INTRO
Being your everyday BFA student, I am pretty much sheltered from the “Money Realities” of the real world. That is not to say I don’t earn my own money to sustain myself and pay my own bills, but what Justin Tan describes is an eye opener.
Starting an Indie GameDesign Studio is a whole different ball game from what Justin Tan says. He goes into the details on how much it costs to keep the lights on in a small game studio and the different models that one can follow when operating such a studio.
This opened up insights for me and gave me a wake up call on the trials and tribulations I would have to endure in order to reach my dreams.
Another thing he helped with was also answer questions on how level design is done which I found extremely helpful.
All in all I am very thankful for this Guest Lecture. Thanks Permagnus!
Justin reminded us that doing a startup or going indie is a big step into the dark, but also, that it CAN be done! Above all, I believe he wanted to emphasise how important it is to believe in oneself and one’s abilities.
Many artist-designers fly solo for some time, a couple of years, perhaps when they’re younger. For example, I was self-employed 1995–2004, living on mixed-source income, from royalties, commissions, and the occasional grant. Choosing this career path not only gave me wonderful experiences, but also knowledge that couldn’t have been gained otherwise. I didn’t aim for the money, truly it was passion for the arts in particular music that kept me going.
Some people do keep on decades working solo – it’s a matter of temperament, and also talent, persistence, and luck.
I suppose you never quite know what will happen once you decide to start out..!