Full-Time IndieDev Journey (Original Post Not Updated)

Inspiring!!

Thanks

I'm trying to get more into the social media aspect so maybe I'll begin posting monthly again (or maybe not )

Little update - I've been trying to pull back on doing contract work. It is just harder and harder to find clients that actually pay.

So instead, I am going to apply for a job opening at the local university. It will be a full time lecturer in animation and game design. Whether or not I get it, I still attribute the ability to apply - and having the confidence that I stand a chance in getting it - to Stencyl.

Little update - I've been trying to pull back on doing contract work. It is just harder and harder to find clients that actually pay.

So instead, I am going to apply for a job opening at the local university. It will be a full time lecturer in animation and game design. Whether or not I get it, I still attribute the ability to apply - and having the confidence that I stand a chance in getting it - to Stencyl.

Good luck my friend! You deserve it!

I was actually able to get an application together. From what I've heard, I am still in the running for the job.

I also have somewhat exciting news. I have this one grant-funded project I am working on. So far I am the only developer on it. I am actually using both Unreal Engine and Stencyl in combination with each other. We are submitting one grant tomorrow, another is due in June and a third is being submitted in October.

I also have somewhat exciting news. I have this one grant-funded project I am working on. So far I am the only developer on it. I am actually using both Unreal Engine and Stencyl in combination with each other. We are submitting one grant tomorrow, another is due in June and a third is being submitted in October.

Congrats!

That's really interesting, what are you doing in Unreal vs Stencyl?

I'm also curious to hear what this "combination" of Unreal and Stencyl entails.

Unreal is better with video playback calls. Stencyl is better with http requests. So I have an exercise app for seniors made in UE4 and it will be collecting usage data that caregivers can access through an app made in Stencyl

Edit: With unreal, the video player can be made as a textures and basically wrapped on to any object (even in 3D). It is a nice feature.

I didn't get the full time lecturer job. They wanted someone with a stronger animation background. That's fine Here is my financial report for 2019.

Strategy Game: $600
Fighting Game: $1800
Education App: $2500
Teaching: $7875
Total: $12775

I was almost at zero revenue in July, so things didn't turn out so bad.

Hi all. It has been a busy year. I started taking grad classes in design to try for a full time teaching position. I also got married in October. This past year has been a whirlwind of teaching, working on grant funded stuff, getting government contracts, still doing some gamedev contracting and taking grad classes. Pretty much all of my free time has been spent on my wife instead of my gamedev projects. I am fine with that

Teaching Design and Development: $16,500

Grant funded app: $4,700
Government contract for creating simulations: $11,400
It has been a mess with them juggling the job titles for these two. It is basically 2 projects, but they have been at least 5 different jobs over the course of the year. At one point they were paying me on the same job title for both projects, but I think I split them correctly.

Fighting Game: $2000
Trickling in Steam revenue: $100

The total income on development related projects is $34,700.

Grant funded and government things are the way to go if you aren't making money on your own games. I wasn't even working full time on those projects. It gave me the opportunity to teach and still do some regular contract work.

...I also got married in October. This past year has been a whirlwind of teaching, working on grant funded stuff, getting government contracts, still doing some gamedev contracting and taking grad classes. Pretty much all of my free time has been spent on my wife instead of my gamedev projects. I am fine with that
...

Congratulations!

That's great to hear! Congratulations!

Congrats

I totally forgot to update this last month. Sorry for anybody who is an avid follower 

I had a baby in May (she decided to come very early but she is healthy now) and that sort of threw everything gamedev wise for a loop.

Teaching Design and Development: $26,000
Grant funded app: $1,000 (It has been tough working on this one because of covid)
Government contract for creating simulations: $4,000 (This contract dried up until we get word from the government)
Fighting Game: $0 (I have been working on it, but I haven't requested money from the client since progress is slow)

The total income on design/development related projects is $31,000.

Luckily teaching has been going well enough that it covers the contract work. I've now grabbed another course for this semester and have a bunch of deadlines on the grant funded project. So far 2022 has been crazy. It is looking like it will be my best year yet. I've been mentioning Stencyl in a couple of my classes. I have a student doing an honors project in Stencyl right now - so I get to teach college level Stencyling hahaha.

I just went through the other posts to total up everything. Keep in mind that not all revenue was made by using Stencyl directly. I still attribute any of my revenue to Stencyl because without it, I never would have gotten a start in the business. Even being a professor only happened because of my extensive portfolio of Stencyl-made games. Seriously, they needed a game design professor and I had around 50 games on my portfolio. It got my foot in the door.

Total gamedev related income since my start as a lowly contractor using Stencyl to learn how to make games:
$134,448 (+ or - a couple thousand that I may have missed in the posts)

I had a goal to reach $100,000 from gamedeving. I didn't even realize that I reached it last year. Now I need to set a new goal. Maybe a lifetime achievement of $500,000?