I’m seriously considering Unity for a game I’ll be paying to have developed in the future, but before I get to this project I plan to have a couple of simple-ish type iOS/Android games created that I already have ideas for.
1st - Simple 2D game with static background and simple controls/concept.
2nd - 2D Side-scrolling (think old-skool R-Type style) game
With the above in mind, could someone answer a few questions:
A) Would Unity be a good fit for the first two games I have planned?
B) If I planned to sell the simple games on iOS/Android - Would I have to purchase the full pro version?
C) Once I have written up a spec for the first game, would I then hire a developer as the first stage?
Regarding C) - would using Unity not reduce the development cost? I kind of like the community aspect here and the fact there are game developers actively looking for work on these forums.
Allow me to try an analogy. If you were going to hire someone to build you a shed in the garden, would you go out and buy a set of powertools or would you just make sure that the person you hired had his own tools? There’s nothing wrong with researching the tools or even picking which tools you want the job completed with. You just haven’t yet given a reason why you would want to buy tools as well as the person you’re intending to hire. You may well have one, and perhaps you’ve simply not explained fully yet.
I hate the word ‘implying’, sounds a bit harsh but couldn’t think of a better word
So, feel free to comment on the following… bit of background and some more clarification of my initial plans:
I already have a small-team of people who develop and design software products for me, which have been reasonably successfully in the sense that I am now in a position where I can re-invest some of the profits in to my main passion, gaming… and of course fulfilling a childhood dream of developing games.
I’m already a C# .NET coder (though nothing special) and I was hoping to do the same with games as I have with other software; create a team of people that I can work with and trust to make my vision in to a fully-functional game. Also, I don’t have the time these days to develop a game myself but have a bit of coding/level design knowledge that I hope will help me along the way.
Creating a good team is kind of a priority for me, and working with the same technology (Unity) for each project I have planned made sense to me (at least initially).
I was concerned that Unity may be ‘over-kill’ for the first couple of games I had in mind, as they are basic 2D games but I good ideas (imo) all the same.
My thinking was that I could get the first two games made - probably at a complete loss - but at least get some experience of forming a team, making a game (in Unity) and jumping through whatever hoops there are to release a game on iOS and Android. At the very least they could be added to a portfolio.
I haven’t had any experience of coding games since Amos on the Amiga, though I’ve designed a few maps in Valve’s Hammer.
I came to the Unity site simply because of all the good press it is getting and it appears to ticks all boxes for where I want to be in a few games time.
So there you go, completely new to this game… just seeking advice and taking your replies both seriously and gratefully.
