So my friends want to make a AAA game...

[intheweeds]

It's the same crap as everyone else I've ever seen who is 'starting a business'. For me, I work in professional kitchens, I'm now a restaurant consultant. Every moron thinks they know how to open a restaurant. It's hard. They don't. It's actually insulting to me that people think my job is so friggin easy. Interestingly enough, my business partners and I just went into beta on a restaurant software project. Nothing the guys you describe are doing now is helpful in any way to them, but I think you already knew that.

So let me get this straight, they have no real knowledge at all and the tasks they choose to do to 'work on it' are: a) figure out what the characters are going to look like(for a game with no plot, art design/theme or gameplay), b) create graphics for a website for a non-existent game(again with no idea what the damn thing is to begin with). They obviously do not realize the website will get thrown together in a few weeks by a web/graphic designer - when the game is done. They have five guys, none of which has any job description or any idea how to decide what that should be anyway. No project leader, no planning whatsoever, no skills in important details like coding etc. etc. etc. Smart money would be on staying in school and maybe trying to learn something in college about game design or programming or anything helpful(project management?), but we are obviously not dealing with 'smart money' with these guys.

At least they are trying to build an engine. This is possibly them realizing that it cost a truckload of cash to licence a AAA engine - which is smart, but not realizing why it costs that much (hint - it's a crazy huge complicated piece of software that took professionals years to build) - which is dumb.

These guys will figure it out soon enough. They will get bored and trickle away from it. I understand why you would be annoyed having to listen to this extraordinarily delusional crap. I certainly would be, but know they will fail miserably and watch from the sidelines with a nice box of popcorn.

At the end of the day. You can't get something for nothing. If you want to make the worlds greatest AAA game, go to school for a several years and study. Then get a job in the industry and learn from that too. You will never get anywhere dropping out of highschool on a kooky dream unless your Richard Branson. He had an actual business plan.

Edit: Okay I concede not everyone I've every seen starting a business is like this. That is clearly hyperbole. Many people do actually know when they don't know something, hence calling a 'restaurant consultant'. Unfortunately it gets my back up because a lot of grown adults really are just like these 15 year olds.

 

[New Frontiersman]

If you've tried to tell them this and they refuse to see reason, then all you can really do is just ignore them, let them toss around ideas for a few months until they realize that they have no idea what they're doing and slowly begin to drop the idea as they regain their senses.

Or show them some episodes of Extra Credits along with maybe some game developer interviews and maybe they'll begin to see what it really takes to create a AAA game. That will either deter them, or at least give them some more realistic goals.

I know how you feel here though friend, I've had friends with similar lapses their perception of reality.

 

[Smooth Operator]

They are being very silly, but that is because they don't know how much work it takes to get these things done.

However if they want to get their hands dirty tell them they can pick up Unreal, CryEngine or Source engine tools for free and start something small on any of those right away, it will very soon become clear howmuch time even the smallest things can take and put them in a frame of reference what can and can't be done.

If they can get their mind on a single concept they can make some very neat stuff and a shinny penny on top, hell Angry Birds made 70 mil on what is no more then a spanked up flash game.

 

[LordZ]

Writing a game engine isn't that hard. I managed to half-ass one in about a month without knowing anything and I did it using Visual Basic 6.0, back when I was a teen. I should note that the game engine was 2D tile based MMO type game(back before the term MMO even existed). I should also note I basically stole my artwork from existing games because I have no artistic talent. Finally, I should probably mention the game never saw the light of day. I'd like to finish it (as in, restart it from scratch), should I ever take the time to learn to and actually create my own graphics for it(or strike it rich and hire a team). However, it's not likely since that was over a decade ago and I'm not on the fast track to large sums of money.

If your friends are lucky, they might release a decent 2D game before their parents kick them out. Chances are, they wont even accomplish that. I'd leave them alone. It wont take long for reality to kick your friends in the teeth.

 

[go-10]

I don't understand why it bothers you, I say let them try they might just end up making tomorrows Call of Duty, Battlefield, or Gears of War. Unfortunately the new generation will never care to make something like Half Life or Deus Ex

 

[Dr Jones]

Eh, ive had crazier dreams than that...
By the way, any status update? Shattered their dreams yet?

 

[Project_Xii]

Sounds like an Activision blockbuster in the making. And don't worry about those cutscenes. We'll be able to buy them as DLC a couple of months after the games release, I'm sure.

 

[BlackSaint09]

Id wanna make a AAA title too. Ive figured out a little of it. Only in order for it to be anything like what i would want it would have to be developed by the meth heads at capcom and released by who knows what.

 

[Lesd3vil]

Please OP, I'm 22 and I want to release an international hit platinum-selling album, don't talk to me about unreasonable dreams xD

Although in my defense, I've spent years learning to sing, play guitar and studying music so I guess I'm ahead of the game somewhat compared to your friends. In all honesty, just ignore it, when they go on about their fantastic idea, smile and nod and let it go... In time, they'll either:

A) see exactly how unrealistic they're being and get a clue as to how to program or design and go into courses that help with those

B) actually manage to achieve something, but it'll be a piece of bloated, unwieldy, unoriginal, software that is as far from fun as it could be

C) start bickering over minutiae, the project falls apart, and they either get back to school work, or if that's too late, get a job

First and foremost I feel you're perhaps a little jealous of their confidence?

Secondly, I see that you're worried about them.

Don't be either. Yes, they're your friends, but they have to make their own mistakes, and they'll blame everyone else if it collapses on them anyway because that's how society teaches us to react. Be supportive if you can and if you can't do that, be passive. It sounds like you have a few ideas about becoming a developer yourself and you're smart enough to understand the kind of technical knowledge you'll need to apply to that. Also, look at all the fantastic indie games that have been made by less than a handful of people using a modded engine.

Look up the Stanley Parable on the Source Engine if you don't believe me.

You never know; odds are against it, but they may just come up with something really good that catches somebody's attention. Who knows? It's a crazy world, and stranger things have happened, like the spontaneous combustion of the mayor of Warsaw in 1546 >>

 

[busterkeatonrules]

While your friends are clearly biting off more than ANYONE can chew, I think your best bet is to leave them to it. If you know their dream is going to self-destruct, why bother to destroy it yourself? They'll only get pissed at you for something that would have happened anyway!

You say they ignore schoolwork in favor of their game project. Well, if you let them work on it until reality decides it's time to bite them on the ass, they will at least have learned SOMETHING! (School tends to have that effect on a teenager's mind - absolutely anything that's unrelated to school can suddenly become incredibly interesting. And when something INTERESTS you - well, THAT'S when you learn from it!)

It does remind me of the old saying, "Aim for the stars - and you'll reach the clouds!"

 

[intheweeds]

Although in my defense, I've spent years learning to sing, play guitar and studying music so I guess I'm ahead of the game somewhat compared to your friends.

IMO, this is exactly what differentiates you from the guys OP is talking about. I played music live for five years between the ages of 19 and 24 before I quit completely. I spent years practicing though. As it seems you have. You actually put work into learning your craft, whereas these guys seem to think they can get it done while actively avoiding learning anything about it.

..and that, young jedi, is why you fail.

 

[neoontime]

My brother and his friend are doing the same thing.
/facepalm
Well at least they are down to just trying to make a side-scroller.

 

[Isan]

Show them the Unreal Development Kit, it's a fantastic tool and makes it really easy to get started on mod development.
I'm not suggesting that you encourage them, I'm suggesting that you help them get a good long look at what a REAL triple A engine looks like. Maybe that'll give them a wake up call as to how big a task they've got ahead of them (or perhaps they'll get really into it and change their plan to making an unreal mod, which is actually quite easy to do, and if they really do want to get into game development its a fine place to start).

 

[Lesd3vil]

Although in my defense, I've spent years learning to sing, play guitar and studying music so I guess I'm ahead of the game somewhat compared to your friends.

IMO, this is exactly what differentiates you from the guys OP is talking about. I played music live for five years between the ages of 19 and 24 before I quit completely. I spent years practicing though. As it seems you have. You actually put work into learning your craft, whereas these guys seem to think they can get it done while actively avoiding learning anything about it.

..and that, young jedi, is why you fail.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Wait...

I fail because of planning, experience and knowledge?

WHAT KIND OF WORLD IS IT THAT WE LIVE IN D:

 

[intheweeds]

Although in my defense, I've spent years learning to sing, play guitar and studying music so I guess I'm ahead of the game somewhat compared to your friends.

IMO, this is exactly what differentiates you from the guys OP is talking about. I played music live for five years between the ages of 19 and 24 before I quit completely. I spent years practicing though. As it seems you have. You actually put work into learning your craft, whereas these guys seem to think they can get it done while actively avoiding learning anything about it.

..and that, young jedi, is why you fail.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Wait...

I fail because of planning, experience and knowledge?

WHAT KIND OF WORLD IS IT THAT WE LIVE IN D:

Hardee har! I didn't specify 'not you' because i thought it would ruin the joke.
But - 'NOT YOU'!

 

[k-ossuburb]

Snip

Well it seems to me you've got two options, either explain to them how much of a couple of total dumbasses they are or wait by the sidelines and practice saying "I told you so" in your most condescending tone of voice.

Personally, I like the latter option.

 

[Deadyawn]

Are you certain they're not trolling you? Because thats what it sounds like.
If you're sure though, I wouldn't worry about it too much. You should probably tell them you think it's a stupid idea but try not to discourage them too much, they'll figure out what it requires in time and may see your point of view but until them try not to be a dreamcrusher.

 

[Halcyone3]

They are either joking, or REALLY stupid. In either case, I'd say let it be.

Failure is the best teacher.