So I’ve been using Unity for awhile now and am coming across a space in my life where I’m needing money for college. Given my current job at McDonald’s doesn’t always exactly pay what I wish it did I was hoping I could sell one of my games, or release a game free with a purchasable DLC.
I’m currently using the free version of Unity as well as the student version of 3Ds Max.
Is there any possible way that using these tools and making a game could get me anywhere? If so, how?
It’s absolutely possible. Take advantage of the time you have now to put everything you’ve got into it, and if you happen to hit it right you can indeed make money with it. It’s also possible to not make a cent, but if you like making games then at least you’ll have fun doing it.
Someone like me, I sort of have a rep around here for being discouraging about getting into games, especially for money. I’ve been at it for a long time and I need to make quite a bit from development, which puts a slight damper on my general enthusiasm level. I’m trying hard to change that now and I think if you’re in a position where you have a roof over your head and it’s paid for regardless of how much money you may or may not make with games, then hell yeah give it your best shot.
It’s possible but unless you have the skills to create a game or two a month with addictive or fresh gameplay with zero or very limited budget I would so not to quit at McDonalds since sadly chances of you getting decent and steady income from games are pretty slim to none. It’s possible to earn some money with IAP and ads but without a hit game your game will quickly disappear among the hundreds of other games released daily.
While possible, it will not be legal as far as I know (IANAL) to use the student edition of 3DS Max for a commercial project. I’d recommend switching to Blender (as it is well within your price range…being free and all ) for your artwork.
If you were going to make a fortune off if independent game dev you already would have. It takes a particularly special person to combine the skills, tenacity and luck required to make significant cash on their own. Most people are better off working for someone else.
That doesn’t preclude you from trying to get a job making someone else’s games.
Don’t let the fact that you HAVE a job stop you from looking for better jobs. It’s WAY easier to get a new job if you have a job than it is to if you’re unemployed.
Also, Chris Rock pretty much sums up minimum wage jobs perfectly:
It is my strong belief that just about anyone is able to make a living selling games. It may take a particularly special person, but mostly anyone can become that person. The thing is - it takes a lot of effort. It takes a lot of patience, a lot of dedication, a lot of time, a lot of learning, a lot of failing, a lot of misery and frustration, and sometimes a lot of fighting through becoming demotivated. It takes a special person to get through all of that without quitting.
For me, I keep it as my goal: to make a living off selling games. However, I do think it’s not the smartest idea to rely entirely on it. Because you never know if you’re going to give up because it’s too much for you, or how long it’s going to take to make a game that’s going to work, or what’s going to happen in the future in general.
So, I plan to get a job working for someone else and keep my personal projects as a side hobby. This way, if the personal project fails, you still have a backup. And that’s probably the best way to go about it. You just have to take advantage of any free time you can get to put into your personal projects.
Don’t down on McDonalds jobs…at least not yet. I am currently a department manager in North Texas, not even in charge of a store, but more of what you would call an Assistant Manager. I work 45 hours a week, and make around $17 per hour, plus the last 5 hours are OT. My point is that it isn’t the dead end some make it out to be.
I would much rather make money off gamedev, but I have to feed my family. It isn’t the rosy pasture some people make gamedev out to be, but it isn’t all that bad either. There are plenty of “middle of the road” people who aren’t making it big, but at the least are able to support themselves. Not everybody makes minecraft, but with some work, determination, and some luck, it is possible to scratch out a living, at least to start with. But don’t abandon a secure paying job until gamedev is as secure, and you have lots of savings just in case.
Always find it interesting why Unity attracts so many people into making games to make money. I mean I am sure all of the press rambling on about Minecraft, Flappy Birds and so forth has a lot to do with people connecting making money with making games to begin with. Somehow Unity seems by far to get those people though.
Interesting point. It got me thinking. My personal perspective is that game dev has been my career since 1994 so yes, absolutely, I make games for money. I have to. Game development (my own games and development for clients) is my sole source of income.
Unity, for me, is just a tool that helps me do my job. One tool in a long line of many tools over the years, for a job that I’m skilled and trained in and have over a decade of experience with. For a lot of other people, making money with Unity and game development is like a golden ticket they hope to find, and some are even convinced they’ll find it.
Sure, there are outliers who hit it big and make millions, but there are tons more people putting everything they have into it and make nothing, and there are tons of people who have put in the time, the money, and the drive to make a living at it.
A lot of newcomers only see the big winners, and don’t seem to see that game development is like any other job. You have to pay your dues if you want to truly make anything out of it.
If you got income you should take that money and use it to buy art, music for your game. It costs money to make money. If you have money use it to make more money.
The minimum wage here is $12.5 an hour (if your working from home).
It’s possible to make a living purely off making your own games, but you have to be some combination of:
Very hardworking
Very lucky
Very well-connected
Very skilled
So the other indie developers who don’t meet those combined requirements (98%+ at a guess) would make a lot less overall than what you’d be making at McDonald’s. Also the thing about development is, it’ll take usually months of time and money before you make 1 cent back. I definitely wouldn’t give up your job until you someday get close to making decent profits on a game.
The other option is to work for other people/other companies. Then you can live off a salary or contract, and gain more experience while you’re at it.
If someone was focussed on making money as their main goal in life, I would not recommend game development as the chances of getting rich from it are slim for most. A lot of us do it on the side with another paying job, or in a company.
Also as the others mentioned it’s illegal to use student versions commercially.
As an aside, comparing indie game development to working at McDonald’s is hardly fair. If you have the skills and aptitude to develop games their are other fields that pay far more for the skills then fast food.
) for your artwork.