I are game developer. Can I haz cake?

I have been busy as hell recently. And I expect things will stay the same in the coming months. Blame myself for being too greedy, always want to try out interesting concept and take on new challenge. I never thought myself could be such workaholic until I start using Unity.

But complaining about how busy I'm is not the reason I'm here writing this post. Hell I'll be better off working rather than spent the precious time complaining. Or indeed play some games, which I'm ashamed to say that I haven't done so for quite sometime. I mean really sit down and play for a few hours. I've always believe that a game developer that doesn't play game will never make great game. It's just like a cook that doesn't like eating couldn't possibly be a great cook.

The reason I'm writing this, is that it's fast approaching one anniversary of me starting to work as a freelance game developer officially. Yes I got my first job around this day last year, for $100. I feel like I should really share my story. Who knows it maybe an inspiration for any eager young blood. Or at the very least it will serve as a warning.

So my story as a game developer in a nutshell. Tough! It's certainly not easy at all. I work almost non stop and that's the easy bit. The harder part is to endure the financial difficulty. And trust me I have been through some very stressing financial situation. I was earning $500 or so during the first few months. That was like £300. Trust me, it's a very puny amount when you are living in UK. How my parent always say study hard so you can get a job with good prospect. A year ago this time, I've just past my PhD viva. To others, I might have just earn my passport to any job I want. But the truth is no where near. Anyway that's another story. The point is I've op for a career path that is frankly not very promising and a millions miles away from what I've been doing academically.
 

I really appreciate those who have gave me the opportunity to prove myself when I was a newbie, unproven and with no experience. Of course I did work very hard to impress. I often work 3 hours for the pay of one, at my own will. I will go the extra mile whenever I can, without being told. All this regardless of the pay. Still, there are time where there is simply no work available. I filled the hours, in fact I filled every hour that I can spare, including my gaming time to work on my own project. Some of them you seen on this blog, some... I hope that one day I will be picking them up again. The problem is I'm simply not adept at 3D modelling, something those project of mine desperately need. It doesn't help that I don't have artist that I could work with. Despite my regular visiting to unity forum. I have yet to meet a decent artist and willing commit their precious time. I know this is largly because I'm very fussy but I simply refuse to let my work turn into some mix quality product.

I should make clear here that I hold one principal for my work, do my best, and it should be driven by heart and soul, not financial gain. I consider game developing an art-form, as such they should be a work of passion. Every game is a piece of art work, a brain child of a game designer. No less than a movie to a director, a piece of music to an composer. The highest reward you can get from game developing should be the enjoyment of playing the game. Of course money is a factor and no doubt a good game will most probably sell, even it it's not better than some soulless junk out there. Yes I'm quite upset at the current state of the gaming industry both as a gamer and developer. The only decent studio whose sole objective is not to milk their consumer seems to be CDProjekt. I have maximum respect for them and I absolutely adore Witcher2, a true RPG for pc. unlike some others... Skyrim interface *cough*

Gone slightly off topic there. But a word of advise to anyone intend to start making games. Get a friend or two who can do things that you cant, and learn to do things that they cant, a little help from each other can help you go far. Alternatively you can learn to do everything yourself and forever be alone. Yes it's quite lonely doing this. Especially when no one shares your ideal.

So I've started off as a freelancer, coding for others, slowly crawling my way up to become a game developer. Thanks to a year long of determination and some luck, my situation has improved. Partly due to the relatively success of TDTK. And partly due to the fact that I now have a much more convincing port-folio. Also well done job with satisfied customer goes along way.  I'm still doing freelance work though, whenever I think I can manage it. Just because it's interesting to help others and I love a new challenge. Ok, the money helps too. I wont consider myself a game developer yet, not until I have a pc title under my name. Yes I'm not a fan of console. If you ask me they are the reason why the industry is in it's current state. And it's no secret I'm not a fan for mobile platform either.

Off topic again. So the long term plan is to gather enough resource, gather the right people and get myself into a right position where I can really start making games that I love. With no compromise to financial restriction, no worries about financial returns, just games that I can truly be proud of. The road is still very very long. And just in case you are wandering where am I, I would say I've just taken the first step. Annoyingly financial status is again the key factor for me to say that. Despite being better than when I first started, I'm definitely not loaded yet. My average income is just about enough to cover my basic living expenses, and I do mean "basic", probably more basic than average people. So go figure.

So here I'm, I could be working as an engineer or hell even a lecturer in a university and lead an luxurious life, with plenty to spare in pocket. But I've choose this over anything else. For one very simple reason. I love it! I love the challenge, I love being able to create something enjoyable, and it's damn satisfying watching something you work really hard slowly coming together. Also, coding is just so much fun. I can make cool stuff happen with a few lines of code. It's so simple it's magic! It's quite simply, perfection.

That pretty much sums up the reason why I'm doing this, the seeking of perfection, in the form of gaming.