Guys, I can't wait to read all your comments about the moment you knew you wanted to and COULD do game dev. Was it a game that made you realize this? Lets hear it!
The moment that really really made me want to be a game dev was when i was in deep depression and really was giving up on everything , I did code things around and miss around in Godot engine but never really committed , at a random night my friend approached me and give me a copy of Elden ring and told me to download the multiplayer , I did so thinking i have nothing to lose , it will be just few days and just another game , for my shock the first night we played , we spent 13 straight hours , i nearly forgot to go to my classes , the amount of joy and excitement i felt while playing that game , it give me a reason to wake up everyday , to look forward to another time , and I whole heartedly felt alive again , i played a total of 140-148 hours in one week , finished the game 4-5 times with different builds and different styles , at one point while we were in discord after killing the Elden beast with my friend , I started crying and I told him thank you for recommending the game and for playing with me , from that moment i felt that holy moly do games can breath in life to people , inspire and push them further and since i have been wanting to reach people and help out , and i love gaming so much , It just felt natural to me to want to do my best in it and create games that brings joy to people and push them forward , I dont know how far i will be able to make it , but I truly pray that i can do it for until i die and not suffer , I pray i would make enough money to keep working on it and make more and more amazing things that would push people and bring them joy in this harsh world ! Thank you for this amazing question
I used to be a college instructor and nothing was more satisfying than watching students make the switch from wanting to make games to being able to make games. It's always funny how excited they get over the little wins early on (and rightly so!) but especially when - even nearing the end of their program - they will still say "I can't wait to be a game dev" and I have to remind them that they've already been making them for several months and they already technically already ARE game devs. The look of realization is priceless. 😆While I know what they mean when they say that, I think the belief that there is this line you eventually cross where you're a "real" dev is not a thing. Get in there, make stuff, let it be bad until it's good - that's game dev.
The reason I wanted to make games is I grew up during the original NES days. And I used to stay glued to the TV playing game after game after game and for me, it was solace. It was like being emersed in a world away from our world for a while and going on an adventure. And yes, the stories, the graphics, the fun was inspiring and all just made me say that one day, I'm going to make games. As was said in the video above, making games is the ULTIMATE way to tell stories and and let people EXPERIENCE them too. Plus, when I was a kid, I used to create game ideas. I had the game ideas well thought out and I used to send my game ideas to Nintendo LOL. They never made any of my games. So thus, I decided that I was eventually going to make those games myself. As a kid, I too used to draw, write stories. In fact, I used to sit in the back of the classroom again drawing game ideas. I'm also a musician. In fact, my major in college was Music Education. I could attribute my interest in music going back to the Super Nintendo playing games like Zelda and Contra Wars on the Super Nintendo with the symphonic sounds. Plus, I enjoy learning. So, I decided to take all of those talents that I garnered over they years and put them together and learned game dev. Plus, interestingly, it was fun learning how programming too. So, as I learned game dev, from then on it has been the ultimate way I tell stories. If I had a job I didn't like? LOL I'd make a game about it. If there was a story that I wanted to tell about ANYTHING, I'd put it in a game. I also remember in one of my college courses, we had a group project. And instead of turning in a paper like my professor originally asked, I made a game about the subject that answered all of my professor's questions. We played the game in class, and everybody including my professor thought it was awesome and I got my entire group a BIG A + on the assignment. And I enjoyed the whole process of creating that. So, making games is just what I truly enjoy; it's one of my ultimate mediums of expressions. Plus, it's SUPER fun and these are reasons that I pursued game dev. For me, it's not about the money; even though it would be AWESOME if I did make money. But, it's always been about me having fun and the fact that I simply just love videos games thanks to all of the games that I played when I was a kid and even some games I play TODAY too!
When I was around 10-11 years old, I was obsessed with Final Fantasy 7 and Metal Gear Solid. They weren't the first games to tell stories, but they presented stories in such a cinematic way. I wanted to tell stories through video games like those games did.
oh my god! the moment I read the title, then see the thumbnail, I felt amazing, I mean 4 years before I got into game dev for the game you used for the thumbnail! yeah, Hyper Light Drifter is the game that made me feel I can make games too, and it always felt great.
I made games to tell stories, I have some characters, ideas, storylines, worlds that I've tried to put on paper for years. I tried novels, comics, but none of those worked, well not until I tried to tell stories by games. I felt some unique weird charisma of telling stories by playing game. The storyline doesn't proceed by pages or lines, it continued as you progress, player's input is the one who lead the story to the end, it doesn't mean you control it, or you watch it, it's "experienced" it. Experience, is the kind of memory that won't fade away easily.
I’ve wanted to make games since I was little but gave up on that dream after seeing for myself how much time and dedication it took. I decided to give it another shot after getting burnt out on gaming in general so I could stay connected to the hobby and this video is kinda reassuring to see. It’s gonna be a long, painful journey, but I know in the end it’ll be worth it.
As long as you keep learning, and finding your why, the rest will fall into place, at least it did for me. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy, it rarely is actually lol, but it means it’ll have the biggest impact on you. Game jams are a great way to learn and flex the game dev muscle. Thank you for being here!
Honstly ... My Click moment that tolds me that i'm gonna make games , is that I enjoyd the feelings that it deliverd to me as a person when playing games! even when I tried Game dev for the first time , the excitment of making stuff happen or move in the screen was Amaizing ! I loved it ❤ I just hope My dream come true some day , and I will finish the nightmare of reality with a good story to tell my self before I pass Away...
im spending 10-15 years of my life to make a game like bandersnatch. i started this to make a game to help people realize how much their choices matter in life, and now i quietly and slowly toil away at it every chance i get.
From the first time I played Lemmings on my amiga 600, I knew I wanted to learn how to program. The combination of art, programming and story in games never gets old. I mostly do hobbyist game development but I really love it.
I went to school and got a BS in Audio Production thinking I was going to work in/start my own studio. Had one game audio class, loved it, and decided I wanted to pursue game audio. Couldn't find anything to work on after college, saw that UE4 had blueprints (cuz I didn't know or want to know anything about programming) so I followed a small tutorial to make a zelda game so I could make and implement my own audio stuff and build a portfolio that way. I had way more fun making the game that I never even did the audio part which was the original goal. Amd I've been learning game dev ever since
this videos speaks to me and i love how you gone through every steps of when realised you can do this and why you want to make games is just awesome. for me my wake up moment is when revisited the old school games from the nes to ps1 and arcade games, where games we're truly games, where there's no dlc, no microtransaction...you have a full fledge game that is in the disk or cartridge, plus the actual feel of playing the games, with lovely pixel art, wonderful chiptune music, and the simplicity of controls. it just speaks to and that's when i realised i want to make games. but like you stated: I had no clue of how to make games, no programming, pixel, and music knowledge. i had to go to collage to learn the basics. but the moment when i realised that i know i could do this, was when i've played cross cade, an awesome retro inspired rpg game. I was just drawn by the awesome visualisation of pixel art the colour pallet for the players, npc, environment, and ui. the peaceful melody when traversing different zones, and the story was in depth and it keeps playing wanting to know the main hero's story and how she's different to the game. that was that moment when i think to myself: "I know i can do this, and i know i want to make games" as for why i want to make game. i want make games where it's just games, like i stated in my wake up moment, where games we're made as a whole, no dlc, no microtransaction or season pass, just the whole game, that's what i love about games and that's why i want to make them. plus making fun game with awesome stories, though i'm learning to write stories, it would be awesome to just make awesome stories.
YESS, the NES, Super NES, Genesis and the original PlayStation were some of the best days of gaming!! That's where I got my start. And it's the era that inspired me to learn game dev. Retro is my favorite era. Yes, games were about instant action, instant immersion, and games were completed when we got them. And with games like Mega Man, Metroid, Double Dragon, even Sonic and Streets of Rage, one could never forget the music too. I also appreciate the days where all games on consoles were PHYSICAL copies!! Today, with most games being digital, it feels like we're renting SOME of those games; as we could turn our consoles on and find that a game that we were playing has suddenly become unavailable. Such didn't exist back in the retro gaming days.
Love this. Really just wanting to make games to make games. Growing up in the time was really special, and I hope you succeed and bring that era back! You got this!
I remember when I got Game Maker and an image I drew started responding to my inputs. It was magical. Still is. As a kid, I used to sketch out ideas for games. Now, tools exist that can make that childhood dream a reality. *And yes, to telling stories! I've ALWAYS been about telling stories!
My moment was when I was 13 years old and played Quake III with my brother and he told me you can make mods with it. Then he showed me the level editor (GTK Radiant) and a few written tutorials, he found on the web. This was the spark and then I knew I had to make games. :)
I feel like there was a generation of developers that started with level editors. Super interesting, but its cool that you got to share that with your brother. Thanks for being here!
That’s crazy! Part of my wake up moment was the fact that cave story was made by 1 person too 😭😭. I like recently played that game like several months ago. But yeah, I’ve been trying my hand at gamedev for the past year but none of it really stuck to me. Recently tried again like a couple days after I played cave story and that reminded me that if 1 guy could make that, with enough practice ofc, I could do the same. Another part of my wake up call is the fact that I have a good PC, stable living conditions, a good amount of free time, and when I think of all of those things that I have, I think of the fact that other people across the world might not have what I have if they wanted to do gamedev (if that makes any sense). But yeah now I can say I’ve been consistently practicing my gamedev skills for the past 2 months I wanna say.
Mine first was when I saw the documentary Indie Game maybe 8 years ago. Then the dream drifts and comes back when I here more and more success stories of people with the exact same passion as me including the video. I've still never finished a game but this video is encouraging me to give it another go. I have a story I want to tell and a feel I want people to feel. I want people to be a better person as a result of experiencing the story I want to tell
The moment I wanted to become gamedev was back in the 90s. Playing PS1 and N64 games in my teenage years. I would draw up strategy guides for myself. Sometimes based off all other strategy segments in magazines like Nintendo Power. I would also write my own inspired (okay, copy!) of my favorite games like Twisted Metal and FF7. However, game development was never that accessible in the 90s in Montreal and not having a lot of money kept that dream away. I eventually ended going back to college in 2007 to do just that but still was too afraid to fully jump in. When I was nearing my 40s, i felt regret so I decided "oh what the hell, I'll never know if I can if I dont do it". A year and a half into game dev, im loving it and joping to one day to do this full time. Now as for why Im doing other than that? Used to be to replicate the games I loved back then. And with the gaming as evolved now, Id say its still to replicate how games were back then! 😅
@@SoulEngineDev currently making a Twisted Metal inspired game! But ive got tons of other ideas Id like to tackle. Something Pikmin inspired. A Metal Gear Solid inspired game, a few others. Put all those ideas up on my physical wall next to where I work!
It was when I played Undertale for the first time back in middle school. That was the first ever unique experience I felt throughout any games I had played at the time. It made me realize that a game is not simply a "toy", but an "experience". I also looked it up and apparently Undertale was made by (mostly) one person. That's when I say to myself: "I want to create an experience like this. I want to spread this fire burning inside me"
My mum was a teacher. And she wanted story dice for her special needs class but the school wouldn't pay. So I made a program she could put up on the board that did the same. When I heard how much of a difference that made I knew I wanted to make more games. Like you said, not for me, but for others
I've wanted to make video games ever since I played Castlevania Symphony of the Night when I was 7. Before that, I played Zelda ALTTP a lot and Mario, Zelda 2, OOT and I loved them, I became a Zelda fan but SOTN left a mark on me, it's the game that made me start questioning how games work, I had admittedly very stupid answers to my own question, like "Oh it must be pictures of the screens for every possible movement in the game" the idea was that it was like those game and watch type keychain game but on a bigger scale... I was so dead wrong but this lead me to RPG Maker XP from scouring the internet to find a way to make games. Though I never finished any project... Still haven't... But It's my Passion and to this day, I'm still trying to learn because I want to do more than JRPGs, so I've been working on learning UE4 and now 5. Sadly, regular scripting never stuck so I'm trying to learn visual scripting. My PC can barely handle UE so now I'm trying Godot with visual scripting plugin, but above all that, I'm happy I have a best friend that I've met which we work together to try and make a game, it's not easy but we've known each other for 10 years now and we're still trying, It feels hopeless but I keep hope anyway. One day we'll have a game out.
Yes! Keep going, keep learning, and you will get those ideas out. Jams were a great way for me to start doing that, and I haven’t looked back since. But you got this, thanks for being here!
I want to start so badly. I have an idea for a game. A metal geal or Siphon Filter or Tom Clancy type sneak around game , maybe do it isometric at first but the game would be about ANXIETY. Your anxiety meter would fill up around people, you try to avoid them doing totally normal things. Stage one would be you going to the store and trying to ignore all human contact until you get there. I would have it set up, to where when your anxiety meter gets full literall nothing inconsequential happens. Just a bonus score for not seeing anyone. The game would utilize physics by allowing you to throw cans and stuff. And then, as a kid I really wanted to make this game called WHY two K, where you are defending your home after the y2k bug and have to deal with different people at the door. Like some people would come by asking for help and it would be up to you to determine if theyre real or not. Kinda like the game Wheres your papers .
Dude, these are great ideas! You just gotta go for it. I always recommend doing game jams to start your dev process. It helps you learn, and gives you deadlines. You got this!
For me it was Sky children of the light. Super wholesome game but it kinda bought be back to childhood wonder and spark. It reminds me that there are ao many stuff to experience so many things to learn from people about their lives and stuff like that. Its an amazing game and I'd recommend playing with randoms rather than people you know irl cause then you can really experience the cool people in the community
This is awesome! I first knew I wanted to work on games because of the art. Being raised on TH-cam, I found tons of videos of concept artists for games and when I realized you could paint art for a team to fall back on for inspiration and even asset development, I was like “WHOA! That’s what I’m going to do!” Fast forward through angsty high school, perfectionism, wanting to start a family as a young man, and now having that family - the feeling never left. However now, I would love to make amazing 3D games. I was ENAMORED with Hyper Light Drifter, Chained Echoes, and Darkest Dungeon. The art style, the storytelling, the gameplay. I just really want to do something like that too.
Mine was when i played The Last of Us Part 1 not long ago, For the first time it made me realize that games can have really fun gameplay and tell a deep enriched story with awesome characters at the same time, From then on everything i’ve done has been motivated from that experience
I always wanted to, because I play games since 3yo, its what I love haha. I already did a few projects when I was younger, but nothing really complex. Recently, being 17 years old, I was almost giving up on this career, thinking about moving on to another part of programming, until I played Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and I absolutely loved the game. The art, the story, the graphic beauty, the beauty of the story, everything is very beautiful, and it encouraged me to think about continuing, to think about how good people can feel about spending time playing. Currently I'm in a solo project, and its physics based. Being an High School studend that has a job and trying to dev a whole game alone is really hard. But not thinking on giving up. We all can do this guys 👐🔥
I vividly remember the moment that made me want to make games, and it was from when I first played Super Mario Galaxy when I was little. I was always fascinated with space, I think watching Wall-E became part of my weekly schedule after it came out. But Mario Galaxy gave me a feeling that was so incredibly different to watching or hearing about space, I was actually flying through it and exploring it for myself. At some point, I had asked my dad about how this was possible (how the game itself was made). When he answered with "computer programming", I asked him about what else could be made with it. The moment he responded with "anything", I immediately knew that this is what I wanted to do. From that point on, dreaming about game new ideas that I could make has always been on the forefront of my mind. I don't have a singular moment that made me realize that I could actually do this. Having games like Cave Story, Minecraft, Terraria, and Stardew Valley made it so I never doubted that making a game by myself was possible. It wasn't a matter of if I could do it was a matter of when. I think now the game that reminded me why I wanted to make games in the first place is Final Fantasy 9. I first finished it a little over a year ago now and I have never had a game resonate with me quite like that before. Being able to create an immersive world that I can get lost in for hours, and have a compelling story that stays in your mind for years to come like ff9 is what I want to achieve. While I know doing that will be incredibly difficult, life and a lack of motivation isn't helping, it's still just a matter of when. It may take a while, but that just gives me more time to do what I love doing. Thanks for making this video by the way, it means a lot.
Thank YOU for sharing! It’s so cool how your dad encouraged you that way. You can truly make anything, and it’s almost impossible to fully grasp. Fantastic story, I can’t wait to see what you make!
at that time I didnt even know what it was called, but I changed the texture of Tomy Verceti in GTA Vice City, and then I fell in love playing need for speed Underground, but I didnt like how late in the game you unlocked things, and how few mods there were, so If I were to do a game with racing cars, I knew Id make it with tunner culture in mind, larger more colorful city, and by 90% of game completion you'd have unlocked all the parts for the cars, so you could enjoy the last bit with a fully customized car.... and that was game design, making a game that you want inspired by games you like, little did I know how much work was involved. But I still havent given up on my dream. Cheers to all developers that still have the burning flame of desire driving them! 🤟
Coincidentally, my first moment also happened with HLD. I didn't just inspire me to make games, but to become an artist in the first place. My second moment was probably playing Dark Souls I, specifically right at when the credits theme started playing.
@@SoulEngineDev pixel art certainly has a special place in my heart, but I became more of a digital concept artist, and it was actually Heart Machine’s second game, Solar Ash, that inspired me to begin working in 3D.
Lots of questions and even more answers... The moment I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was destined for game development was the first time I experienced the Missingno glitch in pokémon red in '98. Seeing the 'seams' of game development and peeking past what was then a polished and respectable game, and getting but a glimpse into a nightmarish world of corrupt sprites, infinite item glitches and all the crazy game breaking aspects that is Missingno... that's the moment I knew I was going to be a game developer... I had to understand and control such power, and I would not rest until I did. As far as knowing when I knew I could make games - I would say in the early 2000s with macromedia flash. Flash (RIP) had an amazingly low threshold to get started - it was pretty much mspaint with notepad - so you can make your doodles then make them do things with a few lines of code. It was a renaissance for computer independent art. Because the bar for entry was so low and because free trials exist, anyone could give it a try and actually make something - even if it was just doodles. The reason I wake up every morning to game dev is because I want to make experiences - I can't really describe it, but I'll try my best- I want to make people feel that moment that can only be described as being unique and special - I don't care about mobile games and connect 3 garbage - I want to encapsulate that "oh crap, was it supposed to do that" moment you escape from the test chambers in portal 1... or that feeling of brotherhood you feel playing with strangers in an mmo and become friends (in game and irl). I want to make experiences, that people look back on fondly, and say "damn... I can't describe it, but you just had to be there"... that is why I've been in game development for decades and why I kick my ass out of bed each and every day and work until exhaustion. I am in a constant state of striving to be faster - at everything - so I can test more ideas, so I can find and implement those things that can't really easily be described.
This is all so amazing! Missingno being your spark also so cool! You truly never know as devs what will make a difference, but it’s like you said, it’s all about creating those moments for people they’ll remember for the rest of there lives. Thanks for being here!
WOW, this is a great story. I remember Flash. Flash was an excellent tool where a TON of games were made. I miss it. I wish they never got rid of it. Because, yes it was a great entry point into game dev. And what you said is another reason that I got into game dev. I enjoy making experiences. And game dev is another opportunity to meet other gamers and people who enjoy games.
I'd always wanted to make games ever since I was 6. One of my favorite video games of all time was Jazz Jackrabbit 2. Then i played Zelda(Majora's Mask). One of my goals back then was to create the best game studio in Africa, and I still have that dream now. Growing up, I liked telling stories, just like you. I drew comics, even though my art was terrible and everyone around me told me that. As time went by I tried my hand at writing novels and people liked it. Later, I got back to making comics(my art had improved a little) but i felt I could do more and still chase that dream of making games since I had my very own computer. I had been a huge fan of platformers, especially metroidvanias like Metroid Fusion and any game with a deep story. After a bunch of smaller games, both manageable and bad, I felt i had enough experience to start working on my latest undertale-metroidvania project; The InBetween. It's not easy, I still do not know everything and still learn on the go with a lot of trial and error since I didn't really grow up with any talent. But whenever things get tough, I always look back at what 6 year old me said. That I am going to be one of the best game studios in Africa. I also remembered the fun things that made me want to make games; the stories I want to tell, the level design(my favorite part) and the animation inspired by awesome cartoon shows I watched growing up like Courage the cowardly dog, Ben 10. And that keeps me going along with these three words. These 3 words that I love using when people keep asking me why i still want to make games: "Because it's fun" Thank you all for reading my TedEx talk, I'll see myself out.😅✌🏾
Cant even remember a time i didnt want to make games, honestly. Now I make business software though, and not only is it better for my family but i get the same satisfaction I got showing people games i made
We had a strict house rules when it came to the computer we could only play games on the weekend for 2 hours each, but we could be on it even if there was nothing to do except us Ms paint, so 18 years ago I Was going through files for fun and curiosity when I came across game files I looked through sprites an saw compressed files with the names of units or npc this was the spark as I saw the fingerprints of the developers . After I started using blender which had a now defunct game engine and that’s when I stared to make games I learned a few tricks in code and made a character move, years later I got steam and was invited to a group where I became friends with my current best friend he needed an artist for mods, after completing a few mods and a few failed ones I picked up Unity and learned c# I’m currently making a fps shooter.
For me it was when I launched Forza Horizon 4 for the first time, the 8 minute intro/initial drive of that game made me teary for reasons I can't describe and that was the moment I knew that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
Really good video!! The reason why I entered to make games is because I love playing games, and I really enjoyed them, but I wanted to make my own stories with the mechanics than I liked from other games and make my perfect game, so that is how I started designing in an agenda what it will be my first and actual project, but then I forgot about it until some years ago I remembered about it and with more knowledge I started working on it and that made me arrive until I'm now
Switching to this account entirely because we both have "soul" for the same reasons. It's the passion for it! ;) A lot of my decision to get into game dev is based around a quote. Or rather, the message behind it. "The best time you could have done it was 5 years ago, the second-best time is now." I knew that, truthfully, I would never be happy if I never tried. That if I never tried, I would be sitting there, 5 years down the line, saying: "I wish I could make games..." That would never go away. I enjoy games too much, I want to tell stories, I want to one day create the things I want to see and play. No passage of time would change that unless I tried. That would be the moment that spurred me to do it, I'd say. I don't think I have a singular moment that lead me to *wanting*, though. Rather, every amazing story, every bad AAA title that makes me want to see better, every game I have a blast playing, was a puzzle piece being slotted into a larger whole. I did make and publish my first game, and while it was admittedly hardly successful, I'm proud of how far I've come and what I've learned. One thing is certain, come hell or high water, I won't be giving up any time soon. My learning process is also a puzzle slowly being filled out, but despite how much more I need to go... What that final image looks like is already clear as day. All I need to do is persevere.
Thanks for sharing! My story is pretty unique, I wasn't inspired by any particular video game. I just really wanted to play a video game version of a game that a teacher of mine had. After failing to find any, I decided to make it myself. It was a rather advanced idea so I couldn't do it, I even thought it's impossible. Then I asked for help online, a nice programmer was interested and actualized the idea for me. This showed me that I could make almost anything I can imagine on the screen, and got me into learning more programming which I instantly knew it was for me. Game design became my hobby since then, and I hope to make something truly innovative someday.
I don't think there is no single moment for this. It was a thought that came back here and there again over the years, until I finally decided to go study gamedev and programming. I did for years other things before this. You are lucky if you're young and have motivation for this and are able to learn.
As far as I can remember I always wanted to make games, as a kid I was always creating board games or card games, and I would create games with anything, I created a lot of games with a pen an paper, or with legos for my brother to play. When I discovered scratch and later other programming languages, it was just another way for me to create games I feel like I was born to create games because it is so natural for me, I never thought once that it was not something I could do, because I already had done sooo many of them as a kid
@@SoulEngineDev The part I like most and I feel I am best at is coding, I learned to code to make games, and I am working on a game with a custom game engine rn and it is a blast
I don't know, I've been trying for the past 6 (or 5 can't remember) years on/off, always interested never too invested. I can't bring myself to either stop or continue on. Thinking about stopping trying is terrifying. But clearly I think I could be quite good at this, I already made a game in pygame which I was proud of somewhat. I'm stuck in this limbo between beginner and intermediate where I have the basics but can't cobble anything up. I clearly remember the great games I played, that shaped my view of a "perfect" game. Maybe that's my problem as I'm typing it out: I can't create something if I don't find it perfect on the first try. I feel really embarrassed by this, I'm 17yo now. Probably trying for too long.
Dude, you’re young yet, don’t put so much pressure on yourself, and enjoy the journey. I know it’s easy for me to say that, but truly, you’re at a great spot. Just try and learn as much as you can, and you’ll be set. You got this!
I feel like I have some strong reason to make games, but it feels like it's quite complicated and I still can't quite pinpoint or articulate what it is exactly that's driving me. I just love everything in games; the gameplay mechanics, the art, the worldbuilding, the incredible soundtracks of certain games... Also, I've always loved programming and everything where I can express myself. Unfortunately, I'm currently in quite a rut. I've always been a huge perfectionist, which has led to many, many scrapped projects due to massive overscoping. Additionally, this has made me really insecure about game development and I feel like I should be much better at it than I currently am. But I will never stop trying. I've had so much fun making games, and so many ideas (probably too many). Hopefully things will get better in my head and I'll be able to make at a game which I'm at least somewhat proud of.
It's such an ebb and flow, as with so many creative endeavors. Giving yourself grace to keep going even when you were shooting for the stars doesn't mean they aren't still there! Start small and let yourself have fun with it. There are no wrong moves, everything is always building you better when you choose to come back. You got this!
I always loved to tinker with map tools. First with Warcraft III's, then Spore Galactic Adventures and Halo's Forge. I also always loved to create universes for tabletop RPGs. But the call came way later, in 2022. I grew up with Halo and Stargate. Sadly, Stargate stoped in 2010 and Halo is just zombie pupeteered by Microsoft since the same year. I played Halo Infinite, was disappointed once again, I gave them another year, saw that nothing changed. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. If nobody would make the kinds of games I want, then it was up to me. In 2023, I started learning Unreal Engine 5 with the goal to make my own game inspired by the original Halo trilogy, Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis, with some StarCraft and Warhammer 40,000 here and there. It's the start of beautiful and long journey !
I remember being high trying to make a simple 2D platformer after watching GMTK. I put a collider on my sprite, forgot to lock an axis, and it flopped…like A BIG TURD 💩 I remember. Then my brain proceeded to pursue this idea…WAY TOO IN DEPTH, I now am working on a 3rd person survival RPG on the theme of poop. I’ve watched waaay too many videos about poop during the ideation phase
About 15 years ago, I created a small RPG in Flash that I was really proud of. Since then, I haven't done much game development, but recently, I wanted to recapture that feeling of accomplishment. So, I decided to learn Godot and remake my game, aiming to surpass my past self in every way possible!
Goodness... What was my moment? I think it was when I was a kid and deep in the realm of naivety. I had no idea what the actual first step towards making a game would be. But I had ideas...so I took pencil and paper and start drafting pages and pages and pages and pages of my game ideas. (I once had drafted 12+ pages of a 3D Mario + Donkey Kong before either game existed...before the N64 existed. You had to use all of the Mario and DK clan characters to get through modern Manhatten which was being transformed into a real-world Mushroom Kingdom...albeit, with Bowser and K Rool as the leaders. Literally an open-world game before open world games were a thing. ... I thought of that as early as the 1980s.) The problem was that my dad didn't believe in video games because of HIS OWN problems with games years earlier so he never supported, much less understood, my passion. I also didn't go to any schools that had a viable tech department. All people saw was a kid "addicted" to video games. They couldn't understand why I was so fascinated with them. I saw new worlds and stories before my eyes and I could literally interact with them! I was the hero! I was the adventurer. I was the guy doing all the things you could only imagine through books or movies. It wouldn't be until my early 30s when I discovered MIT's JavaScript visual scripting program where you connected "jigsaw" pieces together to visually represent putting together actual JS code. (Google would later get their hands on that andI think that's largely how Android really came to be...I could be wrong. But it's beside the point.) I struggled to understand all of that... It wasn't until I was sitting in a cafe with my girlfriend did I discover, thanks to a couple of guys sitting nearby working on their own project, that I learned about game editors where you could make your own projects! GameMaker, Construct 2, Unreal Engine, Unity...I began learning about these editors until I fell into using Construct 2 (and now C3) rather proficiently. (Next I'm going to be learning Unreal...my games just can't be made on anything less.) ... Long(er) story short(er), I have been learning to overcome my ignorance and building up my own philosophy as a Christian game maker. But it can be summed up as this: I want to make games because (1) God is creative and creating something is an act of worship to God, and (2) I have stories to tell and fun experiences to share. The game studio I want to build someday will go by this mission statement: To leave a lasting, meaningful impression on the player, long after they have set the controller down.
I have a weird mixture of knowing it's possible and a constant doubt that I can do that. My moment of "I want to do this": Me at 5, playing through Half-Life 1 My moment of "I can do this" was playing flash games - they are so janky you believe you can do something at least of a similar level
So, bit of a long story, but what originally inspired me to want to be a game developer is that my parents were divorcing. It wasnt a super bad divorce but it had enough bad moments in it. I wanted to be a family therapist, but realizing all the schooling required and the fact that the adults were probably not gonna listen anyways, i aimed to be a game dev instead. At the bare minimum, my stories could serve to distract the children of divorcing parents so that they may have the same moments of peace i did when my world got flipped upside down and inside out. Fast forward to present day and the motivation have drastically increased to the fact that i want to help my family with finances (we are doing okay, but considering how rough the economy has been, and the fact im still looking for a new job cause my current one is only paying 17 dollars and 86 cents, making a good game should help with that, even if it's just gas money for the week.), and the absolute dopamine rush you get when you create something is so amazing. Despite all the constant setbacks over the past few years, im still working hard to achieve my dreams of making stories for others to play and to share. It is a pain in the rear, especially since my dad and step mother (who is the best mother i ever had) dislikes my choice of being a gamer, but its well worth it in the end.
Carrer got bad, wasnt even what i wanted, forced myself to do it, never got any consideration of my passion, and was thinking on sending everyone to shit. So i said f yall, imma live my life without YOUR wishes, so left carreer, doing it again the way I wanted
Guys, I can't wait to read all your comments about the moment you knew you wanted to and COULD do game dev. Was it a game that made you realize this? Lets hear it!
The moment that really really made me want to be a game dev was when i was in deep depression and really was giving up on everything , I did code things around and miss around in Godot engine but never really committed , at a random night my friend approached me and give me a copy of Elden ring and told me to download the multiplayer , I did so thinking i have nothing to lose , it will be just few days and just another game , for my shock the first night we played , we spent 13 straight hours , i nearly forgot to go to my classes , the amount of joy and excitement i felt while playing that game , it give me a reason to wake up everyday , to look forward to another time , and I whole heartedly felt alive again , i played a total of 140-148 hours in one week , finished the game 4-5 times with different builds and different styles , at one point while we were in discord after killing the Elden beast with my friend , I started crying and I told him thank you for recommending the game and for playing with me , from that moment i felt that holy moly do games can breath in life to people , inspire and push them further and since i have been wanting to reach people and help out , and i love gaming so much , It just felt natural to me to want to do my best in it and create games that brings joy to people and push them forward , I dont know how far i will be able to make it , but I truly pray that i can do it for until i die and not suffer , I pray i would make enough money to keep working on it and make more and more amazing things that would push people and bring them joy in this harsh world !
Thank you for this amazing question
Thank you for being and pushing through that all. Keep on going, you got this!
@@SoulEngineDev Thank you for the kind words! likewise my friend
I used to be a college instructor and nothing was more satisfying than watching students make the switch from wanting to make games to being able to make games. It's always funny how excited they get over the little wins early on (and rightly so!) but especially when - even nearing the end of their program - they will still say "I can't wait to be a game dev" and I have to remind them that they've already been making them for several months and they already technically already ARE game devs. The look of realization is priceless. 😆While I know what they mean when they say that, I think the belief that there is this line you eventually cross where you're a "real" dev is not a thing. Get in there, make stuff, let it be bad until it's good - that's game dev.
My moment is so broad and unclear that I'm convinced that I decided to make games while being high.
With how hard the process is, I wouldn't be surprised either haha
The reason I wanted to make games is I grew up during the original NES days. And I used to stay glued to the TV playing game after game after game and for me, it was solace. It was like being emersed in a world away from our world for a while and going on an adventure. And yes, the stories, the graphics, the fun was inspiring and all just made me say that one day, I'm going to make games. As was said in the video above, making games is the ULTIMATE way to tell stories and and let people EXPERIENCE them too.
Plus, when I was a kid, I used to create game ideas. I had the game ideas well thought out and I used to send my game ideas to Nintendo LOL. They never made any of my games. So thus, I decided that I was eventually going to make those games myself.
As a kid, I too used to draw, write stories. In fact, I used to sit in the back of the classroom again drawing game ideas. I'm also a musician. In fact, my major in college was Music Education. I could attribute my interest in music going back to the Super Nintendo playing games like Zelda and Contra Wars on the Super Nintendo with the symphonic sounds. Plus, I enjoy learning. So, I decided to take all of those talents that I garnered over they years and put them together and learned game dev. Plus, interestingly, it was fun learning how programming too.
So, as I learned game dev, from then on it has been the ultimate way I tell stories. If I had a job I didn't like? LOL I'd make a game about it. If there was a story that I wanted to tell about ANYTHING, I'd put it in a game. I also remember in one of my college courses, we had a group project. And instead of turning in a paper like my professor originally asked, I made a game about the subject that answered all of my professor's questions. We played the game in class, and everybody including my professor thought it was awesome and I got my entire group a BIG A + on the assignment. And I enjoyed the whole process of creating that.
So, making games is just what I truly enjoy; it's one of my ultimate mediums of expressions. Plus, it's SUPER fun and these are reasons that I pursued game dev. For me, it's not about the money; even though it would be AWESOME if I did make money. But, it's always been about me having fun and the fact that I simply just love videos games thanks to all of the games that I played when I was a kid and even some games I play TODAY too!
Honestly, at the end of the day, if the process of making brings you joy, you’ve already got it. Great work dude, keep it up!
When I was around 10-11 years old, I was obsessed with Final Fantasy 7 and Metal Gear Solid. They weren't the first games to tell stories, but they presented stories in such a cinematic way. I wanted to tell stories through video games like those games did.
oh my god! the moment I read the title, then see the thumbnail, I felt amazing, I mean 4 years before I got into game dev for the game you used for the thumbnail! yeah, Hyper Light Drifter is the game that made me feel I can make games too, and it always felt great.
I made games to tell stories, I have some characters, ideas, storylines, worlds that I've tried to put on paper for years. I tried novels, comics, but none of those worked, well not until I tried to tell stories by games. I felt some unique weird charisma of telling stories by playing game. The storyline doesn't proceed by pages or lines, it continued as you progress, player's input is the one who lead the story to the end, it doesn't mean you control it, or you watch it, it's "experienced" it. Experience, is the kind of memory that won't fade away easily.
Thank you! I’m so glad it could speak to you in that way!
I’ve wanted to make games since I was little but gave up on that dream after seeing for myself how much time and dedication it took. I decided to give it another shot after getting burnt out on gaming in general so I could stay connected to the hobby and this video is kinda reassuring to see. It’s gonna be a long, painful journey, but I know in the end it’ll be worth it.
As long as you keep learning, and finding your why, the rest will fall into place, at least it did for me. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy, it rarely is actually lol, but it means it’ll have the biggest impact on you. Game jams are a great way to learn and flex the game dev muscle. Thank you for being here!
Honstly ...
My Click moment that tolds me that i'm gonna make games , is that I enjoyd the feelings that it deliverd to me as a person when playing games!
even when I tried Game dev for the first time , the excitment of making stuff happen or move in the screen was Amaizing !
I loved it ❤
I just hope My dream come true some day , and I will finish the nightmare of reality with a good story to tell my self before I pass Away...
Keep learning and keep pushing forward! You got this!
im spending 10-15 years of my life to make a game like bandersnatch. i started this to make a game to help people realize how much their choices matter in life, and now i quietly and slowly toil away at it every chance i get.
That’s awesome, sounds like it’s worth working on as much as you can!
From the first time I played Lemmings on my amiga 600, I knew I wanted to learn how to program. The combination of art, programming and story in games never gets old. I mostly do hobbyist game development but I really love it.
It really an amazing art form. Thank you for being here!
I went to school and got a BS in Audio Production thinking I was going to work in/start my own studio. Had one game audio class, loved it, and decided I wanted to pursue game audio. Couldn't find anything to work on after college, saw that UE4 had blueprints (cuz I didn't know or want to know anything about programming) so I followed a small tutorial to make a zelda game so I could make and implement my own audio stuff and build a portfolio that way. I had way more fun making the game that I never even did the audio part which was the original goal. Amd I've been learning game dev ever since
this videos speaks to me and i love how you gone through every steps of when realised you can do this and why you want to make games is just awesome.
for me my wake up moment is when revisited the old school games from the nes to ps1 and arcade games, where games we're truly games, where there's no dlc, no microtransaction...you have a full fledge game that is in the disk or cartridge, plus the actual feel of playing the games, with lovely pixel art, wonderful chiptune music, and the simplicity of controls. it just speaks to and that's when i realised i want to make games. but like you stated: I had no clue of how to make games, no programming, pixel, and music knowledge. i had to go to collage to learn the basics.
but the moment when i realised that i know i could do this, was when i've played cross cade, an awesome retro inspired rpg game. I was just drawn by the awesome visualisation of pixel art the colour pallet for the players, npc, environment, and ui. the peaceful melody when traversing different zones, and the story was in depth and it keeps playing wanting to know the main hero's story and how she's different to the game. that was that moment when i think to myself: "I know i can do this, and i know i want to make games"
as for why i want to make game. i want make games where it's just games, like i stated in my wake up moment, where games we're made as a whole, no dlc, no microtransaction or season pass, just the whole game, that's what i love about games and that's why i want to make them. plus making fun game with awesome stories, though i'm learning to write stories, it would be awesome to just make awesome stories.
YESS, the NES, Super NES, Genesis and the original PlayStation were some of the best days of gaming!! That's where I got my start. And it's the era that inspired me to learn game dev. Retro is my favorite era. Yes, games were about instant action, instant immersion, and games were completed when we got them. And with games like Mega Man, Metroid, Double Dragon, even Sonic and Streets of Rage, one could never forget the music too. I also appreciate the days where all games on consoles were PHYSICAL copies!! Today, with most games being digital, it feels like we're renting SOME of those games; as we could turn our consoles on and find that a game that we were playing has suddenly become unavailable. Such didn't exist back in the retro gaming days.
Love this. Really just wanting to make games to make games. Growing up in the time was really special, and I hope you succeed and bring that era back! You got this!
I remember when I got Game Maker and an image I drew started responding to my inputs.
It was magical. Still is.
As a kid, I used to sketch out ideas for games. Now, tools exist that can make that childhood dream a reality.
*And yes, to telling stories! I've ALWAYS been about telling stories!
Yes! It really is amazing what tools we have today, it wasn’t always like that haha thank you for being here!
My moment was when I was 13 years old and played Quake III with my brother and he told me you can make mods with it. Then he showed me the level editor (GTK Radiant) and a few written tutorials, he found on the web. This was the spark and then I knew I had to make games. :)
I feel like there was a generation of developers that started with level editors. Super interesting, but its cool that you got to share that with your brother. Thanks for being here!
Cheering for you buddy! i'll be following your channel, good luck!
Thank you!
That’s crazy! Part of my wake up moment was the fact that cave story was made by 1 person too 😭😭. I like recently played that game like several months ago. But yeah, I’ve been trying my hand at gamedev for the past year but none of it really stuck to me. Recently tried again like a couple days after I played cave story and that reminded me that if 1 guy could make that, with enough practice ofc, I could do the same. Another part of my wake up call is the fact that I have a good PC, stable living conditions, a good amount of free time, and when I think of all of those things that I have, I think of the fact that other people across the world might not have what I have if they wanted to do gamedev (if that makes any sense). But yeah now I can say I’ve been consistently practicing my gamedev skills for the past 2 months I wanna say.
That's awesome! Keep learning, and that alone will take you where you want to go. You got this!
@@SoulEngineDev preciate it man 🙏🏾
Mine first was when I saw the documentary Indie Game maybe 8 years ago. Then the dream drifts and comes back when I here more and more success stories of people with the exact same passion as me including the video. I've still never finished a game but this video is encouraging me to give it another go. I have a story I want to tell and a feel I want people to feel. I want people to be a better person as a result of experiencing the story I want to tell
The moment I wanted to become gamedev was back in the 90s. Playing PS1 and N64 games in my teenage years. I would draw up strategy guides for myself. Sometimes based off all other strategy segments in magazines like Nintendo Power. I would also write my own inspired (okay, copy!) of my favorite games like Twisted Metal and FF7. However, game development was never that accessible in the 90s in Montreal and not having a lot of money kept that dream away.
I eventually ended going back to college in 2007 to do just that but still was too afraid to fully jump in.
When I was nearing my 40s, i felt regret so I decided "oh what the hell, I'll never know if I can if I dont do it". A year and a half into game dev, im loving it and joping to one day to do this full time.
Now as for why Im doing other than that? Used to be to replicate the games I loved back then. And with the gaming as evolved now, Id say its still to replicate how games were back then! 😅
It’s never too late, keep going, you got this! What type of games are you hoping to make?
@@SoulEngineDev currently making a Twisted Metal inspired game! But ive got tons of other ideas Id like to tackle. Something Pikmin inspired. A Metal Gear Solid inspired game, a few others. Put all those ideas up on my physical wall next to where I work!
@@mischiefmotorsgame YOOOOO CAR COMBAT LETS GOOOO!
It was when I played Undertale for the first time back in middle school. That was the first ever unique experience I felt throughout any games I had played at the time. It made me realize that a game is not simply a "toy", but an "experience". I also looked it up and apparently Undertale was made by (mostly) one person. That's when I say to myself:
"I want to create an experience like this. I want to spread this fire burning inside me"
Yoooo, lets go. I took a moment to check out your game! Dude, it looks awesome! Keep it up man, you totally got this
@@SoulEngineDev I wasn't expecting you'd go that far, thank you for checking out my game!
My mum was a teacher. And she wanted story dice for her special needs class but the school wouldn't pay. So I made a program she could put up on the board that did the same.
When I heard how much of a difference that made I knew I wanted to make more games. Like you said, not for me, but for others
That’s amazing! You’re truly making a difference, keep it up!
I've wanted to make video games ever since I played Castlevania Symphony of the Night when I was 7. Before that, I played Zelda ALTTP a lot and Mario, Zelda 2, OOT and I loved them, I became a Zelda fan but SOTN left a mark on me, it's the game that made me start questioning how games work, I had admittedly very stupid answers to my own question, like "Oh it must be pictures of the screens for every possible movement in the game" the idea was that it was like those game and watch type keychain game but on a bigger scale... I was so dead wrong but this lead me to RPG Maker XP from scouring the internet to find a way to make games. Though I never finished any project... Still haven't... But It's my Passion and to this day, I'm still trying to learn because I want to do more than JRPGs, so I've been working on learning UE4 and now 5. Sadly, regular scripting never stuck so I'm trying to learn visual scripting. My PC can barely handle UE so now I'm trying Godot with visual scripting plugin, but above all that, I'm happy I have a best friend that I've met which we work together to try and make a game, it's not easy but we've known each other for 10 years now and we're still trying, It feels hopeless but I keep hope anyway. One day we'll have a game out.
Yes! Keep going, keep learning, and you will get those ideas out. Jams were a great way for me to start doing that, and I haven’t looked back since. But you got this, thanks for being here!
I want to start so badly. I have an idea for a game. A metal geal or Siphon Filter or Tom Clancy type sneak around game , maybe do it isometric at first but the game would be about ANXIETY. Your anxiety meter would fill up around people, you try to avoid them doing totally normal things. Stage one would be you going to the store and trying to ignore all human contact until you get there. I would have it set up, to where when your anxiety meter gets full literall nothing inconsequential happens. Just a bonus score for not seeing anyone. The game would utilize physics by allowing you to throw cans and stuff.
And then, as a kid I really wanted to make this game called WHY two K, where you are defending your home after the y2k bug and have to deal with different people at the door. Like some people would come by asking for help and it would be up to you to determine if theyre real or not. Kinda like the game Wheres your papers .
Dude, these are great ideas! You just gotta go for it. I always recommend doing game jams to start your dev process. It helps you learn, and gives you deadlines. You got this!
For me it was Sky children of the light. Super wholesome game but it kinda bought be back to childhood wonder and spark. It reminds me that there are ao many stuff to experience so many things to learn from people about their lives and stuff like that. Its an amazing game and I'd recommend playing with randoms rather than people you know irl cause then you can really experience the cool people in the community
I was abused growing up and games were an escape for me. They made me feel happy. I want other people to feel happy and have an escape.
This is awesome!
I first knew I wanted to work on games because of the art. Being raised on TH-cam, I found tons of videos of concept artists for games and when I realized you could paint art for a team to fall back on for inspiration and even asset development, I was like “WHOA! That’s what I’m going to do!” Fast forward through angsty high school, perfectionism, wanting to start a family as a young man, and now having that family - the feeling never left. However now, I would love to make amazing 3D games. I was ENAMORED with Hyper Light Drifter, Chained Echoes, and Darkest Dungeon. The art style, the storytelling, the gameplay. I just really want to do something like that too.
Yes to all this! Keep the dream alive, your family will thank you for it!
Mine was when i played The Last of Us Part 1 not long ago, For the first time it made me realize that games can have really fun gameplay and tell a deep enriched story with awesome characters at the same time, From then on everything i’ve done has been motivated from that experience
Experiencing that game for the first is something I’ll never forget as well, and totally makes sense that it would have affected you that way.
I always wanted to, because I play games since 3yo, its what I love haha. I already did a few projects when I was younger, but nothing really complex. Recently, being 17 years old, I was almost giving up on this career, thinking about moving on to another part of programming, until I played Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and I absolutely loved the game. The art, the story, the graphic beauty, the beauty of the story, everything is very beautiful, and it encouraged me to think about continuing, to think about how good people can feel about spending time playing. Currently I'm in a solo project, and its physics based. Being an High School studend that has a job and trying to dev a whole game alone is really hard. But not thinking on giving up. We all can do this guys 👐🔥
It’s definitely a struggle, but it sounds like you’re doing the work! Learn as much as you can during this time, you got this!
@@SoulEngineDev Thank you! Lets keep pushing 🤛
I vividly remember the moment that made me want to make games, and it was from when I first played Super Mario Galaxy when I was little. I was always fascinated with space, I think watching Wall-E became part of my weekly schedule after it came out. But Mario Galaxy gave me a feeling that was so incredibly different to watching or hearing about space, I was actually flying through it and exploring it for myself. At some point, I had asked my dad about how this was possible (how the game itself was made). When he answered with "computer programming", I asked him about what else could be made with it. The moment he responded with "anything", I immediately knew that this is what I wanted to do. From that point on, dreaming about game new ideas that I could make has always been on the forefront of my mind.
I don't have a singular moment that made me realize that I could actually do this. Having games like Cave Story, Minecraft, Terraria, and Stardew Valley made it so I never doubted that making a game by myself was possible. It wasn't a matter of if I could do it was a matter of when.
I think now the game that reminded me why I wanted to make games in the first place is Final Fantasy 9. I first finished it a little over a year ago now and I have never had a game resonate with me quite like that before. Being able to create an immersive world that I can get lost in for hours, and have a compelling story that stays in your mind for years to come like ff9 is what I want to achieve.
While I know doing that will be incredibly difficult, life and a lack of motivation isn't helping, it's still just a matter of when. It may take a while, but that just gives me more time to do what I love doing.
Thanks for making this video by the way, it means a lot.
Thank YOU for sharing! It’s so cool how your dad encouraged you that way. You can truly make anything, and it’s almost impossible to fully grasp. Fantastic story, I can’t wait to see what you make!
at that time I didnt even know what it was called, but I changed the texture of Tomy Verceti in GTA Vice City, and then I fell in love playing need for speed Underground, but I didnt like how late in the game you unlocked things, and how few mods there were, so If I were to do a game with racing cars, I knew Id make it with tunner culture in mind, larger more colorful city, and by 90% of game completion you'd have unlocked all the parts for the cars, so you could enjoy the last bit with a fully customized car.... and that was game design, making a game that you want inspired by games you like, little did I know how much work was involved. But I still havent given up on my dream. Cheers to all developers that still have the burning flame of desire driving them! 🤟
Don’t give up! Also I LOVED Need For Speed Underground 2. So many hours racing my brother Haha. Thank you for being here!
Coincidentally, my first moment also happened with HLD. I didn't just inspire me to make games, but to become an artist in the first place. My second moment was probably playing Dark Souls I, specifically right at when the credits theme started playing.
Are you a pixel artist now? It’s interesting to hear how the game affected everyone differently.
@@SoulEngineDev pixel art certainly has a special place in my heart, but I became more of a digital concept artist, and it was actually Heart Machine’s second game, Solar Ash, that inspired me to begin working in 3D.
Lots of questions and even more answers...
The moment I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was destined for game development was the first time I experienced the Missingno glitch in pokémon red in '98. Seeing the 'seams' of game development and peeking past what was then a polished and respectable game, and getting but a glimpse into a nightmarish world of corrupt sprites, infinite item glitches and all the crazy game breaking aspects that is Missingno... that's the moment I knew I was going to be a game developer... I had to understand and control such power, and I would not rest until I did.
As far as knowing when I knew I could make games - I would say in the early 2000s with macromedia flash. Flash (RIP) had an amazingly low threshold to get started - it was pretty much mspaint with notepad - so you can make your doodles then make them do things with a few lines of code. It was a renaissance for computer independent art. Because the bar for entry was so low and because free trials exist, anyone could give it a try and actually make something - even if it was just doodles.
The reason I wake up every morning to game dev is because I want to make experiences - I can't really describe it, but I'll try my best- I want to make people feel that moment that can only be described as being unique and special - I don't care about mobile games and connect 3 garbage - I want to encapsulate that "oh crap, was it supposed to do that" moment you escape from the test chambers in portal 1... or that feeling of brotherhood you feel playing with strangers in an mmo and become friends (in game and irl). I want to make experiences, that people look back on fondly, and say "damn... I can't describe it, but you just had to be there"... that is why I've been in game development for decades and why I kick my ass out of bed each and every day and work until exhaustion. I am in a constant state of striving to be faster - at everything - so I can test more ideas, so I can find and implement those things that can't really easily be described.
This is all so amazing! Missingno being your spark also so cool! You truly never know as devs what will make a difference, but it’s like you said, it’s all about creating those moments for people they’ll remember for the rest of there lives. Thanks for being here!
WOW, this is a great story. I remember Flash. Flash was an excellent tool where a TON of games were made. I miss it. I wish they never got rid of it. Because, yes it was a great entry point into game dev. And what you said is another reason that I got into game dev. I enjoy making experiences. And game dev is another opportunity to meet other gamers and people who enjoy games.
I'd always wanted to make games ever since I was 6. One of my favorite video games of all time was Jazz Jackrabbit 2. Then i played Zelda(Majora's Mask). One of my goals back then was to create the best game studio in Africa, and I still have that dream now.
Growing up, I liked telling stories, just like you. I drew comics, even though my art was terrible and everyone around me told me that. As time went by I tried my hand at writing novels and people liked it. Later, I got back to making comics(my art had improved a little) but i felt I could do more and still chase that dream of making games since I had my very own computer.
I had been a huge fan of platformers, especially metroidvanias like Metroid Fusion and any game with a deep story.
After a bunch of smaller games, both manageable and bad, I felt i had enough experience to start working on my latest undertale-metroidvania project; The InBetween.
It's not easy, I still do not know everything and still learn on the go with a lot of trial and error since I didn't really grow up with any talent. But whenever things get tough, I always look back at what 6 year old me said. That I am going to be one of the best game studios in Africa. I also remembered the fun things that made me want to make games; the stories I want to tell, the level design(my favorite part) and the animation inspired by awesome cartoon shows I watched growing up like Courage the cowardly dog, Ben 10.
And that keeps me going along with these three words.
These 3 words that I love using when people keep asking me why i still want to make games:
"Because it's fun"
Thank you all for reading my TedEx talk, I'll see myself out.😅✌🏾
Fantastic! Sounds like we had a similar time, but it so cool to see you keep going! I can’t wait to see what games you make!
@@SoulEngineDev Thank you. Wish you the same for your own game.😁
Cant even remember a time i didnt want to make games, honestly. Now I make business software though, and not only is it better for my family but i get the same satisfaction I got showing people games i made
That’s awesome! It's cool you've found a way to make it work for your family. Keep doing what you love!
We had a strict house rules when it came to the computer we could only play games on the weekend for 2 hours each, but we could be on it even if there was nothing to do except us Ms paint, so 18 years ago I
Was going through files for fun and curiosity when I came across game files I looked through sprites an saw compressed files with the names of units or npc this was the spark as I saw the fingerprints of the developers . After I started using blender which had a now defunct game engine and that’s when I stared to make games I learned a few tricks in code and made a character move, years later I got steam and was invited to a group where I became friends with my current best friend he needed an artist for mods, after completing a few mods and a few failed ones I picked up Unity and learned c# I’m currently making a fps shooter.
That awesome! Working on a team made a world of difference in my journey. Keep on going, you guys got this!
For me it was when I launched Forza Horizon 4 for the first time, the 8 minute intro/initial drive of that game made me teary for reasons I can't describe and that was the moment I knew that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
It’s just a moment that’s hard to describe, but it’s amazing! Keep it up!
I loved fh4 and Fh5 intros. Fh5 intro was really really good
Really good video!! The reason why I entered to make games is because I love playing games, and I really enjoyed them, but I wanted to make my own stories with the mechanics than I liked from other games and make my perfect game, so that is how I started designing in an agenda what it will be my first and actual project, but then I forgot about it until some years ago I remembered about it and with more knowledge I started working on it and that made me arrive until I'm now
Switching to this account entirely because we both have "soul" for the same reasons. It's the passion for it! ;)
A lot of my decision to get into game dev is based around a quote. Or rather, the message behind it.
"The best time you could have done it was 5 years ago, the second-best time is now."
I knew that, truthfully, I would never be happy if I never tried. That if I never tried, I would be sitting there, 5 years down the line, saying: "I wish I could make games..." That would never go away. I enjoy games too much, I want to tell stories, I want to one day create the things I want to see and play. No passage of time would change that unless I tried. That would be the moment that spurred me to do it, I'd say.
I don't think I have a singular moment that lead me to *wanting*, though. Rather, every amazing story, every bad AAA title that makes me want to see better, every game I have a blast playing, was a puzzle piece being slotted into a larger whole.
I did make and publish my first game, and while it was admittedly hardly successful, I'm proud of how far I've come and what I've learned. One thing is certain, come hell or high water, I won't be giving up any time soon. My learning process is also a puzzle slowly being filled out, but despite how much more I need to go... What that final image looks like is already clear as day. All I need to do is persevere.
I LOVE that quote as well. It really puts things into perspective. Keep learning, keep growing, and you'll make it. Thank you for being here!
Also, love the name ;)
Thanks for sharing! My story is pretty unique, I wasn't inspired by any particular video game.
I just really wanted to play a video game version of a game that a teacher of mine had. After failing to find any, I decided to make it myself. It was a rather advanced idea so I couldn't do it, I even thought it's impossible. Then I asked for help online, a nice programmer was interested and actualized the idea for me.
This showed me that I could make almost anything I can imagine on the screen, and got me into learning more programming which I instantly knew it was for me. Game design became my hobby since then, and I hope to make something truly innovative someday.
That’s so cool! I’m thankful for such an amazing community that would give there time to help you. Keep going, you got this!
this morning i openned my eyes, dam... i really woke up
I don't think there is no single moment for this. It was a thought that came back here and there again over the years, until I finally decided to go study gamedev and programming. I did for years other things before this. You are lucky if you're young and have motivation for this and are able to learn.
If you able to keep learn and adapting, as well as have the self disciple to do so, the worlds the limit!
As far as I can remember I always wanted to make games, as a kid I was always creating board games or card games, and I would create games with anything, I created a lot of games with a pen an paper, or with legos for my brother to play.
When I discovered scratch and later other programming languages, it was just another way for me to create games
I feel like I was born to create games because it is so natural for me, I never thought once that it was not something I could do, because I already had done sooo many of them as a kid
What part of game dev would you say that you excel at? Fantastic journey you have.
@@SoulEngineDev The part I like most and I feel I am best at is coding, I learned to code to make games, and I am working on a game with a custom game engine rn and it is a blast
I don't know, I've been trying for the past 6 (or 5 can't remember) years on/off, always interested never too invested. I can't bring myself to either stop or continue on. Thinking about stopping trying is terrifying. But clearly I think I could be quite good at this, I already made a game in pygame which I was proud of somewhat. I'm stuck in this limbo between beginner and intermediate where I have the basics but can't cobble anything up. I clearly remember the great games I played, that shaped my view of a "perfect" game. Maybe that's my problem as I'm typing it out: I can't create something if I don't find it perfect on the first try. I feel really embarrassed by this, I'm 17yo now. Probably trying for too long.
Dude, you’re young yet, don’t put so much pressure on yourself, and enjoy the journey. I know it’s easy for me to say that, but truly, you’re at a great spot. Just try and learn as much as you can, and you’ll be set. You got this!
I feel like I have some strong reason to make games, but it feels like it's quite complicated and I still can't quite pinpoint or articulate what it is exactly that's driving me. I just love everything in games; the gameplay mechanics, the art, the worldbuilding, the incredible soundtracks of certain games... Also, I've always loved programming and everything where I can express myself.
Unfortunately, I'm currently in quite a rut. I've always been a huge perfectionist, which has led to many, many scrapped projects due to massive overscoping. Additionally, this has made me really insecure about game development and I feel like I should be much better at it than I currently am.
But I will never stop trying. I've had so much fun making games, and so many ideas (probably too many). Hopefully things will get better in my head and I'll be able to make at a game which I'm at least somewhat proud of.
It's such an ebb and flow, as with so many creative endeavors. Giving yourself grace to keep going even when you were shooting for the stars doesn't mean they aren't still there! Start small and let yourself have fun with it. There are no wrong moves, everything is always building you better when you choose to come back. You got this!
I always loved to tinker with map tools. First with Warcraft III's, then Spore Galactic Adventures and Halo's Forge. I also always loved to create universes for tabletop RPGs. But the call came way later, in 2022.
I grew up with Halo and Stargate. Sadly, Stargate stoped in 2010 and Halo is just zombie pupeteered by Microsoft since the same year. I played Halo Infinite, was disappointed once again, I gave them another year, saw that nothing changed. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. If nobody would make the kinds of games I want, then it was up to me.
In 2023, I started learning Unreal Engine 5 with the goal to make my own game inspired by the original Halo trilogy, Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis, with some StarCraft and Warhammer 40,000 here and there. It's the start of beautiful and long journey !
I remember being high trying to make a simple 2D platformer after watching GMTK. I put a collider on my sprite, forgot to lock an axis, and it flopped…like A BIG TURD 💩 I remember. Then my brain proceeded to pursue this idea…WAY TOO IN DEPTH, I now am working on a 3rd person survival RPG on the theme of poop. I’ve watched waaay too many videos about poop during the ideation phase
About 15 years ago, I created a small RPG in Flash that I was really proud of. Since then, I haven't done much game development, but recently, I wanted to recapture that feeling of accomplishment. So, I decided to learn Godot and remake my game, aiming to surpass my past self in every way possible!
That’s awesome! I grew up playing flash games, so there’s a special place in my heart for it. Can’t wait to see what you make!
Goodness... What was my moment?
I think it was when I was a kid and deep in the realm of naivety. I had no idea what the actual first step towards making a game would be. But I had ideas...so I took pencil and paper and start drafting pages and pages and pages and pages of my game ideas. (I once had drafted 12+ pages of a 3D Mario + Donkey Kong before either game existed...before the N64 existed. You had to use all of the Mario and DK clan characters to get through modern Manhatten which was being transformed into a real-world Mushroom Kingdom...albeit, with Bowser and K Rool as the leaders. Literally an open-world game before open world games were a thing. ... I thought of that as early as the 1980s.)
The problem was that my dad didn't believe in video games because of HIS OWN problems with games years earlier so he never supported, much less understood, my passion. I also didn't go to any schools that had a viable tech department. All people saw was a kid "addicted" to video games. They couldn't understand why I was so fascinated with them. I saw new worlds and stories before my eyes and I could literally interact with them! I was the hero! I was the adventurer. I was the guy doing all the things you could only imagine through books or movies.
It wouldn't be until my early 30s when I discovered MIT's JavaScript visual scripting program where you connected "jigsaw" pieces together to visually represent putting together actual JS code. (Google would later get their hands on that andI think that's largely how Android really came to be...I could be wrong. But it's beside the point.) I struggled to understand all of that... It wasn't until I was sitting in a cafe with my girlfriend did I discover, thanks to a couple of guys sitting nearby working on their own project, that I learned about game editors where you could make your own projects! GameMaker, Construct 2, Unreal Engine, Unity...I began learning about these editors until I fell into using Construct 2 (and now C3) rather proficiently. (Next I'm going to be learning Unreal...my games just can't be made on anything less.) ... Long(er) story short(er), I have been learning to overcome my ignorance and building up my own philosophy as a Christian game maker.
But it can be summed up as this: I want to make games because (1) God is creative and creating something is an act of worship to God, and (2) I have stories to tell and fun experiences to share. The game studio I want to build someday will go by this mission statement: To leave a lasting, meaningful impression on the player, long after they have set the controller down.
You just sold me Cave Story
Nice, the man deserves it haha let me know what you think!
I have a weird mixture of knowing it's possible and a constant doubt that I can do that.
My moment of "I want to do this":
Me at 5, playing through Half-Life 1
My moment of "I can do this" was playing flash games - they are so janky you believe you can do something at least of a similar level
Your not alone in feeling constant doubt my friend. Keep learning, and keep growing. It'll get better, you got this!
Soul Engine Heart Machine?
😎😎
Ive been making games longer than i can remember sadly.
That’s not sad, in my opinion, as long as you love it!
I still feel like I can't do this, but I try anyway
That’s what matters most! Keep going, keep learning. It will make the difference.
You can mate, keep it up!
Met my wife playing reach, any maps/game modes you made that I might recognize?
Absolutely not haha. I was such a noob lol, but that game changed my life too. Back in the good ol’ day of halo.
So, bit of a long story, but what originally inspired me to want to be a game developer is that my parents were divorcing. It wasnt a super bad divorce but it had enough bad moments in it. I wanted to be a family therapist, but realizing all the schooling required and the fact that the adults were probably not gonna listen anyways, i aimed to be a game dev instead. At the bare minimum, my stories could serve to distract the children of divorcing parents so that they may have the same moments of peace i did when my world got flipped upside down and inside out.
Fast forward to present day and the motivation have drastically increased to the fact that i want to help my family with finances (we are doing okay, but considering how rough the economy has been, and the fact im still looking for a new job cause my current one is only paying 17 dollars and 86 cents, making a good game should help with that, even if it's just gas money for the week.), and the absolute dopamine rush you get when you create something is so amazing. Despite all the constant setbacks over the past few years, im still working hard to achieve my dreams of making stories for others to play and to share. It is a pain in the rear, especially since my dad and step mother (who is the best mother i ever had) dislikes my choice of being a gamer, but its well worth it in the end.
Absolutely. Sounds like you have your why. Thanks for being here :)
Well it sounds like you have your why, and that you have a mission ahead of you! All the luck to you sir!
@@SoulEngineDev thanks man!
Carrer got bad, wasnt even what i wanted, forced myself to do it, never got any consideration of my passion, and was thinking on sending everyone to shit.
So i said f yall, imma live my life without YOUR wishes, so left carreer, doing it again the way I wanted
my moment was being unemployed for 8 months....
5 year old me, using scratch junior thinks "can I make money from this?"