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

[MrMixelPixel]

Tell them to throw logic out the window and do the impossible!

Don't believe in the you that believes in them, believe in the them that believes in them! =D

Anyway...

I find their dream cute and at least somewhat productive. Even if they get smacked in the face by cold hard facts, they will hopefully get something of worth at of this loony endeavor.

However, that shouldn't be shrugging off school work... That's no good.

 

[Zeriah]

They are 15 years old, with no experience. Let them have their fantasy if it makes them happy. Once they get down to it they will realize their error and get back on with their lives. Think about all the other 15 year old's with crazy dreams. I can't count the number of jocks who dreamt they would end up professional athletes or the large number of talentless emo bands (who spent 5 whole minutes on their prospective instruments before starting the band) that popped up in my school/area when I was 15. Not one of them actually made it but it was a fun hobby and great part of their lives so I see no harm in this.

Either these guys will give up or grow bored with it once they try to actually start it or they scale back their ideas and maybe work on some mods or go and do some actual degrees on the subject.

 

[RatRace123]

Eh, let 'em dream and let 'em do it.
Highly likely they'll get bored with it and abandon the project.

Especially when they realize their limitations and realize the fact that unless they have several million dollars, it ain't gonna happen.

 

[The Pinray]

They're just kids. They'll learn that they're being stupid and get over it eventually. Then they'll grow up and move on with their lives.

 

[Techno Squidgy]

I'm 17 and planning to go into a game development course at Uni. At the moment I'm taking a computer programming course at my sixth form, having a friend guide me through the basics of the Unreal 3 Map editor and slowly teaching myself how to use Blender. My ambitions at the moment don't extend too far beyond a simple multiplayer mod with a few custom weapons and maps. I think if they're serious about this, they should try using the Unreal engine. The mapping tool is easy enough once you know how and there are plenty of resources telling you how on the internet.

 

[Woodsey]

I wish my friends could be tricked into believing all the shit I come out with so easily.

 

[getoffmycloud]

My advice would be find a modder or someone who can into the code for a game and show them the mammoth task they would face to make a AAA game so they can see what they are up against

 

[Fooz]

well, just thinking about how many hours and lines of code and general genius goes into making an engine actually hurts my head, so for some 15 year olds to make one would seriously blow my fucking mind (seeing as an engine as amazing as the unreal engine took years, and many programming experts)

i always talk to my friends about potential game ideas, but like any other realistic person i know i have no chance of making them atm, if ever.

i have thought about starting a small development team when i am older (currently 18), but until i get a lot more knowledge and understanding of the industry, imma just carry on playing games and learning programming and 3D modelling (What im doing at college)

and even my small development team would be making games like angry birds, small stuff like that, that might get popular, get us some money, and maybe we could make something awesome like minecraft (extremely doubtful)

so yeah, tell them to keep their imagination and aspiration going, but give them a reality check so they dont fuck up their schoolwork etc.

 

[Phoenix Arrow]

Who cares? Designing a game and making a game are different things. Drawing concept art and talking about mechanics that you could put in some epic game is good clean fun. Maybe one of them with start learning C++ or download Maya or something. Maybe they'll like it. Maybe they'll go to college and become an actual game dev. Even before that, I could show you some pretty robust engines made by single man teams. They were obviously older, more focussed and on the same programming course as me, but the earlier you start practicing, the easier it is to learn new things.

Long story short, stop pissing on their bonfire.

 

[TikiShades]

Man, you guys are going to look sooo dumb when these guys revolutionize the industry.

Gahahaha

 

[lord.jeff]

I think you should always shoot big because if you set out to make average the best you'll get is crap, you shot for just better then the rest you'll be lucky to just be average in quality, and shooting for best gets you good. I other words you'll almost always fall short of your vision, the only way to get anything even enjoyable is to aim for best in the world.

 

[mental_looney]

Let reality kick them in the face and practice an "I told you so" best to let them fail on their own and concentrate on your own things.

If they are trolling ignore them when they go on about it or it will just keep on going.

 

[skatch13]

Nothing is impossible, until someone comes along, and tell you it is. Why do you want to be the one to tell them their dream is impossible?

What happened? I thought you could do anything, and be anything as long as you worked for it, and followed your dreams.

They are 15 now sure they dont have much in the way of resources, but maybe when they are 25 the dreams they have now can be made reality with careers guided by that one dream they had when they were 15.

Had someone told Neil back when he was 15, and playing with model rockets that men going into space was silly, and impossible our present would be quite different.

Imagination and dreams fuel reality!

PS: On a side note i think you might be a bit afraid OP. They are willing to talk about their ideas, and at least try to think of making them reality. You hide your ideas away on note pads and computer files afraid to show them that you might fail. They may never go anywhere or do anything with their game ideas, but they tried. Can you say the same?

 

[krazykidd]

Don't do anything actually , i say support them . Hell if only most people were half as determined as they are a lot more things would get done . How many times have people ridiculed othersthinking their ideas were garbage and then in the long run those laughed at became millionaires? Sure it might fail . But maybe just maybe they will fail and become more determined and later they will suceed . What of they learn how to build a new engine , actually do it and make a great game earning them millions? What if they actually succeed? Everything starts with a dream .

So support them . Help them even . Maybe this is the step foward gaming needs

 

[k-ossuburb]

Snip.

Eh, the way I see it it's a catch 22 situation, either he tells them and they ***** at him for it or he doesn't do anything and they learn the hard way. Might as well have some fun with the situation, seeing as he's basically screwed either way.

 

[AstylahAthrys]

I knew kids like that when I was 15. They were idiots who did nothing to impress so they channeled it into wild dreams. Are you, perhaps, fairly smart or good in school or talented at something else? I had someone lie to me and say they made games in their free time, but they never showed me them or gave me a link because they knew I was going into the game industry and the fact I was going about it the realistic way (loads of studying, school and starting small) hurt their ego somehow. My advice is to just ignore them. Eventually they will hit a wall and never speak of it again.

 

[Spitfire]

You know what I have to say to this? Good. They're being more creative than most, and the very process of realizing a game is going to teach them some very valuable things. If you're close friends with them, the best thing you could do is to get them to be more practical. Talk to them about how the game will play, what the premise is and the general concept behind it. Get them to work with the Source Engine, learn Hammer, learn about 3d modelling (for reference, there's a free program called Softimage Mod Tool, and another one called Gmax).
Even if they don't manage to make a game, those will be some really useful skills that they'll acquire.

 

[JochemDude]

It cost a bloody fortune to promote a AAA game into the market, that's often the most expensive part, advertisment.