How to Bootstrap Your Business November 22, 2011 10 min read This story appears in the December 2011 issue of . Subscribe » Erica Zidel knew trying to raise funds for her startup would be a full-time job. She worried that chasing after capital would distract her from building the best product she could. So, rather than sweat the investment game, she has spent two years holding down a day job while bootstrapping her new company on the side. During business hours, the Boston resident works as a management consultant. "I've basically been working two full-time jobs," says Zidel, founder and CEO of Sitting Around, an online community that makes it easy for parents to find and coordinate babysitting co-ops in their neighborhoods. What's perhaps more thrilling is that she's been able to self-fund Sitting Around with the money she earns from her consulting work. That focus on innovation has paid off. Money vs. Juggling jobs: Erica Zidel of Stting Around works days as a management consultant. Zidel will attest to that.
: Robert Madsen's Blog - Starting an Indie Game Studio (Part 1) The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company. Welcome to part one of a new series on starting an indie game studio. I get a lot of questions about what it takes to start a game studio. My Journey I have been programming all of my life. After Other Ocean, I decided that I wanted to start my own studio. I had a family and I didn't want to have to move all around the country to be able to work. So, what gave me the audacity to think that, after only two years in the indusry, I could succeed at founding my own game studio? The Right Stuff Before I answer that question, I'm going to pose some questions of my own to those of you who are reading this article and considering running founding your own game studio: Have you ever started and run a business? Have you ever started and run a business? I am a programmer.
What does it really cost to open an indie studio? All your money, most of your life It is common to hear about game companies having crushing financial woes in the games press. It can be observed in companies of all sizes, from THQ going under to 38 Studios defaulting on millions of debts to the recent Yogsventure project fiasco. I've seen the people behind these projects judged very harshly in comments from readers (I know, I know, I shouldn't read the comments) and usually, it seems to me that people grossly underestimate what it costs to run a game studio. For about as long as I can remember, I've been planning on starting my own game studio. It's an ambition I nurtured throughout my youth. People grossly underestimate what it costs to run a game studio Meanwhile, I'd keep reading about the state of the game industry, a subject matter that has been as intriguing to me as the game themselves. Breakdown of costs Initial costs: Incorporation: $500 (Varies by location, does not include attorney fee) Equipment (per workstation) Not to mention: Ongoing costs: Other costs:
6 Steps to a Successful Business Launch June 25, 2012 10 min read This story appears in the June 2012 issue of . Subscribe » Erik Oberholtzer, Matt Lyman and David Dressler met while working in the kitchen at a luxury beach resort in Southern California. Together, they envisioned a restaurant where they could follow their cooking passions and serve organic, farm-fresh, "slow food" dishes at affordable prices. "It took probably two years from idea to opening," says Oberholtzer, chef and co-owner of Tender Greens, which opened in 2006 and now operates seven locations across California. (From left) Tender Greens' Erik Oberholtzer, Matt Lyman and David Dressler "We would make revisions to our plan after every meeting with a potential investor, because sophisticated investors would ask questions we hadn't thought of, causing us to go back and refine the numbers," Oberholtzer says. Related: How to Craft a Business Plan That Will Turn Investors' Heads Before launching your business, here are six steps to ensure a successful start. 1.
Worldwide digital games market — SuperData, a Nielsen Company Gamers continued to play and spend on mobile titles even as they stayed home. Mobile games revenue was up 15% year-over-year and reached $5.7B during March. Earnings for a number of major mobile titles also grew during the month. For example, Pokémon GO revenue rose to $111M in March (up 18% month-over-month) after publisher Niantic made tweaks to the game to make it easier to play without physically moving. Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold more digital units in a single month (5.0M) than any console game in history. The Nintendo-published title broke the console record for monthly digital game sales previously held by Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII. The addition of Warzone to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare resulted in monthly active user numbers for the title jumping 159% month-over-month to reach an all-time high of 62.7M. Doom Eternal from id Software sold 3.0M digital units in March, more than three times what Doom sold (957K) during its launch in May 2016.
The JonManatee Blog - Jonathan Moore How to Make a Game Programming- GameCareerGuide.com Whether you are a computer science graduate or a self-taught programmer, your demo portfolio is the key to getting your foot in the door of the game industry. For junior programmers applying for their first position, it doesn't matter if they graduated with honors from the best universities -- without a stellar portfolio, they will not even be considered for an interview, let alone be offered a job. I started my career in the games industry straight out of university back in 2001 so I know what it's like to worry about what games companies would expect of me and what I should do to show them I'm the right candidate for the job. Over the past few years (on a daily basis, depending on the time of year) I have been responsible for reviewing portfolios and interviewing candidates for programming roles at Blitz Games Studios, and I have seen some pretty amazing piece of work ... and some that should have been but were just not there.
Sponsored Feature: Breaking Into the Game Industry Sponsored Feature: Breaking Into the Game Industry By Ian Schreiber,Brenda Brathwaite Excerpts are from Breaking Into the Game Industry, Advice for a Successful Career from Those Who Have Done It by Brenda Brathwaite and Ian Schreiber, published by Course Technology PTR. What Do Game Designers Need to Show in Their Portfolios? Brenda: Games, games, and more games. When I am hiring entry-level or intern game designers, inevitably, there will be a pile of résumés. Although it might seem challenging, select a group of individuals (or go solo) and participate in indie games and game jams. The ability to code in some language is also highly desired. Another clue into a person's passion is a "body of work" and play that suggests passion for video games and game design. Steve Meretzky (1981, Vice President of Game Design, Playdom): My stock answer to this question is that the best way to prepare to be a game designer is to be a world-class generalist. So, I understand. does. "I am a monk.
The Game Design Portfolio: Is- GameCareerGuide.com Not long ago, I had the opportunity to talk with numerous potential game designers while I was in Charlotte, NC. Each raised the same issue independent of one another: "How do I create a design portfolio?" It's a really good question, actually. The usual advice given to wanna-be designers is this: "Don't try it. No one ever gets hired as a game designer straight out of school." Except, that's not actually true. Game design students Erika Scipione (left, facing) and Maura Wright try their hands at board games. Creating a Winning Game Industry Art Portfolio [Art that shows direct relevance to games is so much more important than showcasing specific skills or personal preference when building a portfolio, says NinjaBee art director Brent Fox.] Artists often ask me how they can improve their portfolios for the video game industry. While the best advice I could give would be tailored to each individual's work, I would like to give some general advice that I think could help most artists improve their portfolio. It's easy to find a lot of useful advice about what to include in a portfolio so most artists already have a solid foundation. A Chain's Weakest Link Carefully choose what to include in your portfolio. If you have nine great pieces and one bad, the bad one is assumed to represent the kind of work an employer can expect to see most of the time. Aim High You're not competing with your high school buddies. Make it Memorable If your art looks like everything else in the game industry it may be easily forgotten. Art First, Experience Later
10 Steps To The Perfect Web Design Portfolio You may have a personal portfolio website for a number of reasons. If you’re a freelancer, then you’d need one to showcase your work and allow people to contact you. If you’re a student (or unemployed), then you’d need one to show prospective employers how good you are and what you can do, so that they might hire you. If you’re part of a studio, then you might use one to blog about your design life, show people what you’re doing and build your online presence. You may have a personal web design portfolio site for a number of reasons. If you’re a freelancer, then you’d need one to showcase your work and allow people to contact you. A personal portfolio website is all about promoting you. You may want to take a look at the following related articles: What makes for a good personal portfolio website? 1. Your logo is usually the first thing a user sees. It doesn’t necessarily have to be your name, but if you’re trying to promote yourself online, then it’s a good idea to go by your name. 2.