A mini-rant on Twitter

I went on a bit of a rant on Twitter today and people asked if I could put all of this together for my blog. It all started with an e-mail I received on my Vlambeer-mail in which someone inquired about some tips to start an indie ‘startup’ – from there it quickly turned into the following.

I get so tired when someone emails me about tips for a gaming startup. Start a studio or a company or an actual thing that is real, damnit.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

You’re making a game? Good, you’re a developer. Trying to sell them to stay afloat? Well, now you’re a company. What the hell is a startup?

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Here’s a venture plan: ‘go make games as good as you can possibly make them and let people know that the game exists’. #indiestartup

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Don’t want to contact press because you don’t want to shoot blind? Make a presskit (/w dopresskit.com ?) and screw it, shoot blind.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Don’t want to reach out to Steam, Sony, Nintendo, iOS, Microsoft, Android because you’re working on your first game? E-mail them anyway.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Don’t want to reach out to your personal inspiration and ask for feedback because you’re just starting out? Do it regardless.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Don’t feel like going to that developers conference four hours away because you don’t have anything to show? Get a day off and go there.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Don’t want to show your game to friends and other developers because it’s not quite good enough yet? Show them your game.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Sincerely love the style of a certain artist or musician or the work of a coder or designer? Let them know.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Don’t know what to do, need help, a specific contact? E-mail someone who does know. Hell, call them for all I care.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

In the end, what matters is what you *do*. If you don’t do something, whatever your hopes or motivations or ideas are will remain just that.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Oh, and do -not- make assumptions about how things work or how & why things are. You’re probably wrong so actually go and find out.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Here are a bunch of tweets in reply to replies I received that I think might be relevant.

@machineers Screw that, shoot blind. The only way to be absolutely sure you won’t hit anything is by not shooting.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

@terragot Keep track of places like promoterapp.com, compohub.net and gameconfs.com

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Byron Atkinson-Jones asked about our goals / aspirations with Vlambeer:

@xiotex Make games, let people know we exist and find a way to release them through the various distribution platforms.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

Sony’s friendly giant Brian Silva jumped in and added:

@tha_rami or use twitter. We aren’t very hard to find and respond all the time.

— Brian Silva (@bigc_33) May 8, 2013

Anyway, I just noticed that fellow Dutchman Bram Ruiter (who also worked on this super-nice A MAZE ‘What is good gamedesign?‘-video) compiled all of this into a lovely image – but I’ll post this regardless.

OK, I really need a drink and an outside stroll right now. <3

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) May 8, 2013

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