Great video. Good luck in a gamedev. Let me add my thoughts about quitting a job. There a conditions to check before doing it: 1. you are good in a programming or in art. 2. you have enough savings to live at least 1-2 years without any income. 3. you are ready to lose all your savings to make this attempt (be honest with yourself) 4. you don't have kids or your family members fully support you and ready to the fail. 5. you already released at least one small game and fully understand the process. 6. you already have a game idea and know a strong game hook, you investigated a similar games and the genre and understand a level of the competition. 7. you know the scope and expected quality of the game and you are sure it is reachable for you. 8. you want to do it not because of a hypothetical profit but because you love the process. Please don't quit your job if you have at least one "no". Just make a very very small game as a hobby in a part time.
Don't quit your job in this economy if you aren't rich or don't have passive income. Do it on your free time. Have some common sense. Don't throw your only income away for something that you have no guarantee to succeed
If you have saved enough money to support you through the next year or two (or more if needed) and are willing to risk all of that money then I can't see why not.
So nice! This "pattern" is in every domain to be honest. I'm in finance and I guarantee it's the same. Start as soon as possible, learn from the best who made it and don't be alone but with similar people, not waiting your grave time.
I've been working and living from and for the video game industry for 18 years, but I've never released a game under my own brand, something I'm still trying to achieve, but bad things happens, and I also live in a 3rd world country with one of the worst economies and costs of living in the world, so founding something of my own has been slow really slow and posponed many times. Which doesn't mean I won't continue working on it little by little, but it's not the same, and as you say, if you really have the chance, you can sustain your first productions and cost of living, and the passion to achieve it burns you, give it your all and go for it! I know that for some people "I'm living the dream", but for me is not the same, without launching or managing something 100% my own, and not someone else's, with my own decisions and convictions in it. Especially when a large part of those 18 years are in a GaaS, and there comes a point when you want to make other games at a different pace. GaaS are very demanding in their production times, the public expects content and we must create things in less than 1 month, 1 month miracles. Someday I hope to get there too and toast on the same side of the field. Go for broke! Kudos and the best of success on your upcoming game release!
I was in a similar place when I went full-time 2 years ago. I didn't have the best plan or anything, but I can say that this has been the most fulfilling time of my life! Good luck to you!
This was inspirational, man. I feel like a lot of people get stuck in that "some day" loop. I sure am. Best wishes for your new career! I'm wishlisting samago now.
Someone linked me this video, and i'll add my grain of salt : I've worked in the industry for 8 years now and this year I was able to work half time as a game design freelancer and half time on my dream project, which somewhat failed (at least it's not up to the quality I'm reaching for). My take is this: It's worth it to spend time on your dream project. It may not be worth it to spend time on building a real studio, doing all the administrative work, doing communication, marketing, and all that work that may take more than half of your time. but the satisfaction of expressing yourself and your ideas is really worth it, and when it's your full time gig, it feels like you can really go all in, instead of it just being a side thing that goes too slowly. So if you're an artist that want to express yourself in a video game, i'd recommend preparing for a sabbatical year or two where you'll be able to fully express yourself in whatever you want to do, without caring for its financial sustainability. THEN, if you've built something great, show it to publishers and communicate about it. Do not worry about that stuff while you're making it. Also, dream small and attainable, don't try to do a full 3D crafting MMO, you'll never finish it.
I actually quit my programmer job this year because of burnout. My plan was to rest and to find ideas for startup. I always wanted to create something useful but could not come up with sufficiently good idea. Well... I still have not found idea of something useful and I'm prototyping games now. It would be good to achieve some financial success, but I embrace the thought that nothing is promised. For me it's more about getting new experience.
If you have an artistic impulse this is actually solid advice. Learning and saving enough to have a good start is essential, but it's a business so there are always risks. Not taking this advice could make you end up with a career that pays a lot more even compared to gamedev success, but artistically unfulfilled. Normal people wont have that problem, because they don't have a career or their artistic passion leaves them. If you truly are an artist it better for your mental health to be an artist. As a side note artists often have mental issues, but if they have something to strive for like money, success, fame those issues might actually be helpful, while having everything they ever wanted makes their inner demons something they can't escape.
I did my research too when I wanted to try this. I still have a job and free time to make a game, I just don't have the motivation. So many ideas and plans, but just no reason to execute them. We'll see.
I am so close myself to do the same. This feeling in back of my head to start something on your own, to build worlds beyond reality. It is a dream. This video is wonderful. :)
You can definitely do it! Just remember to pull yourself back up and collect all the things you learned if you fail the first, second or x amount of times :)
Oh, I've been dreaming about my dream games for almost 35 years before I came to understaing this january that I will never develop any game until I start actually making them. Like... right now) So, I am happy to meet a like minded person and I want to wish you the best of luck in your enterprise!
It’s important to keep a stable income unless you’ve got financial backup or steady passive income. Work on your passion projects in your free time or see whethere you could work one day less somehow. That said, this video really hit home-so many people, myself included, get caught waiting for the ‘right time.’ Wishing you all the best in your new career, and Samago is definitely going on my wishlist!
Yes, definitely do have some savings or other income when you decide to go full indie. Most likely you're not going to make money for a long time after starting. Thanks for wishlisting! :)
@@AdobadoFantastico This is something I think a lot of people don't consider. Most game devs are from expensive countries, if they move to a cheaper country they can easily extend their financial runway by a large amount without having any significant decrease in quality of life. I'm from the USA and where I live rent alone is like $1200 and I'd still have to pay for utilities, food, vehicle stuff, etc. I am currently in Brazil, and I can find nice places to rent for like $500, I don't have to pay for utilities or a car, and I can fill up a fridge with food for like $90 (that includes the price of paying for rides back and forth). The internet is better than what I have in the US and like I said previously, essentially no decrease in my quality of life due to being inside most of the time anyway.
Seems like you did it responsibly, which is different from a lot of people who do quit their job to make games. Good luck with your journey, we should all try to be happy in the end.
Hey, I just checked your channel. I don't know if you're marketing ourside of UA-cam but at least in UA-cam I would suggest trying to make your videos more appealing. From the titles of your videos I was unsure what the videos are about. You should also use good thumbnails. Remember, the player knows nothing of your game. Try to think why would they click on your video? Try to make the video engaging for the player. Ask yourself why should the player be exited about the video, what is different about my game than other games and grow on those points. In UA-cam two things are considered important, click through rate and engagement. So you should strive to make videos that look clickable and the watcher will not want to click away from the video after opening it. Good luck!
Sure! So this is a Finnish government issued pay called "starting money" which is basically a few hundred euros per month (~700-800€) to help you with your personal living costs (rent, food etc) while you start your business. Here in Finland you can apply for it if you start a new business and need support. You have to create documents telling what is your business plan and calculations showing how could you actually make this business profitable. Then if you get accepted, the period is 6 months and after that you can apply for another 6 months (total 12 months maximum).
Great video. Good luck in a gamedev.
Let me add my thoughts about quitting a job.
There a conditions to check before doing it:
1. you are good in a programming or in art.
2. you have enough savings to live at least 1-2 years without any income.
3. you are ready to lose all your savings to make this attempt (be honest with yourself)
4. you don't have kids or your family members fully support you and ready to the fail.
5. you already released at least one small game and fully understand the process.
6. you already have a game idea and know a strong game hook, you investigated a similar games and the genre and understand a level of the competition.
7. you know the scope and expected quality of the game and you are sure it is reachable for you.
8. you want to do it not because of a hypothetical profit but because you love the process.
Please don't quit your job if you have at least one "no". Just make a very very small game as a hobby in a part time.
Great points! I agree with all of these!
Don't quit your job in this economy if you aren't rich or don't have passive income. Do it on your free time. Have some common sense. Don't throw your only income away for something that you have no guarantee to succeed
If you have saved enough money to support you through the next year or two (or more if needed) and are willing to risk all of that money then I can't see why not.
@@ThisRealityStudio Without the need to support my kids, I'd say the same. As long as the projects are small to mid size games, that is.
So nice! This "pattern" is in every domain to be honest. I'm in finance and I guarantee it's the same. Start as soon as possible, learn from the best who made it and don't be alone but with similar people, not waiting your grave time.
I've been working and living from and for the video game industry for 18 years, but I've never released a game under my own brand, something I'm still trying to achieve, but bad things happens, and I also live in a 3rd world country with one of the worst economies and costs of living in the world, so founding something of my own has been slow really slow and posponed many times.
Which doesn't mean I won't continue working on it little by little, but it's not the same, and as you say, if you really have the chance, you can sustain your first productions and cost of living, and the passion to achieve it burns you, give it your all and go for it!
I know that for some people "I'm living the dream", but for me is not the same, without launching or managing something 100% my own, and not someone else's, with my own decisions and convictions in it. Especially when a large part of those 18 years are in a GaaS, and there comes a point when you want to make other games at a different pace.
GaaS are very demanding in their production times, the public expects content and we must create things in less than 1 month, 1 month miracles.
Someday I hope to get there too and toast on the same side of the field.
Go for broke! Kudos and the best of success on your upcoming game release!
I was in a similar place when I went full-time 2 years ago. I didn't have the best plan or anything, but I can say that this has been the most fulfilling time of my life!
Good luck to you!
That's awesome! All the best to you too!
This was inspirational, man. I feel like a lot of people get stuck in that "some day" loop. I sure am. Best wishes for your new career! I'm wishlisting samago now.
Thank you for the kind words and for wishlisting!
Great video, agree to risk it all, always gamble! roll the dice 🎲🎲🎲 good luck and much success on your projects, hopefully I'll find my path as well
Someone linked me this video, and i'll add my grain of salt : I've worked in the industry for 8 years now and this year I was able to work half time as a game design freelancer and half time on my dream project, which somewhat failed (at least it's not up to the quality I'm reaching for). My take is this:
It's worth it to spend time on your dream project. It may not be worth it to spend time on building a real studio, doing all the administrative work, doing communication, marketing, and all that work that may take more than half of your time. but the satisfaction of expressing yourself and your ideas is really worth it, and when it's your full time gig, it feels like you can really go all in, instead of it just being a side thing that goes too slowly.
So if you're an artist that want to express yourself in a video game, i'd recommend preparing for a sabbatical year or two where you'll be able to fully express yourself in whatever you want to do, without caring for its financial sustainability. THEN, if you've built something great, show it to publishers and communicate about it. Do not worry about that stuff while you're making it.
Also, dream small and attainable, don't try to do a full 3D crafting MMO, you'll never finish it.
I actually quit my programmer job this year because of burnout. My plan was to rest and to find ideas for startup. I always wanted to create something useful but could not come up with sufficiently good idea.
Well... I still have not found idea of something useful and I'm prototyping games now. It would be good to achieve some financial success, but I embrace the thought that nothing is promised. For me it's more about getting new experience.
Lock in, goat.
Nice video. I made the same decision recently myself. Sounds like we started our indie dev journey at almost the exact same time!
i think if we all supported each other in a conga line game dev would be pretty lucrative
If you have an artistic impulse this is actually solid advice. Learning and saving enough to have a good start is essential, but it's a business so there are always risks.
Not taking this advice could make you end up with a career that pays a lot more even compared to gamedev success, but artistically unfulfilled. Normal people wont have that problem, because they don't have a career or their artistic passion leaves them.
If you truly are an artist it better for your mental health to be an artist.
As a side note artists often have mental issues, but if they have something to strive for like money, success, fame those issues might actually be helpful, while having everything they ever wanted makes their inner demons something they can't escape.
I did my research too when I wanted to try this. I still have a job and free time to make a game, I just don't have the motivation. So many ideas and plans, but just no reason to execute them. We'll see.
unrelated but i rlly like your mario costume in the beginning
Thanks, appreciate it! :)
I am so close myself to do the same. This feeling in back of my head to start something on your own, to build worlds beyond reality. It is a dream. This video is wonderful. :)
You can definitely do it! Just remember to pull yourself back up and collect all the things you learned if you fail the first, second or x amount of times :)
Oh, I've been dreaming about my dream games for almost 35 years before I came to understaing this january that I will never develop any game until I start actually making them. Like... right now) So, I am happy to meet a like minded person and I want to wish you the best of luck in your enterprise!
It’s important to keep a stable income unless you’ve got financial backup or steady passive income. Work on your passion projects in your free time or see whethere you could work one day less somehow. That said, this video really hit home-so many people, myself included, get caught waiting for the ‘right time.’ Wishing you all the best in your new career, and Samago is definitely going on my wishlist!
Yes, definitely do have some savings or other income when you decide to go full indie. Most likely you're not going to make money for a long time after starting. Thanks for wishlisting! :)
Also depends what country you're in. He noted that there was some kind of stipend for his cost of living.
@@AdobadoFantastico This is something I think a lot of people don't consider. Most game devs are from expensive countries, if they move to a cheaper country they can easily extend their financial runway by a large amount without having any significant decrease in quality of life. I'm from the USA and where I live rent alone is like $1200 and I'd still have to pay for utilities, food, vehicle stuff, etc. I am currently in Brazil, and I can find nice places to rent for like $500, I don't have to pay for utilities or a car, and I can fill up a fridge with food for like $90 (that includes the price of paying for rides back and forth). The internet is better than what I have in the US and like I said previously, essentially no decrease in my quality of life due to being inside most of the time anyway.
Seems like you did it responsibly, which is different from a lot of people who do quit their job to make games.
Good luck with your journey, we should all try to be happy in the end.
best of luck. you will need it :)
Good video, i very much feel the same.
Samago looks excellent, be good to see a trailer. ive wishlisted (as a fellow steam dev it feels good ) I like the style.
Certified goated video
What if your job IS making games?
you gotta jump for the beef bros
I like the costume, you should wear one every episode
nice Senku fixture
how do you gather a following? Barely anyone even pays attention to what I do
Hey, I just checked your channel. I don't know if you're marketing ourside of UA-cam but at least in UA-cam I would suggest trying to make your videos more appealing. From the titles of your videos I was unsure what the videos are about. You should also use good thumbnails. Remember, the player knows nothing of your game. Try to think why would they click on your video? Try to make the video engaging for the player. Ask yourself why should the player be exited about the video, what is different about my game than other games and grow on those points.
In UA-cam two things are considered important, click through rate and engagement. So you should strive to make videos that look clickable and the watcher will not want to click away from the video after opening it. Good luck!
can you tell me more about the government program for new businesses you were talking about?
Sure! So this is a Finnish government issued pay called "starting money" which is basically a few hundred euros per month (~700-800€) to help you with your personal living costs (rent, food etc) while you start your business. Here in Finland you can apply for it if you start a new business and need support. You have to create documents telling what is your business plan and calculations showing how could you actually make this business profitable. Then if you get accepted, the period is 6 months and after that you can apply for another 6 months (total 12 months maximum).
hey how write ur name ? víle ? how is it man i need to know
No. I'd rather have a proper job than do programming.
As a software developer, lmao 🤣 (😭😭😭)
@@JordanLenz Not funny. I hate programming.
@@Seacat17 It's not for everyone. We all have different preferences.
Good for you, all the best bro