Hello, Fastlaners!

[TorkXZero]

Hello Everyone,

I'm 20 years old and from Springfield, MA. I will not lie about my current predicament. I'm a college dropout, and have been stagnant for the last two years. I live in my mother's basement and work part time at a fast food restaurant making just enough to pay my car insurance and my phone bill. I have many siblings. Growing up I was always seen as the bright child, the one who never studies or does any homework but always gets A's on tests. I continued this routine all throughout high school and barely Graduated through make up work and last minute assignments. Forced to go to a community college I vowed to get my act together. I was motivated for the first few months, but It was short lived. I gradually began to lose interest, started neglecting assignments and soon began skipping classes. Too afraid to face my professors, I eventually stopped attending all-together. The worst part is that I was going to school on financial aid. I Wasted the opportunity to get an education for next to no dollars.

That was 2 years ago. I tell you all this story not because I seek sympathy or reproach (Though I may need the latter), but in hopes that it may give you insight into the type of person I am.

My dream is to become a game developer and eventually begin working at the forefront of virtual reality gaming. Though my opinion is purely subjective, I believe i do have the talent and creativity to pursue this road and succeed. I do recognize however, that I have severely impeded myself in this process, and may have to put my dream on hold in favor of another road to wealth. I know it will be hard, but I am perfectly willing to do this if it means that I can freely pursue my dreams in the future.

I got "The Millionaire Fastlane " a few days ago, Finished it this morning and decided to create an account.
I've decided that I will take a fast lane road to wealth. Honestly I wasn't sure where to begin, so I've started tuning my focus toward fast lane opportunities. I'm mainly trying to identify an unmet or not well met need by listening for the key phrases: "I hate...", "I don't like..." etc, I really have not taken any other action.
Can anyone offer me suggestions as to my next step?

 

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[Ninjakid]

Have you read Steve Pavlina's blog? He started his entrepreneurial pursuits as a game developer, and he offers that great insights on it.

From reading his perspective, the game development business seems to be an absolute pain. So I hope you can deal with people being stupid for no reason.

So if I were you, I would probably start making my own games to build my portfolio/reputation.

 

[TorkXZero]

No I haven't read that blog. Thanks for leading me to it. I've often wondered what life as a game developer is like. I did a bit of research but I haven't heard a perspective quite like that. (Will be reading this blog soon)

Thanks for the game suggestion as I well. I had a vague knowledge that i should build my portfolio/rep, but hearing it from someone else really solidifies the idea.

 

[Ninjakid]

What platform do you plan on developing games for? Are you going in as a solo developer?

 

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[TorkXZero]

I'll be going in as a solo developer, at least until I can become skilled enough to actually contribute to a team. I would like to develop for most platforms, but currently I'll be sticking to PC and Smartphone development.(mainly android)

 

[Ninjakid]

I suggest you get your hands on a good computer. You may need some heavy graphic design software as well, if you plan on designing graphics.

Making games for PC and games for Android are very different fields; so I suggest finding some good books on those fields. You don't need to buy them. You can find PDF versions online, or go to a library or bookstore.

Have you studied Java as well as C++?

I'm curious as well, why did you decide to dropout? It wouldn't be a bad to study programming in school and come out with the skills you need.

 

[TorkXZero]

Honestly I haven't technically dropped out. I believe I'm still enrolled at the school, but I no longer receive financial aid, so I can't pay for anymore classes if I go back. I think they've forgotten about me because I haven't gotten any notice from them regarding my status since they sent me the letter about cancelling my financial aid, and I can still access my account via their website. I haven't gone back though because I've been too afraid to face my adviser or any of the staff there for that matter. I've dabbled a bit in C++ and java, along with a few other languages, but I haven't progressed past understanding basic syntax.

I've come to understand the difference between android and PC development recently. I have been playing around with unity on and off. So i thought why not try to make a game for android. I outlined a fairly simple game concept for android(In my opinion), and set out trying to at least build a presentable demo that I could show people and perhaps get feedback on whether I could sell a full game. I was thinking way too far ahead though, as I haven't even been able to set up an android development environment. I've been stuck troubleshooting for days. It only proves that I have so much to learn.

I've decided that I want to move forward with this particular game concept as my first app. I was planning on learning what I need to as I go, but what do you suggest as my first step?

 

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[TorkXZero]

accidentally double posted and not sure how to delete it. Sorry

 

[Birdie]

It seems like you think school is boring, which it totally is. It's a waste of time to get a degree or take general classes.

However, why don't you take classes for game development? Take the classes that will give you real skills and not just useless theory. Look up the most economic schools in your area and then take the class "Java" or "c++" alone. Being around people that code will also help you increase and tweak your technique.

For example, a college near me offered classes for $300 for digital photography. It's a great skill to have and it gives you all the basics and forces you to go, without having the additional burden of needing a grade. Trust me, when you are interested in what you are studying, you will be less inclined to miss a class.

Or just look up classes online or tutorials. However, there is no substitute for seeing other coders near you.

Good luck on your journey.

 

[TorkXZero]

Thank you Birdie and Ninjakid for the awesome advise. As obvious as it seems to go and take only the classes I need, I didn't think of that. I'm going to start researching classes right now. How would you suggest I finance this endeavor? I Have no money currently, but I am willing to incur a bit of debt if it means gaining the knowledge I need to pursue this path.

 

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[Ninjakid]

Honestly I haven't technically dropped out. I believe I'm still enrolled at the school, but I no longer receive financial aid, so I can't pay for anymore classes if I go back. I think they've forgotten about me because I haven't gotten any notice from them regarding my status since they sent me the letter about cancelling my financial aid, and I can still access my account via their website. I haven't gone back though because I've been too afraid to face my adviser or any of the staff there for that matter. I've dabbled a bit in C++ and java, along with a few other languages, but I haven't progressed past understanding basic syntax.

I've come to understand the difference between android and PC development recently. I have been playing around with unity on and off. So i thought why not try to make a game for android. I outlined a fairly simple game concept for android(In my opinion), and set out trying to at least build a presentable demo that I could show people and perhaps get feedback on whether I could sell a full game. I was thinking way too far ahead though, as I haven't even been able to set up an android development environment. I've been stuck troubleshooting for days. It only proves that I have so much to learn.

I've decided that I want to move forward with this particular game concept as my first app. I was planning on learning what I need to as I go, but what do you suggest as my first step?

I don't think not wanting to face people is a good reason for not going to school. You should be able to own up for your decisions. This will make you a stronger character. But if you don't want to go because you just hate school, then I totally understand that because I'm pretty much in the same boat as you.

Setting up an environment for Android isn't that difficult. There are tutorials out there on the web. All you need to do is download Java, the Java SDK, and an IDE (Eclipse and Android Studio are the major ones. I myself use Android Studio). Don't let the being stuck hold you back.

Thank you Birdie and Ninjakid for the awesome advise. As obvious as it seems to go and take only the classes I need, I didn't think of that. I'm going to start researching classes right now. How would you suggest I finance this endeavor? I Have no money currently, but I am willing to incur a bit of debt if it means gaining the knowledge I need to pursue this path.

I personally HATE the idea of going into debt for your first business when you have little income to begin with. How about picking up a side hustle and raising some cash? See if you have any unique skills that you could make money off of. Another option is liquidating some junk that you have laying around.
there's a good thread on this this kind of thing here: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...ling-anything-part-2.56959/page-3#post-422980

You should dive deep into learning coding too. You've been stagnant for two years already, time to make something happen.