To make a game or a comic?

[AyGee]

I couldn't think of a good place to post this, since it kind of straddles two subject matters, so I figured the Cooler is just as good a place as any!

TL;DR version - Which one's more likely to give me more bang for my effort?  A comic or a game?

Recently I've entertained the idea of making a comic, and shortly thereafter the idea of making a game.  I've been reading up on guides, trying to doodle up some concepts, reading some of the Do's and Don't's, and generally hoping to expand my skills in what little spare time I have.  I have ideas bouncing around for either medium, and I've been trying to weigh out the pro's and con's.  In fact, let me do that right now just to get my thoughts out there:

Comic - Generally planning a story of mixed themes (smatterings of comedy, intrigue, action, and cosmic/existential horror), involving the life of a manufactured corporate mascot and her interactions with her owners/keepers.  Plot will turn towards an expanded universe when the mascot comes to a harsh realization and must venture out into the world, meeting with a small cast of other characters who join her on her journey.

PROS:

• Utilizes skills I already have
• Lends itself better to strict story-telling
• Easy Distribution (just posting up on FA, really)
• Can be done as a work over time

CONS:

• May not lend itself as well to action
• Potential audience is much narrower (People who watch my gallery or find my comic amidst others)
• Less chance for monetary distribution
• Relatively quick consumption would require more frequent installments

 

Game - Keeping many of the same themes from the comic, with a heavier leaning towards comedy and action elements.  Engine would be a light, linear puzzle-platformer with dialogue at the beginning and/or end of levels, with short, wordless cutscenes between stages.  Honestly, I'm kind of picturing something like Dynamite Heady for the first half of said game; the aesthetic would resemble a stage/TV set, with faux set pieces implying that the first several levels are the mascot doing shoots for commercials and shows, with later levels 'going off the rails' as action rises and the situation deteriorates.

PROS:

• Lends itself very well to action
• Story can be simplified to facilitate gameplay
• Potential audience is much broader (gamers in general, potential Steam audience)
• Greater chance for monetary distribution

CONS:

• Requires learning new skills and programming (of which I have a partial working knowledge)
• Distribution may be more difficult, especially if for monetary purposes (credits, rights to usage, royalties)
• Installment must be completed in its entirety, including some form of conclusion, before release
• Conveying complex ideas and world-building would require clever exposition or text-dumps

 

Honestly, I can go either way at this point.  I'll confess, the inspiration for going with a game was me looking at the Major/Minor debacle and thinking to myself, "I can do better than this, and I know furries/people in general deserve better than this."  At the very least, I wanted to spew my thoughts out for people to see while I hash through them, myself.

[LazerMaster5]

Why not both?

[Endless/Nameless]

I'd say comic, especially if you have the whole storytelling thing in mind. For one, a comic is way easier to get someone to sit down and take a look at than a game; one takes a click of a link and an eyeball, the other takes a purchase, download, install, and probably a good amount of time sitting on the hard drive not getting played. And the majority of gamers aren't really into it for the story anyway. Another thing: If you make a game, unless it's REALLY damn good, you'll probably get a handful of people who play it through, maybe think it's cool, and promptly forget your name. Back at square one. But if you can make a halfway-decent comic, you can spend time with it, gradually improving, gradually gaining a fanbase, gradually gaining that sweet, sweet exposure, until eventually you may actually end up having some nice income coming in and a big enough name to actually make a decent slpash with some other projects. 

Let's face it, it's INCREDIBLY difficult to pull a Toby Fox.

[#00Buck]

Make a game about fur fags

[AlastairSnowpaw]

A game would require way more work, I would say make a comic first and expand the story and stuff more, then you can slowly work towards a game based on that comic. It's much easier to make a comic with no start up than it is a game.

[Sarcastic Coffeecup]

I'd say go for the comic

[Conker]

I've spent the last two years working on a video game, so pay attention when I say: MAKING GAMES IS HARD

So much goes into them. So much. And not just programming and shit. YOu have to do all the music, all the sound, all the writing, all the animating, all the designwork, all the balancing, get people to playtest because graphics cards and computers and bears oh my, and the market is saturated as FUCK so that's fun, and probably a thousand other things I'm forgetting.

it's fun. I've been enjoying it (somewhat), but it's HUGE, way bigger than you might think.

[Joshi]

Agreed. Go for comic. If youre just starting out as a programmer, dont start with making games. Its way harder than you think and reaching for stars while just starting out with a new skill will just bring you frustration and disappointment

[AyGee]

Seems the suggestion is leaning heavily towards the comic.  Thing is, I don't really know of any good webcomic venues aside from just submitting to FA, and I kind of stink at advertising/drumming up attention, especially if my most recent submissions are any indicator.  Don't wanna go putting up the effort of making a whole sequence for 3-5 faves.  At least Steam has that whole greenlight thing.

Admittedly, I was leaning towards the game myself, and I know fully well the kind of work that goes into making even a fairly basic one - hence my aiming for making a good, tight experience rather than a sprawling epic with multiple endings.

But for now, let's suppose I went with a comic; how would I go about putting it out there?

[Conker]

9 hours ago, AyGee said:

Seems the suggestion is leaning heavily towards the comic.  Thing is, I don't really know of any good webcomic venues aside from just submitting to FA, and I kind of stink at advertising/drumming up attention, especially if my most recent submissions are any indicator.  Don't wanna go putting up the effort of making a whole sequence for 3-5 faves.  At least Steam has that whole greenlight thing.

Admittedly, I was leaning towards the game myself, and I know fully well the kind of work that goes into making even a fairly basic one - hence my aiming for making a good, tight experience rather than a sprawling epic with multiple endings.

But for now, let's suppose I went with a comic; how would I go about putting it out there?

Buy adspace.

The thing is, you can't just will an audience into being. It doesn't work that way. Friend of mine has a webcomic about World of Warcraft, and it took him like fifty or so comics to even get close to a 100 followers, and HE advertised on some WoW-themed podcasts.

Regardless of what you do, it'll take some big work and luck to get people to care. Steam Greenlight is a fucking swamp of bad ideas and worse execution, and your project will drown there if you aren't careful. In my case, I got lucky.

[DrDingo]

Comic. I'll tell you why.

We've seen countless people on these forums with aspirational ideas for games, hoping they can make it big. But nothing ever happens.

If you decide to make a comic, it will actually happen. It will feel better to make, you can work in your own time, the audience is wider and you don't need to employ anyone.

If you're making a game, you'd need a team. And you'd have to pay them. You'd be piling so much time and money into the slim chance of success.

[Naesaki]

21 minutes ago, DrDingo said:

If you're making a game, you'd need a team. And you'd have to pay them. You'd be piling so much time and money into the slim chance of success.

Or the more life draining choice, to work on it solo for years and years and by the time it happens, either you stop caring or no one else cares.

[Conker]

26 minutes ago, DrDingo said:

If you're making a game, you'd need a team. And you'd have to pay them. You'd be piling so much time and money into the slim chance of success.

This isn't true. Dust: An Ellyesian (sp) Tail was made by one guy. Lots of little games are made by one or two people, and even some biggish indie games are made by very few people.

It's just time consuming and difficult. It isn't impossible though.

[DrDingo]

10 minutes ago, Conker said:

This isn't true. Dust: An Ellyesian (sp) Tail was made by one guy. Lots of little games are made by one or two people, and even some biggish indie games are made by very few people.

It's just time consuming and difficult. It isn't impossible though.

It's true, indie games are a thing.

But that kind of achievement doesn't happen just from 'Wouldn't it be cool if' ideas. Dust: An Elysian Tail took the guy five years to make.

Imagine that.

Comics = Immediate and frequent satisfaction with guaranteed results

Game making = Painfully delayed, one time satisfaction with no guaranteed results

Hell, even I'd make a comic if I had the time and abilities. It's an exciting idea.

[Conker]

Just now, DrDingo said:

It's true, indie games are a thing.

But that kind of achievement doesn't happen just from 'Wouldn't it be cool if' ideas. Dust: An Elysian Tail took the guy five years to make.

Imagine that.

Comics = Immediate and frequent satisfaction with guaranteed results

Game making = Painfully delayed, one time satisfaction with no guaranteed results

Hell, even I'd make a comic if I had the time and abilities. It's an exciting idea.

You are not guaranteed results from a comic book. It IS easier, and it IS quicker, and that means you're competing with more people.

When it comes to artwork, nothing is guaranteed.

[DrDingo]

Just now, Conker said:

You are not guaranteed results from a comic book. It IS easier, and it IS quicker, and that means you're competing with more people.

When it comes to artwork, nothing is guaranteed.

By results, I mean that you'll get something done and out there. You can develop your artistic skills and enjoy it. I mean, you wouldn't be making a comic if it annoyed you. 

With a game, there's a strong chance it can go unfinished. And the process could just be infuriating.

[Conker]

Just now, DrDingo said:

By results, I mean that you'll get something done and out there. You can develop your artistic skills and enjoy it. I mean, you wouldn't be making a comic if it annoyed you. 

With a game, there's a strong chance it can go unfinished. And the process could just be infuriating.

I can safely say that at times, the process is very infuriating

[Barnectomy]

3 hours ago, Conker said:

Steam Greenlight is a fucking swamp of bad ideas and worse execution, and your project will drown there if you aren't careful. In my case, I got lucky.

You have a game on Steam?

[Conker]

1 hour ago, Barnectomy said:

You have a game on Steam?

I have a game that has been greenlit. It isn't done yet and wont' be for another year at best.

Making games takes awhile