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Geek Culture / How much would you earn?

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Big Man
19
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Joined: 4th Feb 2005
Location: BEHIND YOU!!!! (but I live in England)
Posted: 29th Dec 2005 16:17
If you started a company (I know that might cost a bit)
that creates computer/playstation games.
And you made it quite big say the size of core design(Tomb raider) or team 17(worms). How much would you (The owner of the company) Expect to be earning yearly.

If anyone knows?

BM

Our aim is to keep the loo's clean, your aim can help.
Big Man
19
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Posted: 29th Dec 2005 16:23
It turns out that back in 1998 video game designers earned on average over $50,000 a year in Uk currency that is about £30,000 I think. But the artical I just read also said that earnings are riseing steadily so now its nearly 2006 who knows how much it will be.

But this is employees not employers so you would expect employers to earn a fair bit more.

BM

Our aim is to keep the loo's clean, your aim can help.
tpfkat
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Location: lancashire/uk
Posted: 29th Dec 2005 16:29
why not go to the websites of big gaming comps to get an idea.
if your thinking of starting one then unless you have money to pay the programmers and artists and music and sound effects makers 3 years worth of wages while they work on making a game that could ( could) be a blockbuster then i wouldnt even condider it.
i noticed on this forum everyone is obsessed with becoming a "company",ive owned 3 businesses and starting them can be hard work,becuase your the boss means somtimes ( a lot actually) you have no money but need to pay the workers no matter what.
try to join a company,then if what you design is a big hit then go solo selling your work.
yearly earnings take years of hard work and commitment b4 you actaully start to see what can be classed as a profit.if you pay out wages every month to workers and you do that for a year then their are no actual profits for a long time.

taking all that into cosideration who knows,you might suddenly stumble onto somthing and make it big overnight.......but i dought it.

the programmer formarly known as thicko.
Big Man
19
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Joined: 4th Feb 2005
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Posted: 29th Dec 2005 16:35
Oh no I am thinking of starting a small indie company and I already know how much you can possibly earn with one of those.

But I just want to see how much bigger companies earn.

Our aim is to keep the loo's clean, your aim can help.
tpfkat
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Location: lancashire/uk
Posted: 29th Dec 2005 16:39
i would have thought a lot of money for the fat cats.i mean..look at how succesful tomb raider was...and now with the royalties off 2 movies..and doom too.

im curious,but could an indie group be classed as a company,i thought indie was just another name for...well ...like a bedroom programmer/game maker.

anyhow...good luck in the big black murky waters of the game making competition.

the programmer formarly known as thicko.
Megaton Cat
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Joined: 24th Aug 2003
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 29th Dec 2005 16:39 Edited at: 29th Dec 2005 16:40
Most people start companies just hoping they won't tank, rather than go in with the dollar glint in their eyes.

It depends on your success I guess. Why are you automaticlly assuming you're going to make the next mega-popular Tomb Raider?


The cat era has begun.
Big Man
19
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Location: BEHIND YOU!!!! (but I live in England)
Posted: 29th Dec 2005 16:40
Quote: "anyhow...good luck in the big black murky waters of the game making competition."


It will be a while yet.

But if I start learning now I can get good enough for when the time comes.

BM

Our aim is to keep the loo's clean, your aim can help.
Pincho Paxton
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Posted: 29th Dec 2005 16:41
Dunno how much companies earn today. I worked for a few companies years ago, and there were expenses to pay just for making games for SEGA, and Nintendo. You would need a contract permitting you to make games for them. I was wondering if you need a contract to make games for Sony, and the Playstation, because that would be expensive. You would need to add the price to your getting started fees.

Joh
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Joined: 5th Jul 2004
Location: Malaysia
Posted: 30th Dec 2005 18:10
Its a big question. Earnings or nett profits range from thousands to millions. These are dependant on the titles you work on and the deal with a publisher. The business models are usually centered around a few criteria, such as target platfroms, intellectual property and mostimportantly, the tech.

Hmmm. Hard to summarize everything, I'm already spewing out stuff that doesnt make sense. Better off diving into lots of reading material. There really no one document thats going to tell you everything (well I havent found it). Basically, you're going to have to find the answer from gathering lots of info and piecing everything together.

Websites:
- gamasutra.com
- idga.org
- tiga.org

Conferences:
- GDC Europe

Books:
- Game Development Business and Legal Guide by Ashley Salisbury
ISBN 1592000428 (The book is not bad if you can get it cheap)
- Secrets of the Game Business by Francois Dominic Laramee
ISBN 1584503998 ( I havent got this one yet but supposed to be
pretty good)

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