We just released the game my studio has been working on for a while, and I figured I'd share my experiences along with a bunch of the art assets that didn't make it into the final product
http://drawabox.com/article/workingintheindustry
2016-11-21 15:42
Uncomfortable
perlatus
2016-11-21 16:15
It's this reasoning that will determine your path, which is why "I want to make a game" is not enough. Wanting to do something just for the doing of it will leave you rudderless in a sea of options. Wanting to do it for the glamour of success will leave you drowned once your boat's been punched full of holes by the failures we all must face.
We can't always put the reasoning to words at first, but we know it's there. Part of the journey is giving this shapeless motivation form and substance.
I'm struggling with this. I developed a fascination with art and stories over the last few years when I began reading webcomics and graphic novels, but I don't have a clear motivation. I'm not trying to start a career in art or game dev, I don't have any great universes (or even tiny ones) begging to be explored. I've never been interested in anything typically considered "creative".
All I know is that this is something I want to do. I've been finding the willpower to continue when I'd normally give up and move on to something else, so I'm just going to have to trust that I've got a good reason I'm not aware of yet.
Sasakura
2016-11-21 19:39
For two weeks straight I put in loads of overtime creating all of the backdrops
Ultimately, it was trashed in favour if a fully 3D cinematic
First ouch that's always a killer but this is exactly why I don't work in games. You shouldn't do this to yourself either.
Uncomfortable
2016-11-21 19:45
To be honest, I haven't put in nearly as much overtime as one would consider to be stereotypical for the game industry. There were a few periods where it was just necessary (that time it was largely because after those two weeks, I was slated to go on vacation). There have been some other very isolated instances, like coming into work for 13 hours on Canadian Thanksgiving (a statutory holiday), but for the most part I my days are 8 hours. When the overtime does happen, it USUALLY results in something I'm super proud of which makes it all worth it.
Either way, I work on my own stuff when I get home. Drawabox, personal projects (I'm makin' a text game! :D), and whatever. I'm just a workaholic.
Sasakura
2016-11-21 19:48
That's good to hear. Text games are super bitchin so you have to let us know more!
Uncomfortable
2016-11-21 20:07
Hahaha, once it's further along I'll write another article. "Why would an artist make a game about text?!"
pokeyoupine
2016-11-30 19:45
I'm crazy about text games! Still have hopes of doing my own someday :) Can't wait to see it.
Uncomfortable
2016-11-30 22:48
Haha, well, who knows if I'll ever finish it. It's a remake of a text-based mmorpg I ran for two years when I was in high school, which closed about eight years ago. I've been trying to remake it since then, but each time I always learned so much about the tools I was using that I decided to restart. I've started like... maybe five times?
pokeyoupine
2016-12-01 00:12
Ha! Well it sounds like a neat project, anyway. I'm not much of a programmer (I minored in CS in college, but what does that mean nowadays!), but I always thought a text-based game would be a great way to dive back in. Nothing as large as an MMORPG though :P
Uncomfortable
2016-12-01 00:16
Oh MMORPGs aren't that daunting - not conceptually at least. Mine was basically a glorified message board. In fact, that's exactly what I modeled it on. I've got an archive of it here - but don't laugh at the awful art assets... it was a different time.
pokeyoupine
2016-12-01 00:33
Oh! Very neat. This is a little like the online roleplaying I used to sink so much time into when I was younger.
I always think about something simpler... Like a smaller Zork or something. LostPig is one of my favorite text games ever. It's ridiculous.
I love these things because the focus is so much on storytelling and puzzles. Plus, I've always been a writer, but didn't get into visual art until recently. Love 'em.
Uncomfortable
2016-12-01 01:19
I'd heard of Zork (of course) but not LostPig. I now know what I'm going to be doing at work tomorrow!
Splaytooth
2016-11-21 23:14
Why would you only release it to iOS users?
Just seems like you're leaving a huge chunk of potential users like me out.
Uncomfortable
2016-11-21 23:20
Ultimately, these things happen. Ideally we'd release on several platforms simultaneously, had we infinite resources and time, but ultimately there always comes a time where you have to decide to leave certain things for later and focus what you do have on creating a good experience. By narrowing our scope, we improve our chances of a positive reception. If the game is received well on one platform, then we end up with more resources to open up that same great experience to others.
Of course, that leaves the question of why iOS over Android as a starting group? That's where statistics come into play. It's surprising, but it turns out that iOS users spend roughly five times as much on an individual basis as Android users do, which gives a game released on that platform significantly better chances to survive, and ultimately thrive.
I myself use an Android phone, so I would have loved to see a simultaneous release. I'm confident though that we made the right decision, and that it is one that will benefit everyone in the long run.
Uncomfortable
2016-11-21 16:28
Exactly. Those of us who give up, either have had what once motivated us shrivel and die or never had any such thing at all. Those of us who keep going must have some driving force, even if we can't quite describe it or give it a name just yet. It's there, and by continuing to pursue these hobbies, we slowly carve it into something more distinct.