Money Needs in Game Dev.
by Adam Baratz · in General Discussion · 09/20/2001 (7:29 am) · 5 replies
Someone was asking in this thread places where they could go to get money to work on a game. My question is how much the development of a game is dependent on getting some kind of funding. Do people feel that making a game is something they can do successfully in their spare time, or that they need outside support to focus more intently on their project?
About the author
#2
Both ways may require money, a lot of people that go indie completely forget that they cant use shareware, freeware or worst yet pirated art or code for their projects (for free) , they have to do pay for all of this, including compiler rights.
Art has to be original also so you will need an artist for about everything that needs art that includes textures, levels, models, music, sounds etc.
Now, there are 4 ways to that. A.-Do it yourself B.- buy it. C.-contract an artist to do it. D.- Get a friend of yours to do it and pay it later with shares, royalties or a free copy. (depends on how tough the job is and how much of a friend he/she is)
If you are going full time, expenses go up like air ballons, you will eventually need an office, equipment, salaries, pay phone, fax, electric and internet bills. etc. however you will no longer be a indie group.. you will be a startup company or studio.
Aproximate Prices:
(for a 2 year project)
Office based studio or company: (brace yourself) around $1.5 million- $5 million bucks. around 10 people working full time.
Internet based company (salaried): Hmm.. well you would need an accountant to be sure, but minus office expenses that would go in maybe $50,000 - $500,000 bucks. depending on how many people work on it and how much they charge.
Home or Internet trust based group: hmm.. well the price for licenses and everyone puts is own equipment. around 1,000- 10,000 bucks just to pay licenses (no salaries though) and using proffesional software.
Freeware based, group of programmers. $100-$1000 (using the v12 engine)
Im just guessing some numbers, but the im pretty sure about the studio based one. (unless you get some things for free.. like I dont know your parents house, school or something.)
hope that helps.
09/20/2001 (8:05 am)
Actually both ways are correct, think of this like movie making you can make movies on your own weekends and nights and go to work, but of course results will be better and faster if you can commit yourself to it fulltime. Both ways may require money, a lot of people that go indie completely forget that they cant use shareware, freeware or worst yet pirated art or code for their projects (for free) , they have to do pay for all of this, including compiler rights.
Art has to be original also so you will need an artist for about everything that needs art that includes textures, levels, models, music, sounds etc.
Now, there are 4 ways to that. A.-Do it yourself B.- buy it. C.-contract an artist to do it. D.- Get a friend of yours to do it and pay it later with shares, royalties or a free copy. (depends on how tough the job is and how much of a friend he/she is)
If you are going full time, expenses go up like air ballons, you will eventually need an office, equipment, salaries, pay phone, fax, electric and internet bills. etc. however you will no longer be a indie group.. you will be a startup company or studio.
Aproximate Prices:
(for a 2 year project)
Office based studio or company: (brace yourself) around $1.5 million- $5 million bucks. around 10 people working full time.
Internet based company (salaried): Hmm.. well you would need an accountant to be sure, but minus office expenses that would go in maybe $50,000 - $500,000 bucks. depending on how many people work on it and how much they charge.
Home or Internet trust based group: hmm.. well the price for licenses and everyone puts is own equipment. around 1,000- 10,000 bucks just to pay licenses (no salaries though) and using proffesional software.
Freeware based, group of programmers. $100-$1000 (using the v12 engine)
Im just guessing some numbers, but the im pretty sure about the studio based one. (unless you get some things for free.. like I dont know your parents house, school or something.)
hope that helps.
#3
First, in response to a rumor I heard, I poured over the Havas document, but couldn't find the answer to this...
"How many copies of the Torque do you have to have?" I've got four programmers...do they all need a copy? Can I dupe my copy to give to them? How does that work?
Second, if I own a copy of 3DS Max 4, do I have to pay discreet a fee to use models made on their software? That doesn't make much sense to me, as I will be mixing the sounds on ProTools and/or SAWPlus. I won't be paying them...or at least hadn't planned on it.
Very curious.
Ravenloff
10/12/2001 (7:48 pm)
Two questions...First, in response to a rumor I heard, I poured over the Havas document, but couldn't find the answer to this...
"How many copies of the Torque do you have to have?" I've got four programmers...do they all need a copy? Can I dupe my copy to give to them? How does that work?
Second, if I own a copy of 3DS Max 4, do I have to pay discreet a fee to use models made on their software? That doesn't make much sense to me, as I will be mixing the sounds on ProTools and/or SAWPlus. I won't be paying them...or at least hadn't planned on it.
Very curious.
Ravenloff
#4
Jeff Tunnell GG
10/12/2001 (7:58 pm)
Every programmer or person actually working with the code need to sign, understand, and agree to the license agreement, i.e. they all need their own copy.Jeff Tunnell GG
#5
You do not have to pay Discreet for models you create using 3DS Max.
If you use shareware or freeware models or textures you should read the license agreement that goes with the models or texture. In some cases you cannot use the model or texture in a commercial product. In some cases the author expects you to pay a fee that may or may not be negotiable.
10/13/2001 (6:11 am)
Regarding the send question you asked.You do not have to pay Discreet for models you create using 3DS Max.
If you use shareware or freeware models or textures you should read the license agreement that goes with the models or texture. In some cases you cannot use the model or texture in a commercial product. In some cases the author expects you to pay a fee that may or may not be negotiable.
Brock Ferguson