Mark Darrah, programmer, consultant and former producer at BioWaretalked about the difficulties involved in starting a development studio and explained that if the only goal is to make money it’s better to leave it alonebecause one is destined to fail. His is not an idealistic speech, but essentially analytical.
According to Darrah, who talked about the topic in a video published on his YouTube channel, before starting such an adventure, one must answer six questions:
- Why do you want to open a studio?
- What will your studio look like?
- Who are you and what can you offer?
- When will the game come out?
- Where will your studio be located and what will your working style be?
- How will you work?
Explaining the “Why”, which is what interests us (the video lasts more than an hour and is very interesting), Darrah stressed that this reason should be personal and reflect what you want to bring to the industry. While there are enough examples of people starting a studio and then becoming rich by releasing a global hit or selling their company, it shouldn’t be the only reason for doing so. Creating the game of your dreams can be a good reason, but there has to be something else, other motivations that will keep the company afloat after the project is launched.
So, if “making money” is the only reason to open a practice, it’s not enough. “Making money” can and probably should be part of the main reasonsbut it doesn’t have to be the only one. If you’re opening a studio and treating it as a hobby, then making money won’t be a major reason. It’s more about developing new skills and trying out a new medium.
#ExBioWare #Studios #Goal #Money #Prepare #Failure
