Is THIS a Good Idea?

[PigTech]

A bit about my self: I'm 14 and for the past year I've consistently been working on all pillars ( health, mental health, meditation, fitness, philosophy, etc. ), besides business. I read TMF and became obsessed with reaching financial freedom by age 18.

I tried starting a Calisthenics channel. The idea was to build a fanbase and then redirect them to my product: Courses. However comparing with the CENTS didn't look good:

Youtube:

Control - 20% ( I'm at Youtube's mercy )
Entry - 0% ( Everyone is doing the same. I've got major competitors and a lot of them. They are wAy better than me and have got years of experience )
Need - 30% ( A lot of people are doing the same, thus the need is low. I'm not exceptional, so I will earn very little money.
Time - 75% ( Once you have a catalog of videos getting views, it's constant passive profit. I do need to post weekly though. Also I can't upscale, because the business is tied to my face )
Scale - 98% ( It's the internet )

Product ( Courses ):

Control - 100%
Entry - 40%
Need - 35%
Time - 95%
Scale - 95%


So, I decided to ditch the idea. It would take me many many more years of training to be exceptional and actually win. Also converges with "Do What I Love" - not a good idea.

I've been looking for needs/problems in the market, but to no avail. What comes to mind however is creating an indie game ( I have 5 years of programming experience ) and over time develop a Video Game Company. This is viable, remember I'm still 14, so no one would take me seriously in business. Comparing with CENTS looks promising:

Solo or small group:
Control - 100%
Entry - 50 % ( Not everyone can develop games )
Need - 40 - 80% ( Not sure if the need is high. The market is oversaturated, but focusing on a niche might fix the problem )
Time - 70 - 98% ( Updates may be required to keep the product alive )
Scale - 99%

Company:

Control - 100%
Entry - 85%
Need - 90%
Time - 99%
Scale - 99%

Good idea right?

I am scared that I will not be able to market my initial products. How will people find my game amidst all the others. I can't afford ads. I will need to rely on people finding the game. liking it, and slowly building a fan base. An option could be to create a youtube channel and funnel people from there. However, this will take away from my focus. I will need to build two things at once.

IF I start, this will be a Huge investment of my time and energy. This could be a waste.
The company is also risky, because it dabbles with Human Recourses.

Maybe I should just start and stop worrying and overthinking. I hope this wasn't to massive of a question. Let me know what you think. Should I pass or should I start? Thanks in advance

 

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[ExistingExpert]

It depends on the game you will create. If you can make the next FNAF, Stardew Valley etc. then it is a good idea. As with all things in business, you have to create something special which many customers are willing to pay for. You do that by skewing value and adjusting your product according to the market.

 

[PigTech]

It depends on the game you will create. If you can make the next FNAF, Stardew Valley etc. then it is a good idea. As with all things in business, you have to create something special which many customers are willing to pay for. You do that by skewing value and adjusting your product according to the market.

I really enjoy creating retro and strategy games. I think it is a niche rarely touched up. So the need could be high or could be low.

 

[PigTech]

It depends on the game you will create. If you can make the next FNAF, Stardew Valley etc. then it is a good idea. As with all things in business, you have to create something special which many customers are willing to pay for. You do that by skewing value and adjusting your product according to the market.

Yeah, but what about marketing? How will people find my game. Maybe reinvesting earned money through the game into advertising.

 

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[ExistingExpert]

I really enjoy creating retro and strategy games. I think it is a niche rarely touched up. So the need could be high or could be low.

If you want to create a strategy game, then you will have to access your competition and see whether you can improve on their product or provide something new for people who like playing stratery games. Can you keep the player engaged more than Civilization VI can? Does your game have better combat than XCOM 2? Will it have some new mechanics that others haven't even thought of?

 

[Nightwolf]

You don't need to start directly with a CENTS business. Just focus on starting and making a few bucks to understand how business works. Improve your sales and communication skills. Then you can worry about a CENTS business.

It's impressive that you have 5 years of experience given that you are only 14. Video game company sounds good. I believe @Trait is also making a game and he recently got an offer for $300k from a well-known company, so it seems like you only need to establish the groundwork for the game and then you can sell it mid-production for a good amount of money.

If your game is good enough, it will spread through word of mouth, no marketing needed. I suggest you record yourself or your screen while developing the game in time-lapse and start posting on social media to establish a fan base and generate excitement. Maybe even get a website where you can collect emails for beta-testing and post updates (I can make you one for free IF I see that you are really committed to this project).

IF I start, this will be a Huge investment of my time and energy. This could be a waste.

I assure you that it wont go to waste. You will learn SO many things along the way that will help you with your next project.

All the best on your endeavors,
Nightwolf

 

[ExistingExpert]

Yeah, but what about marketing? How will people find my game. Maybe reinvesting earned money through the game into advertising.

I have seen people market games by sponsoring youtubers to play their games. I am not an expert on this topic though. You may wanna checkout @BizyDad's recent call that explains this: MEETUPS - TFLF Call - The 3M's of Marketing

 

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[SnowLava]

I've been looking for needs/problems in the market, but to no avail. What comes to mind however is creating an indie game ( I have 5 years of programming experience ) and over time develop a Video Game Company. This is viable, remember I'm still 14, so no one would take me seriously in business.

Good to see fellow young people starting entrepreneurship. What I would recommend is just get going. If you create a good game, nobody will care whether you are 14 or 79. Moreover, this is the age of internet. If your game is good, then it WILL get noticed by people. You just have to promote it a bit in reddit or such forums but it will happen.

Just a personal question - Are you a Unity developer? I made one game using Godot and I was thinking to transition to in the future (IF I ever make a game again, not a current priority).

 

[PigTech]

You don't need to start directly with a CENTS business. Just focus on starting and making a few bucks to understand how business works. Improve your sales and communication skills. Then you can worry about a CENTS business.

It's impressive that you have 5 years of experience given that you are only 14. Video game company sounds good. I believe @Trait is also making a game and he recently got an offer for $300k from a well-known company, so it seems like you only need to establish the groundwork for the game and then you can sell it mid-production for a good amount of money.

If your game is good enough, it will spread through word of mouth, no marketing needed. I suggest you record yourself or your screen while developing the game in time-lapse and start posting on social media to establish a fan base and generate excitement. Maybe even get a website where you can collect emails for beta-testing and post updates (I can make you one for free IF I see that you are really committed to this project).

I assure you that it wont go to waste. You will learn SO many things along the way that will help you with your next project.

All the best on your endeavors,
Nightwolf

Thanks for the advice, I'm hitting the gas!

 

[PigTech]

Good to see fellow young people starting entrepreneurship. What I would recommend is just get going. If you create a good game, nobody will care whether you are 14 or 79. Moreover, this is the age of internet. If your game is good, then it WILL get noticed by people. You just have to promote it a bit in reddit or such forums but it will happen.

Just a personal question - Are you a Unity developer? I made one game using Godot and I was thinking to transition to in the future (IF I ever make a game again, not a current priority).

Yes, I am a Unity developer. I haven't tried Godot or Unreal, but I can assure you that Unity is great. From what I've heard Godot is really slacking behind Unreal and Unity.

 

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[PigTech]

If you want to create a strategy game, then you will have to access your competition and see whether you can improve on their product or provide something new for people who like playing stratery games. Can you keep the player engaged more than Civilization VI can? Does your game have better combat than XCOM 2? Will it have some new mechanics that others haven't even thought of?

In the past I've played Civ6. There are definitely things that can be improved upon.

 

[Trait]

I got tagged here, so I am going to give a bit of advice, but its great to see you have such big plans at 14!

Game development isn't really that fun and easy. It took me 15 months of 12-14 hours a day of work to get contacted by a publisher and I kinda rejected their deal - usually, it's the other way around. I lost almost all of my IRL friends and spent months building a game that was not really getting any interactions.

I have seen people make superb-looking games with Unity. But most I see are cheap asset flips. Also, it looks like unity's asset store doesn't have many high-fidelity assets which might be a big negative. Especially when people like me put in the same effort in Unreal Engine 5 and make a game that looks a hundred times better. At this point if you are starting out - it will be best to choose Unreal Engine, unless you are creating a 2D game, Unity is better for only that.

Marketing - I haven't figured it all out but Competing with an obsolete game will get you traction pretty quick as was the case for me. But mostly it's about making something that both Plays well and Looks great. Unity sucks at the second part. If you do that your game will hit a productocracy of its own and marketing will mainly be through YouTubers covering your game. You will have your own youtube channel but I don't think its viable to build a brand in YouTube and make a game at the same time unless its really low poly or something. Reddit, Twitter and YouTube would be your main marketing websites.

NEED - The most important factor. What problem are you solving with your game? This usually is from another game/ franchise. Reinventing the wheel is not really viable as it requires a lot of Probabilities in your favor to succeed, (most people call it luck).

So to actually have control over your probabilities, you will first need to find a game with problems you can solve with your own game. And the problems cannot be tiny. Your solutions to your competitor's problems need to make the game around 1.5x - 2x better to have a safe bet at development. The moment this 1.5x - 2x multiplier decreases the risk increases. The risk of your game not doing as well as you think it will or getting the same traction with YouTubers. Your game might get called a copycat if you do not innovate at all.

With a Team - Team's in the industry mostly form from colleagues at the studio they were working in. You need to have a Job in the industry to find potential teammates. And you won't be able to hire as no one would want to work with someone with no experience in the industry. The same goes for starting a company. And you will have to decide whether going with publishers is in your plan, as there is a chance that your game might take more money to get built than you anticipate.

That only leaves the solo option - the option I took. If you still want to continue, it won't be easy - and will take a high amount of perseverance to pull off.

 

[PigTech]

I got tagged here, so I am going to give a bit of advice, but its great to see you have such big plans at 14!

Game development isn't really that fun and easy. It took me 15 months of 12-14 hours a day of work to get contacted by a publisher and I kinda rejected their deal - usually, it's the other way around. I lost almost all of my IRL friends and spent months building a game that was not really getting any interactions.

I have seen people make superb-looking games with Unity. But most I see are cheap asset flips. Also, it looks like unity's asset store doesn't have many high-fidelity assets which might be a big negative. Especially when people like me put in the same effort in Unreal Engine 5 and make a game that looks a hundred times better. At this point if you are starting out - it will be best to choose Unreal Engine, unless you are creating a 2D game, Unity is better for only that.

Marketing - I haven't figured it all out but Competing with an obsolete game will get you traction pretty quick as was the case for me. But mostly it's about making something that both Plays well and Looks great. Unity sucks at the second part. If you do that your game will hit a productocracy of its own and marketing will mainly be through YouTubers covering your game. You will have your own youtube channel but I don't think its viable to build a brand in YouTube and make a game at the same time unless its really low poly or something. Reddit, Twitter and YouTube would be your main marketing websites.

NEED - The most important factor. What problem are you solving with your game? This usually is from another game/ franchise. Reinventing the wheel is not really viable as it requires a lot of Probabilities in your favor to succeed, (most people call it luck).

So to actually have control over your probabilities, you will first need to find a game with problems you can solve with your own game. And the problems cannot be tiny. Your solutions to your competitor's problems need to make the game around 1.5x - 2x better to have a safe bet at development. The moment this 1.5x - 2x multiplier decreases the risk increases. The risk of your game not doing as well as you think it will or getting the same traction with YouTubers. Your game might get called a copycat if you do not innovate at all.

With a Team - Team's in the industry mostly form from colleagues at the studio they were working in. You need to have a Job in the industry to find potential teammates. And you won't be able to hire as no one would want to work with someone with no experience in the industry. The same goes for starting a company. And you will have to decide whether going with publishers is in your plan, as there is a chance that your game might take more money to get built than you anticipate.

That only leaves the solo option - the option I took. If you still want to continue, it won't be easy - and will take a high amount of perseverance to pull off.

Thanks for the advice! I'm perfectly aware that this will take ALOT of effort and perseverance. Day 1 and it's already been a tough battle. Since I'm a solo developer I'm playing all the roles ( programmer, designer, architect, etc. ). Even so I believe I will pull this off. The only concern is this: Am I solving a problem that needs solving? What I'm doing right now might kinda count as "reinventing the wheel". I will have features that others don't. I search the web for feature complaints about: Civ6, Humankind, etc. ( the competitors ) and try to implement them. This project will take years to complete, since I'm alone. I have 4 more years where I have no living costs, so I don't depend on it to succeed. Realistically this could be a flop, but that doesn't matter. Btw I created a post where I track my progress, if anyone is interested: EXECUTION - Game and Youtube Development Archive

Not sure If I will grow a Youtube channel. Will think through.

 

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[PigTech]

I got tagged here, so I am going to give a bit of advice, but its great to see you have such big plans at 14!

Game development isn't really that fun and easy. It took me 15 months of 12-14 hours a day of work to get contacted by a publisher and I kinda rejected their deal - usually, it's the other way around. I lost almost all of my IRL friends and spent months building a game that was not really getting any interactions.

I have seen people make superb-looking games with Unity. But most I see are cheap asset flips. Also, it looks like unity's asset store doesn't have many high-fidelity assets which might be a big negative. Especially when people like me put in the same effort in Unreal Engine 5 and make a game that looks a hundred times better. At this point if you are starting out - it will be best to choose Unreal Engine, unless you are creating a 2D game, Unity is better for only that.

Marketing - I haven't figured it all out but Competing with an obsolete game will get you traction pretty quick as was the case for me. But mostly it's about making something that both Plays well and Looks great. Unity sucks at the second part. If you do that your game will hit a productocracy of its own and marketing will mainly be through YouTubers covering your game. You will have your own youtube channel but I don't think its viable to build a brand in YouTube and make a game at the same time unless its really low poly or something. Reddit, Twitter and YouTube would be your main marketing websites.

NEED - The most important factor. What problem are you solving with your game? This usually is from another game/ franchise. Reinventing the wheel is not really viable as it requires a lot of Probabilities in your favor to succeed, (most people call it luck).

So to actually have control over your probabilities, you will first need to find a game with problems you can solve with your own game. And the problems cannot be tiny. Your solutions to your competitor's problems need to make the game around 1.5x - 2x better to have a safe bet at development. The moment this 1.5x - 2x multiplier decreases the risk increases. The risk of your game not doing as well as you think it will or getting the same traction with YouTubers. Your game might get called a copycat if you do not innovate at all.

With a Team - Team's in the industry mostly form from colleagues at the studio they were working in. You need to have a Job in the industry to find potential teammates. And you won't be able to hire as no one would want to work with someone with no experience in the industry. The same goes for starting a company. And you will have to decide whether going with publishers is in your plan, as there is a chance that your game might take more money to get built than you anticipate.

That only leaves the solo option - the option I took. If you still want to continue, it won't be easy - and will take a high amount of perseverance to pull off.

I won't use the asset store. It's absolute dog shit. I'm making my own art.