Something you might not be prepared for as a new developer.

So what qualifies people to make games?

I would argue you don't need to be qualified at all to make games now. You just need to pick a tool, sit down and make a game.

Programs such as Multimedia Fusion 2 or extensions such as Playmaker, make it possible for people with 0 programming skills to make and release games. Now that is really really cool!

The other day I saw a tweet from a nice man promoting a game that his son of 9 made in Unity3D. NINE!!! A nine year old had made and released a game for a school project. That is how accessible the games industry is becoming, and I love it.

(Here is his game if you want to be supporting and leave him a nice little message in the reviews: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.paulstamp.cheddar)

I had the luxury of being able to go to university where I did a master's in Game Design and Theory. So I feel as if I have had some training before making my leap at the industry. There is however one skill that I feel no amount of game training can bestow upon you. It does not matter if you are a graduate trying to break out in the industry or a nine year old kid learning for a school project, this skill will take some time to learn and hone. It is the ability easily ignore overly negative troll reviews of your precious game.

The mobile market is at saturation point. There are more games then you can shake a stick at. This is I believe having an effect on mobile game consumers (and obviously what i am about to say is all a massive generalisation). It is turning us into game flits. We jump rapidly from one free game to the next . The second we get an inkling we don't like a game we simply drop it and move on, which is fine I guess as not all games are for everyone.

My gripe is this, there seem to be lots of people who not only dislike your game (which is fine), but wish to hate on you for making a game which they dislike, as if you have personally offended them. I have no problem with a 1 star reviews or constructive criticism, it hurts a bit but it's all  for the better. But as a new developer I never anticipated the effect it would have on me being subjected to the wrath of the public. They don't care if you didn't have the budget of a AAA game. They don't care if it is your first game. They don't bother to read your tutorials. They don't bother to play more then the first 5 minutes. They don't care if you are 9 years old. They will rate, and be vocal, and it will hurt at first.

When I released my first game a month ago my heart would drop with each negative review, it was all too easy to ignore all the positive ones in the face of negativity. But after a while I started to realise that I could not let that define my game development experience.

So there is it, the skill you can't learn until you have released a game, not caring when people troll review your game baby. This might be harder for some than others but something I have realised is you cannot afford to take each 1 star insult personally. Instead find solace from all the positive comments people make regarding your game, there will most likely be many no matter how new you are to the scene.

If even one person absolutely adores your game, it's all worth it.