Too old to die young, or just too old to gamedev?

Well I'm now 36 years old and trying to setup my own indie games company!

Questions...
Am I too old to do this, to be creative?
Is this just a mid-life crisis?
Just attempting to do the thing that I dreamed of doing since I was a teenager!

These questions and more run through my head but I'd be interested to know others opinions and especially interested in anyone who has done this and is about my age!

Well happy birthday to me and back to coding, in the middle of my first real game and at that Oh @!?# point where it might be easier to scrap some of the code and start again than bend and break the existing code to make it work!

Wish me luck ;o)

Too old? no.

When did you start coding? Do you have any skills already?

Hi Merx. I did the same thing as you. I'm 32 and this year I decided to try out the boydream by starting up an indiedev company. Hopefully I will create a few games that makes some money so I can take the BIG step and quit my dayjob... still don't there yet!

Do it


do it

How is 36 too old to setup a business? Because games are just for kiddies right? Wrong on both counts.

He meant his creativity.

Cheers Andreas!

Well I used to have a ZX81, Acorn Electron and Amiga 500.

Then got a degree in computing in 2001 with the aim of getting into the games industry only to find I should have gone for a degree in Physics!

Got tied down and fell into mainstream IT for a while and currently looking to go indie with casual games!

As for skills got experience in Basic, C++, Java, Pascal so I know my way around objects and program flow.

Candy Cascade see footer is about my current level of games development achievement so far, it's suprising how much hard work (but fun) it is!

So people over 30 cannot be creative? WTF?? I believe Alexey Pajitnov was 30 when he invented Tetris.

To become an Olympic Athlete - yes you're too old - anything else no.

Hey, go for it, nothing to lose, not too old, you are always creative.

Hi Steve no just the kind of 'Kids only' view some people have, what your 36 and want to play games! ;oP

As for creativity I've read a lot about people being at their peak in their 20's not to mention being able to put the extra hours in to take the spark of creativity and get it to a roaring fire of fun!

Also read up on Wiki about Radbury of Paradroid fame only to find that he was apparently working for an insurance company and his games rocked!

So who is the oldest active games developer you know of!

I dont think its much about age that sorta knacks it up for some people... More generally, life gets in the way... Time starts getting a little more rare by running family life (Keeping wife happy and argueing with the kids), work etc etc

But, if you can set a bit time aside for yourself, it really shouldnt be a problem.

Dabz

Here's the cruncher though can I make a living from this, I suppose that's the underlying aspect that I have not expressed?

And more importantly that's my dream to be a successfully indie games developer and to make a modest income!

I know what you're saying, but being creative and producing games to sell is a much better use of time than sitting infront of a TV watching some soap!

Besides, I actually think the whole casual game phenomenon and Nintendo's WII (which introduced a physical aspect to some of the games) has helped get more people playing games for fun. My Father-in-law is after a WII (yes the console) and he's nearly 60! My (I'm too cool to play games) rock friend has been totally hooked on casual games when we have down time in work.

Many happy returns.

To old to be creative? Never, your as young as you feel (in my case at 36 I feel like 90 (had to much of a good time when I was young)).

There's nothing wrong with having a dream (just a b**ch when they turn into nightmares) though being a teenager again would be nice (more so if you knew then what you know now).

Mid-life crisis? Your not old enough yet for one of those.

Never give up your day job unless you have the money to do so, it's best to do games as a side line and if you have Good Luck to ya! (because I wish I could give up the day job)

Merx, since you have a background in C++ and Java and out of curiosity: What did you chose as your main development platform for your indie projects and why?

Thank you,
just second guessing my decision.

The day job went nearly a year ago this is my attempt to get back on my feet, scary but it has to be done!

Wish me luck!

Well if it hasn't worked by the time I'm 60 I'll just have to try for the Olympics (hopefully medical science will have made leaps and bounds by then!). ;0)

Winni
- BlitzMax, has basic OO and provides a good set of game related commands, I've also got Blitz3D but after working with Objects for a few years can't get back into procedural code without wanting to create an object!

Worked with Java because I had too and found it (at the time/version) was not as nice as C++ although it did have garbage collection. It's API's also tended to feel clunky and bloated but that's based on the J2EE back end work I used to do.

C++ is good but you have to pull together all of the API's and get the thing to build even before you can start building a game!

Probably because BlitzMax was different/'simpler' than the languages I have used in work!

Just a tip, don't just rely on game's. Do game tools as well, at the moment I'm messing around with lazarus and object pascal (not my prefered langauge and lazarus has it faults), creating hopfuly a cross platform IDE for BlitzMax.

Yes, you are too old to die young, if my life expectancy is anything to go by.

I am 38 and been in the software industry for nearly 20 years. Everyday I have to be creative, its what I am paid for and even if someone didn't pay me to do it, I would do it as a hobby (which I do anyway).

I would die early if I couldn't be creative!

..go for it tiger...long as you can bite, you are not old :)

I started squeakyduck at around 36, havn't stopped being creative yet! (I hope!).

Tee hee - hey Merx, I am going to be 48 this year and I started my own company 6 years ago - too old to be creative? Nonsense - here is my website - check it out...

http://www.smartscreenuk.com

And that's only the last five years, I can't wait to tell you guys about what I have been up to recently - but that will still have to wait a little while longer.

The main thing you have to be aware of is that it is a very hard world for the indie guy, you must have lots of good friends who will help you through the dark days, the most difficult thing is if you are on your own, doing all the things you need to do to just survive.

The mid-life crisis will definately come if you don't reach out for your dreams...

If you have weighed the options and have the courage, stamina, and means to survive for a year or so, then go for it is what I say - and Good Luck!


IPete2.

All the best mate - I'm 35 and would be in a world of pain if I couldn't express my imagination through coding.

I'm currently developing in vb in my fulltime job and it's boring as feck. I envy you!!!

Yah, developing because you have to do it is very boring. Developing something because you want to do it is fun! BTW, you're not old. I got a co-worker who's in his late 40s all of a sudden wanted to get into some serious gamedev. Then again, it could just be one of those mid-life crisis thing I alway hear about...

@Merx: Yep, your just too old to gamedev!

Just kidding.... hehe.

In all reality Games are made by Adults for Adults.

My uncle's 47 years old & he works for Blizzard as a game programmer. Noone is ever to old for this kind of stuff unless you can't see well or think well.

Let me tell you my little story now to encourage you. We might even help each other along the way.

I have almost the same computer background. Started up with the C64 at early age and loved to create my own games with the inbuilt basic. Also fiddled around with peeks and pokes , graphics and sound.
Same with Atari520 and Amiga500 (just can't get those AMOS-times back can I?). Became interested in 3D modelling alreeady with Real3d and Imagine.

Studied to be a musicteacher but always worked with small hobbyprojects going nowhere but sharpening my skills in graphics, design, audio and some code, but still I got a family pretty early (no accident!) and somehow I really thought that the days for a solo developer was kind of over with the C64 era.

Recently when I discovered Blitz during a hobbyproject of mine I decided to participate in a gamecontest (3 weeks period). After that contest a small publisher mailed me and asked if he could publish my game if I finished it correctly. Things started slowly to rotate in side my head and questions about if it's possible to actually make money of this hobby popped up.
I then discovered the world of Gameportals and casual game market which I honestly didn't knew existed a year ago. January this year I decided to actually give it a try, not quitting my daytime job but to create a game during night and honestly see if I could pull it through. One big reason for this is that this last year my son got diagnosed Asbergers syndrom and I would like at least be at home a little bit more so he can be at home where he feel safe in his room.
In March I showed an early version of the game I'm working on and an established publisher contacted me and wanted to help me out finish it and publish it.
Of course I had lots of thoughts about this but still it was a chance that I was willing to take.
April I started up my company and still no money has been brought in but the game is now at a testpanel for approval and then we'll see. I have recieved a few yay's about my game and very few nay's.

Maybe it wont work at all.

Still I am writing, designing, tweaking on a new game now that I think is exatcly what the market is looking for now and hopefully I'll be able to realize this one within a year.

I understand your concerns and I think it's not really about age but about having an established environment (probably family as well?) and you just cannot throw your yourself into something like that without knowing it might work.

I say go for it! At least try it out, spending a few hours each day (night) working on something that is commercial working now. Do researches about whats hot and whats not and try not to be too "clonish" nor too "inventish".
If you're interested, as I'm new in this as well, we could have some contacting back and forth checking how we're doing, exchange experiences or even help each other out with our games to get a smoother start (I create all elements myself and think I'm doing quite well)

best regards and wishes of luck

Andreas Jirenius

Creativity has nothing to do with age; it's not something that teenagers only have. With age you get experience and your creativity grows if anything. But creativity is also a skill you either have or don't... bit like being artistic or musically skilled, you're born with it and can't really learn to be creative, artistic or musically gifted.

Age and creativity:
http://creatingminds.org/articles/age.htm

Hell no, just look where the market is heading -lol :)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3287891.stm

Dont forget all those of us here who started out programming simple little games on ZX81s, spectrums, VICs, amstrads, c64s, dragons, BBCs, STs, Amigas.
40 must be about the average age from that lot ;)

Anyone remember 'Input' magazine???

It wot got me started (*sniff* =)

(but im only 33 though so there :P)

I'm 32 and going strong.

Anwyay in the words of Iron Maiden:

"Only the good die young, all the evil seem to live forever".

So basically be an EVIL Indie developer and you'll be fine...

kldding, of course you are not too old BUT don't forget that it is a lot of work and takes dedication to get through the boring bits - you can't be creative 100% of the time or you'll just be a dreamer with no business (I started a business with two dreamers and it's not good, I do all the work and they don't, so I'm gonna quit)

Haha! Grey... I am only 31. How do you like that, OLD MAN!! : )

I say go for it, Merx. Just get some sales under your belt before you give up the day job.

Yeah but I feel like I'm 18 :-)

heh.. I'm only 30!!! how do you two like THAT?!?! ;)

Well I am 39 and don't intend giving up any time in the next 20 years:)

@Lars.. only 30? No life experience at that age... and can you have a little more respect for your elders, please ; )

@Grey.. I feel like I'm 18, too, and I wish I was.

I'm hoping to reach significant computer numbers e.g.:

64 (double my current age)
80 (64+16, semi-relevant)
96 (I know it might be pushing it but it's a good number)
128 (well, you never know ;-) perhaps I'll be "virtual" by then)

I look like a grandpa here, with (almost) 50 on the clock and yet I still enjoy writing games, just as much as 35 years ago. Hoping to still do it and enjoy it during the next 50 and then I'll decide on what to do next. ;-)

Barney

I have a complete bound set of these in the attic :)

and nope..... 36 is not too old, the creative juices flow from yer first breath to yer last, its just up to yoo whether yoo drink from the fount :)

Cheers

Garion

Merx,
No your not to old, I think your main problems are likely to be that:

a) Gamedev is hard work particularly when your doing it solo so you have to absolutly love it to do it 24/7. I used have a daydream about running a game studio when I was a kid, now I know a lot more about what's really involved and how tough it is it holds no attraction for me.

b) I don't think it's really possible to make a decent living out of just writing Blitz games / tools. Maybe you can just about manage to subsist if your work your tail off but I would be very surprised to see any Blitzer making any real money off their game. Maybe you'll be really lucky and the write the next "Peggle" but probably you won't.

Utlitmately I think being a successful solo developer is a lot less about being creative and a lot more about managing to maintain a consistently high work-rate and getting things finished. I would highlight "GFK" one of the most prolific Blitzers and successful Blitzers, IMHO not because I think any of his games are particulalry inspired or creative (I may be doing him an injustice here having not played some of them) but he had a system and the determination to keep pumping them out. I think in some discussion a while ago he made about 10K a year from his efforts, so your likely to make more money flipping burgers or doing just about anything else considering the amount of time it will eat up.

I think you have to enjoy it a lot if you want to go pro because I've yet to see a Blitzer earning about the UK national average (~24K PA) for doing it.

Maybe the question you should be asking yourslef is not "Am I to old to be creative?", but "Am I too old to live on £200 a week with no job security?".

Darkheart

LOL

It is possible but it takes a lot of work to build up the skills/contacts etc and maybe some luck too...

36... the best age to be. Just turned it myself, many happy returns and have fun coding.....

For the creativity question, think of the most famous game producers in the professional games market. Peter Molyneux, Will Wright, Warren Spector etc. They are old but they still come out with very original game ideas like Black&White or Spore.

If you dedicate time to it, take it serious and if you love games, think you have what it takes to create a game, then welcome :)

It's never late.Take care!

Another thing that comes with ages is experience about what people like in games, what motivates them, what they enjoy and what they don't like. Then if you create within this framework your games will be more appealing. Being appealing doesn't mean non-creative it just means you have had to be constructively creative instead of randomly/expansively creative.

"Well I'm now 36 years old and trying to setup my own indie games company!"

Jeesh....you 30 year olds are pups... get a real job and when you're older, well into your 40's THEN do the indie life. You're too young to be that free spirit. Don't you have kids in diapers, teacher/parent meetings etc to go to? lol.. ;) :)

MGE: Why? How old are you? ;-) Thing is, now is the time to get into Indie games (well actually 4-5 years ago would have been perfect) before it all get's too big, like 8-bit games in the 80s before you needed a "studio" and 2 years to make a game.