

I don't want a real job [from Introversion Software] - Harkins
http://forums.introversion.co.uk/introversion/viewtopic.php?t=1344&sid=c6a866d59dbc2acc133503bf86b3513b

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iigs
Every technical car guy aspires to making the fastest, most respected car in
town, and every technically savvy gaming geek aspires to "learn how to program
computers and make a game", because that would be "awesome".

I'm the geekiest geek in my meatspace circle, so I've been asked questions
like this a few times, especially by older kids / young adults that have been
introduced to me by their parents who believe that I'm "good with computers"
(ugh). Perhaps I'm jaded about it, but I don't have a lot nice to say about
this type of question.

Asking the naive question "How do I start a gaming company?" is intellectually
lazy. If you don't already understand the foundations of business (i.e. "How
do I start a company?") the pieces of wisdom that a gaming mogul would be able
to give you would be lost on you while you're thinking "Oh, I have to go to
college? I hate math! I don't care about accounting, I just want to draw
levels!"

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palish
Keep in mind that there are also people who are genuinely interested in the
foundations of starting their own gaming business, who are willing to work
very hard, and who are simply looking for a little guidance. When you're first
starting out, the whole concept of "creating a game" is very nebulous. There
unfortunately isn't a definitive guide, or even a general one.

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westside1506
It's amazingly difficult to make a game that gets traction these days because
of all of the competition, but it is definitely getting easier to make money
without license fees and subscriptions if you manage to hit paydirt. There is
a gold rush going on to start new game companies and make new games to run
from the browser (java or flash mostly - maybe Silverlight too in the future).
The newer games are getting more and more sophisticated and free to play.

I guess what I'm saying is that I think there is a window right now where
indies can get pretty far with a low-budget game before this new space is
completely swamped.

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palish
"...before this new space is completely swamped."

I don't think we'll reach that point. At least, not very soon. Digital
distribution has removed part of the need to cater to publishers. It takes a
lot of work for a small team to create a game, but at least it's _feasable_ to
do so today. A few years ago, it wouldn't have been. So I don't think it'll be
'game over' anytime soon for indie developers, especially with a platform like
Steam to advertise their creations on.

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omouse
* It takes a lot of work for a small team to create a game, but at least it's feasable to do so today. A few years ago, it wouldn't have been.*

COME ON, we've had 1- or 2-people teams creating games since the 80s!

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shadytrees
> _Yeah he was about as useful as tits on a fish._

I've always wanted a port of chicken breasts to other platforms.

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nailer
Oh from Introversion? (introversion.co.uk)?

Who are Introversion? Am I supposed to know them?

Apparently they're an games company. They made Uplink, which I've played, and
I specifically remember because seemed more like a bad tech demo than a piece
of entertainment.

If you're going to trade off a name for karma, it better be a good one.

~~~
jsmcgd
Introversion are my heroes. They make AAA games, dripping with gameplay,
originality and style. The company consists of a handful of people and they
have no publisher. If it wasn't for Introversion I would have given up hope
for the whole industry.

It's OK you think Uplink was a bad tech demo. Their games aren't aimed at
everyone. That's why they're so fucking AWESOME!!!111 :)

