Can I design & develop a game with a sub $500k budget?

Since you're asking about cost and not design, I'm moving this to Business. (It could arguably also belong in Production/Management, but since you're going to go into business to make games...)

2D side-scolling action platformer using UDK

It is possible to make a 2D side-scroller for PC for under $500,000. But you'll need experienced people, and an experienced producer (not a first-timer). The question back to you is, what's your plan for making the money back from the finished game?

Since you're asking about cost and not design, I'm moving this to Business. (It could arguably also belong in Production/Management, but since you're going to go into business to make games...)

2D side-scolling action platformer using UDK

It is possible to make a 2D side-scroller for PC for under $500,000. But you'll need experienced people, and an experienced producer (not a first-timer). The question back to you is, what's your plan for making the money back from the finished game?

Sorry...Thanks for moving it. As for making the money back, I'll need a marketing strategy so I can sell it.

As for making the money back, I'll need a marketing strategy so I can sell it.

You should figure that bit out before you start spending half a million dollars!

As for making the money back, I'll need a marketing strategy so I can sell it.

You should figure that bit out before you start spending half a million dollars!

oh yeah I know...It'll be a while before I start anything, so I have time.

If you're planning on hiring professionals, you should expect to pay about $10,000 per man-month. About five years ago, the typical cost for a small-scale Xbox Live game was about half a million. A small-scale Xbox Live game is commensurate with a 2D side-scroller, I'd say.

If you're planning on hiring professionals, you should expect to pay about $10,000 per man-month. About five years ago, the typical cost for a small-scale Xbox Live game was about half a million. A small-scale Xbox Live game is commensurate with a 2D side-scroller, I'd say.

How many programmers would I need for a game like this? Keep in mind that my idea is more complex than a typical "Point-A to Point-B" side scroller. It'll have 3D elements to it, and I'm estimating the project would take probably a year to two years to complete. Would you say roughly 3-5, or would I need more?

And I will provide a percentage of the sales revenue to my team.

You have some oddly specific numbers given the bits you don't know. How can you know there will be exactly 52 levels and roughly 14 hours of gameplay before having so much as a prototype of the gameplay put together?

Keep in mind that content isn't free, either. Content creators work cheaper than engineers, sure, but you need a _many_ content creators for each engineer typically (5:1, 10:1, or even 20:1 aren't uncommon ratios even for small games).

So far as the number of engineers... depends on what exactly you're trying to do and how good of engineers you get. 3-5 good devs sounds like a reasonable back-of-the-envelope estimate given the lack of other details you have. If you want to estimate accurately you'll probably need to get someone who both knows your product vision intimately and has years of game development experience.

You have some oddly specific numbers given the bits you don't know. How can you know there will be exactly 52 levels and roughly 14 hours of gameplay before having so much as a prototype of the gameplay put together?

Keep in mind that content isn't free, either. Content creators work cheaper than engineers, sure, but you need a _many_ content creators for each engineer typically (5:1, 10:1, or even 20:1 aren't uncommon ratios even for small games).

So far as the number of engineers... depends on what exactly you're trying to do and how good of engineers you get. 3-5 good devs sounds like a reasonable back-of-the-envelope estimate given the lack of other details you have. If you want to estimate accurately you'll probably need to get someone who both knows your product vision intimately and has years of game development experience.

Yes, I am a noob when it comes to stuff like this. I'm using simple math to calculate how many levels and completion hours that I'd want my game to have. 7 area maps, 7 levels per area (with the exception of one, which will have 10 levels) with an avg of 10-15 minutes to complete each level. Add all that up and you get 14 hours of gameplay. Ultimately, I want my game to be deep, immersive, and enjoyable. I know I can't put a timetable on such things, but I want to feel that the player gets his/her moneys worth without the game feeling too short.

I played Ghostbusters on PS3 and while it was deep, immersive, and enjoyable...I felt it was really short because I completely finished the game within the first night of buying it. Given that I paid $60 for the game, I felt really disappointed.

It is possible to do a side-scroller for well under $500K, however it is very likely that a 'noob' would end up spending well over $1M (assuming one has the money!) by sheer lack of experience.

I suggest starting smaller: scale down on the amount of levels, reduce the amount of features, stick to straight 2D if possible, and try to learn and do as much as you can on your own.

The project probably won't be profitable even then, but the experience you'll earn from the effort will cost you much LESS than $500k, leaving your hypothetical super-mega-funding in your pockets for when you have more experience and can actually turn it into a successful project.

It is possible to do a side-scroller for well under $500K, however it is very likely that a 'noob' would end up spending well over $1M (assuming one has the money!) by sheer lack of experience.

I suggest starting smaller: scale down on the amount of levels, reduce the amount of features, stick to straight 2D if possible, and try to learn and do as much as you can on your own.

The project probably won't be profitable even then, but the experience you'll earn from the effort will cost you much LESS than $500k, leaving your hypothetical super-mega-funding in your pockets for when you have more experience and can actually turn it into a successful project.

Perhaps you're right. I've been mulling over this particular project in my mind for a while now, and I really don't want to screw it up. I do have another idea that would take less money/manpower and I should start with that first.

Perhaps you're right. I've been mulling over this particular project in my mind for a while now, and I really don't want to screw it up. I do have another idea that would take less money/manpower and I should start with that first.

I think there's more that you ought to do first. See http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson29.htm

Greetings,

- the game of course you can do with your investments mentioned, but:

a) to recoup the costs of the game must be expensive market analysis and very broad array of expensive advertising;

b) it is necessary to release the game for all popular game platforms;

c) the game has to be thought out seriously for what it is, what the gamer audience, whether they are still in the world;

good luck !

a) to recoup the costs of the game must be expensive market analysis and very broad array of expensive advertising;

Not necessarily.

b) it is necessary to release the game for all popular game platforms;

Necessary? That's never necessary. You always need to take into account whether a port is valuable or not.

Because each port comes at a cost, you have to balance this against expected sales.

For example, on mobile, it is common trend to make an Android port, but assuming your game uses a demo/unlock app model, you'll find that your app will sell 3-4 times as much on Apple's Appstore than it will do through GooglePlay. With so few sales, it is ALWAYS worth the extra port? A number of developers forego that port for a reason, not just because they shun Android phones...

c) the game has to be thought out seriously for what it is, what the gamer audience, whether they are still in the world;

Not sure I'm following...

?

?b) it is necessary to release the game for all popular game platforms;

Necessary? That's never necessary. You always need to take into account whether a port is valuable or not.

Because each port comes at a cost, you have to balance this against expected sales.

- so, seriously speaking, but usually designed game to move to the additional platform despicably low cost compared to the costs of new dressing .. and in this case is discovered a new niche to distribution ..

- so, seriously speaking, but usually designed game to move to the additional platform despicably low cost compared to the costs of new dressing .. and in this case is discovered a new niche to distribution ..

There's more to it:

What if you can get Xbox exclusivity for 6 months and cash in 500 000$?

How advisable is the playstation port then?

- I had in mind easily compatible platforms such as Mac, iOS, Android, Windows, which can be compiled from a single "xe7 Rad studio" project.

:)

Wasteland 2 blew through around $3M, and that was an experienced design and development team. The end result can be summed up by a great American poet whose name escapes me:

"Mo' money, mo' problems."

Do what you can with what you have. Listen to the above advice from Mr. Sloper, et al. Also Wasteland 2 is a boring bugfest of a sloppy game.

It is definately possible, to be honest I don't have too much expertise in this field, but I think -500k is quite realistic for a small scale game. I think the problem with most small budget games is that they try to cut costs everywhere. My advice is to not cut costs on people you hire (within reasonable amounts of course). In the end, you usually get what you pay for and hiring cheap employees or even students will likely leave you with sloppy code and artwork.

Anyway, good luck!

It is definately possible, to be honest I don't have too much expertise

How can you put "definately (sic) possible" and "I don't have too much expertise" in the same sentence?

Either you know, or you don't...

I think the problem with most small budget games is that they try to cut costs everywhere.

Most small games are made by very small teams, oftentimes by unpaid people. Most indie games end up bankrupt before release and decide to ship whatever they can in a hail Mary. Then again, most indies don't have anywhere close to 500K $ to spend...

In the end, you usually get what you pay for and hiring cheap employees or even students will likely leave you with sloppy code and artwork.

You'll probably end up with crap code and art even if you pay a lot unless you put a lot of thought into WHO you're going to "hire". Oftentimes, it is better to partner up with someone local and discuss specifics with them than send out an advert. What you need, as an indie, is (a) longterm reliable and motivated partner(s). Skills performing a single task may not be nearly as important as the ability to stick with the project and do more than is asked. If you can get your hands on someone that cares about the end product as much as you and is willing to do everything (that is, won't label himself as a programmer or artist but will actually help with more than one thing) to make it count, then you are lucky and whatever the game ends up costing is what it needed to cost.

Working with freelancers, alternatively, is also a good avenue.