How do you make your own video game developing company?

It doesnt seem that hard, just computers, the programs, and get it published by EA games or another good company?How do you make your own video game developing company?
[QUOTE=''1234567890'']It doesnt seem that hard, just computers, the programs, and get it published by EA games or another good company?[/QUOTE]I lol'd.How do you make your own video game developing company?
You need the people and the skills >__>
1. Steal underpants2. ???3. Profit!
[QUOTE=''Funky_Llama''][QUOTE=''1234567890'']It doesnt seem that hard, just computers, the programs, and get it published by EA games or another good company?[/QUOTE]I lol'd.[/QUOTE]Same here. Well TC, by your logic, go for it. May have worked back in the 70s and 80s, but not today.
You get 2 or more people together. Develop a game. Finished.




Developing a game that will make you money.. now that's the tough part. ;)
[QUOTE=''jakeboudville'']You need the people and the skills >__>[/QUOTE]

And the money.
First, you need money to buy office space (unless you're all going to work from home), equipment (computers and EXPENSIVE sdks), etc. You can get this by approaching a publisher (if you're lucky) or a venture capital firm (more likely) with a decent prototype, probably with fleshed out graphics. If you can't get the moneyholders interested, forget about it. Second, you need more money to pay for salaries and use of the office space and unforeseen obstacles. If you're going to license an engine, add at least 500,000 to that total. Third, you may even have to outsource art or QA testing to other companies, that's more fees. Fourth, when the game is done, if you can't secure a publisher, you have to pay for the disc manufacturing and packaging, plus certification and licensing fees for whatever console you're making it for (unless this is a PC title). If you're only selling digital copies, you still have to put up money for server hosting and bandwidth.


In other words, starting a company of more than 20 people is going to cost at least 2 million, if you're really careful with your money.

Check out gamasutra.com and gamesindustry.biz if you want to find out more.
[QUOTE=''DeeJayInphinity'']You get 2 or more people together. Develop a game. Finished.




Developing a game that will make you money.. now that's the tough part. ;)[/QUOTE]Release it on all platforms :P
you need teh epic coding skillz, and connections, and money or loans, then you need to deal with getting office space and computers and liscensing development software, and you have to hire some people, and get your project laid out, then you have to pitch the idea to a publisher, then make the game, and test it, and if your lucky it will sell some copies.a little of topic here, why do a lot of people say ''oh x take no skill to do, all you do is y and then z! see? simple!'' i usually hear this about types of music that dont involve a guitar (electronic music and rap mainly).
there's only three ways to make a succsessful one from scratch and all have very low chances of happening1. Create game and sell on internet download like XBL or STEAM, this won't be any 3d shooter though it has to be simple and addictive2. Make a game that has never been tried before like Harmonix did3. Join somewhere like Digipen and hope that what you've done is inovitive enough too get noticed by some big shotYou can make your own company and try and climb the ladder the normal way though it will be virtually impossible to break into the mainstream in the modern market.
If you were really serious, a good place to start would probably be smaller games through one of the download stores out there. It could be WiiWare, PSN, XBL, Steam, Gametap, or start a website and go it alone. The problem with bigger games is they take large groups of people a lot of time, to where they can't really work on another job or school, so somebody needs to front them the money while they work so bills can be paid. Nobody is going to invest that kind of money in a nobody, so you need known talent, which you will not be able to attract out of the gate. On top of that, this all assumes that you are able to create something that people will actually want to play and pay for. Good luck.
Before making the company, you should know that you have good ideas that will lead to good games first.
[QUOTE=''crucifine''] Second, you need more money to pay for salaries and use of the office space and unforeseen obstacles. If you're going to license an engine, add at least 500,000 to that total. Third, you may even have to outsource art or QA testing to other companies, that's more fees. Fourth, when the game is done, if you can't secure a publisher, you have to pay for the disc manufacturing and packaging, plus certification and licensing fees for whatever console you're making it for (unless this is a PC title). If you're only selling digital copies, you still have to put up money for server hosting and bandwidth.


In other words, starting a company of more than 20 people is going to cost at least 2 million, if you're really careful with your money.

[/QUOTE] 1. There are still games that are made in people's free time though it is a very small amount of games2. Audiosurf uses very simple graphics and that sold brilliantly, there's very little art work that's actually drawn in it2.1  Audiossurf was tested with anyone, the price was quite low as the developer got his wife and family to play it then payed random people $20 to play it for an hour 3. STEAM will hold it on thier servers for you and there's no need for disks as it's all online and marketing as all users are notified of the product immediately and as long as there's a demo then someone will buy it   
just requires a group of talented people, artist and programmers and so on. My friends started a company, it's easy.
[QUOTE=''markop2003''] 1. There are still games that are made in people's free time though it is a very small amount of games2. Audiosurf uses very simple graphics and that sold brilliantly, there's very little art work that's actually drawn in it2.1 Audiossurf was tested with anyone, the price was quite low as the developer got his wife and family to play it then payed random people $20 to play it for an hour 3. STEAM will hold it on thier servers for you and there's no need for disks as it's all online and marketing as all users are notified of the product immediately and as long as there's a demo then someone will buy it [/QUOTE]

Most of what I said applies to triple-A titles. Indie titles require less work and less testing, by default.

Audiosurf is a special case, however. Most indie games have more intricate artwork than Audiosurf did, and not every indie title will be able to get on Steam. If he can take a good gameplay concept, flesh it out without using any artwork (Audiosurf had a grand total of 2 actual graphics, the rest were a handful of models that he outsourced and basic shapes created in the code), and get it on Steam, then all power to him. But the likelihood of that happening is extremely low.

Basically, don't use Audiosurf as an example, the only similarly positioned game (not a lot of artwork, but still more than Audiosurf, limited testing, lots of people bought it) was the Geometry Wars games, and those already had the backing of a major developer. I would expect to spend at least 25,000 on making ANY indie title, even Audiosurf.




Addition: if you make a game at any school, you can't sell it, the school own's the IP for any games made for its classes.
Well, you could go to school to become a game developer, work for someone and someday open your own company.