Getting into the wrong business?

[Ken K]

Syphon Filter was fun.

Have you played the latest two on the PSP? Highly recommended... best two in the series if you ask me! Omega Strain on the PS2 was good, but you needed to give it a good solid day to get into it. Most reviewers didn't give it enough time, hence the bad reviews.

 

[Sad Max]

I haven't gotten a console to replace my PS1.

Don't spend enough time gaming, to warrant it.

 

[Jason Adams]

I think the film/video business is not going anywhere, but I do believe that the natural progression of the Indie world is Video games. we have had hit Indi bands, and hit indi movies, I think the next great evolution will be guys sitting in their basements making video games, much like the many Users make independent film.

Just Think Indie Game festivals...Time Fest the Game

 

[brianluce]

Where'd you get that from? Seems like the people who "make it and make money" are business men to begin with.

I don't know enough insiders personally to agree or disagree. However here's one anecdote, I know a guy who is a "working" actor in Hollywood. not a star but gets work. He's not particularly handsome and as far as I'm concerned not particularly talented either. However he *is* a Stanford MBA. Dude knows how to work it.

 

[adkimery]

I think the film/video business is not going anywhere, but I do believe that the natural progression of the Indie world is Video games. we have had hit Indi bands, and hit indi movies, I think the next great evolution will be guys sitting in their basements making video games, much like the many Users make independent film.

Just Think Indie Game festivals...Time Fest the Game

Indie computer games have been around for years. For example, Counter Strike started out as a mod but became so popular it turned into a stand alone product and Serious Sam was made by a small Croatian developer that only had 6 employees at the time. Now that video game consoles have a larger online presences services like XboxLive, WiiWare, and the PlayStation Network store are providing avenues for small developers to make low cost games available to console gamers.


-A

 

[brianluce]

Indie computer games have been around for years. For example, Counter Strike started out as a mod but became so popular it turned into a stand alone product and Serious Sam was made by a small Croatian developer that only had 6 employees at the time. Now that video game consoles have a larger online presences services like XboxLive, WiiWare, and the PlayStation Network store are providing avenues for small developers to make low cost games available to console gamers.


-A

But don't games take a small army of animators and artists working many many months?

A single filmmaker can do a lot of heavy lifting alone--script, direct, edit, score, act.

 

[Sad Max]

I don't know enough insiders personally to agree or disagree. However here's one anecdote, I know a guy who is a "working" actor in Hollywood. not a star but gets work. He's not particularly handsome and as far as I'm concerned not particularly talented either. However he *is* a Stanford MBA. Dude knows how to work it.

If you want to make some money, you usually need to be a business person of some kind, in addition to whatever else, you are already.

It's called the "entertainment business" with good reason.

 

[adkimery]

But don't games take a small army of animators and artists working many many months?

It depends on the size, scope and budget of the game. Obviously triple A titles like GTA IV or Halo 3 are going to have a sizable workforce behind them, but games that big are the exception not the rule. Also, there is a quickly growing market segment of "casual games" that target a very broad audience w/low cost, pick-up-and-play style games.

A single filmmaker can do a lot of heavy lifting alone--script, direct, edit, score, act.

Well, first off I'd say a single person that can do all of that stuff well is very, very rare (which is part of the problem w/no-budget indie productions but that's another thread), but there's no reason a single individual can't wear as many hats to make a game. I think game makers actually have it easier for a few reasons. First, "small games" are more popular than "small movies." I mean, how many people play internet flash games and/or mobile games (cell phone, iPod, PDA, etc.,) vs how many people watch short films? Second, games can be simple to make yet still fun and popular. For example, puzzle games like Tetris and Bejeweled are hugely popular, but aren't that resource intensive to make. Finally, the gaming industry and the gaming community have a very close collaboration. For years PC game developers have encouraged the gaming community to make game mods and customizations knowing that mod community support is key for a game to have long legs. This sense of collaboration also works out great for would-be game makers because they have pro-quality "raw materials" to work with, if you will. If you create really cool game mods, levels, player skins, etc., the game community will take notice and it's not uncommon for skilled modders to get job offers from game developers.


-A

 

[lhdor]

Don't forget that video games cost about $50 - $60 bucks as oppose to a DVD of $25-35. That's why video games can hit the high millions. Not to mention it's easier to get a boot leg of a dvd then a game

 

[Sad Max]

Don't forget that video games cost about $50 - $60 bucks as oppose to a DVD of $25-35. That's why video games can hit the high millions. Not to mention it's easier to get a boot leg of a dvd then a game

And - with a few exceptions - video game makers don't have to deal with residuals, etcetera.

 

[adkimery]

Not to mention it's easier to get a boot leg of a dvd then a game

Console game, yes. PC game, no. I read an informal study a few months ago that put PC game pirating rates at well over 50%, IIRC (I'll post a link to the article if I can find it again). This was largely based on games w/online multiplayer and comparing the number of legit games showing up on the servers to the number of not-legit games.


-A