I occasionally browse craigslist.org's ads from time to time, mostly the jobs and computer gigs section, to see what's going on out there in my city, and maybe see a project I could contribute to. From time to time, I see an ad like this. I have my own opinions, but I wanted to get some of yours while I was at it (primarily, so I don't end up making the same mistakes). I figured it's smart to learn from other experienced people's views in the industry.
Also, I don't mean to slander anyone or cause anyone negative feedback or saying "Let's make fun of this guy" (especially those with a serious proposition), so mods can delete or close this thread if necessary.
Seeking programmer to help develop new video game (montlake) Before you get too excited, I can't offer you any money. Yet. What I can offer is that if you help me develop this game, and we sell it, we will split the proceeds 50/50. I will put that in writing.
I am an artist working here in seattle and I have a great idea for a game I am really excited about.
The programming for it shouldn't be too hard. I don't want to get too specific about what the game is, but if you could program a game of 3D tetris (3D objects, collison detection, little to no animation) then you could probably do this. I will provide all the models, graphics, sound effects (I have a friend with a recording studio) and anything else on the creative side. All I need is someone to put it all together and make it run.
Please only respond if you think you can actually do this. There are plenty of people out there (I am friends with a few) who are pretty sure they could do it, but have never attempted anything like it and don't really have the free time to even get started. I would love to find someone who has made a game or two already and has an example they could show me. Free time is also a must. If you work 80 hours a week, you might not be right for this project.
If this sounds at all interesting, drop me a line. I can tell you more about the game and even show you a couple screencaps from Maya. I am not fooling around when I say I think this game could be HUGE. This could be your chance to become a millionaire.
My thoughts:
People get ideas for games all the time, it's those that have the ability to bring it to life that are successful (usually). I say, if you have a game idea and you aren't a programmer, try learning to program yourself and implement your idea. Don't expect someone to come along and do all the hard/grunt work for you. Even if your idea is "gold", then how do you plan on marketing it? What's your distribution model and who's your target audience?
Also, there are a few things I learned while attending small business seminars and reading gamedev business books and articles. One of the most common mistakes that people make is "falling in love with your idea". It can be a recipe for disaster if a developer has all of his hopes riding on one game. What if it isn't as popular as you thought it would be? What's your backup plan or exit strategy? Hoping to retire off of one game is not a realistic expectation either. It's alot of work that isn't guaranteed to pay off either.
This person may have a good idea or even reputable game dev skills and even a well written business plan, but that's not the vibe I'm getting. What are your thoughts?
Shogun.
