A realistic guide on changing your career to become a gamedev

[@Ironroc]

Crazy to think I originally worked in the professional game dev field, but the competition, hours, and pay were so bad I transferred out into motion graphics/3d animation.... Now I find myself using the tools from both those paths to make my own game! Full circle! Your paths can go many ways, use what you learn along the way. Great video, and good luck to your team.

[@faizanmalikv]

hello i am 2d animator motion designer now i am trying to switch into game development unity or unreal.. is i am doing right

[@mz_eth]

I love the game jam suggestion, for the first 6 months of learning to code I thought it seemed unintuitive to do a game jam. You cram for 7 days just to typically throw that code away, but that's honestly the beauty of it. I have learned so many lessons now from game jams, and wish I learned other lessons there instead of on my main project where I have been refactoring code for the past week.

[@henryjones3633]

As someone who has no game dev experience, barely any art experience, minimal music/audio recording experience and literally no coding experience, I use something like this as a resource of hope. I graduated college this year with an undergrad in supply chain. My current job is in Procurement & is so stressful for all the wrong reasons in my eyes. I would rather be frustrated at my own errors and mistakes and learn from them rather than someone yelling at me to get me their stuff when 7626 issues arise from that sentiment alone. Makes me contemplate the jump to something risky like this every dam day. Thanks for what you do.

[@ytmiva2]

That sounds like a toxic workplace 😢

[@brickroundhouse4298]

Does it pay the bills?

[@CloudlessStudio]

You can do it man. I taught myself everything I know in around 2 years. I made lots of videos of all the games I made, I made 2 Steam games which sold decent and got a job in gamedev as a programmer. All from that desire of change. If I could do it, anyone can honestly. It just takes a few years of hard work.

[@lodesa]

I appreciate these videos so much. I've been a web developer for 14 years and I've recently started working on game dev in the evenings. I'm hoping to make this same transition next year. Your videos are a great source of inspiration.

[@MThingz]

Wish i could quit my job and pursue indie dev full time. I need the $ and benefits for my wife and 2 kids. Both kids are still young below age 3. Only time I have to practice 3d modeling in blender and read my game-dev books is at night time when the household is asleep. I work as a software engineer full-time, so programming isn't an issue for me. It's more of the nuances of tieing the entire gaming concepts together in the game engine software and code with good design practices. Not too worried about art assets, I've spent last 2-3 years practicing Blender and have become pretty decent at low-middle poly style for both environment and character design. Animation is a different story but I found my own workflow using Mixamo and animation assets on the Unity/UE marketplace. Hoping to begin entering the path of creating my first game soon after I finish this substance painter course. I heavily want to focus on simulation/strategy, simulation/sports, monster farm simulation games like Romance of the Three Kingdoms + Kairosoft Games + Digimon/Pokemon

[@sinistrity]

Hi, love your videos, I am a game dev myself and had a hard time finding game dev job after graduating from uni in comp. science, but I kept pushing and making my own personal projects, hopefully one day I will be able to create a title worthy of a full release and accomplish my dream to create my own games full time

[@jabulanimlaudzi]

I'm a farmer from, but thanks to your videos, I have taken the leap into game development. Although I had no prior programming knowledge, I have a background in architecture. Your advice regarding using your strengths as a starting point has helped me plenty, as I went from being totally confused about where to start to actively developing a 3rd person shooter, and have learned tonnes in the process. Would be great to find someone in Johannesburg, South Africa on a similar journey I can connect with.

[@ytmiva2]

That's great! I'm sure game developers can learn a lot from farmers. Use your experience to give yourself an edge.

[@vala759]

Had my diploma last year, after 6 month of business intership, 8 mounth of what-the-fuck-i'm-doing-now, I start my first indie game as a 3D generalist (translation: i can do pretty much everything decently if it's not hardcore coding or making sounds/music) and a partner who can code things, just finished the GDD today. it will be a long road for our RTS/roguelite dieselpunk game to come to life, we know we're going to spitting blood, but it will worth the price at the end. Good luck to everybody trying the indie adventure ✊

[@Iamjake1000]

Your point about the older crowd who is established is good.. I'm 29 and have a 4 month old and my wife works night shifts when I'm done with my job... I work on game dev as much free time allows, but others will blow me under the water with just time restraints. I don't have enough savings to just get up and quit to pursue this dream. I say quit your job with caution and very smart planning.. If you're going to be worried about paying your bills in 6 months maybe it's not a good idea to risk it, just work on things on the side.

[@mz_eth]

yeah I 100% agree about not risking it, I wish I went to school for coding instead of art, I have a pretty low paying job and have to work as much as possible. Its actually kinda funny I just signed up to work Christmas eve and new years eve and in the back of my head I'm thinking "no one will be there, I'll just bring the laptop and get some work done". But I think even people that have a lot of free time to pursue this, there's also the fear of burn out. I just keep telling myself, don't quit and keep making progress :)

[@MThingz]

@Iamjake1000 glad to see i'm not the only one in this boat. I'm 30 years old with 2 kids and a wife. Only time I have for game dev is at night when the household is asleep. Wish I could quit and pursue this full time, but I need the salary and benefits from my SE job to provide for my family. I'm hoping in a couple of years I can release my first game and be well on my way to opening my own indie studio. Have been studying and practicing subjects related to game dev for the last 3 years. Will be a struggle but also exciting experience for all of us.

[@LejoHuertas]

I started using unity for small mini games and apps, but didn't get good profit with it... So I changed my dev type to web dev (front end) and I like it... But I like more game dev. This kind of videos make me think that I should return to game dev, It's like a passion, a fire inside, I'm not clear about how to describe it. But thanks!

[@kkeeperofsouls]

I'm in college for computer science and I planned to go into web development when I started school but I have recently been learning UE5 and Blender to pivot into a gamedev stream so this video came out at the perfect time

[@RewdanSprites]

Great video! From what I've heard over the years AAA studios tend to look for people who specialise in specific things these days. Rather than a generalist indie dev. Good luck out there for anyone trying to get work! I tried for quite some years and now just do my own thing.

[@DonAguinaldo]

Great video! I've been following you guys ever since the start of your channel and its cool to see how far you guys have come. I've been a software engineer at NASA for 4 years now and I just don't find fulfillment in what I do anymore. I've been thinking about trying out game dev and KZbin for the longest time. I'm still kind of afraid of taking the leap though because of inflation lately. It's been hard keeping the financials stable. Regardless it's content like this that's been slowly giving me the courage to switch careers. Happy to see your channels success! Best of luck. 🙏

[@geekworthy7938]

Firm handshake does not mean crushing the other person's hand! Firm means not weak like a napkin, just strong enough to be a stable hold!

[@jay_william17]

If they dont cry out in pain then ur not doing it right

[@thomashall659]

Thanks for this! I am exactly the person you described, and your ideas are welcome. Cheers.

[@thomasjacobs549]

Long time software engineer. Always want to develop games full time but that is a dream at my current expense level.

[@MThingz]

I'm in the same boat! SE here as well. Definitely build up slow if you don't want to jump the gun like me. Spending whatever free time I have studying (game physics, game design concepts, game design software patterns) and also 3d modeling. It's ambitious but I want to be able to work on the code and art. Hard for me to find time for myself while raising two kids but the struggle will hopefully be worth it!

[@Seancstudiogames]

My biggest issue is being older (50) its real struggle keeping energy up enough as I solve other people’s problems all day snd it’s exhausting. Benefits are that I work from home already, so have a strong solo work drive.

[@thegalacticpastry7523]

Its great that this just came out, coincidentally i just quit my job at a SaaS company with no backup and i am looking to get into the industry!

[@ThinkWithGames]

Making games/ game tutorials full time would be fun!

[@TheRealCzechmark]

Love the videos and the journey you guys are on. Just wish the editing snips wasn't too hard too look like 😂😂

[@bruceburnett5372]

Nothing ventured nothing gained. I'm hoping for something that works with me as opposed to against me. My why is strong and I love to create. So far it's been cheap except in time and the rewards speak for themselves. Great vid as usual.

[@BarneyCodes]

Great video and some good advice! I'm currently working on my first commercial game while also working full time. I definitely feel the pull to work on it full time but I'm a bit of a risk averse person and find the idea of quitting very intimidating! I'm wondering about the idea of doing part time employment (2-3 days a week), to keep a bit of steady income while also giving me a lot of the time and flexibility I crave in order to work on my games. If my games start doing well then I would move to working on my games full time. What are your thoughts on that approach?

[@bitemegames]

Just you wait till our video now Friday 😉 -M

[@BarneyCodes]

@@bitemegames Looking forward to it!

[@zacktzeng8569]

Thanks for the insightful contents! I'd like to ask a question. For the first or second game, how would I determine if a game has enough levels or maps to be qualified to be released? Is there a good rule of thumb?

[@christopherogle]

I'm building vertices slice to pick to s publisher, and simultaneously building small fast gamejam-like projects s to learn. I plan on trying to make one of them into a release letter game. I'm just working in spare time now, but im planning on going full time if i can find someone who will give an advance on my vertical slice.

[@morgan0]

3:06 “…let’s assume a spherical oil rig…”

[@GreyManFaustus]

I'd love to make 10k working 4 hours/week, though. That's kinda the amount of work I'm willing to endure.

[@bitemegames]

Well if you send me $2,997, maybe we can work something out 😉 -M

[@GreyManFaustus]

I'll take eight! @@bitemegames

[@forgottenaquarium2879]

I am thinking of quitting my day job and be a full time game dev. But I am really not sure I should do that

[@Surkk2960]

Good to know all the cards are stacked against me and I don't know how to play cards to begin with. Currently unemployed (quit a job I hated) with a Bachelors degree that is unused and trying to work on making games, but it is getting harder and harder to even open up the engine. The need to do this is there, but the drive is not and I'm unsure why.

[@holy.diever]

As someone in the electrical/mechanical maintenance world i really want to quit my job. I dont have enough saved to quit but im hoping to transition to a programming job so i can at least do something relevant that makes money while doing game dev on the side

[@viniciusantonio2253]

I question that I always make to myself is target audience, my country does not has a good and solid gamedev community, specially for the engine of my choice (almost none quality tutorials on out mother language), but limiting myself to my country is a foot shoot, the government seems try to make even harder to create a studio here, the best target for us is the international community

[@channyh.221B]

Sorry but that is the cutest plant I've seen in the back ground. I like to think you use it as 'rubberducking'. Just don't call it 'Audrey II' and you'll be just fine.

[@raenarr]

I'm scared to go down this road, but I beat Malenia, so atleast I have that under my belt :,D Let's go!

[@neosinan1]

Hey Marnix, This is great content. As a total newbie to Game development your videos are quite useful both for checking our direction and also for confirming it. Honestly I dont think I intend to start a gaming company but If/when I go for freelance in my day to day job, having a second income would give me a comfort and It would reduce my risk of going freelance. In any case, We started our first game prototype as a team of three like you, Hopefully Prototype will be fun and then I am gonna hit you with it. Keep up the good work, Thanks.

[@tjspeirs75]

I have a little savings, i have a want, i just need more skills 😔 and/or help...

[@joseluispcr]

a realistic guide to change your career to become gamedev: don't.

[@FlorisDVijfde]

Better to do if it's your dream or you will always regret not even trying. Like Alec Baldwin said, you always miss the shots you don't take :-).

[@JJSmalls]

Be an employee instead. So much safety and security. Hail corporate!

[@edbrito-swdev]

I have enjoyed this video greatly but there's a single point that I can't identify with... "You have money". AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA . . . AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA. I'm just old.

[@ytmiva2]

Why are you telling people no one will hire them without experience? It's unlikely but your point is not true. It's very demotivating for people trying to get into the industry. Of course they need to know how to make games but a background is not required. I very much agree with your other points! Networking is so valuable. Just go to events, talk to people, BE MEMORABLE (great point!) and join gamejams and make friends for life!

[@FlorisDVijfde]

Everybody needs a portfolio. You need to show what you can do. There are also assessments where you need to prove your coding skills.

[@bitemegames]

So, I think there are 3 main reasons as to why I am saying this: 1. Right now, the job market is in absolute ruin, with large companies laying of high amounts of staff (Epic, Embracer, EA,...) This means that you, an indie with just a portfolio, are going to be competing with hundreds of highly talented, actual professionals. We get people contacting us here, with 5+ years of prior experience, who have just been laid of and are *desperately* looking for work, with horror stories that their are hundreds of applicants for just a single position. This is similar to the climate in regular tech last year when all the FANG companies also laid off tens of thousands of software engineers, which completely ruins the market for fresh graduates/people with little experience. Also, all of the "young" indie studios, made up of fresh gamedev grads, are also competing with you with work-for-hire services. Pretty much every indie dev in Belgium I know is working for at least one other dev in this weird symbiotic spiral. Once again, your competition has better credentials and is fighting for the scraps of work. 2. It's about knowing our audience as well. 20% of the people who watched this video, have never even opened a game engine before, with another 50% never having moved past the basic prototype stage (check our most recent community poll). That is not enough experience to bother with applying, as you also need to take into account how mentally draining it can be to send out tens of different application letters, and get denied by all of them. 3. Gamedev is a brutal industry to work in, with low pay, extremely high work hours, and very little company loyalty. Since most of our audience is currently enjoying higher-paying regular tech jobs, it just doesn't make financial sense to earn less, and work more, if you're not pursuing your own dream. I hope this explains the reasoning a bit more. Personally, I think getting that portfolio alone is a struggle, and I don't believe that I, with my current experience, having already delivered a game to the market before, would even have much success to get hired at a regular IT company. -M

[@ytmiva2]

@@bitemegames thanks for your reply, I did not consider your audience. My experience has been different. I worked a well paying development job until my employer went bankrupt. Since then I had numerous job interviews and opportunities rise up just from talking to people on events. I also secured opportunities for friends. No actual job yet but I do feel like I am part of the game industry now. Whereas a couple weeks ago I was a fanboy from outside. Curiously the positions I have the highest chance for are all in Hasselt. Maybe it's easier there 😂

[@KiaAzad]

There is no money in game dev industries when it comes to most 3rd world countries, participating in local events would be a waste of time in those cases. Better seek global online communities instead.

[@katar9090]

3:40 lol unless you're me: Has industry experience, leadership, and project mamagement skills, but has baby genes and still looks like a scrawny barely 20 year old