100$/100€ won't get you anywhere!

[dojo]

Hi

I have no real budget for producing a game (I'm a hobbyist at best, never sold or even finished a game, but now I really want to, just because i can). My question is: Would you use about 100$ to improve your game, and how?

I'm just curious about how far you can get with a very limited budget.

[JPickford]

An evening in the pub for some deep thought and reflection.

[mot]

Rent a Mac and make the game work on OSX to double my potential market.

[Sybixsus]

On $100, I'd make the game without a budget and spend the $100 on a good press release.

[Diragor]

Rent a Mac and make the game work on OSX to double my potential market.

Last I heard the Mac software/games market was slightly smaller than the Windows PC market. ;)

[papillon]

Depends on your needs. Anything you can put in can help. You might need less than $100 worth of spiffy sound effects or loops, or that press release, or one big shiny title page graphic...

[KNau]

Mac users seem more anxious to buy anything that resembles a game, so the sales tend to skew towards Mac supported items.

You're nowhere without a website. Get a wicked domain name and a host, set up affiliate links / blog / whatever it takes to bring in some small amount of money each month. Then post your game when ready.

Anything that makes a game great is more a time cost than money.

[HairyTroll]

Anything that makes a game great is more a time cost than money.

And time isn't money? Back when I was consulting, my time was worth $120.00 an hour.

[Ricardo C]

And time isn't money? Back when I was consulting, my time was worth $120.00 an hour.

Time is only money if someone is willing to pay for it ;)

[electronicStar]

I would first use a small part of it to buy web hosting and set up a website (If you manage to put interesting content and draw some audience you'll be able to use ads to generate a small income)
You may also have to pay some fees to set up your company, depending on your country.

Apart from that you don't really need a budget to be an indie, just do it on your free time.

[tretmike]

Last I heard the Mac software/games market was slightly smaller than the Windows PC market. ;)

Yes, it is true. But for indie developer it is much more easily to find customers for Mac game directly. Our resent release of Rainbow Web for Mac is going very well for us.

[dojo]

Thanks for all your answers, they are really interesting.

@pub For me it would be a good way to "reset" my brain, but i never had a really good idea when i'm drunk, or i can't remember. Socialising in general is very good, and can be for free!

@Mac Most of the time i'm using my mac mini, so luckily i don't need to rent a mac. But Mac OS X needs more games (Don't listen to me, i never buy games for mac)!

@press release Can you be more specific about how to use the money for a good press release? I'm very interested in this subject.

@webrelease This seems to be the most logical choice. I don't know how you would sell a game without a website... but until now i never really thought about my website... ok, thats were my first "i'll waste it on my will-never-sell game" money will go.


My hours don't cost any money for me, I'm my personal slave.

Lets say the website is covered... can you improve the visual part of a game with 100$ ? Or other parts?

[mot]

can you improve the visual part of a game with 100$ ? Or other parts?

It always helps to have good computer equipment, perhaps you could buy yourself or your artist a better mouse or tablet to make creating art easier?

[Sybixsus]

@press release Can you be more specific about how to use the money for a good press release? I'm very interested in this subject.

I've always used Joe at VGSmart, and he's never let me down. He writes the press release, and sends it out to a few hundred editors and my site gets lots of extra traffic.

http://www.vgsmart.com


Which reminds me..

[DrWilloughby]

Since no one else has said it: 100 dollars will get you Torque (http://www.garagegames.com)...