For this first post I wanted to take some time to introduce myself and what this site will be about.
My name is Ryan V. and I’m a Gen X gamer. I’ve been playing games my whole life. From the golden age of arcades, through the Atari 2600, NES, SNES, PlayStation, etc. I’ve always played games. It’s an integral part of my life. Games are the one thing from my childhood I never really grew out of. If anything I feel like they grew up along with me. As I got older, the technology got better, and the story telling got deeper and we went from little blocks shooting other blocks with smaller blocks, to cartoony animated characters going on 2D adventures, to realistic 3D adventures where you could live out your best escapist fantasies. The medium continues to evolve and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the future.
Like a lot of gamers, I’ve often daydreamed about what kind of games I’d like to make. But for most of my life, the barriers to entry just seemed too high to seriously consider. You had to be an expert programmer or an amazing artist to even get into a major game studio and if you did you’d have to be willing to deal with the constant cycles of layoffs and insecurity that came with it. High pressure, crunch time, and at the end you are shown the door while the studio collects the money from your hard work. I love games, but I also like stability in my paycheck. The games industry has always been notorious for being unstable with no real job security. As you age and gain responsibilities that does not sound very appealing.
The other route, starting your own game company for most of my life was equally unrealistic. You needed lots of money and large teams to make games. You needed publishers and connections with retailers to get you game on store shelves. You needed so much to get going it just seemed impossible for a person of modest means.
But that all started to change some years ago with the shift to electronic marketplaces and the proliferation of affordable tools that anyone with a computer could download. Indie game development became a real thing. Now the only barrier is access to a decent internet connected computer and the willingness to put in the time and work to learn the craft and build your dreams. It’s an amazing time to be an independent game developer.
I first started to think this was something I could actually do when I learned that Stardew Valley was made by just one guy. I remember reading an article about Eric Barone and how he made this amazing game all by himself and I was blown away. I couldn’t believe something so impressive came from just one dedicated guy. It really opened my eyes to what was possible. The barrier is no longer how much money do you have or how many people do you have, it’s how badly do you want it? How much work are you willing to put in?
It does not sound like any of it was easy for Eric and he’s clearly a very talented person with expertise in multiple disciplines and had to put years into the project, but what came out was absolutely phenomenal and he built it all himself. That guy is seriously my game dev hero for all of that. What an inspiration. He proved that with a will and dedication, and lots of time to dedicate to your craft one person can make a hit game all on their own. It’s not easy, but it is possible, and that is amazing.
So I’m going to put in the time. I’m going to finally learn the craft. It will not be easy, and it will likely take me forever. But it also feels like there has never been a better time to start this journey. All the tools are out there for the taking. Knowledge is everywhere. Game engines are plentiful. Anyone can sell something on Steam or Epic. If not now than when?
So Self-Taught Games is going to talk about games from the perspective of someone who is trying to learn more about them in order to create them. I’m going to be picking games apart, trying to figure out how they work, delving deep trying to extract bits of wisdom or cautionary tales. I’m going to look at good games to see why they are great, and bad games to figure out why they failed. I’m going to play a lot of games and share my experiences and I’m going to hopeful start actually building games, once I figure out what I’m doing.
I’m also going to be studying other things that I think are tangentially related. Solo game developers have to wear a lot of hats. It’s impressive and daunting at the same time. So in addition to games I’m also going to be studying things like animation, cinematography, music, character design, and even stuff like graphic design, business and marketing. The successful indie game dev has to master all these things and many more, so you’ll find articles about a wide range of semi related topics as well.
The name Self-Taught Games is inspired by my Gen X roots. We are the latchkey kids, the forgotten generation. We were left alone a lot growing up and had to figure things out on our own. That cultivated in us an independent spirit and a strong sense of self-reliance. All of that is core to who I am, and I’m going to be channeling a lot of that do-it-yourself Gen X vibe into this project.
I can’t even think about making games without also mentioning all the things from my childhood that inspire me and drive me to want to tell my own stories and craft my own experiences. If you grew up in that time then you know how things like Star Wars, The Breakfast Club, and Saturday Morning Cartoons are embedded in our DNA. So I’m also going to be leaning a bit in the Gen X direction in the topics I choose and the way I cover things. I feel strongly that video games are fundamentally a part of the Gen X experience. We are the generation that cut our teeth on the first games in the golden age of arcades and they have been with us ever since. Video games are as essential to what it means to be Gen X as John Hughes movies and mixed tapes. It’s a foundational part of our experience growing up. I can’t help but cover that and focus on it.
So if you love games like me, or you want to make your own and are looking to learn from my successes and failures, or you just enjoy my more Gen X perspective on games and pop culture, I hope you’ll come along with me for this journey and enjoy the ride.