making money with custom maps !?

[dux]

To be honest if you think landing a game industry job is the end to all your money and life's problems then I think you'll be sorely dissapointed. Dont get me wrong I love what i do with a passion, it one of the reasons I continue to do it even as a hobby even with a full-time job, but I think Warby is just looking for some kind of financial and creative independance as do many people, Games industry or otherwise.

Personally I worked for a year freelancing before I came to sweden and even though Dice is great, nothing beats being your own boss and having control of your own work. That being said it's a tough world going out on your own, and one of the reasons I left it behind was for some stability finacially and most importantly getting some valuable industry experience as well as doing some travelling while im young(ish)

There's no job in the world that any of us could get that would make us financially stable until the day we die. What I do think though is doing something you enjoy for money is great. Especially seeing your name on a title that sells well. I look around this forum though and see a lot of very talented guys in industry jobs, is it what you expected? Has it not really lived up to your expectations?

[robert.briscoe]

There's no job in the world that any of us could get that would make us financially stable until the day we die. What I do think though is doing something you enjoy for money is great. Especially seeing your name on a title that sells well. I look around this forum though and see a lot of very talented guys in industry jobs, is it what you expected? Has it not really lived up to your expectations?

I think you're really getting the wrong end of the stick, and you also you seem to be missing the point slightly. Im sure that most people that work in the games industry have the same attitude as you - they do it because they love what they do. But you seem to assume that because someone has ambitions to do more that they niether appreciate where they are or are satisfied with what they're doing. I sympathise with your situation and I can understand where you are coming from but I think you need to understand that getting a job in the industry is only the beginning of your career and not the end.

Gabe Newel is a good example of my point and im sure he is pretty finacial stable.

[FrieChamp]

Getting a job in the industry is only the beginning of your career and not the end.

Hits the nail on the head, but most of people (including myself) first start to realize this once they are hired. Not sure how this is going to help Warby's bank account, but the phrase is too good not to point it out!

[KoKo5oVaR]

i talked with koko about this very issue in icq a couple of weeks ago and i think i kind of shocked him by implying that i sort of envy him. because the time between jobs were always the best times of my life

I remember that discussion , but hey as the good old adage says : the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I have my liberty, sure, i can actually artistically do whatever i want. But i can't conceive a life stuck at home working on freelance stuff, i'm 22, and i feel i need to travel, meet new interesting people and get some life experience.

Unfortunately, and i say unfortunately because i wasn't thinking like that one year ago, i feel that i need to make myself a life, a career, kinda "have a plan" and know where i'm going. Have a life you know. Don't get me wrong, i know i could do that more easily in another industry and still making videogame stuff on my freetime like i was doing back then. But i've made a choice, and that's all what counts .

Working in studios give you this stability and make you travel and meet new people, so that's really what i want to head for. But hey as i told you warby, it all depends why you are doing custom maps, community sharing ? to get you a job ? passion ? but if you want to make money, you better find some freelance stuff.

[dux]

Of course I meant getting a position in the industry is the beginning and not the end, absolutely! There's a lot you can go on to be from an entry Level Design I guess. But I often get the feeling I'll never know!

[robert.briscoe]

Of course I meant getting a position in the industry is the beginning and not the end, absolutely! There's a lot you can go on to be from an entry Level Design I guess. But I often get the feeling I'll never know!

There are a lot of external factors atm which are most likely making things hard for you than they would have been, say, a year ago (Economic crysis, doom and gloom) and I wouldnt take it personally. Just dont give up - use your time to continue to push yourself and improve your skills.

Back on topic, what do you think of the making and selling assets instead of whole maps Warby?

[2d-chris]

While we're on the topic of wise comments, don't put all your eggs in one basket. meaning ... find a way of earning money outside of the computer industry. The chances of one industry collapsing is very small, the chance of both is even smaller

[hessi]

reading this thread i saw several reasons why i don't make maps or 3d anymore. for my future i want financial security as good as possible. that's something the game industry does not (yet) offer. comparing sallaries of friends who started with the same degree i can say: the game industry is not half as good as for example the IT-Services landscape.

i noticed your donation button a few weeks ago and my first thought was "noone will donate."

custom maps are like free beer. everyone might enjoy it but nobody will pay for it (even though they might feel a bit guilty)

[Warby]

@hessi your metaphor breaks down a bit once you realize that "billions of people" (literally) are paying for beer every day

@brisco yes i am also looking into selling assets on turbosquid and all their competitor websites in parallel.

[-HP-]

I don't give a fuck honestly... As long as I have enough money to pay for my home, my food and the oportunity to work on what I really love!

From where I come from, Portugal, I've seen a lot of poverty, I've listen to my grandmother and grandfather's storys of their childhood, where they had to split a single fish for a whole family for dinner, they started to work at the age of 12 to help out at home, etc. Even my own parents had a poor life, and they went through very difficult times, seriously, some people have no idea...

I've seen enough to not be ungrateful towards life, my motto has always been the following: Grab the thing you love, and make it your life!

I wouldn't leave this industry to work on anything else in this world, just because I will receive a better income, that's not how I want to live my life.

And sure, a game artist / game designer salary is nothing extraordinary, but It's more than enough to keep you going. Besides, it's a matter of time until you grow up on the company's hierarchy and get a better salary.

Call my naive, but It's my way of seeing things...

[hessi]

@hessi your metaphor breaks down a bit once you realize that "billions of people" (literally) are paying for beer every day

@brisco yes i am also looking into selling assets on turbosquid and all their competitor websites in parallel.

billions of people buy computer games that consist of levels... (i still see the flaw you want to point me to)

[Minos]

If you want artistic freedom just keep working on mods/indie games You are doing fine imo working at a kickass dev and still creating kickass stuff at home... what more can you ask?

I tried to start my own business last year and it´s not something I feel like doing again. There´s so much trouble involved and bureaucratic stuff to deal with that it can drive you crazy. Not to mention dealing with other people (specially if you both are owners). That can be quite a pain in the ass. I like the feeling of realizing other people´s dream for a living, I can still work on my personal stuff at home and vent my creativity there.

Of course I´m very young in this industry but I´d never start my own business again. I want to create stuff instead of having to worry if I have money to pay my employees or if my partner is a liar.

[kleinluka]

koko if you cant get a job maybe you should add more things to your portfolio. just an idea it looks kind of empty and last gen (no offence, just some advice)

[hessi]

":1c4mi70f]

And sure, a game artist / game designer salary is nothing extraordinary, but It's more than enough to keep you going. Besides, it's a matter of time until you grow up on the company's hierarchy and get a better salary.

but the one who started with 4x the salary than yours will probably earn still like 3x than you do (because he can be promoted too). so imo your only justification is that you don't want to live a life filled with goods. probably you might change your opinion some time later. maybe not.

[KoKo5oVaR]

Klein i hear you, and i'm thinking the same.. that's what i'm trying to do but it's hard to plan some months sitting at home working on the making of "next gen" stuff when you want things to move .. but hey, it seems i don't really have the choice ?