There’s a lot of talent out there and we all like to doodle and code in our spare time for fun.
I was wondering what your thoughts are on a hobby studio made up of artists and coders around the world, having fun in their free time from home. I haven’t giving it much thought but it’s an interesting topic for discussion.
We could consolidate our ‘doodle time’ into actual salable products. No deadlines would be set and members could gain experience working with a team.
The first thing that comes to mind would be a studio forum with threads containing different projects that appeal to different people. For instance, there could be one for different games or animated shorts etc.
Once a project is finished, the team can decide who has contributed a specific percentage and the revenue could be divided accordingly.
There could be a recruitment forum where artists can post their work and the team decides who else to take on board. Team members have no obligation to contribute and only work if and when they feel like it.
As the team grows in size, some ridiculously amazing products could begin to develop.
This studio will only have select artists. Let’s call it Ice Amoeba Studios for now. Once we’ve formed a solid team we could take on paid work from clients. If a client wanted to pay $2k for an architectural project, they could get it done by Ice Amoeba for $1K. They’ll have 10 artists working together in their spare time. We could divide the revenue between ourselves and get $100 each for a few hours work.
You’ll be surprised how long it takes to make a fly-by or interactive walk-in, into a building with correct light-mapping and correct model dimensions.
I’m just brain storming. The team would only advertise what they can currently do within a specific time frame. It could go to 200+ strong. All the members could have equal say and everything could be decided by a vote. It will be Unity based btw.
We run a business where we sell payroll and time attendance software. So using our software you can calculate wages, Federal Tax, State Tax, FICA, FUTA and various deductions and file them to the IRS.
The figure came to around $1,200,000 so I added $90,000 for rental (for 200 people), give or take $210,000 for operating expenses during that month. That does not include licenses from Adobe, AutoDesk and Unity.
Just network license for Maya for 20 users would cost around $75,000.
Furthermore, you probably want to get good talent, such as the ex-Unity guys, ex-Ubisoft guys, ex-LucasArts guys so they charge premium.
We’re not ‘working’, it’s all play. You chose whether you want to contribute to a paid project or play with a private team project. If it’s a paid project from a client then your obliged to finish what part you decided to take on or lose your right to future client projects. If it’s a private team project , the only thing that would matter is whether you feel like contributing or not. You can ignore it, improve something or have something removed by starting a poll. Whatever grabs you.
I understand your figures now. Bear in mind this is only for hobbyists that are doodling in their spare time. It’s not a job, it’s just for fun. You can kick back with a coffee or a beer and contribute in the comfort of your own home if something grabs you.
For instance, I might model a guy, but a member in China decides they can improve the hair. I send my model to them and he or she modifies it. The members decide by vote which to keep. Everything contributed is available to all team members for modification.
If a member is offensive or promotes team work as their own in their portfolios, then they can be removed by voting.
I’ll join your little group. Let me know when you find someone to pay me to sit around my house drinking beer. Don’t even like beer that much, but if the pay is good, I’ll even drink Old Milwaukee.
We’ll be a collection of friends worldwide. A virtual studio.
If a bad apple fell from this tree (AKA booted), we can expect to see our work as a torrent, but that’s expected with anything worth it’s salt. What is published will generate money. The point is to consolidate what we do for fun. The games we create will be made out of our love for it. You could have no qualifications but be accepted on raw talent alone. It’s the little things. A city project might catch your interest and you might see something that doesn’t seem right. Just a car wheel or a stretched texture. You can get the file and correct it. The projects will keep evolving. You can create games solo but there’s no limit to what we can do together in our own time.
Carry on with your day job my friend Vacancies are only for those working coffee/brewskies after work at 3am ‘doodling’ for the sake of it. Saying that, you can be 50 and still living in your mom’s basement. Maybe you’re living in a slum with only the public library to connect with the team. If you’ve got it, you’re in.
Have you ever found yourself creating digital content just for fun in your own time? That’s not working is it? You’re creating with your imagination for personal enjoyment.
It has been proven time and time again that 95% of collaborations fail, and this is with small 2-3 person teams full of enthusiasm for their next ‘game idea’.
Go through the collaboration section, and see how far any of those collaborations have gotten.
Now you want to create some sort of collaboration with hundreds of people working for ‘fun’.
Unless you have superb management skills, and loads of time and money to keep things organised and a really professionally sound game-plan and approach, you’re just farting into the wind.
Vacancies are only for those working coffee/brewskies after work at 3am ‘doodling’ for the sake of it. Saying that, you can be 50 and still living in your mom’s basement. Maybe you’re living in a slum with only the public library to connect with the team. If you’ve got it, you’re in.