Have no job, Unity3d is my hobby. What will you advice me?

I decided to introduce myself on the forum to get some good advice. So my short biography:
- was studying in one gymnazia of eastern languages, studying Chinese (till calss 9)
- then, somehow I told my parrents that "I want to be like my father". They misunderstood it (I only meant I want to have good payed job, but not same profession), and then I moved to another school with architecture profile. Studying there 2 years. Also, I was helping my classmates to make excercies in Pascal that we were studying at school. I even made a chat for DOS (using quick basic, and then visual basic for Windows 3.11), though it was easy: all children computers used the same folders from teacher's computer. It was around 2000.
Yes, and also at that point I had one thought in my mind: it could be great if there was some program which could convert texts into something like movies, so that helps in education. But it was just an idea.
- then time came to apply to university. Parents wanted I go for an architect, but at last moment I decided I'll go to do physics (as physics teacher at school was smarter than others, and also because only 3 persons per seat were competeing for physics, unlike 6 per place on Computer Science). I thought at that time that physics is deeper thatn computer science... I did Physics in Academy for 2,5 years, then it became too hard and I left.
- then my mother again took me back to eastern languages. I went for one year to India, studying Hindi, and after that a few years I did it in local university. So somehow I got linguistic degree. Though teacher told that we will not get a job, and this happened. Later, also that university was closed.
- finally I had no idea what to do in my life. I went into religion and philosophy. So I applied for philosophy/religious studies at philosophy department, and was there for a few years, though, it was just distant form of education. I was thinking to earn on philosophy, and decided that I can make a book of aphorisms/quotes. However at some point it became too complicated, and instead I switched to Microsoft Agent technology which I used for text-to-speech for those philosophical quotes.
- Then, at some stage I decided to go back to my idea of making a program which could convert text to some audio-visual form. When I wrote about this idea on some artificial intelligence forum, I 've got an answer that some movie company is making something like that: one enters a scenario for characters (robots), and they use text-to-speech or do some animations/movements etc. That program was made in Unity3d, and that company also required Unity3d programmers. That's how I got to know about Unity3d, and started learning it around 3 years ago.
- Now, I'm at level 31 (in two monthes will level up to level 32, I mean I'ld be 32 y.o.). I still have no job as I was studying most of the time, and only after I completed all of them, I got acquainted with Unity3d. My parents are retired now. And suddenly I have to face request from them that I have to get a job. At this moment I am writing this from village. Mother says that my working day is 8 hours, but it seems she means working in garden on the ground with trees, vegetables etc (what do you do in village?). So there are quite a lot of days when I just do some village work on the ground, and I don't have much time to do programming. (Good is that I have computer here in village which can run Unity3d, and internet).
- Also, I tried to collaborate with some people here. I've sent different offers, but most people seem not to answer for some reason, and if they do, we don't have much talk.
- At the same time, as it is my hobby, I have own projects: game with samurai and also that very same program to convert phrases to animation. And still another idea, third one, is a chess with dice game.

So, I see that there are a lot of possibilities are there with Unity3d, and I am feeling like I am starting to be like a monkey who wantes to be in many placees at one time, but can be only in one place (working on one project at same time).

What would you advice me?

 

Make cool things until a company notices you and "invite you" to join.
Worked for me at least; after leaving my original job, invites from companies keep popping frequently.

 

I'd advocate little 2 week projects: asset store, mobile, etc - little finished things for small prices. A big project will keep you unemployed and you need the large experience gains from several little things first.

 

it is a good idea. actually I already installed Android SDK and want to make that "chess with dice" game for Android Play Store. Something like 1$/game

 

Don't expect anything from paid game on Google Play though

 

Do you want to say that noone will buy it? Why?

 

Simply put Google Play has so many free to play games that people rarely buy anything.

 

Attended a unity roadshow and one of the evangelists said something like 3% of mobile users are paying users, that was about a year ago.

If your game has an initial cost, say good bye to 97% of your potential market. That's not exactly correct, as this depends on several factors - some games are more likely to engage users into spending money - but I'm sure you can forget about monetizing 90% of your potential market right from the start.

I'll speak for iOS but I'm sure the same applies for Google Play. Unless you either already have a strong player base, are getting published by a known publisher or you have contacts with the app store's editorial team or a large review website, an initial cost is usually commercial suicide.

I believe that, at the current moment, the best way to monetize your users on mobile is by introducing video advertisements in exchange for in-game content.

Also, for any endless type of games, offering the player to watch a video ad to keep going after he dies seems like a pretty solid way to generate revenue, if your game is merely addicting.

 

You were using 3.1 in 2000? I thought my school was backwards.

There is a pattern here. Long difficult projects are not for you. That's fine, knowing what you can and can't do is powerful.

You are also at a severe technological disadvantage. One computer you can occasionally access is a long way behind most devs set ups.

On the other hand your cost of living is likely to be pretty low, meaning you have to make far less money to make a viable job then many others.

If you want to do apps and games then the advice to do lots of small, quick projects is a good idea. Get stuff out quickly.

Moving out of your parents place is also a viable option. Move to a bigger city where low level jobs are more common. Set yourself up as an independent man/women of your own means. There is value to this as well.

 

With a statement like that, maybe you should change your avatar name to OPtimus_Minimus?

 

This thread also has some good advice for finding work as a dev with Unity.

 

That simply the truth.

Aside from what others already pointed out ,openness is the nature of Android platform, which make it easy for people to sideload your game from 3rd parties (there a check box in setting just for that). And the amount of people who willing to do this is probably higher on Android than iOS since Android phones is generally less expensive.

OP started that thread

 

Huh, what a strange coincidence.

If it was anyone else who linked it you would have thought they had gone through the OPs post history to see what sort of background they had. Then directed them to follow advice they ignored the first time they asked the question.

I of course am far too nice to think of something like that.

 

Actually, I am thinking that if I'll start applying for local Unity3d jobs at my present stage, I feel that in 99% my chances are close to zero to be applied anywhere. Simply because I don't have much experience, no portfolio etc. That's why I did something similar: I started applying to collaboration offers. Though, after several monthes with them, I see that most projects seem to be unlikely to get released or they are too big for me (as @hippocoder said, it would keep me unemployed).

What do want to say? Do you mean that if someone will buy my game, then he will put in some website for free downloading, and I will not get any income anymore. Are you speaking about probability of me not getting income because someone will pirate it?
Or do you want to say that they will donwload some alternative to my game? I want to make some unique game (my firend is a chess player, and we created a new chess game, and I didn't find anything like that on internet), so I don't think that any other company ever published it.

Yes, of course then it is better to make games for iOS (though I have no iOS, only MacMini and Android).

It's Ukraine, ex-Soviet Union. What can you expect. Even though I live in its capital (and that school also was there), they still used DOS. And by the way, what OS was at school?

Maybe, maybe. Maybe indeed I should make just small projects, so I see them finished, published etc.

Moving out of your parents place requires money. No, village I am staying at, it is my grandmother's home, so as she is old we have to help her. And I am in village already only for something like half year, not more. And i think it is temporary till repairs at flat in city will be finished. I just want to say I live in big city (village is temporary, I hope it will not get worse so that I'll be here permamnently. Though, as I don't have job and parents are retired, I really have to do something so the situation don't get worse).
Moving to bigger city in my condition can only mean to go somewhere abrod in search for Unity3d jobs. As it is not possible now, i am looking for such abroad opportunities online (collaboration only for now).
It is intersting that you say that "low level jobs are more common" in big city. I always was thinking that something opposite: the bigger city is = the more qualification is expected from a person to work there. And if town is smaller, then simply qualification expected is less. Hm...

I was almost applied to one collaboration team, but the demo project which they had was running slow on my PC.
Though, I wish to think this this way: the time when I was a kid, people used DOS, Windows 95 etc, and now it is possible to make games of level like that - just for mobiles. Unity3d provides much easier tools for that then they were at DOS times, now there are a lot of free online Unity3d docs etc, so that's not upsetting...

No, I don't want to make free games. I like that Bill Gates said: "Free software is communism". I think this appies to games as well. I'ld say: "Free games is communism". And I don't like communism. I like Open-Source, but when it comes to the point of earning money from that... How can you earn from free games? Of course, publishing a game for free on Google Play is not the same as sharing its Source-Code of it (maybe I'ld in that case sell game's source code on Assets store).

Well, what I do myslef, is I have some programs which remove ads. This applies to web-rowser(s). On Android it is different - that doesn't seem to work well, but user can always turn off internet, so only offline ads will be shown. But how one earns from that? I don't like ads... Do those games with Ads send "shown offline ads" statistics when user goes online?

But why? Do you want that I go communist (free) scheme?

But there are millions (or billions?) of users of Android. This means if even some small percentage buys a game, still that is a lot of people, no?

 

Well if you can either try getting some contract work, or just try selling some things in the asset store, I've made a few extra hundred bucks a month every month for 4+ years and doesnt really require much work (whereas contract work you'd have to work every day forever).

Oh I also got a game on steam and I have an idea about that

 

We're suggesting you earn money through indirect means like advertisements, in-app purchases, etc. You draw in your audience by attracting them with a free game and then monetize them once they are hooked. This is how the vast majority of those who are actually successful with mobile game development are doing it.

 

I sure hope you're not using Unity FREE.

 

Quit feeling and start doing. What's the worst that can happen? Someone says no? You get a job that puts you in over your head? Neither of these are particuarly bad outcomes.

The school used whatever was current. In the early 90s it was 3.1. In the late 90s it was 95. High school was mostly XP. Uni was 7. And so on. Regardless, the Solviet Union is an excuse Anericans use to build nukes. It's not an excuse for you to be unable to program.

That's why old Bill gave away Windows 10 for free. But you are welcome to starve for your ideology. Seems like a communist thing to do.

I'm not talking about unity jobs. Unity jobs are pretty rare and are luxuries. I'm talking about standing on the end of a line packing cans into boxes. Flipping burgers. Stacking shelves. Anything and everything to get you out of your parents established on your own. Don't wait for some mythical Unity job to land in your lap. It won't happen.

Just go make a game and launch it already. At the very least it's a portfolio piece.

 

Our middle school computer lab had IBM PS/2s. Everyone else in the school was stuck with Apple IIe systems. Both sets of computers booted from floppy disks because hard drives were too expensive.

It wasn't until early high school that we started getting "modern" computers with processors that weren't numbered, had enough memory to boot Windows 95, and colors other than green. We even gained the Internet at one point.

 

I saw a computer in a education facility first time when I went to the University. Nice memories.
I think hippocoder is right, start small, make something easily doable, little projects (a dice chess game is not a small 2 week project for most people ), make a small portfolio.
Also, find a job. Any boring or less boring job, that gives real money, not "exposure" or "possibilities".
Kind regards,
-Ippokratis

 

Fun Fact #234: I've got close to 40,000 downloads on Android. And from that, 23 sales.


Getting a small percentage to buy your game is much harder than you think.

 

There are about a thousand games being released per day on Android. You not only have to compete with them but you are competing with previously released titles as well. Anything that detracts from your potential user base only serves to further drown you out in the noise.

Additionally there are companies known for cloning games shortly after they hit the market. You may decide to release your game with an upfront cost, but they most assuredly will be releasing their clones of your app for free. Whether you release your game for free or paid can easily determine whether you will sink or swim.

 

If you can team up with some folks who can do the model , animations, sounds then you can do game-advertisement or gamification. It is quite a hot soup here now a days. The downside is, if you are alone then you will hardly get any contract.

 

@text23d I mean on Android your game will have more chance of being pirated, especially if it is paid. But really, just do whatever you want, you probably not gonna make a lot (if any) from your first anyway.

@BoredMormon just to be correct Windows 10 isn't free, it only free for Windows user, for a limited time. And trying to tag you make me realize your name is not BoredMoron. No offense at all

 

My game has nothing similar with chess. It only uses chess pieces and chess board. Plus "attack dice" and "defense dice". Say, white throw attack dice (result is say, 6), then black side throws defense dice (say, 2), the result is: 6-2=4, and thus 4 points of health is taken from a chess piece. Each chess piece has its value: king has highest, pawn has lowest (1). Chess pieces don't move, but simply health is taken away from them after two dices are thrown. So that is simple. Though, my friend, good chess player liked this game, and we decided that we should publish and try to sell it (he even said: If you don't do it, I'll feel hurt). So, just to make my friend, chess player, happy, I'm going to make this game.
And of course I don't expect much income from that. But I want to start with not free version: I can always make free version later, but how can I explain users who bought a game that a game somehow became not free? Everyone is expecting a game to become cheaper over a time and also get more features etc.

I had a little experience: I was distributing/promoting newspapers to car-drivers. For several monthes (till winter when it became too cold). So somehow I I earned some money, but ... due to the "law of vileness", I have met a person, who invited me to Telexfree. I was attracted with easy money, company promised 20$ per week for simply posting (or say promoting) it in internet. So I lost 339$ in it (and I know many people lost even more, I think including that person who invited me there). It all looked fine, company had license, good inspiring responses from its promoters etc.
I know that I could have bought some assets from assets store for that money, and that could help me making some good game, but the bad thing happened.
Of course, some millionaires also loose millions. Some commit suicides because of that.
Well, maybe those people (I mean Telexfree) will go to hell, or at least remain in samsara (reincarnation circle) for quite longer time, being punished reincarnated into some animals and other lower creatures... Hm.

For me it would mean that I will not be even able to pay back registration price as Google Play developer.
Though, by the way, I just found Yandex.Store (store.yandex.ru), on which I registered for free. And it looks like I can sell there my Android game(s), without paying any cent (unlike Google Play). THough, maybe they will take some percentage from income, I'm not sure.

Ha-ha, I'ld be happy if my game would be so popular that someone will decide to clone it ;-) Though, then probably I'ld write them that they should not do so, because it is my original idea. (c)

Yes, then I will also write them, so that they should delete it because it is fobidden to be a communist ;-) (I mean just in game dev).

Yes, it is only for one year. If you don't update you Windows license in one year, you should buy it for full price.

No, I just want to try to publish it not free. If some time will pass and noone will buy it or very few people, I may reconsider the pricing scheme. Though. If I'll make games free with ads, I would not call that communism in my case ;-)

Do you know any free assets to add ADs into a game?

 

http://unity3d.com/services/ads

 

Unity ads are integrated into the engine... cant get any easier than that

 

Don't do game dev. Game dev is hard. You've given up on every significant endeavour in your life as soon as it became hard. You won't be able to make any money off of this before you give up.

And figure out the enter key. Trust me, it won't kill you.

 

It's not even solely a matter of difficulty either. It takes time to design, prototype, develop, debug, market, etc. If you cannot handle putting weeks or months into a single project then it may not be the right field to get into.

 

No, I don't think game dev is that hard. It is my hobby. And I don't think that hobby is hard.
Though, of course, it depends on game. Some games are hard, others are not. You are over-generalizing.
I gave up on something not related to programming. I don't remember that I ever gave up doing programming. It just takes time, true. But I never give up in programming. Or probably if i give up sometimes, that is not for a long time. I take rest and come back to proramming. Usually it can be if I learn something new.
Anyway, I'm not going to give up programming in any case.

Well, the only difficulty is that I have to use C#. Though, I've read a book on C# (that was over 10 years ago, though), and I do have a few projects right now, which I develop in C#. And that took me weeks, or even monthes.
Or you are just testing me? Is it like in martial arts: first you have to fight a master, so he knows if you are "the one"?

Just registered there. It says my budget is 0$. Does it only matter if I want to make own AD of my game? I don't want to make own AD, but just to use those of others (to earn).

So my school seems to be more advanced... But also it means you might be elder and have more experience. Though, what programming languages did you study at school/university?

 

I'm not going to take this "advice". I can advice you the same: don't do gamedev. Will you take my advice?
You are overgeneralizing. Maybe you think that "it is just a hobby", so I can't stay long at it. But you are wrong.
I gave up something not related to programming, as that probably indeed was something not mine. I can't say that for programming. Yes, C# is not visual basic. Still, after few years with C# in Unity3d, I like it, and as time goes, I don't find something as hard as it was in the beginning. Actually, some of those things look easy now. So I feel this is my way, and you should not discourage people like me.
Some games are some, others are not hard. Say, "Hello world" is not hard at all. It is a s simple as ABC. I know, it's not a game, but I see there are so many games, which are simple, and I already am making better things than I see in those games.

P.S. Bored is a very right name for you.

Is it something like martial arts? First you should fight with master, so that he knows if you are "the one"?
I already spent monthes for my few projects. Simply what I want to do now is to complete small project first. But that doesn't mean I am giving up other bigger projects. I am going to come back to them after finishing small one, that's it.

if (Input.GetKeyUp(KeyCode.Return)) { }
if (Input.GetKeyUp(KeyCode.KeypadEnter)) { }
I know it, don't worry ;-)

Ok, then I'll "Just do it".

 

Cant tell if it went over your head or best response ever.

 

Luckily boredmorom hasn't asked Leenz to figure out the apostrophe key yet!

 

Sounds about right. My first programming language took months. Subsequent ones became easier. C# took me a week.

 

I've been doing tae kwon do for 8 years

I never fought some master to see if I was the one

I don't understand why you keep using this ridiculous analogy

 

Honestly some of his responses are giving me the impression we're being trolled.

 

If he's a troll, then we certainly have been trolled

 

I think you haven't seen the movie "Matrix". Neo had to fight Morpheus (his teacher) first, then also with some other guy, who was protecting the Oracle. ;-) Though, maybe it is just a movie, and real martial arts are not like that. But I like Matrix movie very much.

I was certainly thinking about earning on languages, but it seems I would be more successful in earning with programming languages instead. They are much more easier than human languages.

P.S. Just tried to build for a frist time for Android. My chess project works on it! I tap, and dice is thrown. I tap on a chess piece, and it is destroyed. Though, for some reason chess board doesn't fit in the screen (by width) (rooks are almost not visible). But the worst is that when I tried to install that on other Android, it says "your hardware does not support this application sorry".
I really wonder! My small and cheap Android runs my game, and more advanced (and more expensive) can't run unity game! What's that?

 

No, I am not a troll. I am samurai, and am fighting trolls in my game ;-)

 

We aren't living in a movie, please don't Base your reasoning as such

 

"The One" was a decent movie worth watching best as I remember. Forgot all about it. Might have to watch it again sometime.

 

But... I just got this awesome cape from eBay and I was going to hit the street to fight crime...

Spoiler: Err

Just kidding! If I was going to fight crime, I'd start with Ketchapp.

 

I do chemical engineering. I actually managed to complete a useful degree and do something with it. Game dev is a hobby that I do on the side. It brings in a small amount of cash flow, which mostly gets spent on other games.

So I have taken my own advice. Game dev doesn't provide enough income on its own to feed my family. So I spend most of my time doing other stuff that does.

Publish a game. Get it up in stores. Host something playable on a webpage somewhere. This is the only test that matters here.

Which is why you have so many games making you so much money. It's why jobs doing this are so well paid and easy to come by.

Anyway not sure what the point of this thread is anymore. You asked for advice. You have a dozen different perspectives. The ball is in your court now.

I'm out on this one.

 

It sounds to me as if you have or are nearly finished writing your game so the point whether or not your should do game development is pointless. If you are like Prince but instead with creating games then you should be happy to have such a hobby you enjoy. Prince created so much music and became very rich off only a tiny fraction of it. If you have that sort of talent and enjoyment for creating games like Prince had for music you likely will eventually become successful.

Now, you, I and others in the forum can talk til the cows come home about being multimillionaires, aka successful, from the proceeds of game development but that's like talking about your lottery winnings from a lottery ticket you just bought. We can talk IAP, ad revenue, marketing, freelancing, selling assets, coding services, what to charge for a game and on and on, but what the market does what it does. Words are cheap, ideals are not.

I would like to see your game but am leery as I haven't played a game of chess since AIT 23 years ago. Do you have a webGL demo? Or is the situation the the Ukraine still such that even that presents difficulties?

For money you have to work jobs outside game development but good for you that your game sounds finished and apparently you are a very good strategist for creating game play. If you live in a farming village then you probably have only farm work or maybe government work to rely on for a job and that's reality. I remember working 16 hours a day for $1 an hour too.

 

So, if you don't really have a job as unity3d programmer, then you can't say how hard it is or not.
Just like there are books which tell you "how to become a millionaire" or "rich". But the authors never earned a million in a life, so their words is just a theory.
I think it is your case also (just a theory). Though, if you are a hobbyist and have some other job, then I understand you.

Yes, this "crazy chess with dices" game is almost ready (I intentionally started with simple project). Though, I can't know how long it will take till it is completely finish and ready for publishing, as there are different issues to face, so that it works well on all kinds of Android screen sizes/resolutions, and different it's hardware (sounds like I have to use older Unity version to build apk - for better hardware support).

Oh, thatk you for this nice comparison ;-) Happy to hear that. I do enjoy making games in Unity3d, and always feel so happy when code which I make in C# is working (I was afraid in the very beginning that I could never do programming in C languages, though it came out to be a useless fear. I'm feeling that I gradually coming to a point that I am as good in C# as I am in visual basic).

Well, I should say again: it is not chess. My chess figures don't move (and will not move in final published game). It is completely different type of game. it only uses chess figures and chess board, and values of figures: this is the only thing in common with original chess game (though, also that white goes first, then black, and they take turns).
My game is inspired by different dice games which I have seen. Most of those games are not cheap. But the thing which I like about them all, is that they use differnt kinds of dices. So included these attack-dice and defence-dice. In my game the result of attack/defense dices thrown is already calculated, but I simply now have to apply that to chess figures (so that health points are taken away from figures. And I think I would need some health visualization: number or health-bar for chess-figures. Actually I like Diablo way: health is shown only when I choose aim. So maybe I'll do like that in this game also: show health only for selected figure / also, only one can be selected/attack at a time).
I don't have webplayer demo. Also, it seems like it is not possible to compile/build for a webplayer anymore in new versions of unity (I wonder why unity remove important features in new versions?).
But I can make Android build, and if you also have Android - then you can see my demo/alpha version of a game.
No, situation in Ukraine is not that bad. Simply I'ld have to install earlier version of Unity for that. Though, it is a good idea to make a game for multiple platforms (including webplayer).
Send me a private message, and I'll give you link.

When I was promoting those newspapers, I was earning 100 Ukrainian hryvnias (our currency) in a day. But I worked just for around 2-3 hours. So it's like 33 uah/hour. Converting to USD: one USD = 8 UAH, so it is around 12,5USD in few hours. That was good money, but job is also hard (mostly because of too many smokers among drivers/passers-by, and I frankly hate smoking).

 

@text23d You posted this thread asking for advice. That's what people are doing. That's what we (and I) did in your other thread. The advice doesn't seem to be lining up with what you wanted to hear, and now you're arguing with people.

Did you really come here seeking validation? That we should say "Yes, keep focusing on Unity and you'll get a great job making fun games and earn a great living!" That just isn't realistic, and telling you as much is the most helpful advice we can give.

It took me two years to finish my first game, approaching it as a hobby in my spare time. I released it for free with no ads or in-app purchases, so I make no money off it, but judging from my download rates and engagement statistics, I wouldn't make much of anything if it had, either. I've been working on my second game for over a year now and only just recently started showing it to the community, with at least another year or two ahead of me. If I even make enough money on that to cover my cost of development, I'll consider that a smashing success.

When you have no experience, don't make games to make money. Do it to learn how to make games. Once you're very good at it, then you can make a plan to use that skill as a viable source of income. But stop asking for advice or justifying your feelings and beliefs, and start following the advice you've been given. Make small games. Release them for dirt cheap or free. Get people playing them, get feedback, and improve them, or take what you learned and make a new game.

And get a job. Any job. Something to keep the lights on and maybe help support your parents who supported you for so long. Forget "Unity jobs" and try your hand at a programming job of any sort. If you can't land one, go for a less skilled position and just earn some income. But ignore the promise of easy money. There's no such thing, or at least, not without risk. Learning how to apply yourself, work hard, and see things through will benefit you with game development indirectly.

 

Yes I have Android. PM me, I will like to try your game and you will get a test on an Acer Iconia Tab 8"

 

WebGL is NOT webplayer, google often useful when you wonder about stuff.