I'm Making a Game Part 1: The Call to Arms

Hello everyone.  I considered making my first blog post here on Gamasutra about who I am and what I am doing here in the wild west that is the game industry, but I decided that what I've written in my profile will be adequate for those purposes.  Instead, I will share with you the reason for why I will now be blogging on Gamasutra.

I have been following news, features, and blogs on Gamasutra for about six months now and I am avid fan of this community.  I have decided to create a profile and start writing blog entries here on the site so that I may share with you the adventure I am starting today.  That adventure is making a game.  Below is the e-mail that I have sent out to the eighty eight people that I have met here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hello friends,

The time has come.  This is the call to arms. 

I am putting together a crack team of individuals with the purpose of making a game.  If you are interested in being a part of this team, I need you to respond to this e-mail within the next 10 (ten) days and tell me what days/times you are free during the week.  If, for whatever reason, you do not respond within that time you will not be precluded from joining the project, but in ten days I am moving forward with whomever has replied by then.

Let me now preemptively address a few questions and concerns about this project in detail:

What exactly will we be doing?
Making a video game.

What kind of video game will we be making?
That is a decision that will be made by the team once we have assembled for the first time.

What platform will this game be on?
That is also a decision that will be made by the team once we have assembled for the first time.

Why are you doing this?
After attending GDC, I was left with the clear impression that I was not going to land a studio job any time soon and that if I wanted to start doing audio for games I would need to make my own or work with indie developers.  I had been planning for quite some time to start a collaborative project like this before GDC, but this had been sort of a Plan B until I went to GDC and really got to see the state of the industry.  Now it has become my Plan A.

Okay, so why don't you just make a game on your own?
I could take the time necessary to train myself on Unity, or the Unreal Engine and do everything myself, but I am very confident that the result would be far inferior to anything I would do working with people who are highly trained at programming, art, writing, game design, and everything else that I am not skilled in.  Also, I have noticed in the past eight and half months that I have been in the San Francisco Bay Area that this place is teeming with talented artists, programmers, game developers, writers, and composers who are just chomping at the bit to work on a game, and I would like to--at least for the people I have met so far--give all of these talented people I have met a chance to be a part of something and show the world what they can do.  No one is going to make it in this industry alone.  If we are going to get there, we are going to get there together.

I would like to help out, but I live in [your hometown/country], so there is no way it would work.
Have no fear intrepid game industry person!  I am fully able and willing to work with anyone, anywhere.  As long as you are willing to telecommute, I am happy to have you aboard.

I would like to help out, but I am too busy with [work, school, life, etc.].
That is perfectly understandable.  [Work, school, life, etc.] is very important and you should focus on that.  There will be more opportunities for you as I do not plan to only make one game.  There will also be a need for people to test the game or do other non-production like activities that you might be able to perform.  As long as you are interested, I will continue to keep you in the loop.

I am not interested in being a part of this project for whatever reason, but I know someone who is.  Can I send them your way?
Absolutely!  Forward this e-mail to them and make sure to tell them to mention you, as I will have no idea who they are if they do not.

What will be expected of me as part of this team?
I expect everyone to put forth their best effort with the time that they give to this project. 

Are there any special qualifications we need to have to work on this project?
Absolutely not.  All you need to bring to this project is a large amount of dedication, great team working skills, and a passion for making games. 

What can we expect from you?
You can expect me to do my absolute best in everything I do.  I will do everything I can to make sure that this is an enjoyable experience that we will all want to have again.  Because organizing this project makes me the de facto leader of it, I will try to lead it as best I can, but in the event that someone else with a better eye for management/production/game development becomes part of the group, I would have no issue with deferring to someone more skilled or knowledgeable than I.

I have a question or concern that you have not addressed in this e-mail.
Great!  E-mail me your question and I will answer it in as expedient a manner as possible.

A grand adventure awaits us, friends!  I look forward to sharing it with as many of you as possible.

Allen

This is Part 1, the Call to Arms.  In ten days time I will post the results of of my rallying cry as well as how I intend to proceed.  Comments are encouraged.  I would love to know any thoughts the community has on this.

Allen