mid_gen's Launch a Game Studio Thread

Thought I'd try something a bit different on the channel today, so posted some DLSS5 waffle. It's not done much, the algo seems to be struggling to find the audience, as it's clearly not the same as my 'indie dev' viewers.....interesting! Have to try these things though, took me quite a while on my climbing channel to home in on the format that clicks with viewers.

Do have a vlog recorded too, will prob get that posted tomorrow if I get time to capture some gameplay.
 
The DLSS5 stuff has been talked about on every single gaming channel/podcast ever since the Nvidia conference.

Everyone has probably got sick of hearing about it now, I know I am :D So any talk about it now will probably get lost in the noise on Youtube.
 
malachi said:
The DLSS5 stuff has been talked about on every single gaming channel/podcast ever since the Nvidia conference.

Everyone has probably got sick of hearing about it now, I know I am :D So any talk about it now will probably get lost in the noise on Youtube.
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There’s various ways content on the tube perform.

The DLSS one has a poor CTR, only 2% or so. And you’re right, with zeitgeist stuff you need to be quick and get in there before there’s thousands of other videos trying to cover it.

BUT

People that do start watching are generally watching all of it, much more so than the vlogs. So the watch hours is relatively good still….and likely to be a bit more on an evergreen, than the vlogs.

I’m going to do a ‘3 months in’ milestone video for the end of March. Probably change up the format a bit.
 
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I am just stupid busy at the moment....have a couple days away with the missus next week which will be a much needed bit of downtime.....all good though, just tiring.

Managing to chip away at the game....lots of little things.

Today I added some APIs and extended the game's MCP server so I can now ask claude to stage tests for me. ie. I can just say "create a test with every grid populated on both sides with a mix of ships"....and it just goes through the MCP and python API to set the game up for me, in this case, this glorious scene.



I really need some better explosions.....but there's not really any decent zero-G ship explosions on the unreal marketplace. Might have to set aside a few hours to make my own. Need some reactor meltdown awesomeness...and look into the slicing tools to have the ships break up as they die.
 
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Lots of nice little updates in recent days, but I’m going to save it all for the big ‘3 months in’ video I’m going to do next week.

Going to put a bit more effort in, shoot some b-roll, have some backing music, have a bit more in depth run through everything I’ve done so far. Generally up my game on that front.

The DLSS chat as I suspected is doing steady numbers now….difference audience so good to have the extra eyes on it, although predictably has some more spicy comments :)

First proper session with the design agency on Monday to get into the process.

Then a few days off, much needed!
 
mid_gen said:
Phew, finally an update. Hopefully through the manic phase of house move process and onto the tedious solicitor chasing one.

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Nice update. Coming together nicely. Amazing really considering full time job and house move, plus youtube.

Do you intend to go down the steam early access route?
 
TNA said:
Nice update. Coming together nicely. Amazing really considering full time job and house move, plus youtube.
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Cheers, has been a stressful few months, but feels like I'm working towards something really positive and it'll all be worth it though!
TNA said:
Do you intend to go down the steam early access route?
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I've been thinking a lot about funding. My first thought on Early Access is no, as I'm just not a fan of it personally. I'd rather launch a finished title, do a few maintenance releases, and if successful then perhaps some content updates.

I think my 'Golden Path' funding model for the first 12 months is roughly:

Continue with my freelance work part-time. This is more than enough to pay all my living costs and have enough to pay freelancers for the creative work, and some marketing spend.

Complete this first title under my own steam (hoho), no external funding. Get it launched on Steam with a modestly successful launch. Say I price at £7.99 and shift 20k units, gives me a little over £100k after Valve's cut.

That would set me up to go full-time from next year.

Just kinda thinking out loud. Obviously I could fail miserably with the launch....but this first title I've deliberately chosen something pretty straightforward with mass-market appeal (spaceships, pew pew, can't go too far wrong).

I will talk to some publishers in the coming months....while I'd prefer to not have to give away revenues, there's no doubt a good publisher can bring a lot to the table in terms of knowledge, marketing, audience etc.

As I mentioned in the video, the freelance work I'm doing is for a friend's startup and stopping that work doesn't just impact me (as much as I'd like to go full-time on the dev work, and have the funds to do so), it impacts them, as he wouldn't be getting someone with my skills and experience for the rate he's paying otherwise! It's an arrangement that works well for both of our companies for the short term.
 
Well happy with that video, it's doing gangbusters on the algorithm. Although I did have my first troll that started posting abuse as fast as I removed it (which one of you was it :P). Tempted to write a Claude agent that'll just filter stuff like that out and remove it without me having to read it. Although I did think 'washed up midlife crisis loser role-playing at game dev' was kinda funny :)
 
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