Viv is 100% correct here. Your options are always one of three: 1. Do not make an indie game. 2. Get funding, usually by making something that fits a very narrow and useless definition of "safe", and subsequently losing agency over your production reality. 3. Have another income or means. - ThreadSky

ramiismail.com • 18 days ago

Viv is 100% correct here. Your options are always one of three:

1. Do not make an indie game.
2. Get funding, usually by making something that fits a very narrow and useless definition of "safe", and subsequently losing agency over your production reality.
3. Have another income or means.

Reposted from Viv @ Home

ok but for real if you want to make a really good indie (or AA) games the number one way is "be financially comfortable via other means"

blue prince guy owned a popular website generating income, toby fox was a successful musician...

frankly if we had a UBI youd get SO MANY GOOD GAMES

Comments

koobazaur.bsky.social•18 days ago

There's also a tangential option #4. keep making games at a loss and maybe after a few years those games stack up and become successful enough to become option #3

(....which, realistically speaking, is probably just #3 but transforms into #4 down the line)

asebist.bsky.social•18 days ago

I am totally agreeing with you.
But out of curiosity. With the first 3 or 4 games of Vlambeer. Was it always option 2 or something else for you guys?

ramiismail.com•18 days ago

It was 3. I can't speak for JW, but I worked half my week (especially evenings and weekends, which paid extra) at an electronics store selling computers, while taking small government student funding for base rent (rent was 425 euro p/m for a tiny room in a shared atudent room).

ramiismail.com•18 days ago

Then we did 2 for Serious Sam and LUFTRAUSERS. By the time we got to Ridiculous Fishing and Nuclear Throne, it was 3 from all revenues from the other games.

asebist.bsky.social•18 days ago

thanks for sharing

eastmad.bsky.social•18 days ago

I'd recommend starting off as a bank robber. Although you might miss the security if you go into indie

weltraumimport.bsky.social•18 days ago

solid advice honestly and great validation

cortellhugo.bsky.social•18 days ago

I tried doing 2 and miserably failed. Lesson learned.

snapsnapper.bsky.social•17 days ago

3. Was basically what I had in mind. It is just annoying to not be able to fully dedicate to the project that nourishes you and go through the slog most of your days

desdarkdesigns.bsky.social•18 days ago

I'm aiming at the rare and rather naive 4th.

I have no ways of income and this is legit my best shot to have one @-@ so fuck it we ball and hopefully I can go at it for 2-3 years.

desdarkdesigns.bsky.social•18 days ago

Jokes aside my only income is commissions here and there and even then that is more that I'd earn with a 90% of normal jobs in my country.

I graduated from artschool so I can't even just up and just choose one of the few well paying jobs. There 4K USD a year is my funding as a solo dev so far DX

littletlalocinteractive.com•18 days ago

lucmatheus2.bsky.social•18 days ago

I'm in battle of the third one since 2017, i'm almost there here.

victorojuel.org•18 days ago

I forget who said that the best way to make a million in indie games is to start off with two million, but: it true.

coil.bsky.social•18 days ago

It's pretty much true for a AAA career, too. I've worked at Harmonix, Irrational, Bungie, and Blizzard, and the only reason I'm still in the industry is my wife's 20-year tenure at her job - which has, with only one exception, always paid more than what I've made in games.

jaystevens.me•18 days ago

I think it can also vary widely based on your title.

I'm an engineer, and as a junior I was making about $98kish/year. Now I'm up towards $175k.

Granted, I'm in LA so that money doesn't go as far. And it's not a $500k FAANG salary.

But as far as jobs go... it could be a lot worse

jaystevens.me•18 days ago

I am sure that QA (and probably design, and also probably production) gets shafted, though :/

coil.bsky.social•18 days ago

Even worse than the pay (which IS bad, in 2022 I was getting $55k in QA at Blizzard), it's the volatility. I spent a full quarter of my first 7 years in the industry unemployed. And now with over 15 years of experience I'm currently in my longest unemployed stretch, 13 months and counting.

asteriskdatboi.bsky.social•18 days ago

I'm at 1.
I'm still don't know how to do it except doing art/drawing and gaming.
Income from home is not that great and some money proceed to me and supplies.
I had to keep improving to draw/do art (if I find a right tutor to teach), save some money, and find a better source.

swordscomic.bsky.social•18 days ago

Tried 1 and 2, now I'm trying to get my Patreon aligned with 3

qxmmm44.bsky.social•18 days ago

Localthunk aka the Balatro dev is from Saskatchewan - CBC covered it recently

faustbot.bsky.social•18 days ago

Not just making a game, either. Thr best way to make a little money with any art is to start with a lot of money.

We are quickly coming to a point where art is the sole domain of the wealthy and their children.

gord.games•18 days ago

I'm definitely a 3.

galenthedragon.bsky.social•18 days ago

And that’s why I, despite being mere days away from getting my Game Design Bachelor’s, will be starting an Aircraft Maintenance degree this fall: I don’t trust the games industry proper anymore, but I still want to make games, so my plan is to fix planes as a day job and make games in my free time!

ramiismail.com•18 days ago

Hell yeah, appreciate you keeping us pilots safe!

galenthedragon.bsky.social•18 days ago

I'll do my best o7

Aviation has been one of my other special interests since I was a kid, so this isn't as big of a swerve for me as it might seem. Besides, pay's not half bad from what I can tell, and that industry's a hell of a lot more stable than game dev 💀

jeremyfa.bsky.social•18 days ago

I'm a 3, which doesn't mean it's perfect at all because the "other mean of income" is a 4-day job, but so far it has been the less worse option compared to trying to make games that are actually profitable full time

loremasterkev.bsky.social•18 days ago

I'm learning how to work with game engine little by little while not on the day job (which also involves programming), and the plan is to have the day job finance the point&click adventure passion project.

hauk.bsky.social•18 days ago

i feel blessed that i landed such a lovely job teaching teenagers to make games, its been the best antidote to capitalism poisoning in my own work

mysticshelter.bsky.social•18 days ago

The indie dream of it just being a hobby

lastlight.bsky.social•18 days ago

#3 Is my plan. I wanna make games with my own vision some day so that's really the only option I have.

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply