Where to go from here?
by Gregory Stewart · 05/03/2007 (4:54 pm) · 5 comments
What's new?
Always save your blog text before you hit Submit because you never know what's going to happen. :(
After finishing Marble Tactics (www.garagegames.com/products/150/), I haven't done much game development. Honestly, I'm in a struggle to decide what will be my next game.
Is the price higher or lower?
Is it better to (A) do what everyone says and take the next logical step in regards to developing a game that is only slightly more challenging than your last, (B) make the game you really want to make even though it will take forever, (C) read fellow developer's blogs, (D) go outside more in the summer, or (E) settle for second-best in a job you enjoy, but don't love?
Self-administered psychotherapy
Ruling out options D, E, and sometimes C, that leaves us with two possibilities, A and B. Now, if you take the cross product of vectors A and B, that leaves you with an average, normal game. Let's face it, normal games are neither what you logically should do or what you really want to do. Instead, they are somewhere in between.
Fear is the mind killer
For all of you out there taking option B, what keeps you motivated and on track? I got lucky with Marble Tactics in that it only took 3 months to develop and I never lost steam. Marble Tactics was hardly option B. It was option A. A is A-okay, don't get me wrong. It's an excellent choice when you're starting out. However, with 10+ years of programming behind me, I'm definitely getting the B-itch.
Always save your blog text before you hit Submit because you never know what's going to happen. :(
After finishing Marble Tactics (www.garagegames.com/products/150/), I haven't done much game development. Honestly, I'm in a struggle to decide what will be my next game.
Is the price higher or lower?
Is it better to (A) do what everyone says and take the next logical step in regards to developing a game that is only slightly more challenging than your last, (B) make the game you really want to make even though it will take forever, (C) read fellow developer's blogs, (D) go outside more in the summer, or (E) settle for second-best in a job you enjoy, but don't love?
Self-administered psychotherapy
Ruling out options D, E, and sometimes C, that leaves us with two possibilities, A and B. Now, if you take the cross product of vectors A and B, that leaves you with an average, normal game. Let's face it, normal games are neither what you logically should do or what you really want to do. Instead, they are somewhere in between.
Fear is the mind killer
For all of you out there taking option B, what keeps you motivated and on track? I got lucky with Marble Tactics in that it only took 3 months to develop and I never lost steam. Marble Tactics was hardly option B. It was option A. A is A-okay, don't get me wrong. It's an excellent choice when you're starting out. However, with 10+ years of programming behind me, I'm definitely getting the B-itch.
#2
05/03/2007 (10:16 pm)
You'll have to forgive me, I know little of your background as a developer, but as I have observed, it seems to be good practice, when wanting a good reliable income anyway. To focus on what you know, and expand upon that for added features, and trying to quench that venturing spirit. If you have extra say very usable code, or models and such they could generate content packs if you dont end up using them, but are still worth finishing. If you are talking about a big involved project. if it is just you i would stay simple. Not to be rude, but the acronym K.I.S.S. is a good rule of thumb:) Good luck, i will be facing this after i get out of game design school, this is year one for me:) 
#3
[/rant]
05/04/2007 (1:13 pm)
My humble advice: Do whatever makes sense in terms of A or B, but don't rule out D too fast. Few things suck as much as getting to the end of the summer and finding out that A) you didn't get as far as you thought you would on your game project, and B) you're also a pasty-white couch potato slug and now it's winter again. That's the kind of sad realization that can make you give up side projects entirely. Whatever you do, pace yourself and stay physically active![/rant]
#4
On a random trivia note, you're one of 3 developers to be SO indie that your company name in our game store is just your real name (Ward / Magic Pearls and Hampa / Toribash being the other two). Marble Tactics was also among the first TGB games made and that's a pretty cool standing as well. I've been wonder what you've been up to since then so it's good to hear a blog from you.
OK so the question is what to do now. Slightly increment the scope and get it done, though without passion, or go for the big dream.
There are examples in favor of both sides.
A very talented developer named Pavel made his first TGB game, Phantasia, with a very small scope. He expanded the scope with a sequel. He made a slightly more ambitious game, Styrateg, then another, ArchMage. With all these 2D games under his belt he's now tackling a 3D game, though it still small in scope. I believe he will continue to increment his scope and will find success through that.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have Josh Ritter's Minions of Mirth. For years it was one of those projects that might have made it or might not have made it; if it suddenly dropped off the radar and we never heard from him again we wouldn't be surprised, it was a huge undertaking and took incredible discipline for him to get it done. It's done and he's found success through it.
I always tell people to start small, build up from there. Why? A solid foundation will more reliably build long term success. A library of games will leave you in good standing to find partners to work with on bigger projects. You have room to learn and make mistakes with your smaller games before you commit to a larger project where there's less room for error. And you'll get it done.
Consider the broad ideas behind [url=http://images.google.com/images?q=maslow's+hierarchy+of+needs]Maslow's hierarchy of needs[/url] as it relates to game making. Self-actualization and self-fulfillment is the ultimate goal (making art, making the game you want to make, fulfilling your passion) but is not the first goal.
The first goal is having your basic needs met. Do you have all the knowledge you need to make your dream game? Do you have all the team members, all the tools, all the industry contacts who believe in you and are ready to take action with you once the game is done? Do you have all the design knowledge and experience you need at this point?
After basic needs comes stability. Can you count on your team mates? Are you yourself reliably working? Is your studio stable and able to consistently put out games?
Now you've got your basic needs covered, you're stable, you're making games. Now what. Are the games you make finding homes with publishers? Are they finding homes with players? With indie press and other indie developers? If not, work on this until you get to this point.
From there you move on to making games that you're truly proud of, and finally making games/art that YOU want to make.
Now this isn't a step 1, step 2 kind of thing, these unfold together, and you should put things into your games that you are passionate about from day 1, but that doesn't mean the whole project. I'm sure the person who put bullet time into Peggle was stoked about that feature, even if the rest of the game is typical casual game fare.
Again, I'm strongly in favor of building up over time. Unless you're a prodigy, lucky, or insane (like Josh Ritter!) a large project will be difficult or impossible to achieve too fast too soon.
Hope this helps and keep at it, we're rooting for you and want to keep seeing great indie games.
05/04/2007 (1:52 pm)
Greg -- first of all I really enjoyed Marble Tactics. In fact this past Christmas I was playing it on my laptop at the airport and got so sucked in ("just one more marble!") that I nearly missed my plane home. Family would not have been pleased with that, though fitting given my profession.On a random trivia note, you're one of 3 developers to be SO indie that your company name in our game store is just your real name (Ward / Magic Pearls and Hampa / Toribash being the other two). Marble Tactics was also among the first TGB games made and that's a pretty cool standing as well. I've been wonder what you've been up to since then so it's good to hear a blog from you.
OK so the question is what to do now. Slightly increment the scope and get it done, though without passion, or go for the big dream.
There are examples in favor of both sides.
A very talented developer named Pavel made his first TGB game, Phantasia, with a very small scope. He expanded the scope with a sequel. He made a slightly more ambitious game, Styrateg, then another, ArchMage. With all these 2D games under his belt he's now tackling a 3D game, though it still small in scope. I believe he will continue to increment his scope and will find success through that.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have Josh Ritter's Minions of Mirth. For years it was one of those projects that might have made it or might not have made it; if it suddenly dropped off the radar and we never heard from him again we wouldn't be surprised, it was a huge undertaking and took incredible discipline for him to get it done. It's done and he's found success through it.
I always tell people to start small, build up from there. Why? A solid foundation will more reliably build long term success. A library of games will leave you in good standing to find partners to work with on bigger projects. You have room to learn and make mistakes with your smaller games before you commit to a larger project where there's less room for error. And you'll get it done.
Consider the broad ideas behind [url=http://images.google.com/images?q=maslow's+hierarchy+of+needs]Maslow's hierarchy of needs[/url] as it relates to game making. Self-actualization and self-fulfillment is the ultimate goal (making art, making the game you want to make, fulfilling your passion) but is not the first goal.
The first goal is having your basic needs met. Do you have all the knowledge you need to make your dream game? Do you have all the team members, all the tools, all the industry contacts who believe in you and are ready to take action with you once the game is done? Do you have all the design knowledge and experience you need at this point?
After basic needs comes stability. Can you count on your team mates? Are you yourself reliably working? Is your studio stable and able to consistently put out games?
Now you've got your basic needs covered, you're stable, you're making games. Now what. Are the games you make finding homes with publishers? Are they finding homes with players? With indie press and other indie developers? If not, work on this until you get to this point.
From there you move on to making games that you're truly proud of, and finally making games/art that YOU want to make.
Now this isn't a step 1, step 2 kind of thing, these unfold together, and you should put things into your games that you are passionate about from day 1, but that doesn't mean the whole project. I'm sure the person who put bullet time into Peggle was stoked about that feature, even if the rest of the game is typical casual game fare.
Again, I'm strongly in favor of building up over time. Unless you're a prodigy, lucky, or insane (like Josh Ritter!) a large project will be difficult or impossible to achieve too fast too soon.
Hope this helps and keep at it, we're rooting for you and want to keep seeing great indie games.
#5
@Joshua:
I appreciate your in-depth feedback, comments, and encouragement. Your story of playing Marble Tactics was very inspiring. It's comments like that which encourage me to keep going and make this all worthwhile. :)
05/05/2007 (9:58 am)
All, thank you for the kind comments.@Joshua:
I appreciate your in-depth feedback, comments, and encouragement. Your story of playing Marble Tactics was very inspiring. It's comments like that which encourage me to keep going and make this all worthwhile. :)
Torque Owner Gary "ChunkyKs" Briggs
Gary (-;