What does it really cost to make games?

ShaunElery

I’m looking for a career change. I use to do web/graphic design. I’m thinking about moving into the mobile game arena and I’m evaluating different game creation platforms. My question today is, what are the real financial costs involved in getting set up to really create games on the major mobile markets?

For graphic arts you just need a computer (choose your OS) and some design software. But what do you need to make mobile games? It seems like you must have a Mac. Even if GameSalad and the other creation platforms fully supported Windows, publishing to iOS is much easier with a Mac. Correct?

Then you need to purchase yearly developer licenses from Apple and Google?

Then you need devices to test on.

I’m very new to all this so if someone can provide a breakdown of everything you need and what it costs that would be great.

gamesfua

@shaunelery i was exactly like you- sort of. My background is/was in film. Decided i wanted more control and a nice hobby on the side. So i paid my 99 apple dev fee and picked up gamesalad. Im a month away from releasing my first game (took about a year- but then again my game is fairly ambitious). The great thing about us (you and i) is that we come from an art background. So we can be self sufficient on design, artwork, etc. Thats a huuuge savings in money right there. A friend of mine is a musician so he did my music. Huge savings there. Point is, chances are, if youre an artist- youll probably have art friends. This keeps costs waaaay low. The only real problem is coding. At the beginning i was terrified. Im an artist not a mathmatician. But the people on these forums have been so wonderful and helpful that in about a months time (of hard work) ive got a real good footing on using gamesalad. So good luck to you!

ShaunElery

Game Salad is really cool and it is what inspired me to explore all this. And, yes the price is right! But I’m wondering about costs beyond the creation platform.

famekrafts

K what you will need mac, iOS device, game engine licence, a basic idea of programming if not full knowledge. Game salad handles the programming part but little knowledge of physics and programming is still required. And do not quit your day job, now days many games are made and bring no money. It's more of a gamble, chance of sucess is more if you have a dedicated team with you including designers, coders and pr and marketing persons.

Alembic_Softworks

I believe Apple Developer states that to develop for iOS you must actually own a Mac desktop - I happen to own one anyway so it wasn't an added expense for me (I'm a poor student, so believe I know how these are not minor expenses). That being said, you already have a computer and professional software for creating graphic art - why not do some graphic assets right now with what you've got and put them up for sale? And you can still develop for Android with GameSalad with your current set up - you could always invest in a Mac later. And I agree with SSS, you're going to need a device for testing down the road if you develop for iOS.

So if you're planning on iOS developing you'll need $99 for the developer fee, access to a Mac (or plan on spending 1200 roughly depending on where you are for a MacBook) and then an Apple device on which you'll be doing your testing. Again, expect to drop at least a couple of hundred for that investment. But also consider this: a year ago I received an iPad 2, which I still use. If you plan on developing apps, you kind of need to know what apps are actually doing these days. And there are lots of free ones, but some very good utility apps. Now my iPad earns its keep, since it now functions as my portable illustration tablet and even recording studio (two of the apps I use the most for design were under 5 dollars each - I still haven't bought a copy of Adobe Illustrator yet). So if this is a career change for you, then think of every dollar spent in these terms, ie: "How can I put what I spend to the best possible use?".

But a year ago I was just someone who happened to be good at art, and so on. I had no idea I'd be really into making games and art and sound. I do it because I actually really love it. Whether I'll make a living at it remains to be seen. If you enjoy creating art, this is a great discipline to contribute to. But in my opinion you do need to have some idea on what is current with the device and app market - you'll do best if you try and budget in for a tablet or smartphone. And good luck! I hope you enjoy this stuff as much as I do.

SpriteAttack

There is no answer to your question... You can make a game in a day based on a free template and with some open source artwork. The development cost is 0 + your time... You will still need a developer account with apple (99 US$) to submit your game.

I agree with @wickedsunny - don't quit your job just yet. The chances of getting the money back on your time (even just one day) are slim as the itunes store is flooded with free small games, good quality freemium games and even full AAA games for free or 99c (special occasions).
Unless you stand out and have a lot of luck you will create for the huge pool of undiscovered games - 10s of thousands of them are published already.

gamesfua

Apple dev $99 for year
Gs (standard)- free
Gs pro (should you want its extra features) $299 a year.
Art software like illustrator or photoshop, etc. varies. You can use free software however, so its hard to give a total here. (Free to $1,000)
Apple will take 30% of every app you make (so if your game is 99 cents- youre looking at about 70 cents profit before taxes).
Youll need at least one device to test your game on (ipad, iphone, etc.) price varies ($199 and up)
Everything else depends on your ambition. External resources like art, music, coding, etc. to hire out will cost money. How much depends on your contract you create, etc.
Thats it.

ShaunElery

Is there a fee to publish on the Android Market?

SingleSparq

Short answer: time, patience and your soul.

LowPriceMarketplace.com

@ShaunElery To publish on Andriod Market:
25$ yearly Android Dev License fee + GameSalad Pro License fee 299$ yearly

SingleSparq

Here's a Success chart to making games I made, follow this and you can't fail.

ShaunElery

I understand any endeavor takes hard work. I just want to see what I’m getting into.

Does anyone on these forums share income reports from their games?

tatiang

Does anyone on these forums share income reports from their games?

It's rare, but it does happen. The most recent thread is here: http://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/40115/the-most-successful-gamesalad-title/p1

JDuaneJ

It costs more time than money IMO. If you are getting into making games for the money, you are going to be disappointed.

You really need to start with getting into the games mindset waaaaaaay before you even think about tackling one by yourself. Read The Art of Game Design, and maybe try to join an indie team as an artist to get your mind in the right place. (this is building us success for the long haul)

READ POSTMORTEMS!!!!!!!! These are gold for designers and games business. make yourself a free account on Gamasutra and start subscribing to the dev blogs.

Also, keep your day job, or else in a year or two you will find yourself seeking another job to pay the bills. Many people think they can just jump into the games industry without paying the piper on time and experience. Truth be told, the industry doesn't like people like that, and she will spit you out and take everything you own.

read postmortems...

The_Gamesalad_Guru

@jduanj +1

Socks

Short answer: time, patience and your soul.

Yep. This.

Much like music, I think with games you just kind of do it, just get on with it, just dive in . . . with music you don't sit there and think to yourself 'right, what do I need to make music, a guitar, a decent compressor, two mics, a nice condenser and a Sure SM58, a DAW, I'm going to need all these plug ins and all this outboard gear, decent headphones, 8 patch leads . . . . etc etc.

You just pick up a guitar and start strumming, or start fiddling around with some piece of software, use whatever is to hand . . . and pick up what you need along the way.

In that spirit I'd say just download GS and dive in, don't worry about all the other stuff, in a few weeks you might find you have something you are pleased with and would like to start testing it on your iPad, iPhone, at that stage you can worry about opening an Apple dev account and hunting down a secondhand iPad for testing (etc).

There's absolutely nothing wrong with panning these things, I'm just more of an advocate of the 'just dive in' approach.

Elfizm

Well it's pretty much cost me time like @socks said, buy when you need it. I have yet to buy pro or android liences simply because I do not need them. I haven't bought music software or music "rights" because I don't need them yet. I have spent a year just taking that first jump and get in and make and learn. Other wise you might find you buy things you will never use. But I have all the cash ready to make any purchases I need, but that only when I need so developing my game has cost time only, and the $1000 for the IMac.

fturner19

@JDuaneJ - "It costs more time than money IMO. If you are getting into making games for the money, you are going to be disappointed."

I TOTALLY disagree with you about this. So you're saying that the 100's of millions of dollars that games designers has made was because they just like to play games they create..NOT! They're in the business to make money and hopefully lots of it. You remind me of a few game designers that was paid a few 1000's to create games for others, while the owners of the game they turn around and make millions off of it. It all comes down to mindset and that's what some designers are lacking. Here's an excellent article about "Rovio" that may get you back on the right track.

http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2011/04/features/how-rovio-made-angry-birds-a-winner?page=all

JN38

I've been tinkering with game development for about 4 years. Just tinkering with different engines and designs. Lots of studying on the business side and design side. I hate code, I understand it but take me seriously when I say that I hate it.
Yes, it's people like me that keep the GS developers in business.

Your cost to develop is based on your project. If you want a simple game and you are decent at doing your own graphics (or resourceful at locating them, legally) then you are probably just looking at the cost of the publishing license(s).

If your not good at graphics, well you can dish out some cash there depending on what you are looking for.

If your project is huge like a full on RPG style game where you may need some outside help to complete the build. You could be looking at some serious cash.

I have seen checks written to development houses the tune of $10,000 for a simple app game. That's for starters and nothing has even sold yet. A good size app game with some complexity can cost $50,000 to start out. Now this hiring a team at a development house. They probably have a database of previously built games and those probably just need some tweaking. Unless you got something never before seen.

So, in regards to cost. Minimum $99 per year to publish in Apples App Store. That's if you do all of your own work.

Maximum, the sky is the limit.

My biggest warning. Never fall in love with a project. Just because you like it doesn't mean the market will love it as much and be willing buy it.
Right now I have four different builds going on. I think only one stands a real chance of making something. I like all of them and think they are fun to play. What the market thinks and is willing to pay for is totally different.

Build, ask questions, learn, build some more.
Build as if it is going to make a million dollars the first day, expect that it may make nothing.

OskarDeveloper

Time

The_Gamesalad_Guru

Here is my list.

1. Talent

2. Planning

3. Creativity

4. Dedication

5. Be realistic about how great your ideas really are. (I call this self awareness)

6. Lose the ego. (Nothing kills creativity like pride)

7. Study

8. Work your a$$ off because your competition is.

9. Listen and evaluate advice you trust from a select few.

10. Patience

11. And most important, quitters never get anywhere.