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Indie Gamedev Podcast

Indie Gamedev Podcast

By Alfred Reinold Baudisch

Indie game development, art-making, creativity, and learning techniques. Do you want to make and publish games for hobby or for-profit? Do you have a full-time job and do not know how to make games on the side? Do you want to learn programming, digital art, and game engines? This podcast is brought to you by Alfred Reinold Baudisch, from my YouTube channel. The video version of the Podcast contains images and movies related to the ongoing conversation.
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Make Money with Indie Games Realistically, Surviving 16 Years as Indie Game Developer - Jake Birkett (Gamedev Podcast from Cria Jogo)

Indie Gamedev PodcastJan 13, 2022

00:00
47:30
Make Money with Indie Games Realistically, Surviving 16 Years as Indie Game Developer - Jake Birkett (Gamedev Podcast from Cria Jogo)

Make Money with Indie Games Realistically, Surviving 16 Years as Indie Game Developer - Jake Birkett (Gamedev Podcast from Cria Jogo)

In this interview with Jake Birkett from Grey Alien Games, we talk about how to work full-time with indie game development, how to make money with small and casual games and how to survive on the long run in this industry. Jake has been a Full-time Indie Game Developer for 16 Years.

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Additional info:

Jake Birkett has 16 years of experience as an independent game developer, 13 published commercial games. Jake is an authority in the indie games and casual games market.

Is it possible to develop your own games and make money with them? How to not go bankrupt with game development?

Jake Links: 

  • Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/GreyAlienGames
  • Itch: https://greyaliengames.itch.io/
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreyAlien
  • Site: https://www.greyaliengames.com
  • Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GreyAlien
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JakeBirkett

Videos and articles:

  • You are spending too long making your game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmIFaAU0mJg
  • You're Spending Too Long Making Your Game | Jake Birkett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkEE5pvQOR8
  • How to Survive in Gamedev for Eleven Years Without a Hit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmwbYl6f11c
  • T-Minus 30 interview with Jake Birkett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iEcjQNeK8I
  • Lessons From 10+ Years Fulltime Indie Dev | Jake Birkett (Grey Alien Games) | MGD #28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBpXAEaWZT0
  • TBoIG 2018: Jake Birkett - Make Money from Small Indie Games: You Don't Need a Huge Hit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTZdNVeApTM
  • Are Casual Games Recession Proof?: http://greyaliengames.com/blog/are-casual-games-recession-proof/

Index / Table of Contents / Chapters:

  • 00:00 - Introduction 
  • 00:46 - Who is Jake Birkett and Grey Alien Games? 
  • 02:38 - Full-time indie, rich and famous 
  • 06:02 - Jake's Games 
  • 08:41 - How to have game ideas? 
  • 12:33 - Finish or abandon projects? 
  • 14:17 - How to deal with ambitious game ideas? 
  • 15:32 - Your first game must be small 
  • 17:23 - How to cover the costs of game development? 
  • 20:51 - Chances of having a hit ("Notch factor") 
  • 21:35 - Make games or earn a salary from a job? 
  • 22:37 - Publish many small games 
  • 24:19 - More games lead to more fans and cross sales 
  • 25:43 - Sustainable or successful? 
  • 26:51 - Casual games market 
  • 32:10 - Where to sell your games? 
  • 34:37 - T-Minus 30, Jake's new game 
  • 38:00 - Engine and tools 
  • 41:16 - Who makes the art for your games? 
  • 42:59 - Aesthetics matter 
  • 43:22 - Where is my computer gone? 
  • 44:42 - Where do you live? 
  • 45:31 - Where to find Jake and his games? 
  • 46:21 - Closing words and final advice
Jan 13, 202247:30