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Our technology is in a constant progression and it is a steady business in various industries. Video games emerged as one of the most popular branches of technology and people are making good money out of it. If you have a passion to create games, you can make a career by becoming a successful game developer.
There are many opportunities of earning money in game development and you can take advantage of it if you pursue a career in either a big studio or being an independent game developer. Whichever path you want to be on, you might want to consider this list on how to make money as a game developer.
Publish Your Own Game and Make Profit
Despite the fact that choosing to become a game developer as a way of living may be difficult, publishing your own game will let you earn some money. Once you publish your video game, you will receive your percentage of the sales from the retailers and brick-and-mortar shops. Your part of the sales is usually small, which makes game developers earn a small profit.
Some independent game developers are starting to use a “free-to-play” model, which players can download and play for free. This model uses a few strategies to make sure they earn money from it.
- Selling their extra game levels or features.
- Dealing micro-transactions and selling goods in the game such as skins, decorative items, or power-ups.
- Selling to corporations in-game advertising space.
Unfortunately, developing and publishing your own video game isn’t the most profitable way in the gaming industry. If you want to create and publish your creation, you may utilize different platforms to release it such as Apple’s App Store, or Steam, which will be cost-effective for independent game developers.
Work For a Game Developer For a Publisher
Another way of earning as a game developer is to work for a bigger publisher. This way, you may establish a partnership with the publisher to develop your creation. The publisher will purchase the game along with the rights and characters. Though you will not earn extra income or royalties from the game. There are many more arrangements that a publisher can offer to a game developer.
More Ways to Earn Money as a Game Developer
There are many more ways to make money aside from working for a bigger publisher and publishing your own game as a game developer. If you improve your skills some more, more employers will notice you as a valuable asset for them.
Focus on a Specific Area of Game Development
A lot of game developers dream of working for a large game development studio like Rockstar, Bethesda, or Electronic Arts, which is the ideal way of specializing in a specific skill in developing games. This is an opportunity that allows you to set your focus on increasing your capabilities in the area of game development and become the best in the field.
Once you increase your game development skills, larger studios will consider you as a valuable asset where you can have a position as an expert in your field. This means you can gain a profitable position as a game developer, and you will have a steady and decent income with minimal risk involved by larger studios.
Sell Tools to Game Developers
Selling tools or assets to other game developers is one of many ways you can earn money as a game developer. These tools may include 3D models, or other powerful tools that other developers need to make their work easier and generate a steady income.
You can list tools that are capable of solving usual problems for other game developers through various online platforms. In some situations, you may list these assets at a high price and create your career in this field of game development.
Teach or Become a Consultant on Game Development
If you are confident about your knowledge, skills, and experience in game development, maybe you should think about new opportunities in your career. In the gaming industry, you can find many options to earn money such as becoming a tutor, consultant, or teacher.
It would give you a great feeling if you share your expertise in game development with other aspirants. Teaching can be a rewarding career as you can have more control over your personal and working hours. But, you need to remember that being a person who teaches students, especially with game development, there are constant evolution and technology advancements that you need to adapt every time to keep up.
How Much Money You Can Earn as a Game Developer
There are already many successful game developers who gave some advice to those individuals who are interested in becoming game developers to earn money. Being a game developer may give you a steady income but you will need to have an incredible dedication. Some game developers have a second position to be able to penetrate the gaming industry.
Upon establishing yourself as a game developer, you need to start building a steady income. Game developers in the United States would commonly have a salary of $50,000. But, some lead developers who are working for well-known companies have a salary that can reach up to $100,000 or more every year.
Can I Make a Good Career from Video Game Development?
Everybody searches for the best way they can earn money to sustain their daily needs and to save up for the future. People who are enthusiastic about gaming and programming have a promising career path ahead of them. If you want to become a game developer, you have to be ready to work long hours to be able to meet deadlines.
It is imperative that you know the fact that video game development is part of the entertainment industry. There could be times of uncertain stability, which results in frequent job loss in some game developers.
Gladly, there are many job opportunities for game developers in the industry, especially if you have multiple skills under your belt that you can use in other areas of web design and programming. Your passion will dictate your career for game development, which you can expect a lucrative career by working hard.
Begin Your Game Developer Career
You need to work hard to become a successful game developer and earn money for a living. But, there are still people who are still dreaming of becoming a game developer. Here are some ways to help you start a career with game development.
The Things that Make You Enjoy Game Development
Before anything else, you need to determine the things that excite you about game development. Knowing your interests will help you with your journey to finding a successful career in game development. This will also help you realize which areas of game development you should focus more on for improvement. If you are a regular player of networking games, it will also play an important role in your game development career.
Upon learning some of the basics of game development, you will know that it is time to search for an entry-level job position. Like all other jobs, you need to work hard to build a good career, and you will need it for your future. The majority of game development studios are looking for people with previous experience, while some of the new game developers are having difficulties in securing a position.
Do Freelance Works for More Experience
If you want to pursue your career in the game development industry, you need to have some experience first to be able to land a job position. You may do some freelance work with companies such as Fiverr or UpWork to gain game development experience. But don’t expect this type of work to pay a big salary immediately. Doing freelance work will provide you with important experiences that will become a great addition to your portfolio, which can help you find your dream job in the game development industry.
Go Indep
The boldest thing you can do in pursuing a game development career is to work for yourself. You will be able to create something that you are most interested in and make potentially big money out of it. But this is not for those who lack experience in the field, it will be very hard to have your own startup, and might eventually plunge your finances because of failures. There are exceptions for some people who made it big as a game developer with no experience.
There are many resources on the internet that can help you to start as an independent game developer, which can monetize your path with a game development career.
The basic strategy for most independent game developers is to sell a game that they created for a fixed price. When someone buys your game, they will have access to your game. You will also have a chance to do DLC (downloadable content) by making your game extra content that you can add more levels such as player skins and other cosmetic items.
Pursuing a game developer career can be exciting and will reward you for working hard. Your commitment and passion for the industry will determine your success as a game developer. There are many other ways to make money in the gaming industry, you will enjoy a lucrative salary once you become a good game developer.
