When should I go indie?

When I got interested in making games for a living several years ago, I’ve read many opinions on when one should try going full-time indie. Most took form of warnings, like: “don’t leave your job to become indie”, “don’t start indie business before you finish your college” or “don’t try unless you have saved up money for at least two years”.

 

You know what? Looking back at my own experiences, I find these to be an utter piece of bovine excrement. Personally — if your ultimate goal is to become full-time indie developer — I think you should give it a try whenever you get the chance.

 

I can see the comments already. “Sure, Tom. Easy for you to say. We’ll see how you sing, when Cinders flops like it’s a sequel to Howard the Duck“.

 

Good point. Let’s say Cinders bombs. It’s quite possible after all. What then? Does my life end? Do I actually starve or become homeless? Will I never make a game again? Nope. I’ll just have to get a job. Damn, what a horrible fate…

 

But don’t forget that in the meantime, I:

• Finally managed to launch a proper website for my work.
• Made some valuable business and press contacts.
• Gained some more recognition for our studio.
• Have another game under my belt.

 

The game is what matters the most. It’s a source of passive income, and something I can put on a sale to raise funds. Just like we did with Magi. That’s why we haven’t collapsed yet, even though Cinders is late according to our original schedule. Having a sellable product is a huge help when attempting to go indie.

 

Each released game also increases the studio’s recognition and fan base. Traffic decays with time, but there are people who would be happy to hear about the studio’s resurrection in the future. It also makes contacting the press easier. Indie developers who have already released something are treated more seriously.

 

Not to mention that finishing a game is a valuable experience. In game design, in marketing, in business development, feedback handling… well — everything. You can read hundreds of books on game development, but it’s nothing compared to releasing even a small game. It is why your first game almost always sucks (or at least could be much better). The sooner you have it out, the sooner you become a good developer.

 

Even if I fail with Cinders, these factors are going to make my next attempt much easier. All in all, I don’t think becoming a full-time indie is that hard. But it takes lots of time, persistence and frequent releases. The sooner you start, the better.

 

The notion that it’s a necessary to finish college first seems ridiculous to me, too. College is actually a great time to start your indie career. You have lots of time, few responsibilities, and you’re likely still being supported by your parents. At worst, it will help you land a job later.

 

I dropped out of University to be able to focus on my games. And while I don’t advise anyone to do that, I have never regretted my decision. By the time my friends started getting their degrees and were looking for their first jobs, I had enough experience to land a Lead Designer’s position in a studio I always wanted to work for. When my friends got their first serious jobs, I had five games under my belt, and was ready to give full-time indie a shot with some reasonable success expectancy. Life is short, if you want to do something specific, better get to it.

 

I recently met a promising starting game developer. The guy’s name is Uriel Griffin (yes, that’s his actual name!). He’s around 18, and he already started a small company that released several titles for the Mac App Store and iOS. His games may not be something to write home about just yet, but I predict a bright future ahead of this fellow. He has accomplished more as an indie than many people nearing their 30s! If he ever wishes to go full-time — boy, does he have some foundation!

 

 

As for having savings for at least few years ahead — I don’t know about you — but I’ve found that no matter how much you work, making such huge savings is nigh impossible. Between bills, rent, insurance, and trying to maintain a reasonable quality of life, it’s hard to save up for even few months ahead. Damn, many people can’t even afford a proper vacation after years of working for the man.

 

This varies from country to country, of course. I come from a relatively poor place, from a poor family, so my personal situation may be different from yours. But I think it’s safe to assume that majority of people don’t have incredibly well-paying jobs, allowing them to make big savings in short time. And time is of essence here. Spending five years in a office cubicle, thinking: “just a year more and I’m free”, may end up in family, mortgage, and far too much responsibility to be able to bite the bullet.

 

 

Having enough money to support yourself is certainly important. But if your first game requires few years of development and tens of thousands of dollars, then — pardon me — but it’s not your savings that are being the problem.

 

For me, the criteria on when you should try going indie should be:

• Do you have an idea for a game?
• Can you make that game?
• Do you have enough money to survive the development?

 

If the answer is “yes”,  just do it. Simple as that.

 

Even if the game fails or doesn’t earn enough to support you, you still made a big step towards realizing your dream. Your next attempt is going to be much, much easier. And if you wait for too long, you may end up having two lovely kids, and a mortgage that would make Rockefeller sleep badly at night. Good luck trying then.

 

Agreed? Or do you have different experiences, and I’m just a lucky smartass?