How to start a games studio…
We’ve been sitting on this article for a week or two now while we move in to our new offices, but we’ve just published it. Written by Mark Morris of Introversion Software (DEFCON, Darwinia), the article is part of a series which will examine how to start an indie games studio from scratch. This first part examines how to generate ideas for games.
It’s quite good. Read it.
“I’m not an industry analyst so I’m not going to compare different business models or analyse case studies, but I’m going to dig into my mind, and the minds of my pals in the industry, and try to build a guide to ‘doing it the Introversion way’. That’s not because I think we are a perfect company or that we’ve ‘cracked it’, but because I know everything about Introversion and I think we’ve done well for three guys who started out with a small stash of left-over beer money and one potential game idea.“
You can read the article here and Digg it here.
Joe, out.
Games as Foreplay…
I went to an event today where I met Al Bickham again, one-time technical editor for PC Format and now PR man for Take-Two. Because of the time the event finished I ended up going straight home rather than heading to the office for an hour and then heading straight home. It really is remarkable how different the experience was of walking back at 3:00 PM rather than at 7:00PM.
At 7:00PM, I’ve been working hard all-day. I’m hungry, tired, my shoes hurt, my shoulders ache and all I want to do is have a whiskey and a burger – speaking of which, I tried a bottle of Connemaragh 25yr single malt recently on my fathers recommendation. It was good, but not as good as some I’ve had frankly. Tastes clear though.
At 3:00PM, I’m idling instead of charging and my meander gives me time to stop and listen to the birds, look at the ducks and smile at cute little babies being taken home from playgroup. There was one baby I saw with a stick in one hand and a Mars bar in the other and who took a bite out of the wrong one – a sad indictment of our confectionery industry.
On the other hand, I’m cooking tonight. Trout in Cream with Pasta balls.
Things I need to do: Smile more, read my own copy more closely, stop being a grumpy arse, find new stories to tell. The last one is the most important – there really aren’t ever any good parties going on round here unless Ben and Dom are in the house.
Joe, Out.
