How to Survive in Gamedev for Eleven Years Without a Hit

แชร์
ฝัง
  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
  • In this 2016 GDC Talk, Grey Alien Games' Jake Birkett explains how to survive as an independent game developer without having a single hit game.
    GDC talks cover a range of developmental topics including game design, programming, audio, visual arts, business management, production, online games, and much more. We post a fresh GDC video every weekday. Subscribe to the channel to stay on top of regular updates, and check out GDC Vault for thousands of more in-depth talks from our archives.
    Follow us on Twitter
    / official_gdc
    Check out our Facebook page for GDC exclusives
    / gamedevelopersconference
    Visit our site: ubm.io/2ctNvqZ

ความคิดเห็น • 1.3K

  • @acousticcallum
    @acousticcallum ปีที่แล้ว +797

    That’s my dad :) and I’m at university studying game development and programming now. I doubt I’ll ever make a hit either but I’m inspired primarily by him to make games and I’m excited to see where it leads!

    • @felipeticov
      @felipeticov ปีที่แล้ว +57

      THIS IS SO WHOLESOME

    • @thecolorblue7427
      @thecolorblue7427 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      all i have to say is that your dad is a funny man and you should be proud of him

    • @blueoxel
      @blueoxel ปีที่แล้ว +11

      He is awesome person! Wish you luck!

    • @mobmob145
      @mobmob145 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Your dad is awesome
      Literally one of few people whom i benefited a lot starting indie game dev just hearing

    • @BrentMalice
      @BrentMalice ปีที่แล้ว +3

      wow i remember watching this when it came out and now your here. all of highschool and stuff went by for you i guess lmao hope your doin well fam. gl ♥

  • @Tanicorn
    @Tanicorn 3 ปีที่แล้ว +783

    "You're not special, nor is your game, you'll never ship a hit"
    Devs: *Cheers*

    • @SoraTheory
      @SoraTheory 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Yay

    • @jb-kx3rk
      @jb-kx3rk 2 ปีที่แล้ว +58

      its refreshing to hear someone closer to your level tell you the truth than someone who made it big feed you more bullshit

    • @kindatim1798
      @kindatim1798 2 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      It just makes me wanna fight harder

    • @InfinityDz
      @InfinityDz 2 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@jb-kx3rk they get the messiah syndrome, they think because they've succeeded every single thing they do is vindicted and justified, even the way they stir sugar in coffee

    • @3dbob891
      @3dbob891 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@InfinityDz if their games successes are continued it's justified

  • @TheCivildecay
    @TheCivildecay 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3085

    Actually hearing from people that didn't make it big gives me motivation :)

    • @victornaut
      @victornaut 7 ปีที่แล้ว +246

      They are more realistic and less magic oriented.

    • @surelock3221
      @surelock3221 7 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      But I want to believe in magic....

    • @DreadisDead
      @DreadisDead 7 ปีที่แล้ว +59

      Do you believe in Life after Love?

    • @surelock3221
      @surelock3221 7 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I believe in Life after League, League after Love, but no I do not subscribe to the notion of "Life after Love"

    • @onecouplequestioned
      @onecouplequestioned 7 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      I feel the same. It's some real talk, but it's also very inspiring in context to my own struggles.

  • @mikeandrews9944
    @mikeandrews9944 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2496

    nothing but respect for this guy. ESPECIALLY after hearing his reasons for not doing free to play.

    • @suito6116
      @suito6116 6 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      When did he speak about his reasons for not doing free to play?

    • @TeIperion
      @TeIperion 6 ปีที่แล้ว +107

      From 46:05 up to 46:35

    • @NickelCityPixels
      @NickelCityPixels 6 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      Yeah? You're cool with him adding back doors into his game?

    • @suito6116
      @suito6116 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanx! :)

    • @42Lailoken
      @42Lailoken 6 ปีที่แล้ว +143

      @NickelCityPixels
      I can't tell if you are kidding. You are aware that was a joke right?

  • @Chng30FsCenEry
    @Chng30FsCenEry 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1149

    This guy is a winner. He might not have had a hit, but he has all the characteristics of someone who has. Excellent speech, and not only for making video games!

    • @mao4324
      @mao4324 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      He needs to learn to stand in one place

    • @EnderTitan
      @EnderTitan 4 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      Ma O No, the cameraman should’ve considered zooming out.

    • @mao4324
      @mao4324 4 ปีที่แล้ว +42

      @@EnderTitan correcting myself.
      Standing and making a speech publicly is not EASY.

    • @vornamenachname594
      @vornamenachname594 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@mao4324 you didn't correct yourself. Your previous statement has nothing to do with difficulty

  • @BozydarSobczak
    @BozydarSobczak 7 ปีที่แล้ว +761

    Stories like that are so interesting. Big Success stories sounds like instructions how to win in a lottery - so usually are worthless.

    • @azinyefantasy4445
      @azinyefantasy4445 7 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      Bożydar Sobczak Most I'm rich videos nowadays " i took 100 dollars and bought a book/attended a seminar and now I make millions after 1-3 months of hard work. I published a book/hosted a seminar to explain the books I read/seminars I attended. Give me money"

    • @revimfadli4666
      @revimfadli4666 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      While a lot of them indeed made the most of very lucky opportunities presented to them, guide on how to exploit opportunities available to the common folk (& compensate for losses) would be much more widely applicable

  • @itsdylac
    @itsdylac 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1671

    Pan left.......pan right........pan left.........pan right........

    • @skypeon1
      @skypeon1 6 ปีที่แล้ว +92

      that triggered me a little bit. The speech was really good though. Respect the guy

    • @cznzmusic
      @cznzmusic 6 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      it gets better but my word was that hard to listen to at the start

    • @Azlorn
      @Azlorn 5 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      DylaC pan's labyrinth.

    • @joshrobbinsditto3055
      @joshrobbinsditto3055 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      TRIGGERED!!
      Nah, you need to put up a wall on both sides so you don't do that or something to lean on..
      Or maybe just do a wider shot..

    • @eaglenebula2172
      @eaglenebula2172 5 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      O C D hehe
      didn't even notice or got bothered by it

  • @aozgolo
    @aozgolo 7 ปีที่แล้ว +449

    Clicked this link thinking it was a short video, realized five minutes in it's almost an hour long.... ended up watching the whole thing anyway. Very interesting. I love to see real talk about the realities of being an indie game developer.

    • @rajeshi4
      @rajeshi4 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      lol same.. Some reason I thought it was 5 mins, but 50 minutes long! Great video though!

    • @PSProduktions
      @PSProduktions 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yuppp! Just did this right now 😅 very great talk!

    • @AkariInsko
      @AkariInsko 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Saw this comment five minutes in.

    • @Billcomesback
      @Billcomesback 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Same happened to me, lol just getting started, got some Blender and Unity Knowledge so far, and stioll going for more :3

    • @pedro2205pl
      @pedro2205pl 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Billcomesback excuse me, friend. Can i ask you for what purpose are you learning blender?

  • @Ashalar
    @Ashalar 5 ปีที่แล้ว +79

    I always looked down at the type of games Jake makes, but understanding the process he goes to as an independant developer really makes me respect those working in the field.

  • @pcccmn
    @pcccmn 4 ปีที่แล้ว +75

    Aside from being a successful game developer, he's a really good presenter. Never a dull moment in his speech.

  • @thejoblesscoder
    @thejoblesscoder 2 ปีที่แล้ว +126

    "Do not make decisions out of desperation"
    God that hit hard. One of the hardest lessons I've ever had to learn. Got a big old scar on my knee too because of making choices when I was desperate

    • @sean7221
      @sean7221 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      How did you get the scar, story time?

    • @thejoblesscoder
      @thejoblesscoder 2 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      @@sean7221 ohh. I guess if your interested I road a bike (or rather tried to ride a bike) with faulty brakes. Down a hill. I didn't make it very far before flying over the handle bars and smashing my knee into concrete. All because I had a job interview 15km away I planned to attend. Having 10 cents in you bank account kinda makes life hard. Can't afford food. Cant afford transit. Can't afford ambulance bills when you need to be rushed to the hospital. Being unemployed and desperate is brutal.

    • @catisthebest46
      @catisthebest46 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@thejoblesscoder how's life now. I hope it's good for ya

    • @thejoblesscoder
      @thejoblesscoder ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@catisthebest46 Its mostly meh. I found a gig job making furry porn games. It pays but not very much. Less than min wage so while I'm working and making money for once I also can't afford to live anywhere and hence am living with my parents. Maybe one day I will actually earn what I am worth. Or I'll just be stuck living with my parents until they eventually die.

    • @TezalTube
      @TezalTube ปีที่แล้ว

      @@thejoblesscoder What engine do you make these games on?

  • @requinremembers
    @requinremembers 3 ปีที่แล้ว +121

    It's now 2021 and I'd love an update on how he's doing. I'm not a developer at all, I'm one of those casual gamers who buy his games to play on pc. I'm a 58 year old woman; which is an important demographic for the types of games he makes. I was a member of BigFish for years (and so was my mother). I have several Grey Alien games including Unwell Mel which is an understated hilarious and fun match-3 game. Unfortunately I can no longer play match-3 games (due to dizziness issues) so I never bought any of his other match 3's. His original Fairway Solitaire is one of my all time favorites, it's sweet and simple and challenging. I return to it again and again (I"m so glad I still have it, as it's pretty much impossible to download anymore. There's a newer one called "Fairway" made by BigFish, which I can't stand, which sort of overtook the original, sadly.).
    I recently finished Regency Solitaire which I bought some time ago from BigFish. Then I got an email from Grey Alien about Ancient Enemy being on sale (that one is newer and isn't discussed in this talk). While looking around for that, I found out about Shadowhand. Long story short, I bought them both, and just started playing Shadowhand which is my first foray into the "RPG solitaire" type. Fun!
    I've always liked the idea of the husband/wife team of this developer and like supporting them. This talk solidifies those feelings and I'm proud to say I'm a long time supporter of Grey Alien games. Keep up the good work, Jake and Helen. --4/4/21

    • @mna226
      @mna226 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      Here is his most recent interview, posted about 2 weeks ago: th-cam.com/video/yBpXAEaWZT0/w-d-xo.html

    • @requinremembers
      @requinremembers 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@mna226 Thanks!!

    • @tigriscallidus4477
      @tigriscallidus4477 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      That was a great comment to read. Its great to read from people like you who like the work which is done. I hope you have a lot of fun in the future as well with games!

    • @requinremembers
      @requinremembers ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@tigriscallidus4477 Thank you! I'm glad you read and appreciated my comment. I still love Grey Alien Games!

    • @QuietPenguinGaming
      @QuietPenguinGaming ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Thanks for taking the time to comment! I really enjoyed hearing about your perspective :)

  • @AcidRP
    @AcidRP 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1383

    Geeze 11 years? I start shaking after 11 hours without a hit.

    • @2ndAveScents
      @2ndAveScents 6 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      Damn bruh, switch to subs.

    • @reke9942
      @reke9942 6 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      hahaha what??

    • @seditt5146
      @seditt5146 5 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      So unexpected... so awesome.

    • @BuNNDoGG
      @BuNNDoGG 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      K, so please list the hits. thanks

    • @BuNNDoGG
      @BuNNDoGG 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @Miguel Nobrega haha its legal now so I eat the stuff. Inhaled for literally 50 years and eating it is the way to go. Have fun.

  • @plume852
    @plume852 6 ปีที่แล้ว +64

    Man this dude rules. Hearing this guy talk actually gives me hope that this can be a realistic career without having to get a "lottery" hit.

  • @game2late518
    @game2late518 7 ปีที่แล้ว +585

    Excellent, excellent talk.
    Young Devs, learn from how this guy keeps it down to the facts and figures. Track your own work. Keep focus. Pick your battles.

    • @JakeBirkett
      @JakeBirkett 7 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      That's a good summary, thanks!

    • @game2late518
      @game2late518 7 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      Thank you, Jake.
      I used to be in management in videogames and I'm now contemplating moving into doing my own thing, although with more humble (yet rewarding) scale.
      Your talk was way more interesting and inspiring than the usual success cases, or crunch & burn stories.
      All the best

    • @JakeBirkett
      @JakeBirkett 7 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      Glad to hear it. Yeah that was the idea, to make people aware that indie dev rocks stars are rare, failures are very common, and that sustainability is a realistic goal (imho). Anyway, good luck!

    • @SnakeEater7771
      @SnakeEater7771 7 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      Mr. Birkett thank you for showing the reality of actually being an indie dev and not a shining indie rock star ;). I personally wanted to share with you (and other youtube folks) my personal indie gamedev look at things.
      I am a 24 year old guy who miserably failed to complete college after a full year of retrying exams and having to quit because it was taking too long (and too much money), the thought of not having a degree (I was gonna become a software engineer) and thus not being able to find a job for myself was very very depressing.
      Now the irony is, while I was still in College, I was starting out in gamedev, I was worried gamedev would ruin College but.... College ruined College, with layoffs and all the abusive people taking the high chairs, making it hell for everyone.
      At the same time I was headbutting against College, I was pursuing gamedev further and further, I have managed to release two niche shoot-em'ups on Steam so far (Zenohell and Zenodyne R).
      We all work on equal shares and in total our "company" has made around $10k revenue since October 2015, fortunately we all have jobs (outside me, my misfortune or fortune depending on how you look at it, is that I have a disability fund due my diabetes and schizophrenia, that's how I keep bills paid).
      Many have questioned my style of game development, as in sticking as low as possible in the budget department, I personally do most of the work in my team, I do all the gameplay programming, I often draw the missing art elements my artist can't do properly like backgrounds.
      I love to keep it as low budget as possible, I love to keep the scope small but try to make a better game each time in that small scope. In total we have only spent $300 on our stuff, $100 for Steam Greenlight fee and $200 for the tools. Those teammates are also currently my best friends too ;).
      WE are currently in process of releasing a smaller shoot-em'up (intended for quick coffee breaks) called Fire Arrow Plus, by that I mean we are going through Valve verification stuff. And we are in process of making two shmups both stated for 2017, completely different from each other because our goal is to try to make something different with each product.
      I'm not saying no to making more mainstream games eventually. Infact i'm busy learning C#/Unity and C++/UnrealEngine right now and got myself Udemy courses on them to speed it up. Because one day i'll probably branch out into other genres.
      Either way, your talk has inspired me to share my gamedev story :) thank you so much!

    • @JakeBirkett
      @JakeBirkett 7 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Thanks for sharing! Those games look cool, I love old-skool Shoot 'em ups. I just bought the bundle. Well good luck with your next games. I look forward to seeing them.

  • @marcelopotty5218
    @marcelopotty5218 5 ปีที่แล้ว +136

    Me 1 hour ago: "I won't see all the video, just 5 minutes"
    me, now: "4:00 am and gotta go to college tomorrow, this was worth it."

    • @zacksima8333
      @zacksima8333 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Marcelo Potty *today, also it’s 6am right now

    • @mt401_
      @mt401_ 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      This is so true 😂

  • @USBEN.
    @USBEN. 7 ปีที่แล้ว +259

    When we realizes that not everybody can be that 'guy' who made millions of dollars with his game overnight , thats when we can actually get things in perspective and work on getting practical results , pretty much what the guy talked about in the video .
    This was an amazing talk and this seriously helped me manage my expectations for my future and so i gotta work to thrive, whilst making that hit ;D .
    This is ! the reality of the industry and i can say this applies to other industries as well .
    Thanks to everybody involved in the making of this video , it is inspiring , honest and powerful .

    • @rykehuss3435
      @rykehuss3435 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Its true but he never even tried to make a hit, instead went for a less riskier route. I doubt he dreamed about making match-3 and solitaire games.

  • @Lsalvatore
    @Lsalvatore 7 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    The first talk in a while I can remember that I watched the entire thing + the questions, thanks so much for your story. Every year for the past 4 years I have built a prototype and worked on it for so long and failed because I was maintaining a full-time programming job, and because I was trying to re-invent a new type of game. You made the right move by making match 3 games because people will always want to play match 3 games as much as every gamedev wants to deny their existence. You seemed to know very early on that platformer/physics type adventures take orders of magnitude longer than simpler games. I have finished a Blackjack card game this year and while making it multiplayer was tricky as hell it was definitely less stressful to build something that already has a proven loop for the player.. best of luck on your blockbuster hit Jake!

    • @JakeBirkett
      @JakeBirkett 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Thanks! And best of luck with your endeavours.

  • @dogzer
    @dogzer 7 ปีที่แล้ว +568

    Very inspiring! To me this guy is a complete success.

    • @edgeisloveedgeislife5439
      @edgeisloveedgeislife5439 5 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      100%, most game developers have no idea whatever the fuck they did right except made a good game and being able to stay happy/surviving in a flooded market is a better achievement, cause it shows a consistency of quality.

    • @fossforever512
      @fossforever512 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yeah my life goal is to be able to make enough money from a normal job to have a good amount of savings all the while making games in my free time until I can ideally live off of the games and then quit and just make games and chill forever

    • @PedroPauloMota
      @PedroPauloMota 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@fossforever512 preach 😌🙌 I'm just now figuring out that I'll be on that path and it already feels good.

  • @Kagarin05
    @Kagarin05 7 ปีที่แล้ว +253

    This video was just randomly suggested to me, and i ended up watching all of it practically! Great speaker with good insight for anyone whos thought of being a game dev

    • @quantum5661
      @quantum5661 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      yeah, same thing here

    • @strebicux6174
      @strebicux6174 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      same, 3 years later

  • @coolgamer936132
    @coolgamer936132 5 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    huge respect for this guy. at first i scoffed at the match-three stuff he showed but after watching i appreciate what he has done, how he has done it and why he does it. not everyone needs or even wants to be a big game dev

  • @frankbraker
    @frankbraker 5 ปีที่แล้ว +62

    Best advertisement for moving to Canada I have ever heard.

  • @kirinkappa5662
    @kirinkappa5662 7 ปีที่แล้ว +256

    Well Spent 1 hour of my life. Thanks.

    • @ItsOvaNinethousnd
      @ItsOvaNinethousnd 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Haha! lol if you wouldnt have mentioned that i propably wouldnt have even noticed that and watched the whole thing! now im off, bye.

    • @FortWhenTeaThyme
      @FortWhenTeaThyme 6 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      +ItsOvaNinethousnd Good riddance.

  • @johniwueke483
    @johniwueke483 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    As an indie game developer. If i could speak to this guy throughout my game development journey, i believe ill be a success. Hes got a whole lot of knowledge.

  • @prayertsuu5545
    @prayertsuu5545 4 ปีที่แล้ว +265

    As an artist myself, it's good to hear that we have some value for once hahaha.

    • @epokal1
      @epokal1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      you should give credit to yourself more, without you, a game would just be text

    • @afroyed3295
      @afroyed3295 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@epokal1
      that's a bit of a stretch
      a dev can make a game by himself but not a designer

    • @slicingcucumber6504
      @slicingcucumber6504 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@afroyed3295 maybe a talented designer also can make a game since there is new technology for non scripting engine

    • @jmanpolo5611
      @jmanpolo5611 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@slicingcucumber6504 every engine.. uses some sort of scripting...

    • @JohnSmith-ox3gy
      @JohnSmith-ox3gy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@jmanpolo5611
      Not every,we live in a post-scratch world. As much as it may pain you, there is a plethora of ways to make games without writing a single line of code yourself.

  • @ladaniva2012
    @ladaniva2012 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    After watching indie game the movie, this was exactly what my thoughts were, "Great and motivational to see the successes but what about the failures along the way?"
    Thank you for sharing this side of the coin too, and... Respect man, nothing but respect.

  • @insomniopolis
    @insomniopolis 5 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Great talk. Not glamorous or hard-hitting, just a realistic examination of his career. He's had understandable failures and maybe a few regrets, but on the whole a reasonable amount of success and longevity. Good analysis of how he consistently found ways to achieve his goals by adapting, improving and gearing for the long haul. Makes it feel attainable to have a modest career as an indie games creator without selling your soul.

  • @merc0polo
    @merc0polo 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    shout outs to the guy working the camera trying to track him as he constantly paces back and forth LOL

  • @hakusansaku8800
    @hakusansaku8800 7 ปีที่แล้ว +60

    At 46:40 there's a question "why did you develop 3 match 3 games?".
    He said: for every game you can only realize a fraction of possible features.
    So every game which uses the engine is a place to add features which
    did not made it to the last game.
    I think it's a good way to improve on game mechanics. I've played many games
    which only had one or two installments. I always though "what if the dev had
    add this or that? the game would be much more interesting".

    • @Kshesho
      @Kshesho 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      You know, that's one of the reasons I became a game developer. I would have moments like that all the time. But if it's your game you can actually do something about it! It's an amazing feeling.

  • @Chris190e
    @Chris190e 7 ปีที่แล้ว +162

    Love the videos, but @GDC can you please convert the audio to mono on the videos with stereo issues, listening on headphones gets ... interesting somtimes

    • @Superku
      @Superku 7 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      ^ This, please.

    • @Chris190e
      @Chris190e 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @MrBorderdown No you can't.... but please prove me wrong with regards to Win10, I had to install a 3rd party application.

    • @ratelslangen
      @ratelslangen 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      No you can't. Windows is a fucking dipshit.

    • @Poldovico
      @Poldovico 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Wait, really? I mean I can make my headphones do it I think, but... really?

    • @AndreiDanescu
      @AndreiDanescu 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      my ears wept in joy ... thank you guy/gal

  • @cznzmusic
    @cznzmusic 6 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    An excellent, realistic talk. One of the things I have seen whilst studying for my Msc is that young people aspiring to be GameDevs are not taught about the struggle of 'making it'. Whenever we get industry guest speakers it is rather brutal yet eye opening in regards to the likely hood of being successful. . Keep going, creativity is not a race.

  • @Thornsworks
    @Thornsworks 7 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    Wow what an englightening talk.
    Its great to see this realistic talk being given, and the humor really allowed for everything to be taken kind of light heartedly but with a knowledgable undertone.
    I had no idea that there was such a market for casual PC games (even if it is dying now).

    • @jamescpalmer
      @jamescpalmer 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      It's not dying mate.

    • @JakeBirkett
      @JakeBirkett 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Specifically casual games on PC are dying as the players moved to phone and F2P games. But general PC gaming is doing fine.

  • @PurpleFreezerPage
    @PurpleFreezerPage 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I've only watched the first 3 minutes of this but I really really wish more influences in creative fields spoke like this guy. Being realistic is so much better for your health and happiness- and the longevity of your hobby/career.

  • @tuanseattle
    @tuanseattle 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    If you make enough to be living comfortably while not having a boss, doing what you want, that is already success.

  • @khandarwilliam5439
    @khandarwilliam5439 7 ปีที่แล้ว +137

    we need more reality checks like this

  • @SiGhast
    @SiGhast 7 ปีที่แล้ว +64

    Dude's a natural comedian. Will be rewatching this one for the entertainment value alone (unless I die before I get to it), no question.

  • @bustabenson
    @bustabenson 7 ปีที่แล้ว +69

    I don't make games, or generally sit through hour long youtube videos, but that was fascinating. Thanks Jake!

  • @dani4ever
    @dani4ever 7 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I've been gaming for two decades now, I never tried to get into developing and I don't intend to ever do it, but I absolutely love GDC Talks, they're amazing and make me fall even more in love with the medium and the people behind it.

  • @MrHomeu98
    @MrHomeu98 7 ปีที่แล้ว +200

    ok i'm putting pumpkin in my game now

    • @MrHomeu98
      @MrHomeu98 7 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      gold pumpkin?

    • @JakeBirkett
      @JakeBirkett 7 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Fuck YEAH! Why didn't I think of this?

    • @Chng30FsCenEry
      @Chng30FsCenEry 7 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Gold pumpkins that burst candy!

    • @toadd
      @toadd 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      And getting a cat

    • @jbdbibbaerman8071
      @jbdbibbaerman8071 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      A cat that must find a gold pumpkin to use as a candy basket.

  • @invntiv
    @invntiv 7 ปีที่แล้ว +75

    This was a fantastically inspirational speech. Regency Solitaire and the new game Shadowhand seem to be in an entirely different league, and Shadowhand actually looks really really interesting from a more "game mechanic" and style perspective, compared to the Match-3 genre that dominated his body of work. I would have to point out though that a large majority of his work seems to be in a different sect of gaming than I am used to. Most of these games, as he pointed out, were for "casual gamers". I would really like to know how well this information translates to developers who are making games for less casual game audiences.

    • @lunardust201
      @lunardust201 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I know my wife would love Regency Solitaire, she loves Pride & Prejudice and French art styles

    • @JakeBirkett
      @JakeBirkett 7 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      It's on sale on Steam RIGHT NOW! ;-)

    • @Poldovico
      @Poldovico 7 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      My guess (just a gamer's guess) is for the less casual crowd you probably either need production value through the roof or some serious innovation, which while requiring all of the dedication and love for one's craft, also requires you to be gifted with either the right eureka moment at the right time or the type of money that indies can only dream of.
      I mean, we as gamers are spoiled senseless right now. This is the golden age.

    • @JakeBirkett
      @JakeBirkett 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      yeah "lightening in a bottle" basically.

    • @efxnews4776
      @efxnews4776 5 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Remember what he talk about artists?
      People usualy are afraid to pay artists, but some of the best indie games, relly heavily on art style, thats why i, that work whit digital art, start to learn how to make games, to me is a logical path, and is always good for any developer had an artist around.

  • @fakenate2414
    @fakenate2414 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Coming back to this video just to address some stuff. The first being I really appreciate this guy for sharing how he managed to survive as an indie dev for over a decade, as the unfortunate truth is many indie devs fail (being an indie dev is a business at the end of the day, and most businesses fail). The second being that whether or not you like the games he develops is irrelevant, he made games that kept him financially stable by sticking to reality instead of reaching for the sky and having his wings melted off just like many other indie devs (even then his games seemed fine to me, but I like match 3 games since I find them relaxing). The third being that he never gave up, even when things seemed bleak, and that's my favorite takeaway from this video.

  • @GamerMuscleVideos
    @GamerMuscleVideos 5 ปีที่แล้ว +504

    MY GOD THE CAMARA MOVING LEFT AND RIGHT IS POSSIBLY THE MOST ANNOYING THING I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN LIFE! - great talk though

    • @lucketvids
      @lucketvids 5 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      Right? Why didn't he just zoom out

    • @ninjavivy
      @ninjavivy 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      i got used to it after 30 minutes lol

    • @MrGencyExit64
      @MrGencyExit64 5 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Try listening to this with headphones. There's more than just the camera moving. It needs to be mono!

    • @daltonbedore8396
      @daltonbedore8396 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      CAMERA WINKLED. didn't ecpect to see the Muscle around here

    • @jnevercast
      @jnevercast 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@MrGencyExit64 Windows 10? Type "Mono audio" in to Start Menu, click the option, turn it on :)

  • @vasred4265
    @vasred4265 7 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I love how he quoted Jeff Vogel, who made my favourite RPG games when I was younger! (Geneforge)

    • @JakeBirkett
      @JakeBirkett 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Jeff later told me that he didn't come up with that (just used it) and it's a quote from someone else, but I can't remember who.

  • @redfin382
    @redfin382 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I really can't believe someone made a good living from remaking match 3 games...like that blows my mind. I'm glad he stuck with it and was able to make a living doing what he loves.

  • @nikbates23
    @nikbates23 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    Great talk but I can't get over the fact this dude risked his family financial security to make match 3 clone games

    • @TESkyrimizer
      @TESkyrimizer ปีที่แล้ว +1

      no hit wonder instead

  • @shanehoustein
    @shanehoustein 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    "in order to be authenticate in the games that you create, you need to connect to something in yourself"
    True. And not just in game development, but every aspect of life.

  • @Kabra2012
    @Kabra2012 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I needed this. I don't really have any aspirations to be super rich or "successful" - I just love to make games, and committing fully to it without needing a day job to survive is all that I really want.

  • @ferdowsurasif
    @ferdowsurasif 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    When I feel depressed, I always return to this talk

  • @joshmnky
    @joshmnky 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Why do I watch this twice a year? Better watch it again to figure it out.

  • @godslilhelper
    @godslilhelper 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    how one of my favorite talks, it really shows what the long game is and coming out of the struggles. What a journey best of luck and what an awesome talk.

  • @SheldonEls
    @SheldonEls 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    That talk was just amazing. Congratulations sticking with it for so long, you rock!

  • @RichardDavey
    @RichardDavey 7 ปีที่แล้ว +79

    Great, honest, talk.

  • @Blu3W4r10Ck
    @Blu3W4r10Ck 7 ปีที่แล้ว +58

    Definitely one of the top talks so far. Ty :)

  • @MetalHorrorGamer
    @MetalHorrorGamer 7 ปีที่แล้ว +289

    i respect this guy. shit i might go buy that spooky game

  • @Mythricia1988
    @Mythricia1988 7 ปีที่แล้ว +104

    Fantastic talk! Really interesting even though a fair amount of it was confirmation of things I already suspected. As someone trying to make their first game, there's a lot of stuff to take note of here. Especially the idea that your first game probably won't be fantastic, no matter how passionately you might believe so at the time of making it. But regardless of that, just getting it out of the door, one way or another, is important.

  • @SephonDK
    @SephonDK 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    The wife cooperation is so wholesome.

  • @yaronlevy
    @yaronlevy 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Was watching some Mass Effect Andromeda vids, and got here just by wondering, and stayed for the whole lecture. I have nothing to do with indie game development, but as a mobile/web developer, I got really inspired.

  • @artbyrobot1
    @artbyrobot1 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Jake Birkett, you are a god among men. Great attitude, great businessman, great inspiration. Keep showing people how to live their dream man! You rock!

  • @metimes8256
    @metimes8256 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Well if u didnt only make casual candy crushes maybe u would have made it

    • @TESkyrimizer
      @TESkyrimizer ปีที่แล้ว +5

      dude actually is doing better than 80% of gamedevs making games with actual gameplay and im actually kinda mad cuz these solitaire-match3 addicts are insane forking 15 bucks per title when Hollow Knight is an infinitely superior product for the same price
      ive seen so many gamedev channels release games make almost no money and this guy is literally beating them while making match3 games
      i hate it lmaoooooo

  • @gimpinmypants
    @gimpinmypants 6 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    What a great talk. I appreciated the frankness, especially about money. I imagine Birkett's 11-year experience of what to do and not to do is invaluable to any game dev that's just starting out. Great, great speaker.

  • @TranquillShot
    @TranquillShot 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This was both incredibly informative and just downright hilarious!
    I love it, going to share it everywhere!

  • @Kagarin05
    @Kagarin05 7 ปีที่แล้ว +32

    this guy was a good speaker

  • @zonisr
    @zonisr 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I come back to this talk every once in a while, and it really keeps me going. Thanks.

  • @StupidSystemus
    @StupidSystemus 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Once in a while I rewatch this talk on my downtime. It's the best GDC Talk I've seen and what made me subscribe to this channel.

  • @behindthescenes3396
    @behindthescenes3396 5 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    This is so true!!! I just finished a game I spent the last 3 years developing and just barely made $600.
    Absolutely loved creating it, but definitely not something you get into for the money.

    • @tsuobachi
      @tsuobachi 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I hope you're still making games. :)

    • @joshuacarter5259
      @joshuacarter5259 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Might I ask what your game was called?

    • @mikeylovespizza4012
      @mikeylovespizza4012 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I think it’s fun as side job or hobbies. It’s difficult to make a living supporting family.

    • @Deathconjust
      @Deathconjust 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Lucky you haha. I was in the same boat, 3 years of development, but I made 4$.

  • @estevanphillips6889
    @estevanphillips6889 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This to me is one of the most valuable and entertaining talks from GDC, thanks for uploading, and thanks for your presentation!

  • @MrMunch360
    @MrMunch360 7 ปีที่แล้ว +116

    lol that camera

    • @TheLordStuff
      @TheLordStuff 7 ปีที่แล้ว +50

      sometimes it looks like the camera tells the guy where to go ^^

    • @MSTRCMDR
      @MSTRCMDR 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      i had the same impression

    • @paulb4334
      @paulb4334 6 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      They could have zoomed out a bit and give the guy some breathing room to move

    • @sultanaljuhani1571
      @sultanaljuhani1571 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I think. It's the video editing softwere

    • @snooks5607
      @snooks5607 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      kinda gave me anxiety in the beginning as I was expecting whoever's doing it to fail, but then realized it was a cropped wider angle video that had automated face tracking done in post. funny how understanding something like that allows your mind to forget it and concentrate on the talk.

  • @DoctorMGL
    @DoctorMGL 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    i feel sorry for the camera man .. but this guy was the best talker i've seen in GDC and funniest one :D
    his tips was really helpful to understand what the person can go through when he enter such market
    tips like this from someone who suffer to make his way alone and waste part of his life to learn this experience and give it to us is Gold

  • @photoallergic
    @photoallergic 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This is such an important talk. Apart from the message and rich experience he shares, the delivery is golden, too. Quite a talent!

  • @Sentinello
    @Sentinello 6 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I love that he quoted Jeff Vogel. Exile and its sequels are the main reason I considered making games of my own.

  • @dowdayjing8442
    @dowdayjing8442 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This talk was great. I don't develop games but so many of these points generalize into any independent endeavor so they still inspire my own efforts. Best wishes to you man!

  • @lunardust201
    @lunardust201 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    This is one of the best GDC talks I've seen so far

  • @King_Nugget1
    @King_Nugget1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    As someone who had been on and off working on game projects for years never to actually release anything, this has inspired me to collect some ideas, and scale down the size of a few of my older abandoned projects and release them with a smaller content base and work on improving until I get the end goal I originally was shooting for on my first release of each idea.

  • @info781
    @info781 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    What a wonderful speech. This is real life for most of us, who want to work on things we like, even if you are not a game developer, his themes are universal.

  • @denizorsel1029
    @denizorsel1029 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    One of the most inspiring speeches over the subject. Truly amazing. 2nd time watching from start to finish.

  • @tehspent
    @tehspent 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    as someone who has been trying to do this since he was in middle school and now finally making the complete jump (11 years later), i really appreciate everything in this talk. thanks Jake!

  • @jonathanqiao2879
    @jonathanqiao2879 4 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    “thankfully we live in canada, which has health care, those of you in the US ... unbelievable “

  • @DavidAddis
    @DavidAddis 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    What a great talk, very amusing, very informative... both real-world scary and quite reassuring (ultimately). Good work Jake and well done for not giving up.

  • @nocableoj1221
    @nocableoj1221 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks for taking the time to do this talk!

  • @metafuel
    @metafuel 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    One of the best GDC talks I've experienced. Great message. Salute to this man!

  • @Xonatron
    @Xonatron 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Jake, thank you for sharing this with us all!

  • @NearlySurrounded
    @NearlySurrounded 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Thank you for offering an insightful, down-to-earth speech on a topic that frightens those of us that are new to game development.

  • @chrisgsauce
    @chrisgsauce 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great talk, very informative! Good questions from the audience as well. Thanks for posting.

  • @shieldgeneratorviigaming6415
    @shieldgeneratorviigaming6415 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This was very insightful and enough to finally make me start small. Thanks for this
    (also, I just happen to be listening to this a year after it was posted)

  • @baltsosser
    @baltsosser 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I love hearing his very honest experiences on working independently as well as understanding the rhythm of life occasionally requires reevaluation and adjustment. I've worked for others, and independently. While there is a money difference between the two I will take working independently first over working for someone else.

  • @StiffAftermath
    @StiffAftermath 7 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Fantastic fellow! Glad I watched this! Really good insight!

  • @TheOrian34
    @TheOrian34 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Blown away by how good this talk is. Lots of good advice and smartness!

  • @soobsessedwithcats
    @soobsessedwithcats 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    such a cool dude. this talk really motivated me to start making my own games as well since i want to combine the things i love to do (drawing, making music, gaming , programming). university kinda sucks and doesn't feel right for a long time, which is why i'd want to quit but it's scary...so im hesistant, need some time to think about it. thanks man!!

  • @PopsiclesInMyCellar
    @PopsiclesInMyCellar 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    46:03 Excellent question, even better answer!

  • @SolarLune
    @SolarLune 7 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Yeah, great talk. Really useful, "basic" info - Jake seems like a really nice guy. Great work!

  • @briandecker8403
    @briandecker8403 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    One of the best talks to date - I really appreciate the perspective of the situation that most of us are in.

  • @reke9942
    @reke9942 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Man the crown were really supportive in this talk. Every crowd should be like this

  • @BlackVirtue
    @BlackVirtue 7 ปีที่แล้ว +35

    That man deserves much respect for his view on abusing human psychology to get money out of them.

    • @AdamsOlympia
      @AdamsOlympia 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Isn't that the basis for pretty much any business in a market economy? Convincing people to buy your stuff! Doing things to appeal to consumers. Wow, sounds devious when you frame it as "abusing human psychology" ... Makes me sound like a monster for setting up a lemonade stand for thirsty hot passers-by when I was a kid. I abused their psychological dependence on sugar and their deep seated instinct to stay hydrated.

    • @BlackVirtue
      @BlackVirtue 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@AdamsOlympia no, you abused people’s compassion towards a kid trying something. Nobody needs your shitty lemonade.

  • @ArchmageRises
    @ArchmageRises 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Thank you so much for telling it like it is. We need more of this.

  • @bigtyo14
    @bigtyo14 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I am currently on the almost exact same position as him on his low. I'm glad i found this video recommended by youtube.
    Thank you so much for sharing.

  • @mikeylovespizza4012
    @mikeylovespizza4012 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This is by far the best game development video from a business standpoint. I can relate to this as I released a game last year and started to see significant increase in traffic this year. Social media is great way to promote game and also adding social elements to game increase the lifespans of it.

  • @rgaryfugate
    @rgaryfugate 7 ปีที่แล้ว +64

    Great speaker!

  • @mrtiff99
    @mrtiff99 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Only just discovered this in 2019. Fantastic talk.

  • @Jacket430
    @Jacket430 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Fantastic talk. Lot of respect for Jake. Pure tenacity. It was super interesting hearing about why he didn't want to do free-to-play, he seems to have his heart set on making good games, not just selling a bunch of units.

  • @TMDStudios
    @TMDStudios 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Good stuff! This is the most interesting GDC talk I've seen