As a game developer, I love when people suggest I start a RUclips channel to make devlogs. Because hell yeah why only have one extremely difficult creative job when I could have two :D
it is a good way to grow a community as people who have followed a game in the making for months/years are almost guaranteed to buy your game or atleast consider it. only issue is... yeah, it takes alot of time and effort. hardest part is probably the curating of footage and script writing. i do think there are significant benefits though if you can manage to pull it off
as a devlog watcher...many devlogs dont help the game grow because there is such a thing as oversharing. a lot of devs make that mistake. they show too much of their game and they also share why they made every decision they made. a game needs to be a mystery. its not fun if you have seen most of the location in the game, most of the enemies and stuff in a devlog because the devs are oversharing. there is a middleground thats good but a lot of devlogs are just oversharing information. there is a reason many game studios in the past released documentations on how the game was made after the game was released and not before.
I totally get it, non game devs will just say something like "add multiplayer" not knowing it will take 50-100 hours to refactor stuff and tweak gameplay, renting servers, and more. I respect you very much for making this decision to end the devlogs and gl with the game!
@@alexvitkov 50-100 hours? lol someone could do work that in like 3 or 4 days TOPS if they applied themselves. why are gamedevs so lazy? thats why they take years to make one videogame
Renting servers is silly. Multiplayer with the host's PC being the server is the way to go for indie games. But then again, I have zero serious game-making experience.
nothing but respect for this video. your past videos have been nothing but inspiring, and i hope your game projects come to fruition and you continue to enjoy working on them :)
You’ve given quite a lot of information in what you’ve shared so far. Some of it is super clever and beyond what I could probably figure out, so it’s mainly just inspiring. I’d love to see but no one should feel entitled to more than you’ve shown already
Yeah, this. He has kinda unique project and talks about the unique parts. It's sad that he doesn't just ignore the "gimme" comments and lets them get into his head.
Its completely understandable. Maybe just upload what you find interesting or fun about your project or retro gamedev. It doesn't need to be the full bells and whistles, your honesty here is gold man.
@@Marcis. It's the least I could do amigo. I've long enjoyed your videos but never thought to comment or whatnot (social media does my nut in nowadays) but I wanted to show a lil' appreciation not just for your effort but for your honesty too. Good luck with your projects - you're mad talented and I can't wait to see what you rustle up
I usually don't comment a lot. I feel like you make videos because you have to, and not because you want to. It's so easy to say "just do what you like" but I really believe "because I like it" is the best answer to critics and a good motivation. "Why there aren't any particles?" "Your video is too technical" fuck it, do what you want. Lot of guys here have never even tried to develop a game but they will compare and criticise because that's all they do. Keep up your good work, I love the systems you made, like the car damage one. Just listen to yourself and turn the comments off cause your work is relevant. Take care
you're a genius. i've spent years making game dev tutorials but now it's also draining, i decided i'll just upload and make whatever as long as i'm happy.
Pretty much everything you said is correct when it comes to devlogs. For my pie chart, I think pressure to show progress would've been like 60%. I don't think devlogs are for everyone, I'm only releasing one when I think it's time, like a big milestone or something, otherwise I feel like im milking my incomplete game for views. The main reason I do them is because I really enjoy making them, so if someday you wanna get back into devlogs, make the videos that you wanna make, instead of feeling like you gotta stick to a certain format, and make them when you feel inspired to make one. I think you can really start enjoying them when you don't look at devlogs as a chore or just a nessecity, more like a celebration of your progress
I'm in the same boat. Spending a week adding content to my game pays off more than spending that same time on a devlog. I'm sure lots of devs have created successful careers using devlogs as promotion, but it looks like that success is rare. Even Dani, who is arguably the biggest devlog content creator on RUclips, stopped making devlogs to focus on finishing his game. So I totally support you on this venture and I'm excited to see what you come up with, whenever it's ready! :)
whatever you need to do that is best for you is what you should do honestly, im excited to see your creations in the future wherever they may be! personally ive resolved to making an occasional blog post on my site if i have something interesting about a current project that i want to talk about, rather than "consistent" updates.
So, I was curious about the statement regarding how many gamedevs vs gamers watch devlogs. In this video comments I identified around 100 different individuals commenting. 48% had youyube videos in their channels with trailers or videos of games/mods or game middleware they made (vlogs, trailers, develops, jams, tutorials…). 28% stated something that heavily implied they were aspiring game developers or game developers (like asking for a gamedev tutorial, asking to contribute to the game you're making, self-declared (aspiring or not) gamedevs in bio or comment or had really long playlists of gamedev tutorials). 24% not sure since the message or the bio didn't have any specific information, might be actual gamers. Since people leaving comments are a fraction of viewers (3%) it's hard to say something decisive, but the general vibe is definitely 75%+ of people watching this are gamedevs.
@@Marcis. Damn, it's scary how much it overlaps. That makes my hope of self-selection bias even less likely. A couple of friends that run small studios also pointed out that most of their following on twitter/linkedin are mostly gamedevs. I wonder if Dani's devlogs that were more "haha funny boom" demographic breached more into gamer territory.
@@Marcis. Sadly that poll didn't count me as I never saw it. I'd say most non-devs wouldn't see a poll or respond to it. It sounds unplausable that there are 8000 game devs watching this video :) 200 sounds more plausable.
I do think you underestimate the number of wishlists you'll receive from devlogs, I just released my first devlog and got more than 400 wishlists from it (in 4 days). From a marketing perspective, they are very valuable. But I agree with your other points - there's definitely a tradeoff.
Except the they are almost all "fake" wishlishts. Devs know how important wishlists are, so some will wishlist everything they see, but in reality have 0 intention of ever buying/playing the game cause they're busy working on their own game
@@DragonplayerDev Simply having more wishlists might boost chances to be blessed by the Steam algorithm, so it's not nothing, but yeah. There's probably a lot of more efficient ways to generate wishlists from more receptive audiences.
I won't argue that they're fake or not. I don't know, but I'll just tell you a cautionary tale: I've noticed plenty of developers with channels where their tutorials have a lot more views than the videos about their games; forum posts with lots of likes and replies, contrasted with released games with very little engagement; personal discord servers where everyone's asking gamedev questions rather than talking about their WIPs. I've seen this plenty of times. I think depending on how you showcase your work, you may attract a lot of developers looking for inspiration, ideas and knowledge, instead of actual potential players who are actually interested in your game. There could be some overlap, but those are not the same group of people. So, I won't argue against the numbers. I'll just tell you to be cautious of that trap.
Wishlist numbers don’t boost algorithm, as stated by Valve themselves, if you have wishlists that are ‘worthwhile’, they’ll result in more sales- and sales are everything to be graced by the algo.
Asking you to send your project files is so disrespectful. They would just try to make a clone of your game and release that before your game, so when you release your game, nobody wants it anymore because they either like the other game or they think yours will be equally bad as the rip off.
This is the first video of yours i have seen, and mad respect for it. I have recently been starting my beginning game dev journey and i thought it might be fun or good to do a video series of like "can a noob who doesnt know how to code make a game?" And document my journey that way but a lot of my hesitation comes from reasons that you have explained in this video. Who knows I still might try but it was great to see your insight.
As much as I'll miss your devlogs (I absolutely love watching them, just seeing how people go about designing and implementing cool features to a project they're absolutely passionate about), I completely understand why you're choosing to quit making them. You're unbelievably creative and from what we've seen so far, your game does look like it'll shape into something great once it's finished and released. Nothing but respect for you, man. Good luck!
Hey man, just wanna say as a small-time creator I love your devlogs and even joined ur discord because I too wanna make a PS-style game someday. The reason I watch your content: it motivates me. When I see the instructional content I think "damn, I need to work on my game." It's inspiring to see you work so much on this, and it reminds me I could be making things like you someday. I hope you continue to share your progress and knowledge with us, but only in ways you are comfortable. Take your time between any potential future devlogs, and don't feel burdened to share often. Share what you wish and nothing else, but I do hope to see you continue.
I needed this video, thank you Marcis, you hit close to home. I've been struggling between keeping myself balanced with what I want from myself vs what people want to see from me, and the time spent on developing, let alone documenting in a devlog is taxing and often goes unrewarded. I don't find you arrogant, Unwanted comments(positive, or negative) can be draining and strangers begging for you to release your own personal work for them to have is something I've had happen to me many times, it's extremely disheartening. It seems even with devlogs no one understand the time, effort and passion that goes into creation like this unless they learned themselves. I wish the best for you and your game :)
You haven't made that many devlops, but all of them were incredibly helpful and fun to watch! You're frankly way more talented than the average youtuber gamedev. Can't wait to see your finished product.
I have massive respect for developers who make devlogs, because I find it fascinating to look behind the scenes and witness the game making process (which I _wish_ I had the concentration to do myself), but I also completely understand and respect when someone does not want to do them. Hope your productivity and enjoyment will improve soon!
It's honestly a good call, to put your focus where it's really needed. It's fun for us to see how you figure stuff out and how it all looks behind the scenes but if it's not helping the process itself than what's the point. Hoping you good luck and all the best man. And of course I'm staying subscribed. I wanna be here whenever and whatever you'll feel like sharing with us.
Wish you all the success in the world. I come from 35 years of programming experience and love watching just to see what people are working on. I'm currently creating a simi casual builder with dungeon crawling mechanics. I don't create videos for these reasons.
A lot of the points made here really hit home. Because of this, I pretty much put no effort at all into my game updates, but I still like to have them to look back onto.
As starting indie dev ive found these videos helpfull. Its definetly out of pocket for peopl to aks anything in comments and as a fellow conent creator I know how it can be and yea not every one is cut out for it. Just know your videos have helped alot especialy in the direction for my game and no one Is entitled to take your time away from your project. we should be gratefull you took the time out to show us anything.
This is completely reasonable and I look forward to more of your videos on just neat retro game things you enjoy. Good luck with the dev and I hope you enjoy the freedom not having to log everything provides! 💕
I'm super happy for you having such a well self-reflected and strong opinion about your goals. You do what you do best and what get's you the most joy 😉 Goodbye for now and much fun on your game dev journey ❤😀
I get this. I've decided to avoid making devlogs if I can, though if nothing else it's because my game won't be that long and I don't see any point spoiling it's contents more than I ought to
this was insightful, thank you, and i understand not wanting to do devlogs, for me learning about the features how they work how you got to them and the completed project is something i always enjoy because i get to see the process others take and how they handle things, pick their brain so to say, so when the game is done going through development and ideas could be fun and less stressful with less expectation, either way im exited to see more retro game stuff and the finished game.
Sorry you had to deal with all that. I really appreciate your devlogs for what they are, I know they're not tutorials or will teach me much, but they inspire me to learn and study, grind to achieve my own goals in game development, and I love experimenting with Unreal Engine. Thank you for inspiring me so far! Try not to let people's comments get to you. I have absolute faith that you can create and finish your dream game eventually, I believe in you. I also know it'll be a long and arduous journey, but I want to see you succeed, and accomplish your own goals, for you. Not for anyone else.
you inspired me and so many to begin their gamedev journey as well. u deserve a break to focus on ur projects and other important things. getting burnt out is never fun especially when its about something u truly passionate about. you're the definition of a one man army. salute 🫡
the part about skewed priorities is so true and this is probably why devloggers get meme'd as "more of a youtuber than a game dev". i personally think as long as you limit the time spent on making devlogs and just show whatever u want to show instead that itll still be worth it tho
Real and straight to the point. Most watch Devlog to cope. They think they're learning gamedev. In fact, 1st month of gamedev gives me way more than watching any amount of devlog could.
I don't blame you at all. I've spent over 4 years working on my game project with many sleepless nights and pulling out my hair to figure things out when it comes to things like planetary physics. Despite all of the hard work from time to time I get people that want my project files, or "sample files", for completely free. One person did offer to pay-- once I handed them the files and they went through them and decided whether or not they should pay for them. Of course, I declined. Devlogs really do give a sense of accomplishment and they are time consuming. Instead of giving up on devlogs, I've decided to post them only once in a blue moon.
I've experienced all these myself, although with a smaller audience. In particular I think it's hard to make devlogs when you see other successful devlogs that focus on just the video and not the game. This must have been a tough decision but I hope it goes well and I wish you luck with the game.
Your sincerity in all this matters is really welcome. I enjoy your devlogs, but if it affects the main thing you love doing, than it's really better to stop. I wish you the best of luck going forward, am I will be here for the trailers as wel!!
Solo dev is a titanic task, even receiving friends & family's comments is usually tough. They want to help you, but their comments about polishing the main menu buttons don't help when trying to improve the game loop. In each video you have uploaded you can see a better game and a better developer. As another solo dev, you are killing it and good luck!
Thank you for the advice concerning tutorials, it gets easy to get stuck in tutorial hell. If I want to implement something, I need to figure it out myself.
Very well-worded, great reasons to expend effort places other than devlogs. I’ve definitely experienced a lot of the stuff you mentioned here - particularly with the comments section. I think there are ways to strike a healthy balance with devlogs, but they’re certainly not the only way to market a game. Best of luck man!
For me the biggest thing is I don't want to be thinking about making a devlog in the back of my mind. When I'm working on some terribly frustrating bug, I don't want to worry about recording footage of it before I squash it, I just want to be done with the damned thing lol. I much prefer making pseudo-intellectual (lol) video essays instead as they are a lot more fun to make, and serve as a break rather than a continuation of the core gamedev process. Good luck!
I really hope your driving game makes it to steam!!!! Please keep adding environmental details and refining it! Your doing an fantastic job dude, don't give up.
It blew me away how well you explained it, but yeah, dev logs seem to be most useful for people whose main focus is doing stuff for youtube rather than your focus on the game itself. There's a big difference between "making dev video so I have something for my channel" and "posting an update to my channel so the public knows what I'm working on". Really well put.
my philosophy is that I want to build a cool playlist of videos people could binge, but i'll only upload a devlog like twice per year. all other energy goes into my game.
Sorry to hear you aren't going to be posting more devlogs, but I completely get it. Just wanted to let you know that your videos helped me a lot on my game dev journey and I am appreciative to your hard work.
You do not come off as an arrogant person. I am a gamedev too, my experience has been identical to yours. Same types of comments, and a lots of people in the gamedev community over-estimating their skills (example: ugh, Unreal Engine sucks, I will do my own engine. I have only an art degree and don't know how to code. Do you think I can do my RPG game in 6 months?).
It's interesting you find helping people draining. When I feel burned out on a project, helping people restarts my brain... I guess because I'm solving new problems.
When I clicked on this video, I had no idea it was going to be this relatable. I really wish you the best of luck working on your game (and i love your retro graphics!).
Honestly, as a big devlog enjoyer and about to record my own, I don't fault you. It takes a very specific kind of personality, work ethic and approach to development to make good devlogs for RUclips, and a willingness to play the RUclips game. I'm not even going to pretend for a second that I have it nailed down, I am absolutely just getting started and still very much tinkering with my own initial approach, really just taking my first few steps in the space (starting with modding). However, as someone who watches game dev RUclips quite a bit and who has in fact made some (bad) videos, I can absolutely see the ludicrous amount of work it takes to make those devlogs. It's a full time job on top of a full time job, at the very least. If you want to make games, make games, don't make RUclips videos. If you want to do RUclips, do RUclips, don't make games on top of it. The best game development channels are only very loosely about developing a game; it's about sharing the journey, not reaching a specific destination. Even if you have help with editing, recording, scripting and so on, you will invariably take much longer to develop a game if you're trying to make the process of developing it look interesting. Plus, as you've identified, just thinking about recording the process completely changes your what your priorities are and how the game turns out. At the same time, I do think there's a space where broadly entertaining game dev and long-term more serious games can meet. Unfortunately I don't think I can point to any example right now, but I am convinced that it would be possible to have a channel getting 100k+ views per devlog while following the development of a long-term game, the same way Wintergatan managed to hold a massive audience for years while working on the Marble Machine. All it would take is a constant stream exceptionally well produced RUclips videos and an interesting game. Oh, and a great personality behind the camera. Easy, right? Time may tell if I am right, but I think that some game developers who start making RUclips videos to grow their wishlist may be partially misguided on where the value of doing RUclips lies. Truth is, RUclips is a full time job, and it can also pay like a full time job, if you are willing to meet it at its level. Having a captive audience following a long-term project is something which history has shown can be fairly trivial to monetize with relatively little effort. Getting the audience is where the challenge lies on that end of things. I think the real holy grail of RUclips devlogs is something with broad enough appeal that it doesn't only attract other game developers, consistent enough that it becomes something people look forward to in their week/month, technical enough that it doesn't send you spiraling into an "all flash, no substance" spiral where nothing truly important gets done and fundamentally interesting enough / good enough of a game idea that it will draw people in and keep them in for as long as substantial progress is made. I'll even go one step farther and speculate that this is something that would probably be best paired with some truly early access, showing the game even in its very early development stages, access to which can then be further monetized to different extents, maybe as the audience grows. And at the end of the day, developing such a game would ideally make more money than selling it, from the various revenue streams you'd develop from having an audience. Selling your game at the end would be the cherry on the top. Developing the game would be a financial success months or years before the game comes out. Now, is this feasible? I think it is at the edge of possible, attainable for the .001% of people whose skillset and personality hits all the right spots. Is this desirable? Absolutely not to 99.99% of people. Forget 60 hour work weeks, unless you have a large, specialized team behind you you might be looking at back to back 100h work weeks for as long as you do this. I'm putting in >110h a week just in preparation for this. It is, genuinely, the only thing I do other than eat, sleep and go to the gym. And you know what? It might be (and probably is! statistically, at least) for no gain. No one can tell me it's going to work out, I can only trust my skills and research and hope I can grind it out. Sorry that I ended up rambling, I've just been cooking on this for so long that I felt like I wanted to put this out there somewhere. Feel free to tell me I'm right, or full of copium, or make fun of my Minecraft mod devlogs. Especially that last one, I'm experimenting with it and I feel like I'm starting to see what the formula should look like (it definitely isn't going to be like the ones I published thus far, those were more for my already active followers) and I'd love harsh criticisms.
I think a big problem with devlogs and tutorials is that it attracts other developers who are trying to do something similar or looking for inspiration and ideas, rather than people who are actually interested in playing your finished product. It may depend on how it's showcased, but I've seen plenty of developers falling in this trap. I've seen channels where their tutorials have a lot more views than the videos about their games. Forum posts with lots of likes and replies, contrasted with a released game with very little engagement. Personal discord servers where everyone's asking gamedev questions rather than talking about their WIPs. Etc, etc. Seen this plenty of times. Perhaps what makes the difference is the focus of the updates. I've definitely seen quite a few videos of upcoming games that seemed to only be attracting players (judging by the comments). I think that if one focuses on the underlying technicalities, it attracts developers. If one focuses on just showcasing gameplay, it attracts players. Something like that.
Dude I just got to know about your channel and I absulutely love your game. You already achieved much more than 90% of people in the comments would ever do, you can stop making devlogs (which I absolutely would love to watch), but continue making the game. I will buy it easy
they used like a chunk of premade assets and made basic stuff and shooting.... thats nothing what triggers me is the fake... "Making a game as complete beginner (no experience)"
@madduckling4436 oh man talk about demoralising content. "Using blender for the first time in my life" creates a masterpiece and fails to mention that they're an industry pro. I mean technically true but misleading title, they know they're misleading people and somehow all the comments are "wow you're so talented if this is your first model ever"
I followed this channel because you had such an incredible grasp on whatever it is you're doing in each video, and this one is no different. As someone who toyed with starting a devlog last week only to find it an anxiety-inducing slog this video was such a great breakdown on why it's a bad idea. EDIT: Also - I'd never heard of the game in the video until this video and it looks dope as hell. Even your B-roll is enough for me lol.
Everything in this video is understandable. Please go at a reasonable pace and remember that anything someone might comment is simply their way of showing gratitude, "add particles" can be someone's way of saying "it's nearly perfect!" Also most if not all of the commenters are likely very new devs or not devs at all, so they might not have a clear idea about how much time implementing something like multiplayer takes Please consider these things to limit how much they can affect your mental health, after all you're creating amazing content and we're all glad to get a look at how it's done!
This is such a good opportunity for you and I love that you've made the decision given it seems to be the best way for you. Sad to see that they are not going to be uploaded more but maybe (you don't need to) have a written log that we can look through and would also help you keep track of progress. I like doing it with my own games because it sometimes feels like I have made no progress then I look at my written log and see all of the tiny improvements I've made. Idk if that is something you want to do so don't do it if you don't want to :)
Sorry that you feel that way but I don't think quiting devlogs is the way just do what you love man I love your videos and I would be sad to see that you quit
I actually subscribed because of your retro style games, gonna miss your devlogs man BUT your video made me realize something, for so long I wanted to make video devlogs but felt uneasy about them, almost like I'm showing off or it's gonna be boring if it's not gimmicky, and after watching your video it gave me a better idea, I will just upload my video devlogs as youtube shorts, no need for high quality editing or what not and im just trying to document my "progress", I will have to study this idea some more.
So, what your saying is that dropping a decent portion of a month on an introduction video to a game dev log channel might not be the best use of my time... Fuuuuuuuuu-
thank you for giving us a small glimpse into your work for as long as you did! i was able to watch a few of your videos and extrapolate the concepts you mentioned into progress in my own work as a beginner in unreal. if you dont understand the program then a tutorial without understanding is useless. best of luck!
Thank you for all your devlogs, I hope you can leave them here on youtube as they really are an amazing source of knowledge. And I wish you all the best!
All your points are very understandable. Yet I still think that devlogs on youtube are massively popular. I have seen many indie developers, who uploaded their first video which was a devlog and it exploded over night. So I believe devlogs are massive help in terms of sales but its up to each dev to decide, if all the stress that comes with it is worth the success of the game. So even tho I am very sad that you are quitting devlogs, all your points are very valid and I respect that.
When I realized I haven't purchased any games from devlogs, and that financial success for a game is a result of professional marketing, I stopped entertaining the idea of devlogging. Sure, they're fun to watch...for other devs!
Its good to have some secrets. Don't spoil the crowd on anything besides fundamentals. Let them innovate on a new path from there like you did. The last thing we need is more copy cats. Godspeed
This is very reasonable video. It is sad since I've watched this project for a long time but it's understandable. Hopefully we see more content in the future.
My wife and I are passionate about game design and are exploring ideas for viral gameplay prototypes. We love to connect with others who share our interest in innovative game development.
If you plan on making games just to go viral, then don't bother starting. Either you already know what you're doing and wouldn't make this comment, or you will never even get close. Make games because you already have an idea or expect little to moderate success in the best case scenario.
Man this is the truth, I thought about making a devlog for the same reasons everyone does. But I was like, yea between time consumption and all the things you mentioned... I was like, maybe not..
I don't make devlogs anymore because of reasons I don't want to get into, but I do admit that I livestream my progress. I just find it easier and sometimes people join in and ask me about what I am doing so it is easier to explain to people why I am doing things and so and so.
iam on an even smaller scale developer than yourself, and i 100% agree with everything you've said, people either comment for me with generic stuff like, nice, good, bad etc and no actual feedback on what to improve !
I'm grateful for the videos and info you provided but I'd say put your own mission first. That's why over the years I really enjoyed content of small channels: they don't have that pressure (yet). For them it's more important to find like minded people and to learn, while the bigger the channel, the more they do it for attention and clicks - which doesn't have to be bad, it's just another purpose. Trust your gut
Not saying you're wrong (you can't be it's about your experience with devlogs), but I would say I think you were making devlogs for the wrong reason. Make them for you, not them. It's a log of your development, don't be like everyone else and make long-form ads for your game. Even though I don't really like video editing (and I wish I could make higher quality diagrams and explanations without the the stupid amount of time it already takes me to make a video), I actually find that the periodic boost of interest from people, vacation from the code mines, and being forced to explain the concept/systems of the game to someone who has no idea what I'm talking about actually gives me time to refresh and reflect on the tough problems I run into as well as stave off burnout. In short: good on you for not forcing yourself to do something you don't want to, but the title was definitely click bait (as all things must be on RUclips). I also have to wonder, when you eventually finish your game, are you really not going to be nostalgic for those old devlogs and how naïve past you was? I think I will be, and that's why I log my dev for me, not for them, not to advertise the game. Just to talk about and commemorate stuff I did.
dude, these are the exact reasons why the only game dev/artist videos I post are involving things I've quit on or for the Unreal Marketplace. i like making videos, but too many people ask for and say things that just are invasive and or the most asinine suggestions to my own projects. Like the support is cool, but its demotivating when you all you get are those comments. I definitely agree with the statement about hate comments
It's already insanely draining and hard to do gamedev in the free time while having a full-time job... then having to think about the devlogs, then editing later, it's so draining. I had the same problem like you of while coding stuff having to get distract to capture the screen and what I was doing in order to have content. I also release my trailer before having even a demo, and it's blown up (5k wishlists in one day), and let's say that wasn't good to my gamedev focus. So now it's been a year since I posted a video, I'm just "doing it".
If you actually are productive, devlogs are nobrainer. Ideally, a devlog would be a lightly paraphrased changelog, every game should have a changelog. Though I can't expect much from modern soydevs, they can't even write documentation, changelog is impossible difficulty.
you know, the most part of draining comments made me roll my eyes because you really shouldn't let what ppl say affect you BUT the "can you share your game files" one is legitimately something that should be addressed, especially the "you wouldn't even know what to do with them" part -- people who ask for this do not really know what they ask for. also, hard agree on devlogs, they're wonderful to see but they're just another project that developer has to dedicate their time to. They can sometimes even be more draining than stumbling upon a seemingly unsolvable issue when developing a game. I like your stuff, but as a fellow dev I can understand someone not wanting to entertain me for no expense to me, but some heavy investment on their end.
The game in the background is called Sled Storm. It's a PS1 game.
It's amazing how the PS1 aesthetic makes a type of game I wouldn't otherwise be interested in, completely fascinating. O_O
I watched the whole video thinking that was the game you were talking about.
@@Akrob55555 same haha 😆
As a game developer, I love when people suggest I start a RUclips channel to make devlogs.
Because hell yeah why only have one extremely difficult creative job when I could have two :D
it is a good way to grow a community as people who have followed a game in the making for months/years are almost guaranteed to buy your game or atleast consider it. only issue is... yeah, it takes alot of time and effort. hardest part is probably the curating of footage and script writing. i do think there are significant benefits though if you can manage to pull it off
Either make devlogs, spend 2 years making a game and sell 100 copies or don't make devlogs, spend 1 year making a game and sell 10 copies.
lmao the last part got me XD
as a devlog watcher...many devlogs dont help the game grow because there is such a thing as oversharing. a lot of devs make that mistake. they show too much of their game and they also share why they made every decision they made.
a game needs to be a mystery. its not fun if you have seen most of the location in the game, most of the enemies and stuff in a devlog because the devs are oversharing.
there is a middleground thats good but a lot of devlogs are just oversharing information. there is a reason many game studios in the past released documentations on how the game was made after the game was released and not before.
@@DanielRumbacher excatly I always wondered why no company shares all the easter eggs while releasing game and now I found out why
I totally get it, non game devs will just say something like "add multiplayer" not knowing it will take 50-100 hours to refactor stuff and tweak gameplay, renting servers, and more. I respect you very much for making this decision to end the devlogs and gl with the game!
If it takes just 50-100 hours it's a no-brainer, just do it.
It will take much longer than that for a large nearly-complete game.
@@alexvitkov Yeah, your comment is an example of someone being clueless just assuming how straight forward it'll be...
@@TheFrostedfirefly 50-100 hours is a very short work time is what he's saying.
@@alexvitkov 50-100 hours? lol someone could do work that in like 3 or 4 days TOPS if they applied themselves. why are gamedevs so lazy? thats why they take years to make one videogame
Renting servers is silly. Multiplayer with the host's PC being the server is the way to go for indie games.
But then again, I have zero serious game-making experience.
nothing but respect for this video.
your past videos have been nothing but inspiring, and i hope your game projects come to fruition and you continue to enjoy working on them :)
Thank you!
You’ve given quite a lot of information in what you’ve shared so far. Some of it is super clever and beyond what I could probably figure out, so it’s mainly just inspiring. I’d love to see but no one should feel entitled to more than you’ve shown already
Yeah, this. He has kinda unique project and talks about the unique parts. It's sad that he doesn't just ignore the "gimme" comments and lets them get into his head.
Its completely understandable. Maybe just upload what you find interesting or fun about your project or retro gamedev. It doesn't need to be the full bells and whistles, your honesty here is gold man.
best vid yet. look after yourself dude
wow my very first super thanks! Thank you very much!
@@Marcis. It's the least I could do amigo. I've long enjoyed your videos but never thought to comment or whatnot (social media does my nut in nowadays) but I wanted to show a lil' appreciation not just for your effort but for your honesty too.
Good luck with your projects - you're mad talented and I can't wait to see what you rustle up
I usually don't comment a lot. I feel like you make videos because you have to, and not because you want to. It's so easy to say "just do what you like" but I really believe "because I like it" is the best answer to critics and a good motivation. "Why there aren't any particles?" "Your video is too technical" fuck it, do what you want. Lot of guys here have never even tried to develop a game but they will compare and criticise because that's all they do. Keep up your good work, I love the systems you made, like the car damage one. Just listen to yourself and turn the comments off cause your work is relevant. Take care
The comments and critique was only a very small portion of the issue....
Critique is a good thing, as long as the person giving feedback is constructive and the person receiving it takes it well.
you're a genius. i've spent years making game dev tutorials but now it's also draining, i decided i'll just upload and make whatever as long as i'm happy.
Pretty much everything you said is correct when it comes to devlogs. For my pie chart, I think pressure to show progress would've been like 60%.
I don't think devlogs are for everyone, I'm only releasing one when I think it's time, like a big milestone or something, otherwise I feel like im milking my incomplete game for views.
The main reason I do them is because I really enjoy making them, so if someday you wanna get back into devlogs, make the videos that you wanna make, instead of feeling like you gotta stick to a certain format, and make them when you feel inspired to make one. I think you can really start enjoying them when you don't look at devlogs as a chore or just a nessecity, more like a celebration of your progress
I'm in the same boat. Spending a week adding content to my game pays off more than spending that same time on a devlog.
I'm sure lots of devs have created successful careers using devlogs as promotion, but it looks like that success is rare. Even Dani, who is arguably the biggest devlog content creator on RUclips, stopped making devlogs to focus on finishing his game.
So I totally support you on this venture and I'm excited to see what you come up with, whenever it's ready! :)
I actually considered using Dani as an example.
Thanks for the support!
whatever you need to do that is best for you is what you should do honestly, im excited to see your creations in the future wherever they may be!
personally ive resolved to making an occasional blog post on my site if i have something interesting about a current project that i want to talk about, rather than "consistent" updates.
So, I was curious about the statement regarding how many gamedevs vs gamers watch devlogs.
In this video comments I identified around 100 different individuals commenting.
48% had youyube videos in their channels with trailers or videos of games/mods or game middleware they made (vlogs, trailers, develops, jams, tutorials…).
28% stated something that heavily implied they were aspiring game developers or game developers (like asking for a gamedev tutorial, asking to contribute to the game you're making, self-declared (aspiring or not) gamedevs in bio or comment or had really long playlists of gamedev tutorials).
24% not sure since the message or the bio didn't have any specific information, might be actual gamers.
Since people leaving comments are a fraction of viewers (3%) it's hard to say something decisive, but the general vibe is definitely 75%+ of people watching this are gamedevs.
Non-devs might not have something to say perhaps but uhm you got me 🥸
I conducted a poll some time ago and these were the results
Gamer 17%
Developer 56%
Artist 17%
RUclipsr (content creator) 2%
Other 8%
398 votes
@@Marcis. Damn, it's scary how much it overlaps. That makes my hope of self-selection bias even less likely.
A couple of friends that run small studios also pointed out that most of their following on twitter/linkedin are mostly gamedevs.
I wonder if Dani's devlogs that were more "haha funny boom" demographic breached more into gamer territory.
@@Marcis. Sadly that poll didn't count me as I never saw it. I'd say most non-devs wouldn't see a poll or respond to it.
It sounds unplausable that there are 8000 game devs watching this video :) 200 sounds more plausable.
I do think you underestimate the number of wishlists you'll receive from devlogs, I just released my first devlog and got more than 400 wishlists from it (in 4 days). From a marketing perspective, they are very valuable. But I agree with your other points - there's definitely a tradeoff.
Except the they are almost all "fake" wishlishts. Devs know how important wishlists are, so some will wishlist everything they see, but in reality have 0 intention of ever buying/playing the game cause they're busy working on their own game
@@DragonplayerDev Simply having more wishlists might boost chances to be blessed by the Steam algorithm, so it's not nothing, but yeah. There's probably a lot of more efficient ways to generate wishlists from more receptive audiences.
I won't argue that they're fake or not. I don't know, but I'll just tell you a cautionary tale: I've noticed plenty of developers with channels where their tutorials have a lot more views than the videos about their games; forum posts with lots of likes and replies, contrasted with released games with very little engagement; personal discord servers where everyone's asking gamedev questions rather than talking about their WIPs. I've seen this plenty of times.
I think depending on how you showcase your work, you may attract a lot of developers looking for inspiration, ideas and knowledge, instead of actual potential players who are actually interested in your game. There could be some overlap, but those are not the same group of people.
So, I won't argue against the numbers. I'll just tell you to be cautious of that trap.
Wishlist numbers don’t boost algorithm, as stated by Valve themselves, if you have wishlists that are ‘worthwhile’, they’ll result in more sales- and sales are everything to be graced by the algo.
@@skaruts exactly, people seem to forget its developers actually who watch devlogs not actual buyers/ gamers
Asking you to send your project files is so disrespectful. They would just try to make a clone of your game and release that before your game, so when you release your game, nobody wants it anymore because they either like the other game or they think yours will be equally bad as the rip off.
slippery slope fallacy
have you never heard of open source
This is the first video of yours i have seen, and mad respect for it. I have recently been starting my beginning game dev journey and i thought it might be fun or good to do a video series of like "can a noob who doesnt know how to code make a game?" And document my journey that way but a lot of my hesitation comes from reasons that you have explained in this video. Who knows I still might try but it was great to see your insight.
If you want to try it then why not. I dont regret starting a devlog series. I only regret not stopping sooner.
Understandable decision. I learned some good things from your videos. The best of luck to you, Marcis.
As much as I'll miss your devlogs (I absolutely love watching them, just seeing how people go about designing and implementing cool features to a project they're absolutely passionate about), I completely understand why you're choosing to quit making them. You're unbelievably creative and from what we've seen so far, your game does look like it'll shape into something great once it's finished and released. Nothing but respect for you, man. Good luck!
Hey man, just wanna say as a small-time creator I love your devlogs and even joined ur discord because I too wanna make a PS-style game someday. The reason I watch your content: it motivates me. When I see the instructional content I think "damn, I need to work on my game." It's inspiring to see you work so much on this, and it reminds me I could be making things like you someday. I hope you continue to share your progress and knowledge with us, but only in ways you are comfortable. Take your time between any potential future devlogs, and don't feel burdened to share often. Share what you wish and nothing else, but I do hope to see you continue.
I needed this video, thank you Marcis, you hit close to home. I've been struggling between keeping myself balanced with what I want from myself vs what people want to see from me, and the time spent on developing, let alone documenting in a devlog is taxing and often goes unrewarded. I don't find you arrogant, Unwanted comments(positive, or negative) can be draining and strangers begging for you to release your own personal work for them to have is something I've had happen to me many times, it's extremely disheartening. It seems even with devlogs no one understand the time, effort and passion that goes into creation like this unless they learned themselves. I wish the best for you and your game :)
You should make a video showing how to make this video!
You haven't made that many devlops, but all of them were incredibly helpful and fun to watch! You're frankly way more talented than the average youtuber gamedev. Can't wait to see your finished product.
I have massive respect for developers who make devlogs, because I find it fascinating to look behind the scenes and witness the game making process (which I _wish_ I had the concentration to do myself), but I also completely understand and respect when someone does not want to do them. Hope your productivity and enjoyment will improve soon!
Best of luck bro 💟
Focus on your game ⚡
It's honestly a good call, to put your focus where it's really needed. It's fun for us to see how you figure stuff out and how it all looks behind the scenes but if it's not helping the process itself than what's the point.
Hoping you good luck and all the best man.
And of course I'm staying subscribed. I wanna be here whenever and whatever you'll feel like sharing with us.
Wish you all the success in the world. I come from 35 years of programming experience and love watching just to see what people are working on. I'm currently creating a simi casual builder with dungeon crawling mechanics. I don't create videos for these reasons.
I feel you man the project should always come first, keep pushing through best regards.
A lot of the points made here really hit home. Because of this, I pretty much put no effort at all into my game updates, but I still like to have them to look back onto.
As starting indie dev ive found these videos helpfull. Its definetly out of pocket for peopl to aks anything in comments and as a fellow conent creator I know how it can be and yea not every one is cut out for it. Just know your videos have helped alot especialy in the direction for my game and no one Is entitled to take your time away from your project. we should be gratefull you took the time out to show us anything.
Ngl it sucks that your stopping because i love your videos. But i also fully understand why your stopping and wish you the best king!
Thanks! I will still be making videos just not related to my game.
Those reasons seem very valid to me. I'm just happy that you will continue to upload videos!
This is completely reasonable and I look forward to more of your videos on just neat retro game things you enjoy. Good luck with the dev and I hope you enjoy the freedom not having to log everything provides! 💕
Thanks for sharing your experience, wish you all the best for your project.
I'm super happy for you having such a well self-reflected and strong opinion about your goals. You do what you do best and what get's you the most joy 😉
Goodbye for now and much fun on your game dev journey ❤😀
Damn I thought I was the only one who felt that way about those comments 😅
I get this. I've decided to avoid making devlogs if I can, though if nothing else it's because my game won't be that long and I don't see any point spoiling it's contents more than I ought to
this was insightful, thank you, and i understand not wanting to do devlogs, for me learning about the features how they work how you got to them and the completed project is something i always enjoy because i get to see the process others take and how they handle things, pick their brain so to say, so when the game is done going through development and ideas could be fun and less stressful with less expectation, either way im exited to see more retro game stuff and the finished game.
Sorry you had to deal with all that. I really appreciate your devlogs for what they are, I know they're not tutorials or will teach me much, but they inspire me to learn and study, grind to achieve my own goals in game development, and I love experimenting with Unreal Engine. Thank you for inspiring me so far! Try not to let people's comments get to you. I have absolute faith that you can create and finish your dream game eventually, I believe in you. I also know it'll be a long and arduous journey, but I want to see you succeed, and accomplish your own goals, for you. Not for anyone else.
you inspired me and so many to begin their gamedev journey as well. u deserve a break to focus on ur projects and other important things. getting burnt out is never fun especially when its about something u truly passionate about. you're the definition of a one man army. salute 🫡
the part about skewed priorities is so true and this is probably why devloggers get meme'd as "more of a youtuber than a game dev". i personally think as long as you limit the time spent on making devlogs and just show whatever u want to show instead that itll still be worth it tho
Real and straight to the point. Most watch Devlog to cope. They think they're learning gamedev.
In fact, 1st month of gamedev gives me way more than watching any amount of devlog could.
Man I just want to say to me you are a Genius. You are very creative and your videos helped me a lot!
Love your videos man, hope your game development goes smoothly and it turns out exactly how you want it.
I don't blame you at all.
I've spent over 4 years working on my game project with many sleepless nights and pulling out my hair to figure things out when it comes to things like planetary physics.
Despite all of the hard work from time to time I get people that want my project files, or "sample files", for completely free.
One person did offer to pay-- once I handed them the files and they went through them and decided whether or not they should pay for them. Of course, I declined.
Devlogs really do give a sense of accomplishment and they are time consuming. Instead of giving up on devlogs, I've decided to post them only once in a blue moon.
don't give yourself unneeded stress, keep workin on the stuff that makes you happy. cant wait to see the final product.
I felt everything you said. Everything. Keep on grinding.
I've experienced all these myself, although with a smaller audience. In particular I think it's hard to make devlogs when you see other successful devlogs that focus on just the video and not the game. This must have been a tough decision but I hope it goes well and I wish you luck with the game.
Your sincerity in all this matters is really welcome. I enjoy your devlogs, but if it affects the main thing you love doing, than it's really better to stop. I wish you the best of luck going forward, am I will be here for the trailers as wel!!
Solo dev is a titanic task, even receiving friends & family's comments is usually tough. They want to help you, but their comments about polishing the main menu buttons don't help when trying to improve the game loop. In each video you have uploaded you can see a better game and a better developer. As another solo dev, you are killing it and good luck!
The game looks really good and you have allot of talent, hope to see more of it in the future ! :)
I'm so damn glad somebody spoke out about this!
It's crazy how much I relate to this video
Thank you for the advice concerning tutorials, it gets easy to get stuck in tutorial hell. If I want to implement something, I need to figure it out myself.
Brother… you explained things very well and fair and honest with your reasoning. Much respect.
I look forward to what you have planned. Thanks for all the insight you've given so far.
glad ur still making videos even tho the dev vlog thing didnt work out. Im just excited to see any new content, u do u.
Very well-worded, great reasons to expend effort places other than devlogs. I’ve definitely experienced a lot of the stuff you mentioned here - particularly with the comments section. I think there are ways to strike a healthy balance with devlogs, but they’re certainly not the only way to market a game.
Best of luck man!
For me the biggest thing is I don't want to be thinking about making a devlog in the back of my mind. When I'm working on some terribly frustrating bug, I don't want to worry about recording footage of it before I squash it, I just want to be done with the damned thing lol.
I much prefer making pseudo-intellectual (lol) video essays instead as they are a lot more fun to make, and serve as a break rather than a continuation of the core gamedev process.
Good luck!
I really hope your driving game makes it to steam!!!! Please keep adding environmental details and refining it! Your doing an fantastic job dude, don't give up.
It blew me away how well you explained it, but yeah, dev logs seem to be most useful for people whose main focus is doing stuff for youtube rather than your focus on the game itself. There's a big difference between "making dev video so I have something for my channel" and "posting an update to my channel so the public knows what I'm working on". Really well put.
my philosophy is that I want to build a cool playlist of videos people could binge, but i'll only upload a devlog like twice per year. all other energy goes into my game.
Sorry to hear you aren't going to be posting more devlogs, but I completely get it. Just wanted to let you know that your videos helped me a lot on my game dev journey and I am appreciative to your hard work.
you are an awesome human being making absolutely incredible projects!
You do not come off as an arrogant person. I am a gamedev too, my experience has been identical to yours. Same types of comments, and a lots of people in the gamedev community over-estimating their skills (example: ugh, Unreal Engine sucks, I will do my own engine. I have only an art degree and don't know how to code. Do you think I can do my RPG game in 6 months?).
It's interesting you find helping people draining.
When I feel burned out on a project, helping people restarts my brain... I guess because I'm solving new problems.
When I clicked on this video, I had no idea it was going to be this relatable. I really wish you the best of luck working on your game (and i love your retro graphics!).
Honestly, as a big devlog enjoyer and about to record my own, I don't fault you. It takes a very specific kind of personality, work ethic and approach to development to make good devlogs for RUclips, and a willingness to play the RUclips game.
I'm not even going to pretend for a second that I have it nailed down, I am absolutely just getting started and still very much tinkering with my own initial approach, really just taking my first few steps in the space (starting with modding). However, as someone who watches game dev RUclips quite a bit and who has in fact made some (bad) videos, I can absolutely see the ludicrous amount of work it takes to make those devlogs. It's a full time job on top of a full time job, at the very least.
If you want to make games, make games, don't make RUclips videos. If you want to do RUclips, do RUclips, don't make games on top of it. The best game development channels are only very loosely about developing a game; it's about sharing the journey, not reaching a specific destination. Even if you have help with editing, recording, scripting and so on, you will invariably take much longer to develop a game if you're trying to make the process of developing it look interesting.
Plus, as you've identified, just thinking about recording the process completely changes your what your priorities are and how the game turns out.
At the same time, I do think there's a space where broadly entertaining game dev and long-term more serious games can meet. Unfortunately I don't think I can point to any example right now, but I am convinced that it would be possible to have a channel getting 100k+ views per devlog while following the development of a long-term game, the same way Wintergatan managed to hold a massive audience for years while working on the Marble Machine. All it would take is a constant stream exceptionally well produced RUclips videos and an interesting game. Oh, and a great personality behind the camera. Easy, right?
Time may tell if I am right, but I think that some game developers who start making RUclips videos to grow their wishlist may be partially misguided on where the value of doing RUclips lies. Truth is, RUclips is a full time job, and it can also pay like a full time job, if you are willing to meet it at its level. Having a captive audience following a long-term project is something which history has shown can be fairly trivial to monetize with relatively little effort. Getting the audience is where the challenge lies on that end of things.
I think the real holy grail of RUclips devlogs is something with broad enough appeal that it doesn't only attract other game developers, consistent enough that it becomes something people look forward to in their week/month, technical enough that it doesn't send you spiraling into an "all flash, no substance" spiral where nothing truly important gets done and fundamentally interesting enough / good enough of a game idea that it will draw people in and keep them in for as long as substantial progress is made.
I'll even go one step farther and speculate that this is something that would probably be best paired with some truly early access, showing the game even in its very early development stages, access to which can then be further monetized to different extents, maybe as the audience grows.
And at the end of the day, developing such a game would ideally make more money than selling it, from the various revenue streams you'd develop from having an audience. Selling your game at the end would be the cherry on the top. Developing the game would be a financial success months or years before the game comes out.
Now, is this feasible? I think it is at the edge of possible, attainable for the .001% of people whose skillset and personality hits all the right spots.
Is this desirable? Absolutely not to 99.99% of people. Forget 60 hour work weeks, unless you have a large, specialized team behind you you might be looking at back to back 100h work weeks for as long as you do this. I'm putting in >110h a week just in preparation for this. It is, genuinely, the only thing I do other than eat, sleep and go to the gym. And you know what? It might be (and probably is! statistically, at least) for no gain. No one can tell me it's going to work out, I can only trust my skills and research and hope I can grind it out.
Sorry that I ended up rambling, I've just been cooking on this for so long that I felt like I wanted to put this out there somewhere. Feel free to tell me I'm right, or full of copium, or make fun of my Minecraft mod devlogs. Especially that last one, I'm experimenting with it and I feel like I'm starting to see what the formula should look like (it definitely isn't going to be like the ones I published thus far, those were more for my already active followers) and I'd love harsh criticisms.
I think a big problem with devlogs and tutorials is that it attracts other developers who are trying to do something similar or looking for inspiration and ideas, rather than people who are actually interested in playing your finished product.
It may depend on how it's showcased, but I've seen plenty of developers falling in this trap. I've seen channels where their tutorials have a lot more views than the videos about their games. Forum posts with lots of likes and replies, contrasted with a released game with very little engagement. Personal discord servers where everyone's asking gamedev questions rather than talking about their WIPs. Etc, etc. Seen this plenty of times.
Perhaps what makes the difference is the focus of the updates. I've definitely seen quite a few videos of upcoming games that seemed to only be attracting players (judging by the comments). I think that if one focuses on the underlying technicalities, it attracts developers. If one focuses on just showcasing gameplay, it attracts players. Something like that.
Dude I just got to know about your channel and I absulutely love your game. You already achieved much more than 90% of people in the comments would ever do, you can stop making devlogs (which I absolutely would love to watch), but continue making the game. I will buy it easy
subscribed by the way
I completely get where you're coming from. I just seeing what you're working on and look forward to the next video, whatever it may be.
this is straight up why i stopped lol progress moves a tonne faster when you dont look back
Never have I ever seen someone so honest, all the respect to you
Ah people who claim they made GTA 6 or Cyberpunk 2077 in 24 hours or a week drive me absolutely crazy
they used like a chunk of premade assets and made basic stuff and shooting.... thats nothing what triggers me is the fake... "Making a game as complete beginner (no experience)"
@madduckling4436 oh man talk about demoralising content. "Using blender for the first time in my life" creates a masterpiece and fails to mention that they're an industry pro.
I mean technically true but misleading title, they know they're misleading people and somehow all the comments are "wow you're so talented if this is your first model ever"
I followed this channel because you had such an incredible grasp on whatever it is you're doing in each video, and this one is no different. As someone who toyed with starting a devlog last week only to find it an anxiety-inducing slog this video was such a great breakdown on why it's a bad idea.
EDIT: Also - I'd never heard of the game in the video until this video and it looks dope as hell. Even your B-roll is enough for me lol.
Everything in this video is understandable.
Please go at a reasonable pace and remember that anything someone might comment is simply their way of showing gratitude, "add particles" can be someone's way of saying "it's nearly perfect!"
Also most if not all of the commenters are likely very new devs or not devs at all, so they might not have a clear idea about how much time implementing something like multiplayer takes
Please consider these things to limit how much they can affect your mental health, after all you're creating amazing content and we're all glad to get a look at how it's done!
This is such a good opportunity for you and I love that you've made the decision given it seems to be the best way for you. Sad to see that they are not going to be uploaded more but maybe (you don't need to) have a written log that we can look through and would also help you keep track of progress. I like doing it with my own games because it sometimes feels like I have made no progress then I look at my written log and see all of the tiny improvements I've made. Idk if that is something you want to do so don't do it if you don't want to :)
Sorry that you feel that way but I don't think quiting devlogs is the way just do what you love man I love your videos and I would be sad to see that you quit
I actually subscribed because of your retro style games, gonna miss your devlogs man BUT your video made me realize something, for so long I wanted to make video devlogs but felt uneasy about them, almost like I'm showing off or it's gonna be boring if it's not gimmicky, and after watching your video it gave me a better idea, I will just upload my video devlogs as youtube shorts, no need for high quality editing or what not and im just trying to document my "progress", I will have to study this idea some more.
So, what your saying is that dropping a decent portion of a month on an introduction video to a game dev log channel might not be the best use of my time... Fuuuuuuuuu-
thank you for giving us a small glimpse into your work for as long as you did! i was able to watch a few of your videos and extrapolate the concepts you mentioned into progress in my own work as a beginner in unreal. if you dont understand the program then a tutorial without understanding is useless. best of luck!
Thank you for all your devlogs, I hope you can leave them here on youtube as they really are an amazing source of knowledge. And I wish you all the best!
All your points are very understandable. Yet I still think that devlogs on youtube are massively popular. I have seen many indie developers, who uploaded their first video which was a devlog and it exploded over night. So I believe devlogs are massive help in terms of sales but its up to each dev to decide, if all the stress that comes with it is worth the success of the game. So even tho I am very sad that you are quitting devlogs, all your points are very valid and I respect that.
When I realized I haven't purchased any games from devlogs, and that financial success for a game is a result of professional marketing, I stopped entertaining the idea of devlogging. Sure, they're fun to watch...for other devs!
you do whatever you want to do dude :) its your channel so what you decide to post i will watch
Enough said! We’ll put sir! Still a major disconnect between devs and gamers it feels like sometimes
Its good to have some secrets. Don't spoil the crowd on anything besides fundamentals. Let them innovate on a new path from there like you did. The last thing we need is more copy cats. Godspeed
This is very reasonable video. It is sad since I've watched this project for a long time but it's understandable. Hopefully we see more content in the future.
I'm discovering your channel just now (yeah on the last devlog ^^'), but your game looks cool ! Keep it up !
My wife and I are passionate about game design and are exploring ideas for viral gameplay prototypes. We love to connect with others who share our interest in innovative game development.
If you plan on making games just to go viral, then don't bother starting. Either you already know what you're doing and wouldn't make this comment, or you will never even get close.
Make games because you already have an idea or expect little to moderate success in the best case scenario.
so this is why dani quit.
path of least resistance mate, do what you like and excel at it.
I watch your vids for retro game nostalgia & that chill voice
Man this is the truth, I thought about making a devlog for the same reasons everyone does. But I was like, yea between time consumption and all the things you mentioned... I was like, maybe not..
I don't make devlogs anymore because of reasons I don't want to get into, but I do admit that I livestream my progress. I just find it easier and sometimes people join in and ask me about what I am doing so it is easier to explain to people why I am doing things and so and so.
I am glad your talking about this cause I also have been thinking about this and I get the same issues.
iam on an even smaller scale developer than yourself, and i 100% agree with everything you've said, people either comment for me with generic stuff like, nice, good, bad etc and no actual feedback on what to improve !
I'm grateful for the videos and info you provided but I'd say put your own mission first.
That's why over the years I really enjoyed content of small channels: they don't have that pressure (yet).
For them it's more important to find like minded people and to learn, while the bigger the channel, the more they do it for attention and clicks - which doesn't have to be bad, it's just another purpose.
Trust your gut
Not saying you're wrong (you can't be it's about your experience with devlogs), but I would say I think you were making devlogs for the wrong reason.
Make them for you, not them. It's a log of your development, don't be like everyone else and make long-form ads for your game.
Even though I don't really like video editing (and I wish I could make higher quality diagrams and explanations without the the stupid amount of time it already takes me to make a video), I actually find that the periodic boost of interest from people, vacation from the code mines, and being forced to explain the concept/systems of the game to someone who has no idea what I'm talking about actually gives me time to refresh and reflect on the tough problems I run into as well as stave off burnout.
In short: good on you for not forcing yourself to do something you don't want to, but the title was definitely click bait (as all things must be on RUclips).
I also have to wonder, when you eventually finish your game, are you really not going to be nostalgic for those old devlogs and how naïve past you was?
I think I will be, and that's why I log my dev for me, not for them, not to advertise the game. Just to talk about and commemorate stuff I did.
dude, these are the exact reasons why the only game dev/artist videos I post are involving things I've quit on or for the Unreal Marketplace.
i like making videos, but too many people ask for and say things that just are invasive and or the most asinine suggestions to my own projects.
Like the support is cool, but its demotivating when you all you get are those comments.
I definitely agree with the statement about hate comments
It's already insanely draining and hard to do gamedev in the free time while having a full-time job... then having to think about the devlogs, then editing later, it's so draining. I had the same problem like you of while coding stuff having to get distract to capture the screen and what I was doing in order to have content. I also release my trailer before having even a demo, and it's blown up (5k wishlists in one day), and let's say that wasn't good to my gamedev focus. So now it's been a year since I posted a video, I'm just "doing it".
If you actually are productive, devlogs are nobrainer. Ideally, a devlog would be a lightly paraphrased changelog, every game should have a changelog. Though I can't expect much from modern soydevs, they can't even write documentation, changelog is impossible difficulty.
you know, the most part of draining comments made me roll my eyes because you really shouldn't let what ppl say affect you
BUT the "can you share your game files" one is legitimately something that should be addressed, especially the "you wouldn't even know what to do with them" part -- people who ask for this do not really know what they ask for.
also, hard agree on devlogs, they're wonderful to see but they're just another project that developer has to dedicate their time to. They can sometimes even be more draining than stumbling upon a seemingly unsolvable issue when developing a game. I like your stuff, but as a fellow dev I can understand someone not wanting to entertain me for no expense to me, but some heavy investment on their end.