GameDEV Journey

As a solo game developer I know that making time to code is one of the most difficult parts of the process. Personally I juggle a day job, family obligations, a 15-month old toddler, and a number of other things (we'll call these other things distractions). Making time starts with defining what the tasks are you wish to accomplish. What - exactly - are you trying to do? Why - exactly - is this task important to you? What - value - do you get out of completing this task? As a solo game developer I can say that my goal was to create and publish a game on the iOS AppStore.This task was important to me because it was something I've wanted to do for myself for years, not to make money, but simply to complete it as a challenge. Not only did I learn and develop an appreciation for the Swift coding language, but I also learned that I can complete a hard challenge. This whole process gave me confidence to continue along my journey as a solo game developer. Not only that - but it's encouraged me to share my story here on YouTube with all of you. #SoloDEV #GameDEV #iOSGameDEV /// Want to help this channel? ** SUBSCRIBE ** LIKE ** COMMENT ** /// Want support my soloDev Journey? Download and Rate/Review ZER0ED on the iOS AppStore: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zer0ed/id1526004843 /// Check out my blog and merch store! Merch and More: https://www.johndav.com /// Find me on Social Media Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnDavTweetsFollow PigBot's Antics - https://www.instagram.com/pigbotcomic/

Being a solo game developer can be daunting at the best of times and it is definitely difficult sometimes to find ways of understanding what it means to be successful. I like to think of success as a metric that only you can judge and only you can define, but defining success can be difficult. When you set out to define your success criteria you have to consider things like your current goals, immediate needs, long term goals, and of course base everything you do in reality. It's not fair to yourself to set up goals that are out of your current skillset and more over it's just as bad to define success in ways that don't push you to move further towards your ultimate goals. In this video I take some time to try and give you a picture of how you might look at breaking down your criteria for success into smaller bite size pieces. Keep your goals small, but move them forward each time you complete a task. This is a journey made up of lots of different sprints. Pace yourself, but push yourself and you'll eventually do big things! #gamedev #inspirational #success Get ZER0ED on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zer0ed/id1526004843| Merch and More: https://www.johndav.com Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnDavTweets Follow PigBot's Antics - https://www.instagram.com/pigbotcomic/ If you enjoy these videos, please subscribe, like and share!

This week on GameDEV Journey I explore the idea of being a solo game developer in 2021. What are some of the biggest hurdles? What can you do to conquer them? And where do I want to go with my own solo dev journey?

This week we're stepping away from game dev to talk about another project of mine - an Instagram comic strip called PigBot. This comic strip features a robotic pig (PigBot) and his old wizard friend (Wise One). They have random conversations Monday through Friday ('ish). They cover topics from mental health, space exploration, AI, and more. Follow them on Instagram @pigbotcomic.

Six months ago I launched my first game on the iOS App Store (ZER0ED) and it was met with huge success and tons of downloads (from my immediate friends and family). Since launch I've pushed three bug fixes and one feature release to the game. Even thought this game launch was not necessarily successful in terms of going viral, making money, or gaining a following it was successful in the simple fact that I completed the project. I released my first game on the iOS App Store and that is actually something to be proud of. In this episode of GameDEV Journey I take a step back to reflect on the last several months. I talk about my experience with the game launch and what I might have done differently if I had the opportunity. I also tease a bit of what I would like to see in the next version of ZER0ED if I'm able to learn the skill set needed to release this massive and ambitious update to the game. Get ZER0ED on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zer0ed/id1526004843 Get Merch and find out more about me on my website: www.johndav.com Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnDavTweets If you enjoy these videos, please subscribe, like and share!

It's been far too long! In this latest video I'm talking all about my recent decision to rebrand my various projects under one roof - http://www.johndav.com - Yep that's right I am branding myself this time around. Let's see what happens!  Watch this podcast and see my beautiful face on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/johndavenport/ Get ZER0ED on the App Store:  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zer0ed/id1526004843   And browse the fantastic PigBot comics on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pigbotcomic/  

Links Download ZER0ED On the App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zer0ed/id1526004843 Unity https://developer.apple.com/swift/ Follow of Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnDavTweets Fear of rejection or fear of failure are powerful hinderances to completing projects. This week's show I talk about some of the strategies I've used to successfully ignore these fears and put myself out there.

Links Download ZER0ED On the App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zer0ed/id1526004843 Unity https://developer.apple.com/swift/ Follow of Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnDavTweets Inspiration to keep things fresh and motivation to keep things moving are two very important parts of successfully completing your goals. With game development you can find inspiration everywhere, in books, tv, other games, even in life itself. The problem is often finding ways to organize your ideas and thoughts into a coherent system. I use an app called Bear to do this, but there are many other ways you can accomplish the same task. Motivation is another story. Finding the push to keep going, even with things get tough, can be difficult. I try to focus on success, pushing forward, and making the goals as achievable as possible.

Thanks for listening this week. If you're enjoying GameDEV Journey please consider rating the show where ever you get your podcasts. Also consider sharing the show with your family and friends (especially if anyone's interested in developing mobile games on iOS). LINKS Download ZER0ED on the iOS AppStore View the show notes on DidLoadGames.com You can follow me on Twitter

Links Download ZER0ED On the App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zer0ed/id1526004843 Unity https://developer.apple.com/swift/ Follow of Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnDavTweets Game development, much like everything, is not a straight line. There are may twists and turns that lead you to the final destination. Here's my story of how I ended up taking a detour into Unity and C#.

Links Download ZER0ED On the App Store Xcode Swift Apple Developer Program Transcript