"how old was the person who made this game?" asked no one ever. Love that statement. Wished I'd thought of that when I was making the video. :-) Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@BlackJar72 I think it's mattered more as we have solo developers responsible for whole games. Of course we've had big names like Todd Howard and Peter Molyneux. But these days many developers idolize developers like Toby Fox and Eric Barone who have made widely loved and successful games by (mostly) themselves. Even with Indie Game the Movie, Jonathan Blow, Edmund McMillen and Phil Fish became names that everybody knew. I think it's great to care about the people behind the games you play, especially when solo made. Who the person is affects the art they create, you put yourself into a game, and it's fantastic to find out about what went into the games that you love.
"Most of the people who watch my videos are between the age of 25 and 44" I'm in my 60s, and I watch your videos. I, too, became a dad in my 40s... I've never released a game, but I still have the dream, and I work on game development whenever I have spare time :)
Most people are between the age of 25 and 44. But its great to know that there are GenX and boomers who come here too. Congrats on being an old dad like me and likewise I still dream and develop whenever I have spare time. Thanks for watching
I'm a '71 kid too. I didn't start game development until my late 40s, and now in my early 50s my first commercial game comes out in June. You're never too old to start.
I'm 43, I started learning c# and unity last year after expending the last 17 working in art and illustration. I've been able to make a 2 stages game from scratch, sprites, animation, coding, and googling 😂 , I'm so happy and never imagined I could learn the things I now today . Your comment is inspirational. Congratulations on the release! and I wish you great success with your game!
I was born in '78, got stuck in an IT career, then quit to become an indie developer at 40. Two weeks ago I successfully kickstarted my first commercial title, which currently has 113k wishlists on Steam. You're never too old to become an indie developer! You just need passion and a great idea.
I'm 45 and am just starting the journey to being an indie game developer. I created personal projects in the past but never released anything. I did have one game I made for a company on the original iPad for events they ran in bar/pubs with brand ambassadors. My 15 year old son and I am now working to build our first game and start doing some game jams. I agree no such thing as to old. I'm still 12 in my mind and my experience both as a software engineer and a human gives me tons of experiences to leverage.
I think its cool that you are working with your son. I got my nine year old son involved in my first game. I got him to design some bosses and quite frankly, my simple little game is better because of his input. I'm sure that will be the same for you. Thanks for watching and good luck with your game.
I turn 47 next week. Went to university for the first time at the age of 40 to study Game Development, and I now lecture the subject at the same place. I also have my own game dev projects on the side. Loved this video. Thank you!
It's pretty cool that you're now teaching game dev where you study. It's also cool that you are working on a game on the side. Sounds like a pretty decent lifestyle to me. :-) Thanks for sharing and watching
"The moment you stop breathing is the moment you become too old. Before then, everything is fair game." Way to go, brother! Thanks for the gentle reminder!
I'm thrilled that the UA-cam algorithm put this video in front of me today. Being 37 years old with 5 kids, it's easy to start thinking that my game dev journey could end up just a daydream, but the video and comments have been a great pick-me-up today. I'm subscribing for more, some things are just better with age!
Thanks for the sub. It is easy to think that your game dev journey could end up as nothing more than a pipe dream. Its not easy working on game but is easier than it used to be, and you can definitely make it happen.
Same boat... currently 40. After this video I would love to shake your hand, hug you and maybe share 1 tear! 😢❤ I am working on my indie game since..7 years and this is my longet but best journey i am sure to enjoy for the coming years! NEVER TOO OLD! ❤
@@DavidReidChannel I appreciate too! IMO passion and will to create using any tool...cannot be stopped 😀 I can share more about my game as soon as I rework it (Unity took a long time to iron out some SDK I needed for my game to work fully). Cheers!
Have you tried to make smaller games within shorter periods of time? Not to say it's bad but it can be time consuming to make fewer projects than a lot of projects. I'm much younger than you guys even as a young amateur freelancer (still on my studies) but it's to point out that doing such projects that take a lot of time is quite risky and can lead to mental health issues. But I'm excited with the project you're into it if you can provide more info about it. :)
I love this quote from you: "The moment you stop breathing is the moment you become too old. Before then, everything is fair game." If you look, you will find many stories of people doing and accomplishing amazing things as 'old' people. I am a female in my 50s and I would love to make a game. There are a few ideas that I have been developing, so we will see... 🙂 People (and sometimes the YOU inside your head) will always tell you that you are "TOO...old, young, tall, short, skilled, unskilled, skinny, fat, beautiful, ugly, blah, ... " it is your job to ignore them and do it anyway. Thank you. Rock and Roll. 🙂
It is our job to ignore the naysayers. It's not always easy though. Also, you should definitely pursue that idea that you've been developing. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I'm 63. Studied some programming in my late 20s and early 30s. Associate in IT Networking in my 40s. Now, I'm studying C#, Unity and Blender. Here goes nuthin...
If you were programming in the eighties, C# and Unity will be easy for you. I tried Blender, found it really difficult but will come back to that in the future. Thanks for sharing.
Born in 85 here and over the last year or two, it kind of dawned on me that happiness is living life your way. Thats what ive been doing. Chasing creativity and finding things that are fulfilling. Gotta live the life you wanna live!
well, i'm about to hit 50,had a stroke at 40 got an art degree at 32 (yeah go figure) and spent the last 4 years learning blender 3d and have been learning unreal. If I can do it, anyone can....dedication and will power
Man, having a stroke is a major life changing event. More power to you my friend if. Clearly dedication and will power are your super powers. Glad to hear from you and thanks for watching.
I couldn't agree more. I've been a very late developer (pun intended), starting my IT schooling around 30, marrying mid thirties, first kid just before 40, and will possibly become a consultant soon, just before turning fifty. Did I mention I was taking more and more of an interest in game dev in my spare time? AND I still believe I can start my metal band in the coming 2 years. We live close to at least 3x20 years, and not feeling inclined to slow down anytime soon. The only thing limiting one's adventure are the barriers we allow ourselves to shut us down.
I am 23 and getting my computer science degree right now, I'm just starting my journey learning art, marketing, and game design. I wanted to get into making games at 18 but I told myself it was too hard and that I couldn't do it. My only regret was not getting started then. In the past few months, I have made making games and art my hobby now. My career goal is still to become a software engineer, but there may come a day when I am working on a hobby project and I get a publisher to go full time on it. It's hard to believe in yourself, but think about what you'll miss out on if you don't. Our mind always wants us to do whatever is efficient or best, its a defense mechanism that protects us, you have to believe fully in your future self or you'll never know what could have been.
It's exciting times to be at the start of your Computer science journey. I hope the degree goes well. Mine has served well. You should definitely pursue both the software engineering and gaming options. Thanks for watching.
49 year old trans woman & just started a Game Design degree. They’ll take my video games, board games, TTRPGs & warhammer minis from my old cold dead hands
Haha! Love this. Something I wished I'd done when I was younger is play table top games. I've taken an interest in table top games recently but I don't have anyone to play with :-(. Thus, I've been dabbling in Stargrave and Space Station Zero which you can play solo. Also, the game mechanics in tabletop games are really interesting. I like to buy the rule books and read the rules. Geeky, I know but I also think that playing tabletop games could help me create better video games. Thanks for sharing and good luck with your game design degree.
Only now in my 40s am I feeling fully equipped to be a useful leader after joining the games industry last year. Your comments about emotional maturity, experience and patience are very true. A mix of all ages brings great strength to a project and everybody should be valued.
Congrats on joining the industry. I would imagine the industry would be pretty hard to break into as its probably every programmers dream at some point in their career. I wish you all the best in your new career. Thanks for watching and commenting.
As a qualified Game ranger who actually went down the machinist route for 20 odd years and decided at 42 to start going into game dev I say thanks. I needed this :D
I'm 47 and started developing my game a couple years ago. I've WANTED to develop games for who knows how long, but with how much more available resources to learn and software that's much more affordable (and available), it's become something I can go for even just to say "hey I did it!" I don't expect to ever make a dollar from the game, and that's fine. Making my own games can just literally be a new hobby. I'm feeling like a new game? Maybe I'll just make myself one!
I'm turning 50 this year and just listed my first game on Steam (to hopefully be released in a few months). Many of the questions you raised in this video went through my head during my game dev journey so far. Thanks for making and posting this video! Now I'm thinking if we should form a community of "older" game devs.
I'm about 2 minutes into this video and I am incredibly inspired by your story. Working for the place I do, most of the people there are at least 3 or 4 years older than me and have been working in their field for 10+ years. Many, at the same company! They brought me on (at 33) as their resident software engineer who can both manage my way around whatever garbage PHP-based codebase they possess but to also open up Unity or Unreal to seriously whip some ass in that department where needed. I got my degree at 30 in game development (specifically... but I know it's what I want to do). I've sent this video to 100 people who have told me "I'm too old" to do anything. Thank you for this awesome video and the inspiration to keep working toward my goals
Thanks for the kind words about the video and thanks for sharing it with other people. I really appreciate that. Sounds like you've got all the skills and education required to do game dev. You should definitely go for it and your definitely not too old. :-)
Haha, love it. A large training model. It does aid us, however, I'm pretty sure some of my training model is corrupted. :-) Thanks for watching and commenting.
"- When was the best time to get started? - Yesterday. - When is the next best time? - Today." I don't remember whose quote this is. I think it's based on a Chinese proverb? But it's been true my whole life. I saw it with my Mom, and now I'm seeing it with my own life (I'm currently 31). Also, the idea of the 20-something startup founder is wrong. There have been multiple studies showing that successful startup founders in their 20's are in the minority. On average, successful founders are in their 40's. So, yeah - "conventional wisdom" isn't always right :)
I love that quote. I agree about the 20-something startup founder. Just on my own experience, fifty year old Dave is definitely wiser that twenty year old Dave. Thanks for watching and sharing.
I'm 55 years old and work with development since 1977 and Games was my first love and motivated me start an career in software development. I remember my first computer was an Apple I and later an TSR8O, Sinclair, PC and logically The IBM /3 mainframe. At 90's work in AI development Expert Systems using Prolog and Lisp. But now I dedicated to teach robotics and Game Dev for Childrens and Teachers. I decide use Godot in 2014 and after the pandemic decided be an Indie Game Designer and Teacher. I Wrote my e-book and launched in 2024/05 and dedicated my time to development of information products .
You have quite an interesting career my friend. I think it would be enjoyable teaching kids about robotics and game dev. Indie game designer and teachers seems like a decent life. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah. I'm way too old to be a game dev... Going back to the 80's into the 90's the majority of titles of that era (for home computers at least) were created by individuals or small teams ( coder / artist / musician ) . The barriers to entry are different today, but it was still every bit possible. Provided you can design something that suits your situation.
Wow what a great video, I can really relate. I was an electrician and decided to follow my passion in my early 30s, I left the company and got myself into university to get a computer science degree learning game design. I moved down to London and managed to get a placement year at EA games and will be graduating in a few weeks! I'm currently 36 and I've been working on my own indie game whilst studying. It's been a huge challenge and it may back fire in the long run but it's a case of if you don't try to follow your dreams then you'll never know if you could have succeeded and to me that's far worse than failing.
This is a really cool story. Would have been interesting to get a placement at EA games if only to see how a AAA company operates. Best of luck for your graduation and good luck with your indie game. Thanks for watching and sharing.
I am 42, living on the shitty east, no kids, lost a mother 14y ago, lost a good friend same age as me last year following him 24/7 in the last month watching how he is fading away, prior to that experienced total burnout with work, software engineer by profession trying to come back to life by making games, so I want to thank you man and I hope you’ll get much more followers you deserve it..
Sorry for your losses, those moments are never easy. I've also experienced burnout as a dev but using my dev skills to build games and distribute them on Steam has kind of brought me back to live. My game, was really simple to make, I've definitely worked on more complex software in my career, but that simple game is the thing I'm most proud of because its mine. When I go out, I want to know that I built something that's got my name on it. Good luck my friend and good luck with game dev.
Thank you for the video. I am also looking to get into indie game development and I was born in '68, so we are close in age. This video hit home for me as I have been told I am too old for a long time as well. I returned to college later in life and graduated with a graphic design degree in '06 and recently returned again to get a degree in video game design. Currently I am on hiatus from that program as my family is moving across the country after buying my first home at the ripe young age of 55. Your video gives me hope just in knowing there are people in my age group out there working on the same goals. You have a new subscriber and I look forward to more content.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Its nice to hear about people who are on a similar journey as me. I thought I was the only one turns out I'm not. Good luck with your gaming journey and thanks for the sub. I really appreciate that.
Trying to do solo game dev in my mid 40s, just like I've wanted to do all my life. It's not easy (and I'm WAY too ambitious!) but this is a really comforting video. Thanks!
I don't find it easy either. The difficulty is consistency. It takes a long time and you need to try and keep the momentum going especially when you've got other responsibilities. That in itself is a constant battle. I try to do at least an hour a day on my project. Doesn't seem like a lot but its surprising how much you can get done. Thanks for watching and commenting. Both are appreciated.
I absolutely loved this! I'm a single year older than you, I'm a software developer and have been coding for +30 years. Your video was nuanced and completely relatable, I loved it! You are never too old. I'm going to be building a Command and Conquer type game with a twist in Godot. You are never too old to do anything! Let's just do it! There are many that won't even try. All I know is that I'll be coding till the day I die! I'd love to buy you a pint and have a chat (yes, I'm in the UK)
I would love to see that command and conquer type game. I'd also definitely take that pint. I'd buy you one back of course. :-) It's good to connect with like minded folks in the UK.
At 25 and only on my 3rd (out of 4) year at uni, and still living with my parents, most of "you're too old" stuff I get comes from myself... Great and inspiring video!
Yep, we're definitely our own worst enemies when it comes to age. Enjoy Uni, make the best of it and it will serve you well. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hello. Thanks for your video it helped me a lot. I am 40 and pursuing the dream day by day. Returned to programming at 36 and now I am entirely into game dev. My problem was(I really hope it WAS) that the only person telling me I am too old for this was me. I am changing that. Keeping it up. Thanks again.
Yep, we're condition to think we are too old so it's understandable that we tell ourselves that too. But the best thing to do is say fuck it and do it anyway. Good luck with the game dev and thanks for watching and commenting.
Born in 1975 just nearing the 50 year old mark. Wrangling Unreal Engine for my first title. 1982 was a great year. Coleco Vision would start my life long enjoyment of video games. 🎉🎉
Are you too old? I'm a 1963! My early software experience was CPM baseded. My first computer program, besides "hello world" was punch card programmed. It printed a dot matrix calender. I have never left the industry. as a hobby or job BUT..... I'm TOO OLD to do basic programming for ANY COMPANY..... So I write personal and contract software as a hobby. My experience means NOTHING! ABSOLUTE ZERO! YES I AM TOO OLD!
As a software contractor I move around a lot. The thing that really grinds me down is interviews which I do a lot of. Every time I go into an interview, I have to try and convince, usually my juniors, that I can do the thing I've been doing for twenty plus years. The other thing I dislike is putting programmers in boxes. You can't do C# if you do Java, you can't do REACT if you do Angular, yadda yadda yadda. It's bollocks, programmers are agnostic, even programmers that don't think they're agnostic are agnostic. I'd trust any programmer that's been in the biz as long as you have to pick up any language or any framework. Point being, you're not too old, our industry is fuckin broken and the most fucked up part is the hiring process. So when you are told that you're too old, its not you, its them. They're the problem. I know that doesn't mean much when you get rejected because I've been there, but it is true. The positive here is that not all companies are equally dreadful at hiring. My best contracts have been ones where we chatted about my experience rather than asking me dumb syntax questions about whatever language. It's hard though, and it does drain your soul... All the best man. I wish you well. Thanks for watching the video and commenting. Both are appreciated.
I'm going to be honest, I didn't think this video was going to be that great when I clicked on it. But being a guy who's going to release his first game in his forties, I had to see what you had to say, and I'm glad I did. You really hit the nail on the head, especially with ai. On top of what you said it might very soon extend our lifespans beyond what's currently available. Perhaps even reversing aging, hard to say for sure. But I feel like a kid again experiencing all of this in real time.
89'er here, I recently started a masters in Digital Games at University of Malta. I maybe feel old next to my student peers, but no regrets doing this career change from traditional IT.
Yep, I was at least ten years older than my peers at university. However, that maturity helped my complete the degree and kickstart my dev career. Good luck on the masters and thanks for sharing.
I will be 46 this year. I had an episode with game development in early 1990's, I developed a game for 8 bit Atari. Last year I picked up from where I stopped 30 years ago and I've been working on 2 ideas, one small, one big. I've just released first preview of the "big" project, literally a week ago. The smaller one has teaser out since January. At the age of 15 I wanted to be a game developer, it's weird how I forgot about that dream for 30 years and it has been "reactivated" only recently. I hope I will persist with game development and my life will become full circle in a few years :).
Great video David, I'm in my early 30's and I have definitely heard the "too old" part. This actually reminded me that there is actually a Japanese woman who released her first game when she was 82 years old. (Masako Wakamiya) :D
Thanks Emma. Also thanks for passing on the story of Masako Wakamiya. Still pushing code at 82 is pretty impressive. I liked your charred meadows game. Looks great, love to see more so I've subbed.
When I was between 20~ and 30, I felt like I might be 'getting too old'. That I 'should've started as a teenager' and all the typical self-loathing jazz of 'Had I started 10 years ago, now I would've been great at it!', but I've realised recently that I'm only now getting mature enough to actually persevere in a task as daunting as learning gamedev, programming etc. I'm not claiming that I'm now a font of patience, but the difference I can see (and more importantly - feel) now that I'm past the 30 mark, is palpable. I used to be so, SO much quicker to anger, and to toss a task aside if something wasn't going my way. Now I'm beginning to find some small dose of pleasure in solving problems and learning new and better ways of doing things. It's still mighty frustrating, and of course I'd love to magically know everything and be a master from the start, but at least I have more patience that I used to.
I can relate to this. I've definitely become wiser, more persistent and patience. I'm not the most patience person out there but I'm better than twenty year old Dave. Thanks for sharing and watching. Both are appreciated.
Love ya. Got exactly the same background -Can agree in every single point. (Born in 1970, Graphic Designer, started with Game Dev at the Age of 14 on a C64, Father with 47, Driving License same year -very funny btw). UE5 since mid 2023 and its amazing to have these opurtunities these day, ai included. If it's in your nature to be curious and creative then age doesn't matter.
C64 was my first game building experience. They weren't very good and my Data recorder was unbelievably unreliable so my games only lasted as long as I had the commodore running. :-) Thanks for watching and sharing.
I’m semi-retired and changing careers in my 60s. Came into computing at the tail end of punch cards and have always been the oldest my entire career. Now that I can literally manage AI agents and code with AI, too old translates to very seasoned managers that can now design the games we really want to play with a tiny team. Very exciting and interesting times ahead!
Coming into computing at the tail end of punch cards is legendary. You've seen a lot of change in the industry. It is very exciting times ahead. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thank you! That's a pretty decent compliment coming from yourselves. Love your videos and looking forward to playing Veil of Maia and Samurado when they're released. Again thanks for watching and commenting.
I am 41 yo and working solo and indie on the Wildlife Rescue Simulator. I started many projects before but never finished it, this time I setup Steam page for the first time and It is going to be my first released game. An I hope it is going to be successful :)
Loved this vid mate. I've had this insecurity before with different things. One way I combat it is by thinking 'In 5 years, would I regret not starting?'. Cheers David!
Thanks for this video. I'm a 41 year old newbie indie game developer learning programming as I demo prototypes to create my dream game for the past year and imposter syndrome are a real thing. Always good to know 80s babies can also be awesome "senior" game devs. Lol.
As an amateur developer in his mid 30's, who just recently released his first finished game, I've asked myself this question a bunch of times, because of people being a bit "oh, aren't you too old to do something like that". Fortunenatly, I realized how much crap this was, but the question still lingers in my head, or at least the public perception of what age a developer should be. I still love to learn all kinds of stuff, and development has been great for that. As an artist/filmmaker by trade, I despise A.I, but using parts of it as a tool, and not as a replacement, is pretty darn great. Can't wait to see what more you got up your sleeves!
The response to AI is binary, even in the comments on this video. I think its a tool. A very useful tool that will enhance our creativity but I don't really know. Like everyone else, I'm in a huge world of shit I have no control over. Hopefully, AI changes everything for the better but hey, we're humans. I guess we'll mess up somewhere somehow. Thanks for watching and commenting. Both are appreciated.
Congrats on the mobile release. That's a tough market so to have your game played 150 million times sounds epic to be honest. Had I known, I would have mentioned you in the video. Thanks for sharing your story.
Subscribed just to hear you say something this right, this f"cing good in some other videos. Turned 37 myself last november and been dabbling with unreal, unity and godot allot. I hear the same things all day, every day; You're too old to start indie now, just work your 9-5 and be chill, bla bla bla. Mind you, i've been a car painter, fixer ,you know the sort, for the last about 17 years. I say f that noise. Ever since i was 13 i've dreamt about makin a game, and goddamnit, im gonna make it. Keep it up you absolute truth saying mf legend.
I think this my favourite comment so far. "Keep it up you absolute truth saying mf legend." Absolutely love that so yes, I will try to keep it up and be an absolute truth saying mf legend. Also, I didn't take the expected path to programming and I wouldn't change a thing. My past has grounded me, its also taught me that you can change lanes whenever the f you want. You should definitely f the noise and pursue making games.
Side note: the quality and production value and care you put into these video really indicates to me that your audience will be significantly larger than it's current state. Today is 5/1/24 and you have 1.64K followers. I'm sure that fairly soon that'll be closer to 164K.
I'd love 164k followers. It's a long way off though. Thanks for the kind words on the quality of my content. Takes a lot of effort to make them. Sometimes it feels like too much effort but sometimes it pays off in views.
Good stuff mate, I was born and raised in Tooting Broadway, released my first game as a solo dev at 25 in 2015 and I plan on making em til I’m dead and buried. No one will ever be too old to sit on their arse tapping a keyboard. 😂
Amazing! Somebody from Tooting Broadway turned up in the comments. You have no idea how happy that's made me mate. And you're right, no one will ever be too old to sit on their arse tapping their keyboard. Thanks for watching and sharing.
Also born in 71 ! Also went to university for graphic design. Also that and also this !!! Signed up with the Navy but did not swear in to officially join. I felt there was something else I needed to do. And this is that something else. I have been working on my 2D metroidvania for two years .I got most of the game graphics out of the way since that is where i am strongest. I am only a few months behind schedule but I forgive myself😅
You dodged a bullet not joining the Navy mate. :-) I'm a failed graphic designer but I do enjoy the game art. I want to get stronger in that area as I'm reasonably competent when it comes to coding. Thanks for sharing and good luck on the Metroidvania game.
@@DavidReidChannel Thank you for this. It has always bothered me a little that I never went through with joining. Not anymore , after reading your comment. I also failed at Graphic design as no one would hire me in the field. My portfolio was ace and I graduated at the top of my class. It was always excuse after excuse .I ended up doing freelance for a few years and that was awful dealing with people that had no idea what they wanted . Thanks again ! And thanks for making this video.
I was involved in (fairly bad) indie game dev in my late teens, then took a long break from it - and now at 38 I've started to get back in to it. But it is a bit disheartening sometimes to see these people in their early 20s making the next indie hit and thinking that maybe I missed my chance. So thanks for this video - it's exactly what I needed to hear right now.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Even happier if my video convinced you that you haven't missed your chance. You're never too old to do what ever yo want. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Ok so I was born in 70 and I have started learning skills to make my own games mostly I am remake arcade classics and a lot of there mechanics great video man
I am 31 and didn't continue my CS degree. But I feel a lot of people will regret doing it. I do have a job but game development has been my passion sense I was a wee boy. I just hope I can do what I wanted to do sense I was one now better and faster.
I'm a fan of degrees obviously it worked for me. However, the world has changed since I done mine and I work with a lot of people who don't have degrees. You don't need one which is something you are proving now. You should definitely pursue game dev whilst working your job obviously. Thanks for sharing and watching.
I always think that people who have worked in the gaming industry are well positioned to do well in indie game. There must be a shit load of things that you've learned that we, who have never worked in the industry, don't know we need to learn. You should definitely start a project on the side.
Yes, i mainly see that in a lot of tutorials online, where while it works great as a tutorial, it would never been done that way for an actual game and will end up creating lot more work for the dev later on if they follow that path. Unfortunately, I can't do anything on the side while employed. Still, one day I will go solo dev... one day :D We are never too old!
I thinking being middle age is actually an advantage as you have more perspective. Especially if you are leading a team rather than just a grunt. The gaming industry has changed a lot over the years. AAA games have become to safe and innovation is only really happening at the indie level. When a great game comes along like BG3 it is an instant success because there just aren’t that many great games to compete with it. Even small games like hollow knight can become a rage because it just happened to get it just right. A good idea is gold in the gaming industry if you can do it well and someone with more experience is going to have a better idea what good actually looks like.
Some real good stuff here my friend. I have to be honest and say I enjoy being old. I'm definitely less dumb than twenty something Dave. The only problem now is I can do less squats. :-). Thanks for sharing your insight.
And that is all you should care about my friend. I work as a software developer but the thing I most proud of and had most fun creating was my game Space Rock Armageddon. And honestly, it was a simple development exercise. Doing your own thing and enjoying it at the same time is the goal. Thanks for watching and sharing.
Can't surf too well anymore because of my hips but at least now I have a surfing game as my avatar project. Started 7 years ago at about 50 years old, and now can surf every day...almost.
Idk what you consider success, but I was 32 when I launched my first successful game and have been living off of the revenue and continuing development on it for the last 4 years.
This is really cool. Had I known, I would have definitely mentioned you. Congrats on the game release. I've subbed. Really interested in following your process. Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate both.
You are never too old to do anything that interests you.. period! Yes, it might be easier to go full indie and work for close to no payback when you are in your early 20s because you only have obligations to yourself, but that does not mean you cannot do it in your 30s, 40s or later in life. No one will ever judge your game by the age of the developer!
My story tracks much like yours, although you've got a few years on me. I've been playing games my entire life but just got into game development just a couple of years ago thanks to GameGuru Max, which is a relatively new software being developed by a small team that makes it very easy to make games with no coding required. It even comes with a bunch of free assets to get you started. Since I'm neither an artist nor a serious programmer, this is the kind of software I was waiting for to jump in and start making games. I don't expect to make game of the year with it of course. Heck I don't know if I'll ever even sell a game but it doesn't matter. I love the process of thinking through projects and the creativity outlet I don't get from my day job. I even made a UA-cam channel where I do tutorial videos for the software to help others get started and my demographics are right in line with yours. You're never too old to do something you love.
You're never too old to try! Age gives you experience maybe thats why there isnt so many older game devs, maybe older chaps are a bit more risk averse. Ive been programming for 15 years or so and im in my late 30's and have just started doing game development using godot and blender. Its never been a better time to go indie with the great tools available and tools like copilot and chatGPT to help you along the way.
Good point about older chaps. I guess we are more risk averse as we often have more mouths to feed. And I agree, there hasn't been a better time to get into indie game dev.
@@DavidReidChannel I've been meaning to get into it for years. I had a quiet moment, so I rushed through a tutorial, making a clone of breakout and I really like Bevy. I reckon I've made the right choice there, I like the way it works, very intuitive.
I must say, many are too young to be a game developer. The things they lack over us the old ones is that we went trough a long history of games, so we have much more experience on what good games could be. Nowadays games look better, but they lack gameplay in most cases. The 80's and 90's were the golden years when it comes to games, after that it went pretty much downwards, just games that been updated over and over again like COD, BF and many others, not even talking about all those game addiction due to loot boxes rather than game play. Most young people nowadays just want to get rich or famous quickly, mostly via the internet, young gamedevs have also a bunch of them and most of them never release or even make a good game. In most cases its a copy of some existing hot game at that time, just like leeches trying to get something out for themselves too. A good game cost time and patience, if it is about money you already start of wrong, as the main focus is making a good game, good games always will sell, there is the focus. I too have a background in enterprise and business, gaming was always some side thing next to my job, my life has many in common with you David, also got a family very late as I was so busy in life and in a way still am, also decided to go full gamedev just to have a life that i like rather than making lots of money like before. This year going to release on steam, most is already prepared and we are near a playtest demo. The game is all inspired by Retro Arcade games from the 80's but build for current gen hardware like VR and AR but also regular PC. I do believe if you make a game out of love for it, you will always succeed, its not about the sales, its about you released your game into he world after all ;)
It's a bit weird how much our lives have seemed to parallel in the "too old" respect. I'm nearly at my mid 30s, and I'm coding all kinds of shit these days, performing for audio books, streaming, occasionally making music, and otherwise living the life I've always wanted. Because I am infact, too old, for the "you can't do this" bullshit, which is the only thing I, and it sounds like yourself, grew out of. Which is to say, letting others tell us what our limits are.
"which is the only thing I, and it sounds like yourself, grew out of. Which is to say, letting others tell us what our limits are.". Elegantly put. Thanks for sharing this and thanks for watching.
So much! I get criticized every days for my choices of language, of technology, but have they done anything? no! I have done games, not good ones but I have done games! I think the missing thing is you CAN do something! And even more you HAVE to do something!
"I have done games, not good ones but I have done games!" Doing games is what its all about. Thats all any of us can do. Thanks for watching and sharing.
"how old was the person who made this game?" asked no one ever. Great video David
"how old was the person who made this game?" asked no one ever. Love that statement. Wished I'd thought of that when I was making the video. :-) Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hell, growing up I didn't even know the names, or stop to think about it. Most of the time I still don't.
@@BlackJar72 I think it's mattered more as we have solo developers responsible for whole games. Of course we've had big names like Todd Howard and Peter Molyneux. But these days many developers idolize developers like Toby Fox and Eric Barone who have made widely loved and successful games by (mostly) themselves. Even with Indie Game the Movie, Jonathan Blow, Edmund McMillen and Phil Fish became names that everybody knew.
I think it's great to care about the people behind the games you play, especially when solo made. Who the person is affects the art they create, you put yourself into a game, and it's fantastic to find out about what went into the games that you love.
"Most of the people who watch my videos are between the age of 25 and 44" I'm in my 60s, and I watch your videos. I, too, became a dad in my 40s... I've never released a game, but I still have the dream, and I work on game development whenever I have spare time :)
Most people are between the age of 25 and 44. But its great to know that there are GenX and boomers who come here too. Congrats on being an old dad like me and likewise I still dream and develop whenever I have spare time. Thanks for watching
I'm a '71 kid too. I didn't start game development until my late 40s, and now in my early 50s my first commercial game comes out in June. You're never too old to start.
I'm 43, I started learning c# and unity last year after expending the last 17 working in art and illustration. I've been able to make a 2 stages game from scratch, sprites, animation, coding, and googling 😂 , I'm so happy and never imagined I could learn the things I now today . Your comment is inspirational. Congratulations on the release! and I wish you great success with your game!
71 all the way. Checked our your channel. Subbed.
I was born in '78, got stuck in an IT career, then quit to become an indie developer at 40. Two weeks ago I successfully kickstarted my first commercial title, which currently has 113k wishlists on Steam. You're never too old to become an indie developer! You just need passion and a great idea.
This is really cool. I've subbed. Interested to see where your starship simulator goes.
@@DavidReidChannel Thanks, I appreciate it :)
I'm 45 and am just starting the journey to being an indie game developer. I created personal projects in the past but never released anything. I did have one game I made for a company on the original iPad for events they ran in bar/pubs with brand ambassadors. My 15 year old son and I am now working to build our first game and start doing some game jams. I agree no such thing as to old. I'm still 12 in my mind and my experience both as a software engineer and a human gives me tons of experiences to leverage.
I think its cool that you are working with your son. I got my nine year old son involved in my first game. I got him to design some bosses and quite frankly, my simple little game is better because of his input. I'm sure that will be the same for you. Thanks for watching and good luck with your game.
I turn 47 next week. Went to university for the first time at the age of 40 to study Game Development, and I now lecture the subject at the same place. I also have my own game dev projects on the side. Loved this video. Thank you!
It's pretty cool that you're now teaching game dev where you study. It's also cool that you are working on a game on the side. Sounds like a pretty decent lifestyle to me. :-) Thanks for sharing and watching
"The moment you stop breathing is the moment you become too old. Before then, everything is fair game." Way to go, brother! Thanks for the gentle reminder!
You're welcome my friend. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Old maybe...but still a kid at heart...have fun, life's too short for anything else...
Life is too short for anything else. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Don't worry Mate I finally got married in my late 40's and started game dev close to 50 and enjoy both....
Thank you my friend. Glad to know there is someone else out there on a similar journey. :-)
I'm thrilled that the UA-cam algorithm put this video in front of me today. Being 37 years old with 5 kids, it's easy to start thinking that my game dev journey could end up just a daydream, but the video and comments have been a great pick-me-up today.
I'm subscribing for more, some things are just better with age!
Thanks for the sub. It is easy to think that your game dev journey could end up as nothing more than a pipe dream. Its not easy working on game but is easier than it used to be, and you can definitely make it happen.
Released my first game (a 3D arcade tank shooter) to Steam in November 2022 when I was 44. I'm now working on my second game. Never too old!
Tank warz. Just checked it out. Subbed
@@DavidReidChannel Oooh thank you, much appreciated 😊
Same boat... currently 40. After this video I would love to shake your hand, hug you and maybe share 1 tear! 😢❤ I am working on my indie game since..7 years and this is my longet but best journey i am sure to enjoy for the coming years! NEVER TOO OLD! ❤
Thanks for the kind words. Nice to know other people are on the same journey. Would love to see your indie game. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@DavidReidChannel I appreciate too! IMO passion and will to create using any tool...cannot be stopped 😀 I can share more about my game as soon as I rework it (Unity took a long time to iron out some SDK I needed for my game to work fully). Cheers!
Have you tried to make smaller games within shorter periods of time?
Not to say it's bad but it can be time consuming to make fewer projects than a lot of projects.
I'm much younger than you guys even as a young amateur freelancer (still on my studies) but it's to point out that doing such projects that take a lot of time is quite risky and can lead to mental health issues.
But I'm excited with the project you're into it if you can provide more info about it. :)
I love this quote from you: "The moment you stop breathing is the moment you become too old.
Before then, everything is fair game."
If you look, you will find many stories of people doing and accomplishing amazing things as 'old' people.
I am a female in my 50s and I would love to make a game.
There are a few ideas that I have been developing, so we will see... 🙂
People (and sometimes the YOU inside your head) will always tell you that you are "TOO...old, young, tall, short, skilled, unskilled, skinny, fat, beautiful, ugly, blah, ... " it is your job to ignore them and do it anyway.
Thank you.
Rock and Roll. 🙂
It is our job to ignore the naysayers. It's not always easy though. Also, you should definitely pursue that idea that you've been developing. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I'm 63. Studied some programming in my late 20s and early 30s. Associate in IT Networking in my 40s. Now, I'm studying C#, Unity and Blender. Here goes nuthin...
If you were programming in the eighties, C# and Unity will be easy for you. I tried Blender, found it really difficult but will come back to that in the future. Thanks for sharing.
Born in 85 here and over the last year or two, it kind of dawned on me that happiness is living life your way.
Thats what ive been doing. Chasing creativity and finding things that are fulfilling.
Gotta live the life you wanna live!
Chasing creativity and finding things that are fulfilling is definitely the path. Thanks for watching and commenting.
As a 70's kid i nostalgically Agree 👍
I nostalgically appreciate you approval. :-)
I started game development when I was 53. That was 7 years ago. Have released 6 games on Steam during that time.
This is amazing. I've subbed. Thanks for sharing.
well, i'm about to hit 50,had a stroke at 40 got an art degree at 32 (yeah go figure) and spent the last 4 years learning blender 3d and have been learning unreal. If I can do it, anyone can....dedication and will power
Man, having a stroke is a major life changing event. More power to you my friend if. Clearly dedication and will power are your super powers. Glad to hear from you and thanks for watching.
I couldn't agree more. I've been a very late developer (pun intended), starting my IT schooling around 30, marrying mid thirties, first kid just before 40, and will possibly become a consultant soon, just before turning fifty.
Did I mention I was taking more and more of an interest in game dev in my spare time? AND I still believe I can start my metal band in the coming 2 years.
We live close to at least 3x20 years, and not feeling inclined to slow down anytime soon.
The only thing limiting one's adventure are the barriers we allow ourselves to shut us down.
Loving the metal band and game development. Living the dream my friend.
I am 23 and getting my computer science degree right now, I'm just starting my journey learning art, marketing, and game design. I wanted to get into making games at 18 but I told myself it was too hard and that I couldn't do it. My only regret was not getting started then. In the past few months, I have made making games and art my hobby now. My career goal is still to become a software engineer, but there may come a day when I am working on a hobby project and I get a publisher to go full time on it. It's hard to believe in yourself, but think about what you'll miss out on if you don't.
Our mind always wants us to do whatever is efficient or best, its a defense mechanism that protects us, you have to believe fully in your future self or you'll never know what could have been.
It's exciting times to be at the start of your Computer science journey. I hope the degree goes well. Mine has served well. You should definitely pursue both the software engineering and gaming options. Thanks for watching.
49 year old trans woman & just started a Game Design degree. They’ll take my video games, board games, TTRPGs & warhammer minis from my old cold dead hands
Haha! Love this. Something I wished I'd done when I was younger is play table top games. I've taken an interest in table top games recently but I don't have anyone to play with :-(. Thus, I've been dabbling in Stargrave and Space Station Zero which you can play solo. Also, the game mechanics in tabletop games are really interesting. I like to buy the rule books and read the rules. Geeky, I know but I also think that playing tabletop games could help me create better video games. Thanks for sharing and good luck with your game design degree.
Good video. I'm 51 and finally working on a great game concept.
Sounds great. Thanks for watching and sharing.
Only now in my 40s am I feeling fully equipped to be a useful leader after joining the games industry last year. Your comments about emotional maturity, experience and patience are very true. A mix of all ages brings great strength to a project and everybody should be valued.
Congrats on joining the industry. I would imagine the industry would be pretty hard to break into as its probably every programmers dream at some point in their career. I wish you all the best in your new career. Thanks for watching and commenting.
As a qualified Game ranger who actually went down the machinist route for 20 odd years and decided at 42 to start going into game dev I say thanks. I needed this :D
You're welcome and good luck on your new journey.
I'm 47 and started developing my game a couple years ago.
I've WANTED to develop games for who knows how long, but with how much more available resources to learn and software that's much more affordable (and available), it's become something I can go for even just to say "hey I did it!"
I don't expect to ever make a dollar from the game, and that's fine. Making my own games can just literally be a new hobby. I'm feeling like a new game? Maybe I'll just make myself one!
You should definitely do it my friend. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I'm turning 50 this year and just listed my first game on Steam (to hopefully be released in a few months). Many of the questions you raised in this video went through my head during my game dev journey so far. Thanks for making and posting this video! Now I'm thinking if we should form a community of "older" game devs.
This is very cool. I subbed. Yep, a community for old devs seems like a decent idea.
I'm about 2 minutes into this video and I am incredibly inspired by your story. Working for the place I do, most of the people there are at least 3 or 4 years older than me and have been working in their field for 10+ years. Many, at the same company! They brought me on (at 33) as their resident software engineer who can both manage my way around whatever garbage PHP-based codebase they possess but to also open up Unity or Unreal to seriously whip some ass in that department where needed. I got my degree at 30 in game development (specifically... but I know it's what I want to do).
I've sent this video to 100 people who have told me "I'm too old" to do anything.
Thank you for this awesome video and the inspiration to keep working toward my goals
Thanks for the kind words about the video and thanks for sharing it with other people. I really appreciate that. Sounds like you've got all the skills and education required to do game dev. You should definitely go for it and your definitely not too old. :-)
Another '71 dev here. Your point about creativity is spot on, and I reckon our "large training model" really aids us.
Haha, love it. A large training model. It does aid us, however, I'm pretty sure some of my training model is corrupted. :-) Thanks for watching and commenting.
"- When was the best time to get started?
- Yesterday.
- When is the next best time?
- Today."
I don't remember whose quote this is. I think it's based on a Chinese proverb? But it's been true my whole life. I saw it with my Mom, and now I'm seeing it with my own life (I'm currently 31).
Also, the idea of the 20-something startup founder is wrong. There have been multiple studies showing that successful startup founders in their 20's are in the minority. On average, successful founders are in their 40's. So, yeah - "conventional wisdom" isn't always right :)
I love that quote. I agree about the 20-something startup founder. Just on my own experience, fifty year old Dave is definitely wiser that twenty year old Dave. Thanks for watching and sharing.
I'm 55 years old and work with development since 1977 and Games was my first love and motivated me start an career in software development. I remember my first computer was an Apple I and later an TSR8O, Sinclair, PC and logically The IBM /3 mainframe. At 90's work in AI development Expert Systems using Prolog and Lisp. But now I dedicated to teach robotics and Game Dev for Childrens and Teachers. I decide use Godot in 2014 and after the pandemic decided be an Indie Game Designer and Teacher. I Wrote my e-book and launched in 2024/05 and dedicated my time to development of information products .
You have quite an interesting career my friend. I think it would be enjoyable teaching kids about robotics and game dev. Indie game designer and teachers seems like a decent life. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah. I'm way too old to be a game dev... Going back to the 80's into the 90's the majority of titles of that era (for home computers at least) were created by individuals or small teams ( coder / artist / musician ) . The barriers to entry are different today, but it was still every bit possible. Provided you can design something that suits your situation.
Wow what a great video, I can really relate. I was an electrician and decided to follow my passion in my early 30s, I left the company and got myself into university to get a computer science degree learning game design. I moved down to London and managed to get a placement year at EA games and will be graduating in a few weeks! I'm currently 36 and I've been working on my own indie game whilst studying. It's been a huge challenge and it may back fire in the long run but it's a case of if you don't try to follow your dreams then you'll never know if you could have succeeded and to me that's far worse than failing.
This is a really cool story. Would have been interesting to get a placement at EA games if only to see how a AAA company operates. Best of luck for your graduation and good luck with your indie game. Thanks for watching and sharing.
I am 42, living on the shitty east, no kids, lost a mother 14y ago, lost a good friend same age as me last year following him 24/7 in the last month watching how he is fading away, prior to that experienced total burnout with work, software engineer by profession trying to come back to life by making games, so I want to thank you man and I hope you’ll get much more followers you deserve it..
Sorry for your losses, those moments are never easy. I've also experienced burnout as a dev but using my dev skills to build games and distribute them on Steam has kind of brought me back to live. My game, was really simple to make, I've definitely worked on more complex software in my career, but that simple game is the thing I'm most proud of because its mine. When I go out, I want to know that I built something that's got my name on it. Good luck my friend and good luck with game dev.
Thank you for the video. I am also looking to get into indie game development and I was born in '68, so we are close in age. This video hit home for me as I have been told I am too old for a long time as well. I returned to college later in life and graduated with a graphic design degree in '06 and recently returned again to get a degree in video game design. Currently I am on hiatus from that program as my family is moving across the country after buying my first home at the ripe young age of 55. Your video gives me hope just in knowing there are people in my age group out there working on the same goals. You have a new subscriber and I look forward to more content.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Its nice to hear about people who are on a similar journey as me. I thought I was the only one turns out I'm not. Good luck with your gaming journey and thanks for the sub. I really appreciate that.
Trying to do solo game dev in my mid 40s, just like I've wanted to do all my life. It's not easy (and I'm WAY too ambitious!) but this is a really comforting video. Thanks!
I don't find it easy either. The difficulty is consistency. It takes a long time and you need to try and keep the momentum going especially when you've got other responsibilities. That in itself is a constant battle. I try to do at least an hour a day on my project. Doesn't seem like a lot but its surprising how much you can get done. Thanks for watching and commenting. Both are appreciated.
im 35 and started to learn C# and Unity about 2 months ago
thank you so much for this encouraging video
You welcome my friend and I wish you the best of luck on your new journey.
Thanks. I needed this one. It does seem like I have to stave off the fear that I am super behind.
Glad it was helpful! By the way, I'm always behind. :-)
I absolutely loved this! I'm a single year older than you, I'm a software developer and have been coding for +30 years. Your video was nuanced and completely relatable, I loved it! You are never too old. I'm going to be building a Command and Conquer type game with a twist in Godot. You are never too old to do anything! Let's just do it! There are many that won't even try. All I know is that I'll be coding till the day I die! I'd love to buy you a pint and have a chat (yes, I'm in the UK)
I would love to see that command and conquer type game. I'd also definitely take that pint. I'd buy you one back of course. :-) It's good to connect with like minded folks in the UK.
At 25 and only on my 3rd (out of 4) year at uni, and still living with my parents, most of "you're too old" stuff I get comes from myself...
Great and inspiring video!
Yep, we're definitely our own worst enemies when it comes to age. Enjoy Uni, make the best of it and it will serve you well. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hello. Thanks for your video it helped me a lot. I am 40 and pursuing the dream day by day. Returned to programming at 36 and now I am entirely into game dev. My problem was(I really hope it WAS) that the only person telling me I am too old for this was me. I am changing that. Keeping it up. Thanks again.
Yep, we're condition to think we are too old so it's understandable that we tell ourselves that too. But the best thing to do is say fuck it and do it anyway. Good luck with the game dev and thanks for watching and commenting.
78 kiddo here. Starting the Indie Dev journey with lots of support from the wife. Enjoy the journey!!!!!!
Legendary stuff. Likewise, enjoy the journey my friend.
Born in 1975 just nearing the 50 year old mark. Wrangling Unreal Engine for my first title.
1982 was a great year. Coleco Vision would start my life long enjoyment of video games. 🎉🎉
Very cool! Thanks for watching
Are you too old? I'm a 1963! My early software experience was CPM baseded.
My first computer program, besides "hello world" was punch card programmed. It printed a dot matrix calender.
I have never left the industry. as a hobby or job BUT..... I'm TOO OLD to do basic programming for ANY COMPANY.....
So I write personal and contract software as a hobby. My experience means NOTHING! ABSOLUTE ZERO!
YES I AM TOO OLD!
As a software contractor I move around a lot. The thing that really grinds me down is interviews which I do a lot of. Every time I go into an interview, I have to try and convince, usually my juniors, that I can do the thing I've been doing for twenty plus years. The other thing I dislike is putting programmers in boxes. You can't do C# if you do Java, you can't do REACT if you do Angular, yadda yadda yadda. It's bollocks, programmers are agnostic, even programmers that don't think they're agnostic are agnostic. I'd trust any programmer that's been in the biz as long as you have to pick up any language or any framework. Point being, you're not too old, our industry is fuckin broken and the most fucked up part is the hiring process. So when you are told that you're too old, its not you, its them. They're the problem. I know that doesn't mean much when you get rejected because I've been there, but it is true. The positive here is that not all companies are equally dreadful at hiring. My best contracts have been ones where we chatted about my experience rather than asking me dumb syntax questions about whatever language. It's hard though, and it does drain your soul... All the best man. I wish you well. Thanks for watching the video and commenting. Both are appreciated.
I'm going to be honest, I didn't think this video was going to be that great when I clicked on it. But being a guy who's going to release his first game in his forties, I had to see what you had to say, and I'm glad I did. You really hit the nail on the head, especially with ai. On top of what you said it might very soon extend our lifespans beyond what's currently available. Perhaps even reversing aging, hard to say for sure. But I feel like a kid again experiencing all of this in real time.
Glad you were pleasantly surprised by the content. Good luck with Mekkablood. Subbed.
89'er here, I recently started a masters in Digital Games at University of Malta. I maybe feel old next to my student peers, but no regrets doing this career change from traditional IT.
Yep, I was at least ten years older than my peers at university. However, that maturity helped my complete the degree and kickstart my dev career. Good luck on the masters and thanks for sharing.
I will be 46 this year. I had an episode with game development in early 1990's, I developed a game for 8 bit Atari. Last year I picked up from where I stopped 30 years ago and I've been working on 2 ideas, one small, one big. I've just released first preview of the "big" project, literally a week ago. The smaller one has teaser out since January. At the age of 15 I wanted to be a game developer, it's weird how I forgot about that dream for 30 years and it has been "reactivated" only recently. I hope I will persist with game development and my life will become full circle in a few years :).
This is a cool story. Keep that dream alive.
Great video. I started learning coding in 34, Unity in 35, and now, in 38, I am preparing release of my first steam game.
Just checked out your game. Subbed.
Great video David, I'm in my early 30's and I have definitely heard the "too old" part. This actually reminded me that there is actually a Japanese woman who released her first game when she was 82 years old. (Masako Wakamiya) :D
Thanks Emma. Also thanks for passing on the story of Masako Wakamiya. Still pushing code at 82 is pretty impressive. I liked your charred meadows game. Looks great, love to see more so I've subbed.
When I was between 20~ and 30, I felt like I might be 'getting too old'. That I 'should've started as a teenager' and all the typical self-loathing jazz of 'Had I started 10 years ago, now I would've been great at it!', but I've realised recently that I'm only now getting mature enough to actually persevere in a task as daunting as learning gamedev, programming etc.
I'm not claiming that I'm now a font of patience, but the difference I can see (and more importantly - feel) now that I'm past the 30 mark, is palpable. I used to be so, SO much quicker to anger, and to toss a task aside if something wasn't going my way. Now I'm beginning to find some small dose of pleasure in solving problems and learning new and better ways of doing things.
It's still mighty frustrating, and of course I'd love to magically know everything and be a master from the start, but at least I have more patience that I used to.
I can relate to this. I've definitely become wiser, more persistent and patience. I'm not the most patience person out there but I'm better than twenty year old Dave. Thanks for sharing and watching. Both are appreciated.
Love ya. Got exactly the same background -Can agree in every single point. (Born in 1970, Graphic Designer, started with Game Dev at the Age of 14 on a C64, Father with 47, Driving License same year -very funny btw). UE5 since mid 2023 and its amazing to have these opurtunities these day, ai included. If it's in your nature to be curious and creative then age doesn't matter.
C64 was my first game building experience. They weren't very good and my Data recorder was unbelievably unreliable so my games only lasted as long as I had the commodore running. :-) Thanks for watching and sharing.
30 and entering my first game jam with my best friend after years of saying and wanting to make my own game. Thank you. Instant sub.
This is really cool. Good luck with game jam and thanks watching, commenting and subscribing. All are appreciated.
I’m semi-retired and changing careers in my 60s. Came into computing at the tail end of punch cards and have always been the oldest my entire career. Now that I can literally manage AI agents and code with AI, too old translates to very seasoned managers that can now design the games we really want to play with a tiny team. Very exciting and interesting times ahead!
Coming into computing at the tail end of punch cards is legendary. You've seen a lot of change in the industry. It is very exciting times ahead. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Your thumbnail was epic. Great video!
Thank you! That's a pretty decent compliment coming from yourselves. Love your videos and looking forward to playing Veil of Maia and Samurado when they're released. Again thanks for watching and commenting.
I am 41 yo and working solo and indie on the Wildlife Rescue Simulator. I started many projects before but never finished it, this time I setup Steam page for the first time and It is going to be my first released game. An I hope it is going to be successful :)
Just checked out a devlog for Wildlife Rescue Simulator. This looks really cool. Subbed.
Your videos are inspiring, Sir. Much respect.
I appreciate that!
That was beautiful. I needed to hear that. Thank you. I cried.
You are so welcome. Glad you liked it.
this made my day, man! :) good luck in the future and stay young!
Thank you! Will do!
Loved this vid mate. I've had this insecurity before with different things. One way I combat it is by thinking 'In 5 years, would I regret not starting?'. Cheers David!
Thanks mate. The "'In 5 years, would I regret not starting?" approach is sound. Thanks for watching and commenting. Both are appreciated.
Thanks for this video. I'm a 41 year old newbie indie game developer learning programming as I demo prototypes to create my dream game for the past year and imposter syndrome are a real thing. Always good to know 80s babies can also be awesome "senior" game devs. Lol.
Hi Miguel, thanks for watching and sharing. Good luck with your dream game. You're never too old. :-)
As an amateur developer in his mid 30's, who just recently released his first finished game, I've asked myself this question a bunch of times, because of people being a bit "oh, aren't you too old to do something like that". Fortunenatly, I realized how much crap this was, but the question still lingers in my head, or at least the public perception of what age a developer should be. I still love to learn all kinds of stuff, and development has been great for that.
As an artist/filmmaker by trade, I despise A.I, but using parts of it as a tool, and not as a replacement, is pretty darn great.
Can't wait to see what more you got up your sleeves!
The response to AI is binary, even in the comments on this video. I think its a tool. A very useful tool that will enhance our creativity but I don't really know. Like everyone else, I'm in a huge world of shit I have no control over. Hopefully, AI changes everything for the better but hey, we're humans. I guess we'll mess up somewhere somehow. Thanks for watching and commenting. Both are appreciated.
@@DavidReidChannel Agreed. A good take, all in all. A.I is a great tool for sure.
You got a new viewer and subscriber ✌️
I released my first mobile game when I was 32 it was played over 150 million times. im now 46 and finally working on my dream game...never too old
Congrats on the mobile release. That's a tough market so to have your game played 150 million times sounds epic to be honest. Had I known, I would have mentioned you in the video. Thanks for sharing your story.
Subscribed just to hear you say something this right, this f"cing good in some other videos.
Turned 37 myself last november and been dabbling with unreal, unity and godot allot.
I hear the same things all day, every day; You're too old to start indie now, just work your 9-5 and be chill, bla bla bla.
Mind you, i've been a car painter, fixer ,you know the sort, for the last about 17 years. I say f that noise. Ever since i was 13 i've dreamt about makin a game, and goddamnit, im gonna make it.
Keep it up you absolute truth saying mf legend.
I think this my favourite comment so far. "Keep it up you absolute truth saying mf legend." Absolutely love that so yes, I will try to keep it up and be an absolute truth saying mf legend. Also, I didn't take the expected path to programming and I wouldn't change a thing. My past has grounded me, its also taught me that you can change lanes whenever the f you want. You should definitely f the noise and pursue making games.
Side note: the quality and production value and care you put into these video really indicates to me that your audience will be significantly larger than it's current state. Today is 5/1/24 and you have 1.64K followers. I'm sure that fairly soon that'll be closer to 164K.
I'd love 164k followers. It's a long way off though. Thanks for the kind words on the quality of my content. Takes a lot of effort to make them. Sometimes it feels like too much effort but sometimes it pays off in views.
This video grabs you from start to finish! I'm returning to comics in my late 40s and I'm giving zero phoques
Haha! "zero phoques" I love this. Great to see you returning to something you love.
Good stuff mate, I was born and raised in Tooting Broadway, released my first game as a solo dev at 25 in 2015 and I plan on making em til I’m dead and buried. No one will ever be too old to sit on their arse tapping a keyboard. 😂
Amazing! Somebody from Tooting Broadway turned up in the comments. You have no idea how happy that's made me mate. And you're right, no one will ever be too old to sit on their arse tapping their keyboard. Thanks for watching and sharing.
You revived Astroids Arcade game, Nice Job !
That was amazingly inspiring man. Good job!
Thanks a ton! Appreciate the feedback. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Also born in 71 ! Also went to university for graphic design. Also that and also this !!! Signed up with the Navy but did not swear in to officially join. I felt there was something else I needed to do. And this is that something else. I have been working on my 2D metroidvania for two years .I got most of the game graphics out of the way since that is where i am strongest. I am only a few months behind schedule but I forgive myself😅
You dodged a bullet not joining the Navy mate. :-) I'm a failed graphic designer but I do enjoy the game art. I want to get stronger in that area as I'm reasonably competent when it comes to coding. Thanks for sharing and good luck on the Metroidvania game.
@@DavidReidChannel Thank you for this. It has always bothered me a little that I never went through with joining. Not anymore , after reading your comment. I also failed at Graphic design as no one would hire me in the field. My portfolio was ace and I graduated at the top of my class. It was always excuse after excuse .I ended up doing freelance for a few years and that was awful dealing with people that had no idea what they wanted .
Thanks again ! And thanks for making this video.
I was involved in (fairly bad) indie game dev in my late teens, then took a long break from it - and now at 38 I've started to get back in to it.
But it is a bit disheartening sometimes to see these people in their early 20s making the next indie hit and thinking that maybe I missed my chance.
So thanks for this video - it's exactly what I needed to hear right now.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Even happier if my video convinced you that you haven't missed your chance. You're never too old to do what ever yo want. Thanks for watching and commenting.
David, you are great Sir! Also check out the story of Jeff Vogel / Spiderweb Software when it comes to age/gamedev/success
Just watched one of Jeff Vogels talks. This was really cool. Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching. Both are appreciated.
Ok so I was born in 70 and I have started learning skills to make my own games mostly I am remake arcade classics and a lot of there mechanics great video man
That's awesome! I love the arcade classics. Thanks for watching and sharing.
I am 31 and didn't continue my CS degree. But I feel a lot of people will regret doing it. I do have a job but game development has been my passion sense I was a wee boy. I just hope I can do what I wanted to do sense I was one now better and faster.
I'm a fan of degrees obviously it worked for me. However, the world has changed since I done mine and I work with a lot of people who don't have degrees. You don't need one which is something you are proving now. You should definitely pursue game dev whilst working your job obviously. Thanks for sharing and watching.
Awesome call to arms! Thoroughly enjoyed this, subd.
Subbed back my friend. Interested watching the progress of Clomper.
@@DavidReidChannel thank you! You've already led quite the life, mate. Definitely need more of your voice on YT.
I'm 48, been programming since I was 13, and I still haven't put out my first game. Much too old! Thanks for sticking up for us decrepit folks :)
Your welcome, somebody has to shout for the oldies. I remember being 48. I could do more squats back then. :-D
game dev here, for a LONG time, 43 years old, still planning to go indie at some point.
I always think that people who have worked in the gaming industry are well positioned to do well in indie game. There must be a shit load of things that you've learned that we, who have never worked in the industry, don't know we need to learn. You should definitely start a project on the side.
Yes, i mainly see that in a lot of tutorials online, where while it works great as a tutorial, it would never been done that way for an actual game and will end up creating lot more work for the dev later on if they follow that path. Unfortunately, I can't do anything on the side while employed. Still, one day I will go solo dev... one day :D
We are never too old!
I thinking being middle age is actually an advantage as you have more perspective. Especially if you are leading a team rather than just a grunt. The gaming industry has changed a lot over the years. AAA games have become to safe and innovation is only really happening at the indie level. When a great game comes along like BG3 it is an instant success because there just aren’t that many great games to compete with it. Even small games like hollow knight can become a rage because it just happened to get it just right. A good idea is gold in the gaming industry if you can do it well and someone with more experience is going to have a better idea what good actually looks like.
Some real good stuff here my friend. I have to be honest and say I enjoy being old. I'm definitely less dumb than twenty something Dave. The only problem now is I can do less squats. :-). Thanks for sharing your insight.
42 year old, non-professional-developer, indie game dev checking in. Great vid. subbed.
Welcome aboard! And subbed back.
Well I started game Dev as indie at 58 after many years as a developer for fintech. So, nope. You are never too old.
im in my 40s and just doing a CS class and getting into indie dev. i feel like im 27 and im having fun. thats all i care about
And that is all you should care about my friend. I work as a software developer but the thing I most proud of and had most fun creating was my game Space Rock Armageddon. And honestly, it was a simple development exercise. Doing your own thing and enjoying it at the same time is the goal. Thanks for watching and sharing.
Very well said. I already felt the same way but it's nice to hear it from someone else 👍
Thanks for watching!
Can't surf too well anymore because of my hips but at least now I have a surfing game as my avatar project. Started 7 years ago at about 50 years old, and now can surf every day...almost.
Haha! This is super cool. Subbed
@@DavidReidChannel Thank you.🙏
Idk what you consider success, but I was 32 when I launched my first successful game and have been living off of the revenue and continuing development on it for the last 4 years.
This is really cool. Had I known, I would have definitely mentioned you. Congrats on the game release. I've subbed. Really interested in following your process. Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate both.
You are never too old to do anything that interests you.. period! Yes, it might be easier to go full indie and work for close to no payback when you are in your early 20s because you only have obligations to yourself, but that does not mean you cannot do it in your 30s, 40s or later in life. No one will ever judge your game by the age of the developer!
"No one will ever judge your game by the age of the developer!" - Love this! Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching.
My story tracks much like yours, although you've got a few years on me. I've been playing games my entire life but just got into game development just a couple of years ago thanks to GameGuru Max, which is a relatively new software being developed by a small team that makes it very easy to make games with no coding required. It even comes with a bunch of free assets to get you started. Since I'm neither an artist nor a serious programmer, this is the kind of software I was waiting for to jump in and start making games. I don't expect to make game of the year with it of course. Heck I don't know if I'll ever even sell a game but it doesn't matter. I love the process of thinking through projects and the creativity outlet I don't get from my day job. I even made a UA-cam channel where I do tutorial videos for the software to help others get started and my demographics are right in line with yours. You're never too old to do something you love.
This is pretty cool. Game dev should be a fun and creative process. Subbed
You're never too old to try! Age gives you experience maybe thats why there isnt so many older game devs, maybe older chaps are a bit more risk averse. Ive been programming for 15 years or so and im in my late 30's and have just started doing game development using godot and blender. Its never been a better time to go indie with the great tools available and tools like copilot and chatGPT to help you along the way.
Good point about older chaps. I guess we are more risk averse as we often have more mouths to feed. And I agree, there hasn't been a better time to get into indie game dev.
I for sure hope that's about to change as I'm apparently breaking all the "rules".
Breaking the rules is always good. :-)
Awesome advice glad i stumbled upon this video!
Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching. Both are appreciated. :-)
Like you vids. Subbed
@@DavidReidChannel Thanks! I've subbed to you as well, I like your content!
As I'm about your age and I've just started learning Bevy, this might be my channel. Subbed lol
I had to Google bevy. Never ceases to amaze me how many tools there are out there. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@DavidReidChannel I've been meaning to get into it for years. I had a quiet moment, so I rushed through a tutorial, making a clone of breakout and I really like Bevy. I reckon I've made the right choice there, I like the way it works, very intuitive.
I must say, many are too young to be a game developer.
The things they lack over us the old ones is that we went trough a long history of games, so we have much more experience on what good games could be.
Nowadays games look better, but they lack gameplay in most cases.
The 80's and 90's were the golden years when it comes to games, after that it went pretty much downwards, just games that been updated over and over again like COD, BF and many others, not even talking about all those game addiction due to loot boxes rather than game play.
Most young people nowadays just want to get rich or famous quickly, mostly via the internet, young gamedevs have also a bunch of them and most of them never release or even make a good game.
In most cases its a copy of some existing hot game at that time, just like leeches trying to get something out for themselves too.
A good game cost time and patience, if it is about money you already start of wrong, as the main focus is making a good game, good games always will sell, there is the focus.
I too have a background in enterprise and business, gaming was always some side thing next to my job, my life has many in common with you David, also got a family very late as I was so busy in life and in a way still am, also decided to go full gamedev just to have a life that i like rather than making lots of money like before.
This year going to release on steam, most is already prepared and we are near a playtest demo.
The game is all inspired by Retro Arcade games from the 80's but build for current gen hardware like VR and AR but also regular PC.
I do believe if you make a game out of love for it, you will always succeed, its not about the sales, its about you released your game into he world after all ;)
Lot's of cool stuff in this comment. Thanks for sharing. I also subbed.
I am early 30`s and and still far from my apex. I think until I die I will keep making games, it is still as fun as it was when I was 18.
You should definitely keep making games if that is what makes you happy.
omg finally a gamedev older than me! I'm a 1972 model myself and still a wannabe/beginner/novice gamedev :)
Haha! Just older. Probably not even a whole year. :-D I think I would label myself as a wannabe/beginner/novice gamedev too.
Just reached level 50 in life, thanks for the encouraging video
Level 50! Love it. Thanks for watching
Maybe I'm too old, but I've been gaming since before these people were born.
Subscribed.. Nice to see someone not 20y that still got dreams of game dev.. 47myself 🎉
Thanks for the sub. Nice to know I'm not the only 'oldie' that wants to build games.
Thank you man. Great inspiring video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'm 40 and always wanted to get into gamedev and now I'm doing it, I think 70% of being told I'm to old was probably coming from myself
Great to hear you are getting into game dev. Thanks for watching and sharing.
It's a bit weird how much our lives have seemed to parallel in the "too old" respect. I'm nearly at my mid 30s, and I'm coding all kinds of shit these days, performing for audio books, streaming, occasionally making music, and otherwise living the life I've always wanted. Because I am infact, too old, for the "you can't do this" bullshit, which is the only thing I, and it sounds like yourself, grew out of. Which is to say, letting others tell us what our limits are.
"which is the only thing I, and it sounds like yourself, grew out of. Which is to say, letting others tell us what our limits are.". Elegantly put. Thanks for sharing this and thanks for watching.
Truer words have never been spoken...
So much! I get criticized every days for my choices of language, of technology, but have they done anything? no! I have done games, not good ones but I have done games! I think the missing thing is you CAN do something! And even more you HAVE to do something!
"I have done games, not good ones but I have done games!" Doing games is what its all about. Thats all any of us can do. Thanks for watching and sharing.
1964 here. I am too old for SC2 so I decided to make my own RTS.
Great stuff. Assuming SC2 is star craft 2. Would be interested to see how your RTS goes.