While I have tried to make "Game Design" my primary focus in earning an income to pay bills, rent, utilities and food, I have found that in doing so it is very difficult to "survive" while trying to make "games". I have done this for about 9 months and have been through Publisher negotiations, a successful Kickstater and to end it off a bomb of an IndieGoGo.
After all of that, I see "Game Design" as a "Hobby". An extra-curricular activity that could allow you to make a few bucks if you have an awesome design. But not a source of steady income.
In the next coming month, I will be switching activities to "perhaps" more lucrative use of my time. December will be a fresh start on yet another venture... Not "Game-related" at all. I figure if I'm going to try to do ventures with the hopes of having a success, now is the best time to do so... Otherwise I may regret not "trying".
I will continue to invest time in "Game Design" because I truly enjoy it. But again as a "Hobby". I really wish that I could make sufficient income to pay for my expenses... but to date that has been far from the case.
My advice to any "Game Designer" or would-be designers ... do it because you enjoy it but be aware that it is a very difficult industry to make any form of recurrent income... To me it has been shown to be more of a "exploratory" type of activity than a way of making sufficient income.
Best of luck(?!) to all of you and your designs.
Kristopher
Aka QuestCCG
"Indie" Game Designer
BGDF Moderator - Publisher List
I don't think my design skills are such that they allow me to design 6 games let alone per year. To be real honest, I was hoping ONE (1) design could make the difference... At let me be frank here, I do have an "Excellent" game that earn $42.5k on Kickstarter. The problem is that about $10k is paying the illustrator for artwork. So whatever we make, the publisher will absorb any monies left over because they invested in more artwork. And for me in 7+ months, people start GETTING their games.
What this means is a slow period between now and June/July.
August will be the litmus test... We will see gamers reaction to the game. While I have done both coached and blind playtesting and know that the "core" is a solid product... Not many people (relatively) have played the game. We have a few blind playtest groups and I demo at Cons too...
But 900+ backers getting a copy of the game and then RANKING the game on BGG is the next step for the game. We need to hear what gamers think about the game.
So maybe by next September we will have a better picture about how much of a HIT the game is... And then that will of course determine if we put out another KS for another "Expansion".
I can't picture "pumping-out" six (6) games a year. "TradeWorlds" has taken already like three (3) years and the public still don't have copies of the game - YET. So I don't think I have the capacity to pump out GREAT games at a volume of several games per year. One perhaps every 2-3 years MAYBE.
But thanks for your opinion and advice ... it was very informative!