Features// The Truth Behind Indie Games

Something I have learned is that you only do something really well if you actually enjoy it. Unlike 99% of coder geeks, I like the business side of gaming, and I like doing PR. Most programmers I know would rather slice their own heads off with a bat-leth than give a presentation to a bunch of journalists.

When you are a lone wolf developer, if you hate PR, you won't do PR, and your company will suffer badly as a result. The same goes for the business side, and marketing. I like looking at big complex spreadsheets showing how many demo downloads I get versus the ad budget versus the bandwidth and so on.

I know all about my advert click-through-rates and conversion rates. I have to, it's part of my job, and I know if I don't put effort into that stuff, I'm doomed. Of course, there are lots of parts of the business I hate. Nobody actually enjoys tech support. It's annoying, tedious, depressing, and a constant reminder of how you (as a coder) ballsed something up. Plus, to be honest, a lot of tech support emails make you lose the will to live. People assume you are a mind-reader; that you know what their PC is (even if it's a Mac) and in some cases, even what game they are referring to.

I also hate the accountancy / legal tedium, but as a lone wolf, the person who has to read that 36-page publishing contract is me, there is nobody else to turn to. Over the years, I've gradually built up my little biz to justify spending some money on proper skilled artists and musicians (at last!). Thankfully I also have a proper accountant (who charges me a fortune just to compile a spreadsheet once a year). This helps enormously, but it still leaves me doing the job of designer, coder, ad-manager, PR person, tech support and webmaster (yup, web design needs doing too).

Reality Check
I'm not complaining, I love my job. But I see so many people trying to start up their own dev studios that I feel a reality check is probably helpful. The reality of Indie development is nothing like the dream. Working at home alone is DULL, and only a surprisingly small amount of time is given over to the fun stuff (game design and fun coding).

The vast majority of people working in Triple-A development are just not suited to doing it. To be a lone wolf developer takes a bizarre and uncommon combination of interests and motivations. If the idea of running a corner-shop or mail-order screwdriver company fills you with dread and despair, then the 50 percent or more of your time as an Indie developer spent handling 'the business' will drive you nuts. If you read books on marketing for fun, and read the business section of the Sunday papers by choice, you are the right sort of person to give it a go.

Basically, you need to be part Ferengi to run a games company. Have you got the lobes for the games business?