Is there anyone here specifically wanting to get into developing Christian Computer/Video Games?

Is there anyone that has worked with some indie game engines, feel that they haven't broken through to the commercial quality level in regards to the quality of the work you produce?

I have been using 3DGS for 5 and a half years, and for a long time made really really really bad games, and always wanted to make video games that would go to market yet kept feeling like I was miles away from that or I would never achieve it. Find a low quality indie game you've made and I've made one with the same quality or worse. If anyone else is feeling that way or a little discouraged, if you're after some advice or encouragement, ask, or just let us know how you've been handling it all. I assume alot of people have shared alot of the same experiences in different ways.

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Originally posted by David Lancaster:
What career do you hope to get into? What do you hope to achieve?

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Right now I work in a customer service department of about 40 - just about everything IT related that is done in the department comes by me.

While IT is in a hiring freeze - I'm actually writing and documenting code at work (and have a very free hand and flexibility at work)

With twobrotherssoftware - we met our goal last year pay our bills (and then some)

our guess is in 2-4 years it will be a nice side income. This year it should be pay the bills and provide some hardware upgrades.

As for game programming, aside from the fact that the company I work for may be awarded a government contract on "serious games", games are pretty much a hobby for me now, not a career. But hey, I'm starting to settle into life since I'm 33 now. I don't have as much reckless abandon as I did when I was younger.

About game though, I feel my biggest hang-up right now is creating graphics. I hate making ugly things, and that, its seems, is all I can muster in the realm of graphics. Modern games are so VERY visually heavy. Not just graphics but lighting, effects, etc.

I have a good friend who is blind and that has me mentally toying with the idea of audio games for the blind. Maybe its just a graphics cop-out tho

Anyhoo.. I guess that is where I am at.

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Sam Washburn

I'm also considering a minor in journalism.

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All Your Base Are Belong To Us!!! chown -r us ./base
"After three days without programming, life becomes meaningless.'' -- Tao of Programming Book 2

I have no desire to develop Christian games.

I don't know how an indie developer expects to "break through" to commercial quality games. Let me use an analogy. On one side of a street is a team of professional contractors and construction workers working full time to build a mansion. They are all paid well, have proper equipment, and have been doing this for years. On the other side of the street is a ragtag team of 3 guys who come there in the evening after they've done their day jobs with the goal of building a mansion together. They don't have the proper tools, or training, or experience, or funding. The blue print is just a poorly done sketch of the outside of the building. The first team of contractors and construction workers represents a commercial game studio with several shipped titles. The second team represents your average indie development team, trying to put together a commercial quality game.

No game engine is a magic pill allowing an indie team to magically produce the work of a much larger professional team.

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|steveth45|
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[This message has been edited by steveth45 (edited February 03, 2007).]

I have a few ideas for productivity software I'd like to write, but I'm a little lazy in getting going. I have started them a few times, but stopped early on. They are apps I think will be useful for people, but are also meant as learning projects for myself.

I have no desire to work specifically in the gaming industry. Tools, UI, and the like could interest me, but not the actual game itself.

Regarding indie and commercial, I guess a definition is in order. What is the definition of both? There are certainly indie games which are fantastic and commercial games which are awful. Think Tank from BraveTree was pretty cool. Kind of commercial quality but developed by what...three or four developers? So, were they indie or commercial?

Is commercial based on how much money is available? Quality? Marketing available?

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Originally posted by ssquared:

Is commercial based on how much money is available? Quality? Marketing available?

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I think the "indie" part refers to independence from corporate or publisher control. Indie developers will often self-publish or use online publishing designed for indies like Garage Games.

A commercial studio would be one that negotiates a game contract with a publisher like Atari or EA. The publisher gives them money for development, which is usually in the form of royalty advances, and then takes care of marketing and publishing and distributing the game. Many studios are owned outright by publishers. These studios are not independent or "indie" because they are basically working for hire, and are beholden to the publishers.

I would define commercial quality as that which a publisher would consider to be of high enough quality to meet their standards for wide distribution. Console games also have to meet the standards of the console creator to receive licensing.

Online publishing does give indie developers a chance to have some success.

Many famous game studios started out as independent developers, released some promising games, and then with the financial and marketing backing of a large publisher, made the blockbuster games that made them famous.

The studio I work for is small, and fairly young, but I would not consider it indie because we are part of a larger company, and we go through large publishers to get the games funded, marketed and distributed.

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|steveth45|
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EDIT:
Just realized that this topic was about coding! As for coding aspirations, I'd like to design some different styles of gameplay which are unique and fun, for different genres of games ^^ Not to necessarily code it all myself, but come up with the general idea and perhaps prototype it, but then let a programming genius like David polish it up and handle the rest

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They will know that we are Christians by our love.

[This message has been edited by brandon (edited February 04, 2007).]

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MM out-
Thought travels much faster than sound, it is better to think something twice, and say it once, than to think something once, and have to say it twice.
"Frogs and Fauns! The tournament!" - Professor Winneynoodle/HanClinto

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Originally posted by Mene-Mene:
My dream would be to own a successful game programming business while toying with the code for fun, and supporting my dad's and sister's ministry.

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Awesome, that's a great goal. Game studios can evolve from indie projects, or even volunteer-based projects. One thing that many small projects lack is decent leadership. It's not necessary that person in charge is a great coder, or artist, or designer. The person in charge needs to be a good manager of people. If you have somebody that can recruit artists/programmers/writers/designers, keep them working on the project and keep things coordinated with good communication, then you can have a successful project.

If you have it in you to manage a game studio, I say go for it.

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|steveth45|
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[This message has been edited by Calin (edited February 06, 2007).]