You are making a game in order to make money.

One final main difference between non-professional games and professional games is the core purpose. Ask yourself, what is the purpose of making a video game? If you are working on a project with friends or by yourself, then chances are that your motivation is:

• To make a cool game idea that you think would be fun
• To learn about game development for career growth

There's nothing wrong with this, in fact these two reasons are great motivators to give you the skills you need to get into a professional gaming gig one day. However, when you are doing professional development, then your motivation is:

• Make a game that will sell and make the company money

This is the purpose, and it is the only purpose. If you make a 96 Metacritic game that wins all the Game of the Year Awards, yet it only sells 200,000 copies when the forecast was for five million, then you have failed. No ifs, ands, or buts. The game was a failure. An inspiring work of art? Sure. But for the purpose it was created? A failure. Your team, your department, maybe your entire company, is now in jeopardy. You may go out of business, and all of that talk about game mechanics and aesthetics goes right down the drain along with your paycheck. Go check the job listings and tell your family no more dining out for a while.

This change in purpose will influence decisions made during development that few indie developers are familiar with. Let's say that one particular feature of the game, such as the platforming action, doesn't really feel right. If your motivation is to make a cool game, then you might sink a couple more weeks into making it work. If your motivation is to make money for your company, then you might cut the feature, realizing that players will still love (and purchase) the game even without it. Of course different companies have different strategies to approach this, but even the Valves and Blizzards and Nintendos of the world need to keep the sales coming. That is priority number one. Critical acclaim is a distant second.

Let me make a statement to the indie cynics out there: the purpose of making a game in order to make money doesn't mean that you have sold your soul. There is still plenty of room to create games that inspire, games that push the envelope, and games that innovate. Legendary game developers and studios are those who can create something beautiful while still being financially successful. Just realize that if you want to make a business, not an art project, not a hobby, but a successful business, then your game has to make money; there is just no way around it.

Learning to adjust

Getting used to the professional video game environment takes time. Be prepared for confusion at your team's decisions and a bit of bewilderment at processes as you learn the ropes. Be prepared to work hard and change your priorities as you begin to see the larger picture. And most of all, be prepared for the ride of your life, because there is nothing better than living the dream with those who have done it for years.

Brice Morrison is a game designer and founder of TheGameProdigy.com. Be sure to visit his site to join the countless others who have already found their way into the games industry.

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Photos by David Goehring, Andrew Magill and magdalena, used under Creative Commons license.