Question:  Guru, I love video games and I think I can make one that’s really fun.  What do I need to do?

Answer:  Making a video game is similar to making a movie.  There’s a lot that’s involved in it, and there’s no guarantee you’ll make millions.  It’s very possible you’ll lose money.  Of course never give up on your dream.  You could be the next Blizzard or Nintendo!

The games of the 70’s and early 80’s were really fun and simple.  It would take a single person (with advanced programming skills) about three to six months to come up with the overall game design.  After that, another few months went into perfecting game play and working out the bugs.  So, after a year of working full-time a single person could come up with a decent game.  Remember though, all that time you’re not getting paid at all unless you have a backup job (which takes away from game designing).

Nowadays it costs around $1,000,000 to $20,000,000, a few years, and around 500 to 1000 employees.  Making a video game is big business, and you pretty much have to set up a corporation to do so.  This is due largely to the fact that game consoles are where the big bucks are at, and it takes a large investment to just get started.  However, if you have a really awesome idea and the resources to get started, some publishers may fund the development.

I think the largest and most popular game series is Mario Brothers.  That thing’s been around for years.  To put things in perspective, the newest edition New Super Mario Brothers Wii sold over 10 million unites in about eight weeks.  Given that each game costs about $50, that’s a lot of return on your investment.  Don’t forget, these guys have superior game play, have been around forever, and have the backing of one of the largest corporations.

A new game designer should start small and gradually work their way up to the big leagues.  Focus on programming, game design, overall game concepts, and read, read, read!  A lot of studying and behind-the-scenes work should be done before jumping in with both feet.  Have a great plan and a steady course of action.  There’s just as much non-technical preparation to making a game than there is actual programming.

I say give it a shot if that’s what your passion is.  Make a few games for the computer, give them to your friends and see what they think.  It very well could take off into another fine game-making corporation.  Just remember, solid game play should be your main focus.  After that, graphics comes as a distant second requirement for games.