How big is an indie game studio?

Typically, indie studios are made up of just a few people. Most often, their number does not exceed 10 experts. There are also indie developers who make games alone.

How big is the average indie game studio?

In the indie game industry, studios are often made up of less than ten people (sometimes even one person) and usually depend on crowdfunding and donations to fund their games.

How big is the indie game industry?

The size of the indie game market was estimated in March 2016 to be at least $1 billion per year for just those games offered through Steam.

What qualifies as an indie game studio?

Indie games are computer games created by independent developers. A single person or a small team of 2 to 10 people can build such games from scratch. Sometimes indie games are referred to as “free” because game resources are either created by the developers themselves or taken from free sources.

How big are AAA game studios?

AAA studios are usually much larger than indie developers, with hundreds or even thousands of employees. Bigger teams, typical in a AAA studio, can lead to more hierarchy and bureaucracy— which can be both good and bad.

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Can a indie make a AAA game?

Indie games usually do not enjoy the big budgets that one can associate with AAA titles. This is often replaced by hardwork and dedication on the part of the developers to turn their projects into brilliant games that will be cherished by fans for years to come.

How big is an indie dev team?

Indie games are usually made by companies with less than 30 people, and some are even made by less than five people. On the other hand, AAA games are made by much bigger companies, usually with hundreds of employees.

How hard is it to start an indie game studio?

Developing an indie game is hard work. You need to be able to design and build the game, market it to the public, and get it published. Some people usually begin indie studios to develop passion projects, which later can become successful or develop smaller cult followings.

Do indie game developers pay taxes?

Indie developers and other people who work on games for a living face all kinds of interesting income tax and small business formation issues that more traditional businesses simply don't: not being geographically bound, relying on alternative funding, long periods of time with no income, and having multiple options ...

How rich are indie game developers?

According to ALCOR, the average junior indie game developer in the US in 2022 earned $40,500, with mid-levels earning $55,500, and seniors earning $69,000.

What percentage of indie games are successful?

Yes, only 3% of indie developers ever make more than $1m, but that's still over 1,500 indies who have done so. Let's see what they do that others don't.

Who is the biggest indie studio?

What is the budget of a small indie game?

The average cost to make an indie game is about $250,000, but some small projects can cost as low as nothing + time you spend on development. The lower numbers assume you're working alone and don't have any other developers on board yet; however, the costs stack up quickly once multiple people are involved.

How much does it cost to make AAA game?

That gives a range of about 15 to 150 million USD. 60 or 70 million dollars is not uncommon. That means your concept needs to sell 2.5M units to pay for development, much less make a profit. How will high financial and time expenditures in AAA game development affect the video game industry in the long run?

How many people can make an indie game?

You can create an indie game alone, but often it is done by small teams of 5-10 people. So, “indie” means independent of major publishers.

How long do small indie games take to make?

Creating an indie game can take anywhere between a matter of days and a number of years. With indie games, coding experience and budget will be the biggest influences on a game's development cycle. Here's a few examples of quality indie games all made within vastly different timeframes: Cuphead.

How do small game studios make money?

The most obvious (and common) way indie game developers fund their projects is through self-funding. This money comes from personal assets, friends and family, another form of employment, or contractual work. If you're thinking of switching full-time to game development, you'd want to build your war chest in advance.

Do indie game developers need a business license?

You'll probably need a local business license (~$100 altogether up here in Roseville, CA; business license, fictitious name check, and home business fee). You may also need a Seller's Permit. Not sure on this one for software sales, so check with a certified tax professional (CTP).

Who is the richest indie game developer?

The success of Minecraft did so well that Notch ended up selling Mojang to Microsoft for a $2.5 billion cash deal. This makes him the richest indie game developer.

Is it profitable to make indie games?

According to Game Developer, those indie teams that “made it” receive on average $4 million in revenue per game, which makes an impressive indie game developer success salary. Obviously, not everyone gets such a goldmine.

Who is the richest indie game developers in the world?

Mojang. It's the big one. With over 200 million copies sold, Minecraft is not only the best selling indie, but the best selling game ever, at least at the time of publishing. As of the end of 2021 they had a mind-blowing net worth of 1.7 billion dollars.

How many developers work on a AAA game?

Team size: The production teams for AAA title video games are huge, with at least 50 to 100 employees working on it. For instance, at Ubisoft, AAA game development involved 400 to 600 staff for open world games, split across multiple locations and countries.