
The 10 year journey of a solo game developer - cbdileo
http://gamasutra.com/blogs/CarletonDiLeo/20150925/254610/Wordsum_Postmortem__The_10_year_journey_of_a_solo_game_developer.php
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onion2k
The most interesting part, and something that the article doesn't go further
in to, is _why_ partnering with artists didn't work. The author just says
"interests faded". Why did they fade? Was the artist not really onboard? Did
the coding take too long? How could that problem be resolved?

Having a second founder makes a huge difference to your chance of success.
There's just too much to do on your own.

~~~
ido
I find being able to pay (even below market) salaries is really required for
longer term project. People on profit share will usually not treat your
project as more than a hobby, and at some point life happens- spouse gets
sick, a parent dies, money problems, stress at the day job, etc.

At that point the first thing that gets cut is the hobby.

~~~
petercooper
There have also been studies that show people often put in more effort when
_not_ being paid than when being paid what they consider an under-market
amount.

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zem
That's not necessarily inconsistent with the previous comment - they might put
in a lot of dedicated effort when they are working on it, but might still not
make it a priority when more important stuff interferes. contrariwise, if they
were getting paid below market, they might not be as enthused or dedicated,
but they might be more committed in the sense of making it something they will
try harder to make the time for in the face of other life stuff.

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amelius
Trying to sell game apps is just like selling ringtones as was popular back in
the '00s. There is money to be made, but only by a few people (mostly the ones
owning the store).

~~~
a3n
Yep. I used to be involved in a community of "crafters" (not accurate, but
close enough). There are fairs all over the country, where said crafters set
up the booths in small to medium convention center settings, and sell their
wares. You pay a fee to the organiser, set up, sell, tear down Sunday night
and go home.

Most crafters came and went. A few consistently made money, and they usually
had permanent businesses; the fairs were a way to connect with the community
and spread awareness. The big money was made by the organiser: "the store."

You may get rich mining for gold, or you may die. Selling pick axes to miners
is a pretty good business, and there's always new, hopeful customers.

