What It Takes To Be A Successful Game Developer
Game development is hard work. It takes a lot of time and effort to create an amazing game. There are many different aspects that go into the process, such as programming, design, marketing, and more. If you're interested in becoming a successful game developer then this post will help give you some insight on how to make it happen!
1. Game development is a difficult and time-consuming process:
It takes a lot of time to develop a video game. Going from idea to finished product can take anywhere from a few months to several years or more when working with larger teams. It often involves long hours and lots of work that isn't always fun, such as coding and coming up with ideas (although this is part of the process). On an indie team, it's usually much easier because there are fewer members in each department and you don't have to worry about finding programmers or artists—you can do everything yourself! However, if you make something small for your portfolio, it still requires lots of time and effort. The key is not in making something small; it's in using the same skills in development that you use when making that small project shine among others.
2. You need to have an idea for a game before you start developing it:
This seems like a no-brainer, but it's extremely important to come up with a clear idea for a game before starting development. If you just start developing without any ideas or plans as to what you're going to make, then usually nothing good comes of it; this means that your games may be boring and unfun. Furthermore, if you haven't committed yourself to learning about the art and code necessary for developing video games—or you don't want to learn those skills—then at least make sure that your idea is original and captivating.
3. Early Quitters:
Many people want to become a game developer, but when they realize how much work it takes and the many hours of blood, sweat, and tears that go into developing a video game or even a small project for your portfolio or school, then they may decide that perhaps they aren't cut out to be one. That's completely fine because there are other opportunities in the industry where you can still use your creative mind without having to deal with all the hassles of development.
4. Having a plan in place can help you be more successful as a developer:
As you can see, developing video games is not the easiest task in the world. It usually takes up anywhere between 30-40 hours per week or more—and that's just for one person! If you're part of a larger team, then it can take even longer than 40 hours. Now if this becomes your job...well, game development may begin to feel like it's taking over your life...
For example, you plan on working 8-5 at an office doing something else other than game development, but all of a sudden you have to work 10-12 because your game needs some features ported over to the Mac OS (or whatever) before its release date; this may also be due to general bugs and problems that were noticed in the last few days before the release date.
Or, in a simpler example, you can't go out with your friends on a Friday night because your game needs to be tested and verified before the release date.
Or, you can't even go out with friends on a Friday night because that's the only free time you have; all other days except for Monday through Friday are dedicated to developing video games (or whatever else).
Now, this may seem like an exaggeration, but this is the reality for many game developers. It's their job nowadays, and this is why they often spend all of their free time developing video games. It is a double-edged case and can be both fun and tormenting, hence why only select people can handle it.
5. You need to be able to fund your game development if you want to go anywhere with it:
This is a bit of a touchy subject, but it's worth mentioning because there are many successful people out there who have been able to make their dream game (or another project) happen. However, it's not easy to make a game if you don't have any money—in fact, that would be difficult for anybody even if they were making games as their full-time job! So if you're trying to get into the industry but lack the funds, then you need to find another way of getting your foot in the door.
You may ask around with local developers or check out indie game development boards on Reddit and/or Quora where people discuss stuff like this all day long.
This is where you can often find some valuable resources on how to get started, what are good ways of funding your projects, etc.
Note that this may be the most difficult part of game development because many developers aren't even able to fund their own passion projects! If they cannot handle this challenge alone, then it may be worth it to join a team or company full-time so they can make games without worrying about money too much.
6. You need to have strong resilience if want to go anywhere in the world of game development:
Most of the time, development teams are composed of 20-30 people or more. If you're aiming to be a part of these types of teams, then you need to learn how to deal with them accordingly because it's not always easy working alongside other people...in fact, it can actually be quite difficult at times!
This is especially true for indie game developers because many lack the funding needed to make their projects happen; they often have to work on multiple things simultaneously and pair up with others in order to get anything done.
If you want your project(s) as an individual dev to flourish, you need to be able to see it through to the end, hence why you need to be resilient.
7. When starting out, small projects can give you the experience you need before taking on a larger project:
This is why starting out with small projects before venturing into larger ones can be beneficial. You'll get experience working on something while you build up your portfolio, which is also valuable because it can help with employment opportunities—so if you're looking to get into the game industry in some capacity then this will come in handy.
For example, if you're applying for a job and they see that you have developed multiple apps/games (which is great!) then they may give preference to someone who has experience over someone who doesn't; so even though they may know nothing about game development, having prior experience related to the field most certainly won't hurt them...quite the contrary!
Having said that, most people agree that smaller games are better for getting started because bigger projects can be taxing mentally, and if you lack the money to complete them you will only lose motivation.
8. Game development isn't all fun and games, you have to be able to see it for what it is:
A lot of people are under the impression that game development is all fun and games, but it isn't. It's hard work, it takes a long time to complete something substantial, and you have to be able to handle everything that comes with it if you want to succeed.
It's also common for developers—especially small-time developers or students working on their own projects—to become frustrated with the process because they may not realize how much work goes into making something substantial...but there are definitely some successful companies out there who do understand this fact!
The same goes for funding your own projects, as many newbies can get discouraged when they can't make their passion project(s) happen right away (or ever). But once they get a grip on what it takes to be a successful game developer, they'll come out stronger because of it.
9. You need a passion for what you're doing because it will carry you through the really tough times:
In order to be successful in this field, you have to have a passion for what you're doing because it will keep you going when everything else fails. Even if your project isn't going anywhere fast, if you love the idea of developing video games then that won't change even when you lose the faith...so having a strong passion is vital!
If not, then good luck working alongside everyone else in a development team who also has plenty of passionate individuals. It can get pretty heated sometimes and cause conflicts within a team or company so being able to handle this accordingly is important.
Conclusion:
If you're interested in game development, it's important to know that this isn't a hobby for the faint of heart. You have to be resilient and passionate about what you do if you want your project(s) as an individual dev or small-time developer to flourish. But all is not lost!
There are many successful companies out there who understand how much work goes into making something substantial so don't get discouraged when things get tough. If anything, these challenges will only make you stronger because they'll help foster a strong passion for making video games come alive on screen—and with any luck, we can find ways to keep going even during difficult times together.
