need both cash and satisfaction from you work, and that satisfaction from work is an actual need. This can be doing what you want for fun, while spending the money you earned from the job you hate. Or even doing the job you like.

A good example, by the way, is Notch. The dude earned few billions from his game. That made him depressed, apparently.

 

And that's how you respond to a post to respectfully disagree with it, without calling it garbage.

About that...
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-dauntin...y-the-devs-of-stardew-valley-owlboy-and-more/

Oh yeah, and this...
https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/9/20903139/indie-game-developers-creators-money-funding

 

Do people not expect stress when running their own business?

 

There are relatively stress free vocations, as far as I can tell.

A situation where a person works for several years alone, with no real expectation of payoff, in hopes to finish their opus magnum is less like a business, and more like a kamikaze project that may or may not work out. Also, it is comparable to making your movie from scratch in hopes that it will be well received.

A business would be making a lot of fast periodic releases, non-stop, without getting attached to the project.

 

What people don't realize making game is
https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/Lei..._stages_of_depression_in_game_development.php

https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/AliceRendell/20120706/173690/Depression_and_the_Video_Game.php

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news...nction_as_a_depressed_solo_game_developer.php

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news...osed_crunch_that_went_into_Stardew_Valley.php

https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1020783/How-to-Depression-Proof-Your

 

thanks for the responses so far, everyone. i started reading from yesterday. honestly, the state of where i am right now in life is probably a bit unique. i'm in a position where the thought of working full time causes all motivation and hope in life to evaporate from my body. thinking about it after i woke up this morning made me unable to get out of bed for hours.

that being said, it is clear that my main issue is my mindset. it's honestly probably my best option to get a full time day job while building up my game dev skills on the side, if i want to move into my own place soon. i could instead choose to dip my head in the toilet (so to speak) and continue living here for like 3-5 years and focus primarily on game dev, but i simply cannot handle living here another full year. if i realized my ambitions when i was in my teens then it wouldn't be an issue to focus on game dev while living here, but that time has passed... damn, this sucks.

i should think about changing my mindset and improving my health over the coming months to prepare for trying to get a full time job (i tried to get a job a couple of times before. couldn't even get an interview. getting a job might be more difficult than the actual job). of course working out the minor details will also take a lot of effort. like which job i should try to get.
these are just my current thoughts. i'm still keeping an open mind. i can tell that the advice here is good.

 

Actually I think you should try a few full time jobs. Don't go into them thinking "f*k... I'll be stuck here for keeps" but "I'll try this job to meet people and beef up my skills in everything else + get money... I can leave any time."

Cos you can leave any time as you do have a fallback - mom's place. Kid and mom can hate each other after a while, it's normal, very common but also only temporary, usually.

Just grab a few jobs, don't need to stay that long if you don't like them. But you might meet cool friends and maybe even let life take you places.

Don't get screwed up at home doing games at 19 without having experienced that side of life.

 

Try part time then. And consider visiting a therapist regarding motivation.

Basically, the main issue you have somewhat conflicting goals.
Either your main priority is moving to your own place, OR you want to build up skills.
If the main priority is your own place, you need full time job, and likely you won't have any time for skill building.
If you want to build skills, the better choice is part time job, and building skills. But this way you won't be able to move quickly, if at all.

 

idk, I think starting a business in any area has stress equal to or more than solo game dev because they require more risk like taking large loans out to buy equipment, lease a storefront, and pay employees. Large majority of restaurants are guaranteed to fail just like game dev. People need to learn how to manage their feelings. Like that one dev in the article that couldn't handle the stress and had to get blackout drunk.

 

Which one is that?

 

That's not how it works.

People do learn how to manage their feelings, but they do that through practice/experience. So you won't learn how to do it until they start doing it.

And regarding...

That's also not necessarily the way to do it. And this is not really correct.

There are different kind of businesses. Buying a car (with no loan) and then working as a self-employed taxi driver is a business too.

And when you're taking large loans to buy equipment, you're not exactly doing it the safe way. The way I see it, you're supposed to have enough of your own cash in your bank account to keep your venue afloat for a few months at least once it is open. And then if it goes bust you should end up with enough cash to live while looking for a job. That's the safe approach, which I think is reasonable. You can also lease equipment instead of buying it.

 

“I got drunker than I’ve ever been in my life because I was so anxious,” Ironclast

 

yea, I know there are a lot of jobs out there and I am saying solo game dev is no different from most of them. People that have enough money to buy things without loans are rare. Its very high risk to start up a business even without loans because you have to invest a ton of it in the beginning and if your business fails youre back to 0. You should be able to manage your stress by the time you get out of high school and not have mental breakdowns like the people in the articles.

 

You need to think of money as a tool for helping you achieve your goals in life. Don't just look at money as something to be spent to buy stuff. Initially, collect money as wage income. Invest some of that money to help make more money. And have freedom to pursue your life goals. Most people think investing is something they will do "after" they get rich, but that logic is backwards. Investing is how people get ahead financially.

If you are depressed and stuck in bed, that it going to hold you back from achieving your goals. Set a time to get up each day, and get out of bed. Then eat a sensible breakfast. Spend some time exercising each day, since good physical health can improve emotional health. Find something you can do each day, such as walking, running, biking, etc. Remember, even a small improvement in physical health will often lead to a noticeable increase in mood and productivity.

 

Statistically this works quite well for females. If you are a male you are likely to find full time indie game dev has better odds of success.

Nah. Hang around with us for a while and you'll see this thread comes up every couple of weeks. Your situation isn't unique. Its barely even interesting. Wannabe game devs living with their parents place and suffering from mental health issues are a dime a dozen. If the posts on this thread seem harsh about your chances, its because we've seen it all before.

In indie game dev you are going to be competing with a cohort that frequently have the motivation to work a full time job and do games on the side. You simply aren't going to be able to compete with that if you struggle to put in full days. In a global market, very few people will care about your personal life. They just want a great game. And they will ignore you if your game isn't great.

 

@Kiwasi ,I meant video games about that subject, not selling your body

 

Sure.

 

As far as I'm aware, this is incorrect. Solo game dev is unlike most of the jobs out there, due to involving multiple fields of knowledge.

This is an unrealistic expectation. Somebody who has just left high school is just still a kid with no life experience. They've just been given their "adult" hat, they probably think that they have life figured out, but it'll be years till they get their things in order, and there are plenty of landmines to step on. There are exceptions, of course, but they're incredibly rare.

People learn what they're capable of somewhere around 25. And of course, some never learn...

 

Only because people want stuff "now" and don't plan ahead. Assuming you can get a job, then if you can pay off a loan you could also have saved up that money if you were prepared to wait. And in many cases, saving up before spending is both cheaper and less risky. On that note...

Right, but loans increase that risk significantly. If you save up and then spend your own money starting a business that doesn't work out, yeah, you're back to 0. If you take out a loan and it doesn't work out you're way below zero, because now you've got a loan debt to pay off.

Those aren't the only two paths, of course. Another option is to work part time and start your own thing on the side. Some people "moonlight" it (work full time and still do their own thing on the side), though I honestly can't see that being healthy. Either way, if you budget appropriately you can do this with little or no financial risk. Depending on the industry you could do contract work for others to pay the bills, then use unallocated hours to do your own projects. You could prepare your business and not actually start it (ie: incur any significant costs) until you have your first client.

That isn't to say that loans are necessarily bad, by the way. They can be super useful if used appropriately. For example, if the only thing stopping you from taking a lucrative opportunity is not having enough cash on hand then definitely go talk to a bank. (But still, make sure that the loan terms are something you can comfortably pay off if things fall through somehow.)

 

Just a bit of my story:

I am a 33 year-old man. A husband, a father (2 wonderful boys), I have a full-time job as virtualization specialist. I play the guitar, in a band and I am working on a solo heavy metal project. I am also creating a game with my friend. Actually we have managed to release the beta version of this game to google store.

I have started to learn Unity not so long ago (about 2 years) and I often think that I am too old for this... But then my wife tells me that I am not and she gives me strength.

I'm doing all of my hobbies after hours, when the kids are sleeping and I am after a long, busy and overwhelming day. The fact that one of my sons have been diagnosed with autism about 1 year ago makes it even harder.

But you know what? I am happy. I've learned that I should not set ANY expectations, just get to work, learn programming, learn making games and the outcome will be what it'll be. No expectations. Of course I would love to make games professionally, I have a dream to open a game dev studio one day. But I am aware of every difficulties waiting for me.

As I mentioned, we've recently released a game. I've added AdMob support hoping that I will maybe earn some money. But I did not, even for a while assume that it will bring me billions, or that it will make my second salary, or I will be able to leave my current job or anything like this. I just thought - If I make any money, even a cent - I will be happy... If not - well, S*** happens, I will just try to make it better next time It's all about attitude. I hope you will take my suggestions into consideration and I wish you good luck

 

My post here stands:

It's not that it's a matter of talent, but recognition of talent, application of what talents you have, and a good deal of luck. Indie games making money is more rare than a restaurant surviving through its first five years of business. If you want to make games and you want stability, you want a desk job and a hobby.

 

Are you sure there's a thrill and excitement in it? It is a job in the end. Can be hard. Or dull.