Shared my story on why I am making games and what keeps me going?
During 1990’s like everyone I was also excited about handheld video game consoles that were popular that time. Later Mario was released by Nitendo. I jumped many times together with Mario. Even today that game sets the highest benchmark for a platformer game. That excitement while playing video games via nitendo type consoles plugged to television is awesome. Later, after PC’s arrival played prince of persia, Aladdin, Dangerous Dave, RoadRash,….. But…Two games which enabled game developer in me are Age of Empires II and Red Alert 2. I lived those worlds literally.
When I was doing my higher secondary in school, I have decided to make games. I have started to learn C and made games like Rummy, Snake, … few more using character user interface [No Graphics :)]. Later during my college days learnt graphics programming and programmed few games like tank fight, balloon shooter, … [ C programmers know this header file graphics.h]. Later came to know that C alone is not sufficient to make games, I need to learn some graphics library. So decided to learn DirectX but due to many deviations moved away from game development and continued as just as problem solver and a good coder.
After working as .net developer in private company for four years, I have decided to quit and start game development studio. In March 2015, I founded FirstSeed at Madurai,India.
Released 88 Card Game, Destroyer and Missile Strike to Google Play store. But no success. Now we are aggressively making a platformer game for PC called “Quest of Vidhuraa” to be released soon in Steam.
Now I come to the question that I have raised earlier “What makes me to keep going with making games?”
When my three games failed in the market, I have come to know that making a game is different from making a business out of games. And that too you will be satisfied for what you have created as game but the gamers out there need not.
The answer to the question in the title is “I believe I can serve the gamers with real good game like how the developers of Mario, Age of Empires and Red Alert 2 served me.”
My learnings so far in Game Development after I took it as my full time professional.
We can make a playable game in few hours / weeks. Making a really good game that players will enjoy will take more time.
Game making as a hobby is fine. Game making as a business is hard.
If you are quick racer, you should not be making games. You should make games only if you are a marathon runner.
There is nothing called “This much polish is minimal”. Can you make the player have fun while playing your game? That’s all.
These days people are moving towards VR, no no 3D, no no AR, no no,… No. People are always moving towards great experience. You can bring great gaming experience using just squares or high realistic characters and worlds.
Game making is crafting the art for the experience not just using the art that is made for the game.
These are just my opinions. Need not be correct.
Feel free to share your views in the comments section. I would like to write more about game dev. :)
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