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The article narrates Thor’s experience in the gaming industry from his early days at Blizzard Entertainment to his tenure at Amazon Game Studio and eventually establishing his indie studio, Pirate Software. He emphasizes the vital role Twitch has played in his game development career, breaking down barriers for aspiring game developers by arguing that one does not need to possess extensive programming or artistic skills to make a game. Moreover, Thor provides insights on building a community, engaging with feedback, and diversifying income sources for indie game developers.
Main Points
Thor's career and Pirate Software foundation.
Thor’s journey from Blizzard Entertainment to indie game development and founding Pirate Software.
Twitch's importance to Pirate Software.
The significance of Twitch in the success and sustainability of Pirate Software.
Minimal skills needed for game development.
The minimalistic skills required to start game development, illustrated by game examples.
Community building and the value of feedback.
Building community through social media and Twitch and the impact of receiving and implementing feedback.
Monetizing game development.
A guide on monetizing game development through various revenue streams including Twitch, merchandise, and crowdfunding.
Insights
The importance of Twitch for game development
Thor highlighted Twitch’s significant role in his game development career, acknowledging that without Twitch, their studio, Pirate Software, wouldn’t exist.
Breaking down barriers to game development
Thor emphasizes that one doesn’t need advanced skills in programming, art, or music to start developing a game. He uses examples like ‘Thomas Was Alone’ and ‘Undertale’ to show how minimalistic art and simple programming can still lead to successful games.
The role of community and feedback in game development
Thor underscores the importance of community building on platforms like Twitch and social media, and how engaging with the community and accepting feedback is crucial for growth as a developer.
Diversifying income sources for indie game developers
Thor discusses various methods for indie developers to generate income, including Twitch, merchandise, Kickstarter, and keeping a day job.
Links
URL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMc-GKv5olA