Comments on: How can I overcome game development obstacles?

By: Grey Alien Games

Grey Alien Games — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:02:40 +0000

Jason: You are correct that most people will make more money at their job than making a game. But my point is that if people are complaining that their job is stopping them from making their game, then that’s just an excuse because they could quit their job and go at their game 100% and then see how it worked out. They’d either succeed or fail, but at least they would have tried. If they failed, they could either try again, or get a normal job again.

Incidentally, I had a very well paid IT consultant/developer job which I quit to make games, then I didn’t make much money for a couple of years as I built up the business (this is often the case with any new business), but now I make more money than my old job + I work a home. So it is worth it if you stick at it and can make it work…

By: jason

jason — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:19:58 +0000

I stopped reading at “quit your job”. Not good advice for most people. They will likely make more money from that job than their game.

By: Grey Alien Games

Grey Alien Games — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:02:20 +0000

Thanks Kai, your point is well made. I used to be in “IT sales” and I got the technique about asking a woman “how do you feel about the system?” and a man “what do you think about the system?” from a fellow experienced salesman, and it totally worked. It may be a stereotype but it has a good success rate. It’s also cropped up in some psychology books as well. Of course we are not all as polarised as my description implies, but I’ve found it helps me out in quite a few situations. I also sometimes deliberately use “how do you feel?” with some men when the situation is appropriate if I think/feel it will help them get something off their chest for example.

By: Kai

Kai — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:53:59 +0000

“This is a tricky one but the best option is to talk to them, explain how you FEEL if your partner is a woman and what you are THINKING about if your partner is man. ”

Lame. Don’t use sexist stereotypes that get in the way of an overall very valid point. It would be a lot more powerful if you said:
“The best option is to talk to them, and to try to put your thoughts and feelings into a perspective they will understand and appreciate - that it’s for your own happiness, or that it’s a dream of yours.”

By: cliffski

cliffski — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:15:19 +0000

great article, all very very true

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:52:03 +0000

I totally agree with you!
Game development is a maraton run, not a quick sprint!

By: Photon Storm » Blog Archive » Excuses for not finishing games

Photon Storm » Blog Archive » Excuses for not finishing games — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:10:12 +0000

[...] http://greyaliengames.com/blog/how-can-i-overcome-game-development-obstacles/ // [...]

By: Grey Alien Games

Grey Alien Games — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:48:03 +0000

U2o: Sometimes honesty does sound harsh which is why people beat around the bush. I used to be very direct with people but they didn’t like it so these days I try to hint at things in a way where people can learn for themselves. However I switched that off for this article haha

Regarding the family thing, yes the “do it anyway” is the *last* resort. As you can see I’ve suggested discussing it, coming up with good reasons, supporting your partner in their own endeavours etc, but failing all that (and providing you’ve really tried hard) if you really believe in your “mission” you should go ahead and do it. You’ll either be right or wrong and there’s only one way to find out…

Agree with researching a new business first and making a plan, but at a certain point you need to commit properly to it otherwise you’ll never be able to put enough time (and energy) in.

By: u2o

u2o — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:28:47 +0000

Slightly harsh in places, but honest.

Not too sure I agree with the comment “..do it anyway”, in the “My partner won’t let me” section. Support from your partner (and children, if any) is very important. I think going against the grain and taking the attitude “well I am going to do it anyway!” is not very compromising and a little selfish. The chances are your partner will be un-supporting and negative which will only add even more pressure to an already stressed situation. I guess “One person’s happiness is another’s misery?” I think if partners / family are involved, it is vital to have their support. They say “Behind every good business is a good woman”, well that’s what my wife tells me!

Juuso’s comment about testing the water is probably one of the first things you should do before “jumping in”. Research and a business plan is a must, “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”, but this goes for most adventures and tasks you take on in life.

I always think that being positive will attract a positive response (and as a side product, make you feel good), however, contradicting myself; reality is not always that kind. Being positive during harsh times is sometime the most difficult thing to do.

Some good points raised, thanks for sharing.

By: Grey Alien Games

Grey Alien Games — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:32:21 +0000

Yes Matt, that’s a good idea. Find out how much time you really spend on work and other things. I log all my working hours for several reasons: a) at the end of a project I know how long it took as a measure for new projects and how much I earned per hour b) I can see how many hours I’m doing per day (or wasting per day) and if I’m on track with my targets c) sometimes it’s useful to refer back to parts of the log to see how long something took before, or what I discussed with a certain person on a certain day etc.