35 minutes ago, merlin77uk said:
Hello Friends,
i am trying to create a Game developing company, with absolutely zero experience in that. I know it sounds silly, I have experience in running a small business as i have one, but games are something i always wanted to be involved with. So i have an idea of what game i want to create but i have no knowledge in programming, art, music etc. what needs for a game. I will assume the role of the producer and i just want to create some prototype which i will go around with after and try to find investors/publishers. So my question is where i can find, how much and how do people charge for art,3d modelling, is it per 1 character, per hour, what if i want whole race with cities, weapons etc., what about story writers - how much they charge and how? How much charge people who can use Unreal Engine (as i want to use that for my game - FPS) and so on. Meanwhile i am educating myself with game developing and the legal part (contractor agreements,non disclosure etc.) I will be grateful for any info you can give me.
The answer to your question various on several factors. Where are you located? What is the current average for local talent? Are you looking at outsourcing? Do you want the cream of the crop, or a mixture of entry level to advanced team members? What kind of games are you trying to make? What tools do you need to cover licensing costs for things like Maya, 3DS Max, Unreal, Audio Software, ect...
Before I get into anything else, I cannot stress this enough with any business (I run a few as well). You don't have to be an "expert" in everything, but you really need to know the field you're in and have a general idea of everything. How can your team look up to you as a 'Producer - Project Manager' if you've never worked on a single title yet? Put yourself on the other end, you're an advanced game programmer, how would you feel working for someone that had no idea what you needed to accomplish your goals, and were unable to provide direction? In this case, you simply hire someone to oversee everything that has experience as a project manager (also known as a producer), and you're just backing the company financially, but not 100% involved at floor level. Your management and business experience is fine, but you also need to have experience during a full life-cycle of game development. There are so many positions involved in Game Development, that going in blind is a disaster waiting to happen and waste of time and money.
You will also find it very hard to find an investor unless you have a decent track record, and you have some way to show ability to generate a return on their investment within your business. I personally would only invest in a company if you can clearly see talent and ability to preform, but money is the only lacking problem.
The first step is to look at any stats that show ranges for pay in those fields if you're looking to hire locally, otherwise you need to figure out where you want to outsource from and see what people charge. It's pretty easy to go online and find many different people looking for work.
The second step is find out what you require, and if you really need to hire the top person for the job, or if the game doesn't require the best of the best.
The third step is to know what kind of games you're going to be making, this will dictate if you need a 2D artist only, or if you require a 3D artist. This will also tell you what kind of writer you need, and composer for music, game designer, tool editor, network programmer, engine programmer, game programmer, ect... Then you need to consider marketing, PR, and more!
The fourth step is to take all the above and find what tools you'll need, and price out licensing fees, and program costs, new computers, and whatever else is needed. You also need to keep in mind how you're going to fund exposure for your new title.
When it comes to pricing in the way you've listed, I will assume you're hiring on contract basis? Usually in house means salaried or hourly employees. I know a lot of designers I've worked with will charge based on the scope of the project itself, and set mile stones to receive payment as the project progresses. When my company is hired to program applications, and so forth, I do not charge by the hour directly, I scope out the entire project based on several variables and quote a final amount while setting milestones if it will be a long project.
The major issue you're going to have is that you have zero experience in game development, you wont be able to accurately assess deadlines, time required, and asset lists which will make it extremely hard to dictate any budget for a given game.
I would personally suggest you either hire a project manager while learning the industry and what is generally required in all roles, then branch out as a project manager. Game Studios can spend various amounts to make any given title, you might see numbers like $500k - $250mil + USD, ect... even having a small team can cost you hundreds of thousands per year in wages. Nobody can give you a direct answer because different games cost different amounts, and you have to factor in many variables.
