{"id":16651,"date":"2018-04-05T16:57:00","date_gmt":"2018-04-05T16:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gamasutra.com\/view\/news\/316111"},"modified":"2018-04-05T16:57:00","modified_gmt":"2018-04-05T16:57:00","slug":"blog-how-i-turned-guts-and-glory-into-a-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2018\/04\/05\/blog-how-i-turned-guts-and-glory-into-a-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog: How I turned Guts and Glory into a success"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra\u2019s community.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.<\/small><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\"Guts<\/a><\/p>\n

“I want to quit my job and make games for a living.”<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I thought my wife would fall out of her chair laughing when this sentence came out of my mouth.\u00a0 After all, I was working a full-time job, attending multiple online college courses, and digging my way out of debt.\u00a0 Not to mention I was in my mid-thirties and had zero professional game development background.\u00a0 Hell, I didn’t\u00a0even know what kind of game I wanted to make!<\/p>\n

Instead her reply was \u201cOkay babe, just be smart about it.\u201d and she went back to drinking her quad grande two-pump mocha with whip cream and sprinkles.\u00a0 At least I had one thing working in my favor.<\/p>\n

Over the next couple of years, I would finish my bachelor\u2019s degree, build a game demo, market it, crowdfund it, sign a publishing deal, and quit my day job to do what I dreamed of doing since I was a kid.\u00a0 I actually made it!<\/a><\/p>\n

Guts and Glory was my first video game project.<\/strong>\u00a0 It hit #1 on Steam Greenlight<\/a>, #1 on IndieDB.com<\/a> (where it has remained for months) and has sold well over 100,000 copies<\/a> in Early Access, where it hit the Steam Best Seller list for short time.\u00a0\u00a0Version 1.0 launches this Summer for PC and Consoles<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Steam<\/a><\/p>\n

\"SteamScreenshots of the (now defunct) Steam Greenlight\u00a0stats for Guts and Glory<\/em><\/p>\n

As a solo project, Guts and Glory was a big success, but it wasn’t\u00a0easy.\u00a0 In fact, it was one of the hardest journeys of my life and I made many mistakes along the way.\u00a0 To help others who may be traveling this path, I\u2019ve put together a list of helpful tips and advice.<\/strong>\u00a0 I could probably write a whole chapter on each of these points, but I\u2019ll do my best to keep them concise, yet valuable.<\/p>\n

If you don’t like reading, you can find a summary of my\u00a0story in the first half of the video below.<\/em><\/p>\n

[embedded content]<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Your passion will become a chore<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n

Genius<\/s><\/em> Game Development is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I think the altered Thomas Edison quote above sums up game development quite well.\u00a0 Most of us get into this industry because of our love for the craft, but I think many of us don\u2019t realize just how much work goes into building a game until we actually try it.\u00a0 If you\u2019re new to gamedev, realize that no matter how much you love what you do, there will be many days where it becomes a chore; it comes down to good ol\u2019 fashioned hard work to actually finish<\/em> a project.\u00a0 If you realize and accept this before beginning, you will have an easier go of it.<\/p>\n

\"GloriousDon’t let anything distract you from the task at hand!<\/em><\/p>\n

Set a schedule and stick to it<\/strong><\/h2>\n

How much time you spend on game development is less important than how well<\/em> you spend that time.\u00a0 When I first started, I could only allocate 10 hours per week on gamedev.\u00a0 This broke down to roughly 1 hour on weekdays and 2 hours on weekends.\u00a0 This is not much time at all to learn and apply such a complex subject.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, I made the most of this by religiously sticking to two rules:<\/u><\/p>\n

RULE #1: Work the allotted time no matter what.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every.\u00a0 Single.\u00a0 Day.\u00a0 Sometimes this means staying up late, getting up early, or working on lunch breaks.<\/p>\n

RULE #2: Keep each session laser-focused.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pick a thing to learn or do and work only<\/em> on that task until complete.Zero distractions.<\/p>\n

Eventually, I was able to increase my schedule, which brings me to the next point.<\/p>\n

Carve out new time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Once you can stick with a disciplined schedule, it\u2019s time to start carving out more time.\u00a0 Think about your current job, for example.\u00a0 How much time in each day is truly productive work?\u00a0 Are there ways to do things faster?\u00a0 Are there things that could be cut out completely or delegated?\u00a0 Is telecommuting an option?\u00a0 Can you work on your game or study during breaks?<\/p>\n

I worked 50-60 hour weeks at a demanding Fortune 500 company.\u00a0 Finding more time seemed impossible at first.\u00a0 However, after learning a few productivity\/time management techniques and convincing my boss to let me telecommute, I was eventually able to reduce my work weeks down to only 30-40 hours per week.\u00a0 Again, a whole article could be written on this subject, but I\u2019ll save that for another time.<\/p>\n

Focus your scope<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While we\u2019re on the subject of time, let\u2019s talk about project scope and feature creep.\u00a0 Like most beginners, I made huge mistakes in this area and over-committed myself early in the project.\u00a0 This led me to become very frustrated and burnt out.\u00a0 It was only by pure discipline and necessity that I was able to push through the final months of development and complete the game.\u00a0 (It\u2019s in the publisher QA and porting stage now.)<\/p>\n

To avoid this hell, it\u2019s very important that you keep the scope of your first projects small\u2026 like really<\/em> small.\u00a0 Once you\u2019ve decided on a game idea, cut it in half\u2026 then in half again\u2026 and again.\u00a0<\/strong> Boil it down to just the essential elements that will make a fun game.\u00a0 Forcing yourself to work within very limiting constraints will allow your creativity to grow.<\/p>\n

Also realize that it will take you 2-4 times longer to complete a given game development task than you estimate.<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019ve had a lot of conversations with other indie developers over the past year, and this is a recurring theme.\u00a0 Trust me, your game project will always<\/em> take longer than you initially planned!<\/p>\n

In retrospect, I believe I could have built Guts and Glory with only<\/em> bicycles and it would have been just as successful.\u00a0 I could have put more effort into polishing those mechanics and building content around it.\u00a0 In the end, I think I would have ended up with an even better game and more success, so consider that when you are planning the scope of your own indie game project.<\/p>\n

[embedded content]<\/p>\n

The right tools can save you a lot of time… and sanity<\/em><\/p>\n

Work smarter not harder<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re a solo game developer like me, or a small team, it\u2019s critical that you find every advantage possible.\u00a0 Here are a handful of resources that I found very useful during the development of Guts and Glory.<\/p>\n

ATracker<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong> Fast and easy time tracking app.\u00a0 Knowing how you spend your time is key to optimizing it.\u00a0 Time is your most valuable resource; you can always make more money, but you can\u2019t make more time.<\/p>\n

Evernote<\/a><\/strong>: One notepad to rule them all!\u00a0 Keeping all your game ideas, development notes, learning resources, links, etc. in one place makes it easy to reference them later.<\/p>\n

Trello<\/a><\/strong>: Don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking you don\u2019t need to write out a plan just because you\u2019re a solo game developer or duo.\u00a0 As the old saying goes, \u201cmeasure twice, cut once.\u201d\u00a0 Planning ahead forces you to think through the steps and workload needed to actually complete the project.\u00a0 Planning in Trello is about as lightweight and fast as it gets!\u00a0 If you manage a team, consider something like HacknPlan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Asset Stores<\/strong><\/a>:\u00a0 Why build a 3D barrel model from scratch when there are already hundreds of pre-built models out there that you could use or modify to fit your aesthetic?\u00a0 If you\u2019re going to spend money, then take advantage of marketplaces such as the Unity Asset Store to save time where possible.\u00a0 This applies to programming as well.\u00a0 If you get stuck in your project, sometimes you can find a solution in the asset store that will either directly solve the issue or, better yet, provide you with a hands-on learning resource.\u00a0 It always better to learn than to become reliant on solutions that may or may not be supported in the future.\u00a0 I\u2019ve found this to be a much faster way to learn than books alone.<\/p>\n

Reallusion Software<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong> \u00a0If you want a fast and easy way to produce high quality 3D characters or animations for your project, then I highly recommend checking out Reallusion\u2019s software suite.\u00a0 I discovered these tools rather late in development but found them very valuable.\u00a0 So valuable, that I reached out to the company and now I\u2019m working with them to help shape future versions of the software specifically for game development!\u00a0 They have some very exciting features coming out this year for gamedevs!\u00a0<\/p>\n

You can learn more about how I used Reallusion\u2019s current tools here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"I'm<\/p>\n

Round out your education<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Learn business and marketing skills.\u00a0 If you want to make games as your primary source of income, you need to remind yourself that you\u2019re running a business<\/em>.\u00a0 Even if you partner with a publisher, having business skills at your disposal will give you a big advantage.<\/p>\n

My professional background is in marketing, sales, and analytics, and these skills have proven useful for HakJak Productions time and time again.<\/p>\n

Maintain your health and relationships<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no such thing as balance\u2026 at least not while working full-time and<\/em> doing game development.\u00a0 If you\u2019re going to try and make a career-change to full-time, independent game developer, you need to accept the fact that this will be a period of sacrifice.\u00a0 Even if you\u2019re lucky enough to be in a situation that doesn\u2019t require you to work a full-time job simultaneously, you\u2019ll quickly find out that building a startup\u2014any type of startup\u2014requires an extraordinary amount of time and effort!<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to prevent burn-out or ruined relationships.<\/u><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Get good nutrition:<\/strong> What we eat can significantly influence how we feel.\u00a0 Get the junk food out of the house and make healthy choices easy to grab.\u00a0 Trust me, this makes a big difference in your productivity!<\/li>\n
  2. Exercise regularly:<\/strong> My health declined sharply when I transitioned from being on my feet all day to a sedentary desk job.\u00a0 Get up once per hour and try to work out 20-30 minutes per day, even if it\u2019s only a brisk walk.\u00a0 An Apple Watch or other fitness tracker can really help with this, since it will give you regular reminders and motivations.<\/li>\n
  3. Schedule sleep:<\/strong> Get your circadian rhythm on track by going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, including weekends.\u00a0 Avoid blue light right before bed as well, as it can interfere with your sleep cycle.\u00a0 Melatonin supplements are a natural way to help you fall asleep fast and get into a new cycle.<\/li>\n
  4. \u00a0Log your brain out:<\/strong> When you finish working on your game for the day, don\u2019t think about it.<\/em>\u00a0 Log out.\u00a0 Your subconscious mind will continue to problem solve for you in the background, and you will be able to return to your work refreshed and more productive.<\/li>\n
  5. Enjoy life outside of games:<\/strong>\u00a0 Don\u2019t neglect your friends, family, or hobbies outside of video games.\u00a0 Get outside.\u00a0 Explore new interests.\u00a0 Take your significant other on a date and make your relationships a high priority.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    There are many more tips I could discuss around this subject, but I\u2019ll leave it at this for now.<\/p>\n

    \"take<\/p>\n

    Enjoy time outside games and watch your productivity soar<\/em><\/p>\n

    Build a Showcase ASAP<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Before you invest months or years of your life into a project, you need to test the market and see if it\u2019s even worth pursuing, or needs modifications. \u00a0The best way to do this is to either build a prototype, or build high quality art assets that showcase what your game is all about.\u00a0 Don\u2019t hide this gem in a hole in the ground, show it to the world!\u00a0 See what others think about it.\u00a0 Ask them to brutally critique it so you can improve it\u2014or can it and move on to something new.\u00a0 It\u2019s better to cut your losses early rather than waste even more time on a project that\u2019s dead in the water.\u00a0 The only way to know if you\u2019re on the right path is to get opinions from your target markets as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

    Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Building a game by yourself is hard work.\u00a0 Making that game a commercial success, while working full-time, going to college and raising a family is even harder.\u00a0 I\u2019ve learned so many lessons from this experience that I could write a whole book about it, but I hope you find these condensed highlights useful.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Thanks for reading and please help me share this with others in the gamedev community!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"Guts<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

    Guts and Glory is currently available on Steam Early Access<\/a>, and version 1.0 will launch on PC (Windows, Mac, Linux) and Consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch) Summer 2018<\/em><\/p>\n

    Follow HakJak’s\u00a0game development journey at\u00a0HakJak.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra\u2019s community.The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company. “I want to quit my job and make games for a living.” I thought my wife would fall out of her chair laughing when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16652,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16651\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}