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Fishbus posted:What's with pizza delivery while being indie? (ROLE REVERSAL) Surely a barista would be a better idea, being able to not move much and doodle ideas down while waiting for another customer. This may be a grass is greener on the other side thing, but I wish I would have thought of being a Barista. The one thing I liked about being a delivery driver was the pile of tips I had in cash at the end of the shift. Unfortunately it was only like $40 if the shift was dead.
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Nov 13, 2011 13:50
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Mega Shark posted:This may be a grass is greener on the other side thing, but I wish I would have thought of being a Barista.
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Nov 13, 2011 13:56
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delivery tips are pretty mediocre in the UK, but at least you'll get the legal minimum wage. It's really a balance of stress, pay and if you want to be tired at the end of the shift or not (because you might have trouble sleeping etc). I'd say doing some PT is definately a good idea if going indie. If you have the cash reserves though, do some Volunteering, sometimes it's just about clearing the mind.
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Nov 13, 2011 13:59
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Fishbus posted:It's really a balance of stress, pay and if you want to be tired at the end of the shift or not (because you might have trouble sleeping etc). I'd say doing some PT is definately a good idea if going indie. If you have the cash reserves though, do some Volunteering, sometimes it's just about clearing the mind. Still undecided on the pizza delivery. Pizza'd be my choice because of the low stress, listenin' to tunes, and getting pretty decent tips. It's also evenings and only a few hours - Barista, afaik, would be full 8 hour days, period, or at least 4. devilmouse posted:Yeah - you should be fine. Hell, if it's that simple, you could bang out everything that wasn't the flash client, from app setup, to provisioning and setting up the server(s), to integrating payments (though I'm not sure how applying for a payments key with FB works these days - it might add some overhead) and so on in less than a week of full-time work. But yeah, still, minimally viable product at first, basically a souped up Cow Clicker. Kick it out the door, have a laugh, see what happens, grow as appropriate. Glad to hear that should be doable in a month, thanks! EDIT: Also, if this goes as quick as I suspect, it'll mean the first two games we've put out are a gamification of Wikipedia done on contract, and then a gamification of other thing / Cow Clicker successor. Heh. That feels kind of dirty, but is I suppose the natural result of having long-cycle projects as our primary. Shalinor fucked around with this message at 20:05 on Nov 13, 2011 |
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Nov 13, 2011 19:01
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Shalinor posted:I want to make something I can absolutely support if it happens to explode, and I want the metrics to be there to gauge said success and to try and coax out at least a small revenue stream. I would imagine it would be a good idea to go through the motions of developing stat tracking just for the sake of building experience in that regard. I guess a lot of things you might track would be pretty obvious, but I'm sure once you start really developing and putting into practice a methodology some non-obvious things come to light. So might as well cut your teeth on something simpler/low-risk to start off with.
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Nov 13, 2011 19:51
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Or rather than writing your own stat tracking, which would seem to be a needless reinvention of the wheel, hook up one of the many 3rd party options (like http://playtomic.com/ )
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Nov 13, 2011 20:02
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On stat tracking, I might split the difference of writing your own and using a 3rd party option. We did both previously and I think it helped us understand the limitations of the latter and how to improve the former. Invariably, you'll get to the point where you want to ask questions that the 3rd party's site won't be able to answer or you'll want to re-arrange the data just so and you'll be left without your own data to slice. But at first anything that can give you the basics of retention, lapse, and cohort analysis should be fine. Though now we're getting into the dirty dirty side of game development where you can actually ask questions and answer them with data instead of just "I dunno, it FEELS fun, I guess?" BURN THEM, BURN THE HERETICS!
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Nov 13, 2011 20:38
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At the last IGDA Scotland meeting a student spent an hour telling me he thinks that analytics are evil and the root of all that is wrong in the games industry. Just as well I remember being a student and filled with wrong opinions that I nevertheless held very strongly. Or I would have just laughed in his face.
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Nov 13, 2011 20:57
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quote:Magic - Codemasters Racing Studio  That said, I'm actually about to do my last week at Codies, but if anyone needs any pointers or a means to get a foot in the door then I can pass on your CV straight to HR if you ask, so just ask either here or by email (ben.brown@talk21.com). I also have a few queries of my own: 1. In a few weeks I'm going to head back to my folk's home and reassess my life, but my current thought is to finally go down the indie path and make my own games. A friend has recommended Unity, which he says is relatively easy to learn and powerful so in theory I could do some Xbox Live games with it. He also suggested that I get the book "Game Development with Unity". What do people think of Unity? Programming is not a speciality of mine at all, in fact it's something I struggle at, but my friend says even he's not that great yet Unity somehow helps him. I've at least got a few ideas I want to look at, not some derivative trash like "PIMP RPG" or "Angry Fish".  2. Why do you think there aren't many adventure games on Xbox Live? Other than Telltale and the Monkey Island special editions, I think that's all of them. I'm really surprised at this and it's something I could work on as a serious indie game, 400 MSP for a LucasArts-style adventure or something like that. 3. What can I expect when going down the indie path? Granted, I'm not relying on it to survive and I may give up if it's especially tough but I'm curious what people's thoughts are. I know a few people who have either made a little money on the side with it, or made more than they did in the actual industry, or ridiculous amounts (FortressCraft). On one hand, the scene seems vibrant and almost in a golden age with XBL and IOS, but it must be harsh due to the amount of competition out there. Any links or tidbits of advice would be welcome.
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Nov 13, 2011 21:23
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FreakyZoid posted:At the last IGDA Scotland meeting a student spent an hour telling me he thinks that analytics are evil and the root of all that is wrong in the games industry. Or the savior! BUM BUM BUM!
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Nov 13, 2011 21:47
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Magic posted:1. In a few weeks I'm going to head back to my folk's home and reassess my life, but my current thought is to finally go down the indie path and make my own games. A friend has recommended Unity, which he says is relatively easy to learn and powerful so in theory I could do some Xbox Live games with it. He also suggested that I get the book "Game Development with Unity". Xbox Live requires a publisher to break into, and the typical budgets are now north of 1 million if you want to compete. "Just make a cheap game" isn't an option. Furthermore, publishers are only looking for specific sorts of games / Microsoft has some sense of what their catalog should be, which might explain why the kind of game you're thinking of doesn't exist there yet. ... and then you go and compare Xbox Live and XBox Live Indie, as though they were even remotely similar markets. You also seem to be under the impression that you could get a Unity game onto there (you can't - you have to use XNA to get into XBox Indie). Then you throw in iOS as an indie golden age, despite it being an indie dying ground unless you make a very specific sort of game that can be picked up and played easily (largely of the sort you at in fact) AND unless you've got very good press connections or are willing to go publisher there too. Then there's the problem that you'd really need to be a pretty decent programmer to polish a competitive iOS game, Unity 3D or not, never even mind for XNA/Indie or Xbox Live.Please do not quit your day job yet, you've got a lot of research to be doing. EDIT: Ok, this is funny. About 2 years ago, I made a post to some gamedev forums, and it looked almost exactly like yours. I got a response almost exactly like what I just posted. Hmmm. Anyways, if this seems harsh, it is not intended as such. Any urgency in this post is aimed purely at helping you not dive off the deep end and burn through savings until you've done the research and have a solid plan. Shalinor fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Nov 14, 2011 |
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Nov 14, 2011 00:16
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devilmouse posted:Or the savior! BUM BUM BUM!
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Nov 14, 2011 13:39
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goons, please tell me your experiences explaining game dev as a job Here's my experience today while having a haircut.  Me Mid-thirties azn hairstylist What do you work as? I develop games at my job. Haha, you mean you work at a internet cafe?  Few minutes later: So I guess you guys make you know, dozens of games which are on one CD? Not really, we just make one game on a CD. And we use 3 years to make that one game! Usually I get a kick out of trying to explain game dev as a job and blow people's minds that you can actually make games for a living, but if I'm lazy or too tired I just say I work in IT.
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Nov 14, 2011 13:59
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I say "you know Playstation and Xbox? I make games for those." Even if it's not true. It's just an easier point of reference for people. Especially in the sort of situation you describe - it's not like they want to get in to a super-detailed description of what you do, it's just chit chat. People are always amazed by the amount of work that goes in to making a game.
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Nov 14, 2011 14:25
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BouncyCastle posted:goons, please tell me your experiences explaining game dev as a job Over the years, I pick whatever the BIG game at the time is/was that's vaguely related and just say I make that. "I make GTA" (I didn't) "I make World of Warcraft" (I didn't) "I make Facebook" (I didn't) "I make FarmVille" (I kind of do?)
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Nov 14, 2011 14:30
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I relish those awkward conversations way more than when a friend of a friend comes up to me and goes, "Man, you make games, huh? Dude, listen, I have this totally awesome, original idea. How about we split it 50/50?" If I'm in a good mood I just smile and nod and gently back away. On a bad day, I destroy their dream.
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Nov 14, 2011 14:37
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FreakyZoid posted:I say "you know Playstation and Xbox? I make games for those." Even if it's not true. It's just an easier point of reference for people. Especially in the sort of situation you describe - it's not like they want to get in to a super-detailed description of what you do, it's just chit chat. Did exactly that, said I make games for the Playstation and all I got in return was a blank stare.
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Nov 14, 2011 14:38
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It gets better when you try and explain your job title and how Level design != Backyard Landscaping
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Nov 14, 2011 15:05
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Some of my older family members still think I make cartoons. It's easier to just go along. But yeah, using a point of reference like 'computer games' or [some popular mobile game] usually covers all of the bases.
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Nov 14, 2011 15:23
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devilmouse posted:"I make FarmVille" (I kind of do?) Wouldn't that just expose you to "OMG you work on farmville, can i have a golden pumpkin!!?" and the like?
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Nov 14, 2011 15:48
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Jan posted:Wouldn't that just expose you to "OMG you work on farmville, can i have a golden pumpkin!!?" and the like? It does, kind of - but it's all been beneficial so far! Perks have included: * Getting escalated to the top tier phone support after I gave them my @zynga email address and the support rep got SUPER excited. * Getting the hookup on some eye problems I was having after the doctor's wife saw my shirt at the front desk. * Getting free coffee and pancakes at a restaurant where the manager loves Mafia Wars. Way way better than sweaty nerds wanting me to sign their T-shirts!
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Nov 14, 2011 16:16
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BouncyCastle posted:goons, please tell me your experiences explaining game dev as a job Usually when I say I work at a video game company I get "like grandma's boy?!". I used to say no and try and explain, now I just sigh and say yes so I don't have to talk to them.
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Nov 14, 2011 18:05
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I remember on slow days we would watch Grandma's Boy, and just for kicks point out saying BULLSHIT when the movie exaggerates the lifestyle of the game tester. Now it's not us being all mad about it. We just have a good laugh at it. Probably the biggest laugh we had is when (i forgot his name) dude with the matrix coat came in and we all said that's our lead right there. We laughed even harder when he said HEY! At least I don't talk in robot. (notice how he didn't deny about the coat) But yeah everyone who's asked what my job was, I sometimes hesitate to answer. Because they say the exact same thing. Like Grandma's Boy?! Don't you love it when they saw I wish I could play games all day.  And you give that negative tone response, trust me you dont.
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Nov 14, 2011 18:20
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When asked about Grandma's Boy, I say "the work is nothing like that, but the people are."
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Nov 14, 2011 18:23
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My old boss used to tell me that the thing he heard most after saying he was a game designer was "Oh yeah"? I have an idea for a game". And then, invariably, their idea would always be some variation of what they do for a living. "It's a game where you're a cop and..." or "It's a game where you have puzzles about doing taxes...". I usually get the Grandma's Boy question.
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Nov 14, 2011 19:40
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I mostly avoid the game development question, but I kind of like wearing my jacket, so... "So, seriously, sorry to bother you, but... what do you do to get a LEGO jacket?" "You work for LEGO" "..."LEGO's way easier than the game development question; everyone knows what LEGO is. For the game development question, I mostly just do the "oh yeah I make games" and then "oh yeah it's pretty cool" and then politely try and move the conversation along.
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Nov 14, 2011 20:08
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Shalinor posted:LEGO's way easier than the game development question; everyone knows what LEGO is. For the game development question, I mostly just do the "oh yeah I make games" and then "oh yeah it's pretty cool" and then politely try and move the conversation along.
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Nov 14, 2011 20:35
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OneEightHundred posted:I keep imagining that it has to be really awkward working on something like the latest terrorist shooting simulator and all of the reasons you think your product is great are the reasons that your older relatives think it's horrible. Much of my family is very devout Christians and I worked on an Assassin's Creed game. Luckily most of them are old and don't understand video games, so I don't have to explain much to them.
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Nov 14, 2011 20:44
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Chainclaw posted:Much of my family is very devout Christians and I worked on an Assassin's Creed game. Luckily most of them are old and don't understand video games, so I don't have to explain much to them. Just tell them that it was designed, developed, and produced by a multicultural team of various religous faiths and beliefs! 
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Nov 14, 2011 21:03
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"I'm an animator, I work on games" "Oh! So do you code and stuff?"  It's also fun when I have to explain that as an animator I just make things move around and not the actual characters. Especially when they are just looking at a picture and ask me what I did there. If I say I'm "like a puppeteer or an actor" it seems to get the point across. Chernabog fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Nov 14, 2011 |
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Nov 14, 2011 21:34
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I had the lovely moment of embarassing a distantly-related cousin whose mother was delighted to hear that I work for the company that makes Runescape. 'Oh, David used to play that! Didn't you, David? You loved it!' Cue 17 year-old awkwardly staring at anything but me and trying to deny that he ever played such an uncool game. Oh, teenagers
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Nov 14, 2011 21:35
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I only kind of skimmed the thread since it's 99 pages, but I read through the OP and thought that my job actually really relates to this part of the FAQ:quote:Q: I want to be something else related to games, how do I become it? I work for a company currently building an MMO, and my team is the "platform" team, which is basically all the stuff that isn't the game: Network Ops, the Marketing Website, all the web-based account and character management, customer service tools, etc. It's my first game job, but from what I understand, and especially for an MMO, we're a pretty critical part of the game and team. Not sure if this had been addressed before, just wanted to toss that out there. There's more to making a game than the awesome folks that actually design, develop , and test the game.
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Nov 14, 2011 21:53
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Got off the phone with the HR person from High Moon Studios, beyond some general nervousness I think it went well. she told me should they decide to move me forward I would have to take a UI test, then if that goes well a phone interview, then an on-site interview. let's hope good stuff will happen
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Nov 14, 2011 22:43
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Chernabog posted:"I'm an animator, I work on games" "I'm a sysadmin in a videogame company." "Oh, you fix computers!"
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Nov 15, 2011 03:28
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"I'm a programmer." "Oh, lets have sex!" 
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Nov 15, 2011 03:33
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"I make computer games." Lately it's always "so you're an IT guy then?". I've had this exact same response from four different people this month (all in Shanghai; maybe 'IT' means 'touches computers' in Chinese, I don't know).
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Nov 15, 2011 06:17
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"I'm an artist" "OH SO YOU LIKE, PAINT PICTURES?" "Exactly." now shutup ceebee fucked around with this message at 14:58 on Jun 25, 2020 |
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Nov 15, 2011 08:00
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ceebee posted:"I'm an artist" ceebee is about to make you his bitch. 
Maide fucked around with this message at 08:10 on Nov 15, 2011 |
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Nov 15, 2011 08:08
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This interview with Stephen Reid, Lead Community Manager for Bioware-Star Wars The Old Republic I thought really captures spot on how to break into the gaming industry. http://www.fragworld.org/frag/star-...e-industry.html I love the passion and suggestions he brings up.
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Nov 15, 2011 08:22
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Shalinor posted:Thanks for the feedback. I'm 28 years old and I'm not at all quitting my job just to go indie with expectations of being the next Notch and raking in money, it's more that I'm taking a break and I want to try it while I recharge my batteries. I've worked with people on Dirt 2 and 3 over the last few years (I don't even like racing games  ) so now I want to try making my own. Unity came up as a suggestion.If anything I suppose it's more of a hobby and I'd look at taking things further if I even actually manage to make something. quote:Then you throw in iOS as an indie golden age, despite it being an indie dying ground unless you make a very specific sort of game that can be picked up and played easily (largely of the sort you Speaking of which, if anyone would like to offer me feedback on my concepts then I can pass them on, again just mention your email address here or ask me (ben.brown@talk21.com).
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Nov 15, 2011 13:35
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