I just want some solid advice on when I should start charging for my games and when I should not. Also is it wrong not wanting to make money from games dev.?
You should take a few years off 4-5 just to experiment in your means of programming. Try to develop a sense of self-expression, become fast, efficient but most of all be truly yourself. Once you can do that through the acts of programming, art level design sound music (or get someone else to do it heh).
. Should become much more easier forth. When you truly understand why you make games and the world around you congresses it, states from the world we will pay you.
so.. now when to charge..
perhaps it is a paradox of the world. It is not in ourselves who determines the profit of things but rather it is the crowds that choose to buy such items. You should state selling when you receive donations/ benefactors sponsors. When people (us) wish to support you (you).
The Barch jumps up to a platformThe Barch is here to deliver a warning young Benjamin385aone,
Have you heard the Squid? The mighty Cactus?
http://cactusquid.com/games.htm Look at the dates of games released. Young Jonatan(Cactus) was a young child who, on a period of three months created various experiments which he in turned altered into games. Which doing so allowed him to develop a game style that wowed the community and made Paul Eres give something to think about while he stirred his tea.
From 2005-2009 this was Cactus's Teenage years - ie not needing to worry so much as a need to rely on money as a means to survival. Meaning that game development was literally an activity in itself. for in its own sake was its own reward, from you the doubt seems that you like cactus are in this stage.
Now as cactus grows up around 2009-2010 its starts slowing down. In 2008 18 games, 2009 4 games 2010 3 games 2011 3 games then
nothing. The alteration of the soul the cactus had turned from freeware to casual. a vacuum was created of games but out of this wait -the depression and all other sick mentality’s bloomed Hotline Miami.
Essentially money had altered the movement of young baron cactus's soul - altered the great experimenter of the game maker. Money will change you. It will change how you develop It might limit your growth it might improve it in other areas who knows.
Now you like many of the hobbyist of hobs are on top of the sheer-mount point - a cliff descends below you. Should you choose to jump down expect you to not to become the experimenter but the preserver of one style - can you do that?
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Now from your
friend it sounds like you have reached a banner of standard - a ability to create something good. But the roars of people have not met you yet. Of course the price gives an air of quality but that is not why we buy products. It is rather a wax that is on an apple giving it a shine that wears off when we find it is rotten.
it is wrong to expect money from the masses of crowds of those who do not expect to pay. But from those who wish to give you money as a way of rising you from the shackles chain of society to become the great wall of enlightenment and dopamine it is more so wrong not to.
abridged version make freeware games experiment under the no stress. repeat until people start giving you money/asking to/ or you get notorious. Then charge
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