I want to make a living as an independent developer of games.
More and more people are making that dream come true.
The term “indie game” has become commonplace, and the basis for this is that the environment for game development has become easier for individuals. With the spread of free game development tools such as Unity and Unreal Engine, and the expansion of smartphone stores and PC game platforms such as Stam, sales channels have become available.
Anyone can now develop a game and release it to the world as long as they have the ability to execute.
However, it is actually difficult to make it as an independent game developer, and based on my experience talking with many developers, I feel that the main issue is not money.
This is not to say that money is not important. The problem lies in how the money is made.
To put it in an extreme sense, I think it is possible for anyone who has the ability to develop, complete, and release a game to increase sales to become independent as a game developer.
But in reality it is very difficult.
This is because games serve as a form of expression for indie game developers.
Just like manga and novels, you can also incorporate your own thoughts into a game. Many indie game developers develop their games with some kind of vision in mind, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the game will be a successful business.
For example, if you want to make a game similar to a memorable game you played as a child, in many cases the game is already old and if you are releasing such a game now, you are trying to sell it. will likely require some degree of customization.
However, if the developer’s desire is to create an old-fashioned game, it will be impossible to customize it in a modern way.
Even if it’s not an old-fashioned game, indie games have a characteristic and strength of free style and sharp ideas that the major players don’t have, but that’s why they often aren’t accepted by everyone. It is not uncommon for very few people to be able to do so.
If you think of it as a business to make a living, games are a product, and creating games that are easy to make money in line with current trends is the most efficient way to earn money and live independently through game development. However, many indie game developers don’t like that, so they develop their own games independently.
In addition, we often see perspectives that are different from business ones being brought in regarding team management and placing orders with outsourcing companies.
For example, because you are trying to do everything yourself, it takes a huge amount of development time.
The outsourcing unit price may be too high or too low or inappropriate, resulting in not receiving the expected deliverables and making no progress in development.
You may have too many expectations that your team members will automatically do things like they did when you were at your company.
Problems like this often occur when developing indie games.
Problems like this often arise when the first title goes well and you move on to developing a second title, which requires a business sense that is completely different from the artistic ability of the creator. However, it seems that there is often the underlying feeling that people should become independent as indie game developers precisely because they want to be freed from such troublesome things.
Recently, various companies and government-related organizations have come forward to provide support to indie game developers.
I think this is a very good thing, and there are some projects that are slowly producing results, albeit modestly.
For indie game development teams run by one person or a small number of people, receiving financial support and organizational advice can be very helpful.
On the other hand, there are also structural problems.
Especially if the support comes from a company, it has to ultimately benefit that company in some way. Even if it is not directly a profit in the form of sales, for example, raising awareness as a social contribution activity or establishing a position within the game industry as a contribution to the industry, as mentioned above, indie game developers are The reality is that many people are independent because they want to be free from their circumstances, and they want to develop games as they like, making it difficult to find an exit strategy when it comes to support.
There are many ways to support indie game developers, but ultimately we believe that support needs to help the developer develop the ability to continue developing games in his or her ideal way. The author is thinking.
In order to successfully sell the game you want to make in today’s world, you have to do it not by
rying to please the world, but by gathering fans. How should I interact with publishers? How do you mentally reconcile your ideals for games with the reality of everyday life?
This is a problem where there is no clear answer and everyone has to find their own way, but I always feel that it would be good if there were more people in society who understood this aspect.
Support is a difficult word, and in many cases the game developer knows more about game development. Changing it to make it more marketable is not support, nor is simply simply looking at what you want to do.
Japan’s indie game scene is gradually exploring various forms. I hope that this movement will continue steadily and steadily, and that a Japanese-style foundation will be created.
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