Post by hechelion in I quit my corporate job to make games. Was this a mistake ?

Viewing post in I quit my corporate job to make games. Was this a mistake ?

Short answer to your main question: yes.

What you're saying, I've read dozens of times over the years. The harsh truth is that the video game market has been oversaturated for a long time, and making a quality game isn't enough. You need a marketing strategy that gives your game visibility to potential buyers and an understanding of the market or niche you want to enter (and even then, there are no guarantees).

Some people have built a community over years and, thanks to platforms like Patreon, are able to make a living developing games.

Others look for a publisher or pay for advertising, and if they have a visually appealing product, they manage to position themselves and sell well.

A few are lucky enough to have their games become well-known.

But the vast majority don't get more than a few hundred or, if they're lucky, a thousand downloads.

Trying to make a living from this without knowledge or a community is too risky, and it would be best to continue working a stable job that allows you to live comfortably and dedicate yourself to creating games in your free time. If you are consistent, it is possible that you will build a community that allows you to quit your job and live off this, but it is highly recommended that you only make that leap when you are already on solid ground.

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Melinda24245 days ago (1 edit)

I don't think it's a mistake, it's a risk, but it depends on him whether it's a mistake or not.

It depends on how he does his market research, whether he has innovative ideas, etc.

But I don't agree that entrepreneurs should be scared because they see a lot of people in the business. That's letting themselves be intimidated. If they're good at what they do and know how to manage their resources, they can succeed.

But it's important to emphasize that, as in any venture, there are ups and downs, there are failures, perseverance is required. You shouldn't believe those motivational charlatans on YouTube who always tell you that starting a business is easy and that with their advice you'll make millions of dollars in two weeks. That's a scam.

As in any venture, success is difficult.

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hechelion5 days ago (2 edits) (+1)

Let me see if I understand you.

- This person needs to ask if they're making a mistake, which indicates they don't know what they're getting into.

- This person needs to ask why their game has so few downloads. This indicates they haven't studied the market or read the hundreds of post-mortem analyses that discuss the risks of creating video games.

- This person is giving up a job with a secure salary to pursue a dream, without knowing the risks or the reality of the field they want to enter?

And you're telling me you don't consider that a bad decision?

And by the way, I'm not talking about ALL startups or ALL entrepreneurs; I'm talking about this specific case and based on what they've asked.

EDIT:

And by the way, what I meant by mistake was quitting their current job, that is, jumping headfirst into making a living creating video games without a safety net. I made it very clear in my first comment that they should NOT quit their job, but create their video game in their spare time. If their game is successful, then he should quit their current job, NOT before. That's what I meant by the mistake, and that's the question they posed in the title.

That has nothing to do with innovation; it has to do with using their head when venturing into a market that is new to them.

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Melinda24245 days ago(+1)

Reading what he wrote, I understand the situation he was in. I see it every day: people who put their dreams aside to choose a job they don't like. To begin with, that was the first mistake.

Life is more than just making money. It's true that you can't live without money, but a life focused solely on making money is a meaningless life.

This man is not only starting a business, he is going through a process of catharsis. What I see in him are years of accumulated frustration that have exploded.

And if you put out that fire, he will not only lose his job, he will lose his direction completely.

Sometimes people build something and then an external event comes along and destroys what they've done, but that's not a total loss; it's experience that can be used to continue.

In business, the one who succeeds is not the one with the most money, perhaps not even the one who does things best, but the one who perseveres the most, the one who gets up the most after falling down.

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hechelion5 days ago(+1)

I can't agree with what you're saying. A business is successful if it generates profits at a lower cost, period.

I agree that on a personal level, it's not the same. You can consider yourself successful without necessarily generating profits, and I agree that you should pursue your happiness, which isn't the same as just making money.

But in my experience, if someone has to ask questions, it's because they're not clear about what they want. You talk about catharsis, but making a decision like the one he's proposing has consequences, consequences that I think he doesn't fully understand. He's chasing an idealized dream, and if that dream doesn't come true (which is most likely), it turns into a nightmare full of frustrations where he ends up questioning himself. At that point, there's no catharsis, no happiness, no success, but rather depression. And that risk is hidden from him behind pretty words like being persevering.

If he wants to take the risk, it's his life, let him do it, I wish him the best, but he should do it fully aware of the risks and the reality. If he's clear about what he wants and understands the risks, then, normally, those people don't question whether they're making a mistake, because they know what they want and what they're aiming for. That's the difference.

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Smurjo3 days ago (2 edits) (+1)

I absolutely agree with you hechelion. I am making - imo nicer looking - games for years beside my full time job in the field of engineering. Without having marketing - except e-mails to friends and family - I built a very modest following and I don't know how many would actually spend money to play my games. I personally don't want payments because among other things it would complicate my taxes more than it is worth.

And there is another aspect. I'd call it "the grass is always greener on the other side". There must be something that made DNA games become an engineer. But once he was an engineer he though game development would be nicer. Now that he is a game developer is guess he is already thinking of something that would be nicer... No job is 100% fun. Not even game development. I can still love my job even if I have to go through parts that aren't fun. I think it's quite satisfying to work with actual physical products.

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