GETTING STARTED IN GAME DEVELOPMENT With Psychometric Studios Interactive, LLC Who We Are: • Making games and art that make a statement, make you think, and keep you entertained. • Make Your Cognitive Wheels Turn • Introductions So You Want to Make Games… • Getting Everything Legal • Be sure to talk with a lawyer and accountant! • Cost-effective websites to help you get started: • Legal Zoom • IRS.gov • Legal Match • Type of Business • Venture Capital Vs Crowd Funding Vs Personal Funding Building Your Team WORKING SOLO WORKING WITH A TEAM • Very difficult, but not • Easier to get everything impossible done • Full creative control • Sound boards to bounce • No time limits or ideas off deadlines unless you • Clashes may occur want them • Deadlines important! • Little accountability • Creative people with creative ideas! Picking Your Development Tool • Many options are available • Varying levels of difficulty • Coding experience may or may not be required • Costs vary, though many are free • Consider you and your team’s capabilities when deciding • Consider scalability and support Tips for Good Teamwork • Time constraints • However long you think something will take, triple that. And then double it to be sure. • Development time will shorten as you gain experience as a team. • “When your body says ‘I’m done,’ you’re only 40% done.” • Have fun, but be professional! • Above all, communicate! Easy Options GAMEMAKER: STUDIO STENCYL • 2D games • 2D Flash games • Little-to-no coding • Drag-and-drop required • Incredibly simple • Drag-and-drop • No coding required • Free version (w/ • Complex projects may watermark) available not be possible • Multiplayer games • “Building with LEGOs” • EX: Hotline Miami • EX: Impossible Pixel Medium Options RPG MAKER UNITY 3D • 2D role playing games • 2D and 3D games • Scripting only required • Code in C#, JS, or Boo for complex operations • Extensive asset store • Free with cheap (often • Free version available on sale for under $100) • Can develop on PC, pro version Mac, and Linux • Non-tradtional RPGs • Can make builds for just hard to do about any platform • EX: To the Moon • EX: Gone Home Hard Options UNREAL ENGINE CRYENGINE • 3D games • 3D games • Need to know C++ • Beautiful weather and • Now free with 5% environmental effects royalties after earning • Supports all major $3000/quarter platforms • Can build for just about • Need C++ knowledge anything anymore • Non-FPS titles difficult • Top-notch graphics • Royalty free, but costs • Easy debugging $50 - $150 per month • EX: Gears of War • EX: Crysis 3 Other Options • Cocos2D • Construct 2 • Marmalade • Game Salad • Source 2 • Lumberyard Other Useful Tools • Adobe Creative Cloud • Photoshop, Illustrator, and Audition will see heavy use • Create nearly every asset you’ll use • Blender • Open source tool useful for creating 3D models and textures • Slack, Trello, Skype, Dropbox, etc. • Keep your team connected and organized Fail Fasts: What Are They? • Quick games or projects • Don’t worry about it being a break-out hit • But if it is, that’s awesome! • Learning tools and experiences Quick Shot Art and Concepts Getting People Involved • Social Media Presence • Keep people interested with sneak peeks and information • Get involved with your fan base! • Networking • Get out there and socialize! • Make friends with others in the industry. They might have helpful tips! • Have Fun! Where to Find Us: • PsychometricStudios.com • Facebook.com/psychometricstudios • Twitter.com/psi_llc.