10 Years Of Game Dev Experience In 20 Minutes

Summary

The speaker, an experienced indie game developer, shares a simplified three-step strategy for aspiring game developers to create a sustainable and stress-free game development career. The approach includes building two initial digital products—a webpage for game demos and a resource like a mini-course—to generate revenue and an audience. The developer emphasizes the importance of focusing on creating an evergreen business model through consistent content creation and audience building on platforms like YouTube. Lastly, the advice is to develop micro-games based on generated wish lists, reducing the financial risk compared to developing large-scale games.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker suggests simplifying the process of game development and proposes a three-step approach to create a sustainable and stress-free indie game development career.
• 🎮 The first step is to create two products: an opt-in page for a game demo and a resource like an asset pack or a mini course, which can be sold to generate revenue.
• 📈 Building an audience is emphasized as crucial, with the recommendation to focus on the platform one understands best, like YouTube, to drive traffic to the digital products.
• 💼 The speaker advises against focusing on vanity metrics like subscriber count and instead prioritizes opt-ins and direct revenue generation from digital products.
• 🚀 The third step is to build and launch micro games, which are smaller in scope and lower risk, allowing for quicker development and release cycles.
• 💡 The concept of creating a 'safe bubble' or ecosystem is introduced, where the developer has control over their products and revenue streams, independent of the volatile game market.
• 🔄 The speaker shares personal experiences and stresses the importance of focusing on creating a sustainable business model rather than chasing viral success or relying on a single game's performance.
• 💰 A significant emphasis is placed on the value of email lists and wish lists as a form of guaranteed revenue, highlighting the importance of direct marketing to an engaged audience.
• 📹 The script mentions the use of content creation, specifically on YouTube, as a means to build an audience and drive traffic to the products, which in turn supports the game development process.
• 🛠️ The speaker encourages developers to find their forte and create resources or courses around it, providing value to the audience while also generating income to sustain their development efforts.

Q & A

What are the three steps the speaker suggests to start a sustainable game development career?

The three steps suggested are: 1) Build two products - an opt-in page for a game demo and a resource like a mini course or asset pack. 2) Build an audience on a platform that you understand, focusing on driving traffic to those two digital products. 3) Generate micro-games based on the wish lists collected, which will be sustained by the revenue from the digital products and audience engagement.

Why is an email list considered valuable in the context of game development according to the speaker?

An email list is considered valuable because it acts like a 'magic wand' where you can guarantee a percentage of the subscribers will convert to a sale, providing a predictable revenue stream when launching a game.

What is the significance of generating wish lists for a game that doesn't exist yet?

Generating wish lists for a non-existent game is significant because it creates a pre-sold audience. When the game is launched, there is a guaranteed customer base, reducing the risk and ensuring some level of initial success.

Why does the speaker recommend creating a resource as a part of starting a game development business?

The speaker recommends creating a resource because it builds a safe ecosystem for generating revenue. This can be a mini-course or asset pack that teaches something the developer is skilled at, providing value to the audience while also securing income.

What is the speaker's stance on creating a large, single game project as a new game developer?

The speaker advises against focusing solely on a large, single game project as a new developer due to the high risk and financial uncertainty. Instead, they recommend creating micro-games and multiple revenue streams to ensure sustainability.

How does the speaker propose to diversify the revenue stream in game development?

The speaker proposes diversifying the revenue stream by creating multiple digital products like wish lists for games and resources, and by building an audience that can be monetized through various channels such as YouTube ads and direct sales.

What is the importance of building an audience according to the speaker?

Building an audience is crucial because it creates a platform for consistent revenue generation and a community that can be engaged with and sold products to, reducing reliance on a single game's success.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of focusing and simplifying the game development process?

The speaker emphasizes focusing and simplifying because it reduces stress, prevents burnout, and allows for the creation of a sustainable business model. It also helps in creating a 'safe little bubble' that is less risky and more manageable.

What does the speaker mean by 'micro-games' and why are they recommended for new game developers?

Micro-games are small, concise games that can be developed and launched quickly with a lower risk compared to large projects. They are recommended for new developers because they allow for quicker learning cycles, lower financial risks, and can generate revenue more frequently.

How does the speaker suggest leveraging a YouTube channel in the context of game development?

The speaker suggests using a YouTube channel to create content that drives traffic to digital products and builds an audience. This can be done by creating videos that are engaging and informative, which in turn can lead to sales of resources and the generation of wish lists for games.