Discussion on how to fund a TF game

[googlymooglymaster]

I've been working on a TF game for the past year or so, and I'm fairly confident once I'm finished, it should be a pretty good hit enough to have people download it for free (being worth enough for their time). By the time I'm finished though, I feel I'd have spent over 2000 hours which is extremely taxing on my motivation. I wanted to see if I could get compensated a bit for the time and effort I put into it - custom artwork being the main time sink. I wouldn't dream about charging for it (especially since I've been anonymous and no one will back me before actually playing the game).

So the question is: what's the logical way to get funding for a project? I was thinking about making a blog site once the project is complete, opening the download for everyone for free, and just asking for donations of $1-5 to my paypal account if people enjoy it - since that's about the amount of money you'd pay for a small indiegame on steam or game app. I'm not sure if this would be the best method, however since it's highly likely people will forego donating since they already have the full product and possibly nothing to look forward to. Nor do I know if it's fine to just post your paypal account to donate to, or if you have to use a secondary company to handle the funds.

I'm aware this isn't a legitimate way to get money - I work, and the time I put into this hobby can never even get to $1/hour - it's just a labor of love. I just thought it'd be good for my morale to see how much people are willing to put into it and fund the snacks I eat while working on this game. I'm not posting any details about my project yet since I want it to hit all at once rather than say "this 3 year project is now 30% complete" or end up not completing it at all. So this is just a discussion about methods raising funds, excluding whether or not this particular game would be worth it.

[Dog_Girl_Kari]

The best way I've seen to ensure funding is to provide a "free" version of the game and provide an upgraded or newer version for people who have donated/paid.

After a few updates you can update the free version to keep people interested and for the more impatient and deep walleted, you have beta testers. :P

[awild]

This advice applies to the TF community or otherwise. I think you have answered your own question; your best bet is to just get your game into peoples hands. Hoping to be compensated for your first work is one thing, expecting is a whole other. As you might expect, neither you or we have any idea what your game is worth until we play it.

Your wavering motivation tells me that you don't know who your "labor of love" is for. If its for yourself then to hell with what other people think or consider your game is worth. Find motivation in other projects that inspire you and spur you on.

If your game has always been for the masses, then the goal is to start building a reputation for yourself as a developer. Donations are one way of gauging your audience, but another way is to build analytics on who likes the game. I say offer both, add a like button to the game that informs you when someone clicks it, and sends them to a webpage that suggests to donate. Once you have a positive reputation, you'll have a lot more leverage when you want to seek compensation for future work. This formula works time and time again.

You have a day job so you wont starve (I hope) if this game doesn't produce what you expect. Consider this project pro bono to get your name out there. Monetarily or no, positive feedback will be plenty of motivation to continue adding to this project or the next.

[splinterfox]

If the engine you're coding it on supports mobile compiling then just pump out an android/ios version and sell it on the marketplace if it's not x-rated. At .99 cents you will get hundreds to thousands of downloads by just people wanting to try out things.

Another thing you can do is if you're mobile is embed an ad into it. You could do this as well for a desktop version. Though I'd suggest keeping it subtle.

If you're going desktop only I'd suggest releasing it in parts. First part free, and paid content after that. Maybe 99 cents a chapter?

[MissCapricorn]

I've been wondering this as well.
I can't do graphical work that I am happy with, and would need to hire a graphical artist if I want to make any more games. I would also have to buy the tools to do such.

This would easily be $1000 or more ($500 for tools, $500 for graphics, at least) and that's not something I can afford out of pocket with the measly income.

Of course without a game I can't fund a game, so it's a major catch 22. I could risk it and pay it out of pocket and hope to get the money back, but if I failed the bet I'd lose my apartment and probably die on the street. Not ideal.

My solution is to just not make a game.

[googlymooglymaster]

I've never believed you could make a living off of making video games unless it was for a professional company and you've majored in that area. Most friends have told me even if they get a stable job working for game companies, their salary isn't ideal unless you make it big (Bethesda, Riot, Bioware, etc).

In terms of TF genre, even the best artists can't support themselves through commissions and just see it as an extra incentive to work on their hobby. I honestly wouldn't fund a game in the $100s of dollars either unless I was making six figures to throw money at a fetish. I do believe art is the hardest and most valuable part of making a TF game, however, which is why I've been spending 75% of my time trying to make my drawings look as polished as possible.

[vincent_richter]

My position has changed considerably over the years. Currently, I believe that you can produce decent games as a form of primary revenue, or as a hobby with any residual income being an added bonus - you cannot do both.

Either way, 'tis a poor artist wot blames 'is tools; Coptics are no longer a requirement (get a Wacom, one time, for $100 and learn how to use the damned thing), GIMP can sub in for many of the Paint / PhotoShop requirements, and Daz and Bryce are available for model rigging - to say nothing of Blender. Sure, there's a learning curve - nobody starts out acing PhotoShop the first time through - but you can't beat the price.

Bottom line, prototyping is easier now than it's ever been - perhaps, even, too easy - and there's no reason to go bankrupt over a product that doesn't draw enough enthusiasm to make it to market.

EDIT: This is ignoring a key point, though: if your premise is functional, enjoyable, and detailed enough, you needn't worry about paying artists until your project is successful. Even if it's a commercial flop, I think you'll find many newcomers eager to prove themselves, if only to build a more marketable portfolio for a future lucrative position. The point here is that you build a functionally coordinated project team first and foremost, with any benefits being reaped from the whole of a successful venture. No business is without risks.

[morwalugi]

I'd say shift the market and the games story away from the
tf community and fetishism
and
redirect it into a educational game ( teaching the 3 R's)
for kids in a classroom or library environment,perhaps for
5 to 10 year olds

Then go to KickStarter and see if they'll finance a
educational product.

In the UK the National Education System approves certain
stories for use in the classroom and in the educational
materials various manufacturers supply to the school boards.
So around 1999,when that 18th century ballad I've
mentioned before ( < The Laidley Worm o' Spindlestone
Haughs>) became a NES approved story,it suddenly found new life
since there was real $$$ involved.

The kiddie educatinal versions definitely keep the tf and fetishism in the 'back room' and its all about mud worms,mefdievel history lessons,
group interaction roleplay,etc

************************************************** ******************************

so Public Cel Animation ,Larry Barron
knot_disclosed ( at ) yahoo.com etc

Eductional Video: Wally the Walrus Tours Washington DC
Wally the Walrus takes the wheel of a Land Sailor
class iron hulled dragonboat and sails her through Washington,DC,whilst
Miss Trina Tour Guide explains the (soon to be flattened ) history
of our nations capitol whilst the Captain looks on in horror...