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[simonheartscake]

This is my currently situation;

I am creating 3d game in Unity which I hope to release end of 2012 and get on some of the bigger distribution platforms, the problem for me right now is that I feel for the product to be to a high enough standard for that I need the professional unity licence. I would also love the path finding in the pro licence so I could have some really complex maps. I am currently a student however so am therefore totally broke and when I am not studying I am working on the game so I don't really have time to get a job and save.

Does anybody have any ideas on how I can get a professional licence, bearing in mind that I am so broke I had to borrow money off of my parents to pay my full flat deposit.

If people want I can show the game in its current state but im in the middle of a pretty big redesign as far as the GUI goes so it is ugly as hell and makes no sense, and im still awaiting some character models from my 3d girl). Maybe that will help give you an idea or 2. In the next month I will release what I have for free, as a demo.

Any and all advice is appreciated, I hate my degree and I feel games may be a way out. This is very important too me and I cant figure it out.

Thanks a lot.

[Player 3]

A job, saving up. Or just port it from Unity to something else. C# and XNA, perhaps?

[PowRTocH]

commission some art and kickstart it, might as well

[simonheartscake]

commission some art and kickstart it, might as well

Well I had a plan, which was develop it as far as I could on the free licence, release that as a demo and kick start it. I would use the demo as proof that I could actually produce. I just worry about getting the traffic to it and hopefully getting people excited. The game is fun but its not anything particularly new so I'm not sure how well it would work.
And of course the worry in the back of my head of letting people down who had put faith in the game.
Maybe if I cant think of any other way.

[Hima]

Don't worry about being new. People like what is fun to them. You really should just kick start it and set a goal at $1500 - 2000, stating that you want this for Unity pro so that you can improve your game.

What's important is showing your game. Just show it. If it looks good and promising people would contribute. You might also get feedbacks on how to improve the game or whether people are going to like it or not and whether you should continue working on the game or fix something or take some good elements and create a new game entirely.

Anyway, you won't know any of these until you release something. Good luck!

[simonheartscake]

Don't worry about being new. People like what is fun to them. You really should just kick start it and set a goal at $1500 - 2000, stating that you want this for Unity pro so that you can improve your game.

What's important is showing your game. Just show it. If it looks good and promising people would contribute. You might also get feedbacks on how to improve the game or whether people are going to like it or not and whether you should continue working on the game or fix something or take some good elements and create a new game entirely.

Anyway, you won't know any of these until you release something. Good luck!

Thanks man, I've been working on it for like 4.5months now so its almost at that stage
Ill keep you guys posted.

[eyeliner]

I'd go to the farthest I'd possibly could with the free version, place some decent art and release a video or two with some concept arts, music and gameplay in the mix. I'd also set a very reasonable goal in terms of funding, basically, the license money and that's it.

Add to that the fact that you can then export to a great amount of platforms, you'd have a nice motivator for some financing.

And set up webspace for your project for people to go to.

Of course, I'm not American, so that's impossible for me.

[simonheartscake]

I'd go to the farthest I'd possibly could with the free version, place some decent art and release a video or two with some concept arts, music and gameplay in the mix. I'd also set a very reasonable goal in terms of funding, basically, the license money and that's it.

Add to that the fact that you can then export to a great amount of platforms, you'd have a nice motivator for some financing.

And set up webspace for your project for people to go to.

Of course, I'm not American, so that's impossible for me.

GAH, I'm not american either, I'll have to use indiegogo or something :S. That is a massive setback. I wonder when they're launching the UK version of it.
And unfortunately you need more money to export to other platforms but I guess i could do it after release if I  make enough money and/or if it is popular.

Ill get the art girl im working with to draw up some concept. All the enemies willbe done, It will literally be maps that will change, The better pathfinding will allow some pretty cool maps (teleporters and such).

I have a small blog and a website that is a WIP (www.adrenalgames.co.uk)
So ill have to work on them.

[Hima]

There's always Indiegogo, although most of the projects didn't get as much funding as the ones in Kickstarters.

[eyeliner]

But Indiegogo can give you the money you were able to amass, unlike kickstarted, amirite?

[simonheartscake]

But Indiegogo can give you the money you were able to amass, unlike kickstarted, amirite?

I think so but that kind of worries me, if I don't get the full licence I cannot get it, so I could either save it until I'm in a situation where I can afford it or manually give all the money back

[kamac]

But Indiegogo can give you the money you were able to amass, unlike kickstarted, amirite?

That's right!

I think so but that kind of worries me, if I don't get the full licence I cannot get it, so I could either save it until I'm in a situation where I can afford it or manually give all the money back

You shouldn't manually give the money back. It's their rules that you get the money anyway. What you're able to get, is yours. Though, if you can't make it to your target, just save money until you can afford it... Or release one game that will let you afford the full license.

World's full of opportunities 

[Lynx]

If I recall right, it's an option: you can opt to either refund the money if you don't get your target, or accept whatever you were able to raise.

[Richard Kain]

This is a matter of working inside your existing budget. It's time to take a step back and ask yourself if you REALLY need those extra features that the full license would provide. You might have to scale your art back, or change the art style you were aiming for. That's just part of realistic game development.

The base Unity package is free. If the base mechanics of your game are possible within that package, then your visual tastes are the only thing preventing you from finishing the game. In order to get your game completed within your existing budget, you may have to compromise.

[Hima]

This is a matter of working inside your existing budget. It's time to take a step back and ask yourself if you REALLY need those extra features that the full license would provide. You might have to scale your art back, or change the art style you were aiming for. That's just part of realistic game development.

The base Unity package is free. If the base mechanics of your game are possible within that package, then your visual tastes are the only thing preventing you from finishing the game. In order to get your game completed within your existing budget, you may have to compromise.

This is true, but there is nothing wrong with showing your game and seek for support to make your game better. Asking for support to buy Unity license is objective and sounds more possible than asking people to support the development of the whole project, IMO. You could do this and fallback to finishing the game in Unity basic or saving up money yourself should the kickstarting fail.

And yeah, Lynx is right. Indiegogo gives you two options, fix funding or flexible funding. For fix funding, if you can't reach your goal, nobody pay anything and you won't get anything. For flexible funding, you get 91% of the fund if it doesnt reach the goal.

Also, there is no need to set the goal to be exactly $1,500. You could set it lower and save up the rest by yourself as well.

[simonheartscake]

I posted a link to the game as it stands now here: http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=27009.msg755459#msg755459

if anyone is interested