Hi again! Welcome to Part 5 of my recurring series on the business of game development.
Today, we're going to be getting a little existential, so grab your coffee, tea, or other necessary life supplement and let's think about why we do what we do.
If you haven't read my other posts, I hope you'll check them out before jumping in here. Part 1 focuses on validating market demand; Part 2 is about getting attention in weird ways; Part 3 is about finance and budgeting; and Part 4 is about marketing opportunities and building community.
Let's begin.
PART 5: SUCCESS (DEFINING WHO YOU ARE + YOUR END GOAL / AND HOW THOSE TWO ARE NOT THE SAME)
Success. Take a moment and think of that concept and what it means to you.
You may think of Minecraft creator Markus Persson ("Notch") and how he sold his little Java game for billions of dollars.
You might conjure up images of Cliff Bleszinski, a designer on Gears of War and now CEO of Boss Key Productions, and his public showcases into the material things he has poured his financial success into.
You could even think of Tim Schafer, a man who seemingly has never had a huge financial success with his games at Double Fine, but is just as popular as the other two figures mentioned.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of those examples. Everyone is on a different path and is dealt different cards, and what they choose to do with the outcome is entirely up to them.
In America, and perhaps in the West overall, we tend to conjoin the ideas of "success" and "money." This is not necessarily a good thing.
Here's this post distilled into a single statement: Money and success are not the same thing. The sooner that you disconnect those ideas, the happier you'll end up in the long run.
When I was sitting around with my team counting down the seconds until we launched our first game on Steam, I had a surreal moment that almost seemed like an out-of-body experience. (Humor me just for a minute!)
I looked at that big green LAUNCH button and thought to myself: Whether I make one dollar or one million, success is making this game, with people I enjoyed making it with, and putting it out into the world. Money will have nothing to do with it.
Fast forward. It did not make a million dollars, nor anywhere near that. Nor did our second game. Our third one was free, so that one obviously didn't either!
Yet I'm completely happy and wouldn't change a thing. This has been the greatest journey of my life, and it's my true purpose and calling to do this.
Had I aligned my definition of personal and professional success as being exclusively tied to the bottom line, I would not be happy, nor would I have stuck around to make more than one game.
Yet here I am, extolling the virtues of freeing yourself from the shackles of your bank account! (No manifesto here, that just sounded dramatic and I enjoyed typing it.)
I won't sugar-coat this; cash is the lifeblood of business. You can't run a business if you don't make money, and that's what we're here to do; run businesses by making and selling games.
The reason our first game probably didn't sell as much as it could have could be traced back to the beginning of this series: I didn't verify market demand ahead of time, and ended up making something that, while still profitable, was for a much smaller market than I thought from the onset.
If I had had this guide back then, my path could have been very different! But here we are, and I believe everything happens for a reason. Now, I can impart my experiences to you so you can learn from my own mistakes.
Here's an exercise. Ask yourself: What is success to me?
Money is not the answer. Financial security is an answer, but money is not. I often ask myself what would fundamentally be different if one of our games suddenly sold a massive amount and made us "set."
I'd still live frugally, I'd still be making games just as I am now, and I'd still want to live and act exactly as I currently do. The only difference is certain things would be a little easier with the extra cash!
For me, after I went through that exercise shortly after our first launch, my life was different. Money became far less important (though, again, financial security is a great goal!), and I could focus on the truly fulfilling things in this world that I seek.
Some of these things: working with people that all enjoy the work we're doing; making games that mean things; and enjoying every moment of the short amount of time we're given in this world.
That's success to me. What is it to you?
Define this, and you'll speak from the heart when it comes to all aspects of your game. That difference in your message will inspire your employees, your players, and more.
Tune in next time when we get to one of the most exciting parts of development: launch!
If you enjoyed this post, let's stay in touch on my newsletter. You'll get lame puns, practical advice, and the best gifs on the Internet.
START AT THE BEGINNING — THE BUSINESS OF GAMES: PART 1
NEXT POST — PART 6: CROSSING THE FINISH LINE