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[DaWojinator]

So I've pretty much finished doing the early programming tasks for a game I'm trying to make, (as in, there is drawing, pausing, depth, collision, level loading/saving, etc) and I came here thinking to find a real spriter and try to make a game to sell.

However, coming here I've read some topics and seen that you need to do things like get a business license, worry about getting your game's name out there, etc.  All I know how to do is program, and frankly, that's all I want to do. (starting with Game Maker when I was young, I've gradually gained experience in c++, c#, java, and flash AS3, probably about 90% of the experience making games, albeit admittedly mostly unfinished games. I'm currently making my game in c++ using the Allegro library)

So instead of posting a job offer for a spriter and possibly making a fool of myself, I decided to post asking if I should really be taking the approach I'm taking.  I was inspired by Terraria's success, but it would seem that that was merely because of Notch's twitter or something, and I've heard opinions that much better PC games have gone unnoticed.  Apparently the best market is with iPhone games or something, but I'm just making a PC game here.

Essentially, I'm no marketing or business expert.  In spite of this, I'd really like to try getting a game out there and getting money for it.  Given all of the above, should I be doing this, or what is my best course of action?

[mikejkelley]

Please summarize exactly what it is you're doing.

[DaWojinator]

Please summarize exactly what it is you're doing.

Well, I coulda sworn I'd done just that.  Unless you're talking about my game idea, in which case I'm not sure I should really post an idea I'm trying to make money off of on forums which game developers frequent.  It's a mix of overhead-RPG-asteroids-shmup, is about all I'll say.

[mikejkelley]

You talk about finishing early programming, talking about getting a spriter, mention that you've read you need to get a business license, get your name out there, and then ask if you should take the approach you're taking. What approach is that? Getting a spriter? Not getting a spriter? I don't know if you're approach involves getting a business license, only that you've read about getting a business license. Is the question about the business license? Does your approach involve getting your name out there? How to get your name out there?

As far as I can tell you're approach is

getting a game out there and getting money for it.

Yes, do this. In fact, let's all do this.

[DaWojinator]

You talk about finishing early programming, talking about getting a spriter, mention that you've read you need to get a business license, get your name out there, and then ask if you should take the approach you're taking. What approach is that? Getting a spriter? Not getting a spriter? I don't know if you're approach involves getting a business license, only that you've read about getting a business license. Is the question about the business license? Does your approach involve getting your name out there? How to get your name out there?

As far as I can tell you're approach is

getting a game out there and getting money for it.

Yes, do this. In fact, let's all do this.

Ah, gotcha.  Perhaps what I should have said was that I don't want to make a game halfway or something only to realize that I don't have the qualifications or that the game won't sell, and I was wondering what you guys think of my position with regards to this.

[mikejkelley]

Everyone is intent on making THEIR game, wanting to recruit someone to help THEM. Nobody is getting anywhere w/ that approach. My advice to anyone who's just starting out is to defer to those who have already accomplished something and volunteer to help them make THAT person's game. Or join a modding team.

You've already identified that you're unable to handle art and marketing, join up w/ someone already in progress w/ a proven track record and learn as you go.

Also, IMO protect your game mechanics as a trade secret and only reveal under NDA.

[DaWojinator]

I see... you probably have a good point there.  Thing is, I'm pretty decent at the programming languages I know, and can learn anything, but I don't have an impressive resume/portfolio.  Because of this, I guess I decided to try making my own game instead of posting as a freelance programmer.

All things taken into consideration, I've sorted out laws for selling (not nearly as bad as I thought) and marketing will just have to develop over time.  Since I may already have a composer on board, this would leave me needing only a spriter.

If I can sort out this last bit, then I don't think it'll be a problem if everyone does their part.  I agree with you that I'm being very single-minded, joining the whole "MY GAME" mentality, but I'm going to take the risk anyway.  It's a good idea to put myself out there to work for free on some projects as well, to build a resume, but I'm attached to this game and know I can do the programming (and I guess business/marketing) if I can just get some people for music/sprites.

That being said, the next question that would determine whether I move forward or not is if I can find a spriter who would be willing to work for a percentage of an unknown profit for a game with a currently unknown pricetag.

[mikejkelley]

Have you considered what your help wanted will look like?

I'm offering a percentage of an unknown profit for an unknown game with a currently unknown pricetag by an unknown and inexperienced programmer w/ no prior titles to the development team willing to make my game.

I wish you success, but in order for that to happen you have to make the right choices early on.

[DaWojinator]

As I stated, getting a spriter with such qualifications is the only issue, and I'm sure I could do it if I had a spriter.  However, seeing as that is unlikely, I guess I'm stuck atm shelfing this project and building a resume/portfolio first.  Thank you for the advice.

[RudyTheDev]

Also, IMO protect your game mechanics as a trade secret and only reveal under NDA.

Unless you are a big game development studio, you will gain more by talking about your ideas/mechanics and receiving feedback than trying to save/hide it for some big reveal. Rarely are ideas so awesome and unique that no one has thought of them before. This article among others talks about it nicely.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

yeah it sounds like you don't know what you are even doing, so i think the answer to 'should i be doing this' is 'first figure out what you are doing first'

as an example, you say that you want to make a game and sell it. how? steam? your site? xblig? xbla? psn? iphone?

and what type of game? what genre, what market, what art style, etc.? is there a market for the type of game you like to make?

and do you really intend to sell your *first game ever*? that's typically a bad idea; if you've never finished a game before, your first game is going to be pretty bad, no matter how good you are at "programming". good programming alone doesn't make a good game, you also need experience in design, playtesting, polishing, etc.

and the fear that someone will "steal your idea" is a really bad sign, it's the sign of someone who is ultra-new and who doesn't know what they are doing

[DaWojinator]

I don't think I had my thoughts together when I made this post.  Upon thinking about it, I realized I have a portfolio of various game maker/flash games and fairly heavy experience modding terraria, aside from many things I've done in the past that I don't have lying around on my computer and thus can't include.

As far as not sharing my idea, well, yes, it could be a terrible idea as far as you know, since I'm not sharing it.  Most likely it's not anything innovative, so much as how things that have already been used in the past are combined to make an interesting game.  At any rate, say it's a sign of being new if you want, but I don't plan on sharing details until I've reached a stage of development at which I feel I can showcase my work safely.

As far as marketing goes, I was thinking steam, but I don't think I have enough of the game made to apply just yet, I'm assuming steam doesn't accept games from new publishers willy-nilly.  Come to think of it, this being an indie-game forum, perhaps there is a topic on this sort of thing, I think I'll search for it.

EDIT: Yeah, steam is looking hard to get into, probably something like... er... I think it was called desura, would be better.  I suppose all I'm missing right now is a marketing strategy, but pretty much everything else is sorting itself out atm.  I may not have a ton of experience with game design, but I've created a game-design document for the generalities, specifics are admittedly in the process of being defined, and I don't allow anything to go through programming-wise unless it feels good, I think most people are satisfied with the feel of the controls of my works thus far.

EDIT2: After looking more into it, it definitely doesn't look like I'm going to be reeling in the money.  However, I consider myself as having the skills to make a game worthy of selling, after hiring a spriter/composer, and therefore I will consider this gaining marketing experience for future games, or to see if I can really break into this field.  I'm not trying to live off of this atm, I haven't "quit my day job", so to speak.

[Christian Knudsen]

Make a game. Then worry about this stuff.