6 Pros and Cons of Starting a Studio Before a Game

October 15th, 2023

Hello, hello! 

Time flies by when you're developing a game! And right now, we're especially feeling the pressure since we founded Little Grackle Games before creating an actual game. (no regrets though!) There are definitely good things about starting a studio first, even if it is harder. So without further ado, here are 6 pro et contra(s) of starting a video game studio before developing a game.

Let's get the cons out of the way, shall we?

Cons:

1. 1. There's no game to promote (yet), so there's fewer chances for gamers and the press to hear about your game and studio.

   2. There's no surefire way to gauge how your game is going to be received.
      
      Since there are no previous games to compare to, you can only rely on how similar games (same budget, genre, target audience) did. Even mature games studios experience the fear of 'how will our game be received?' There really is no telling how well a game will do, even if it is polished and fun, has a good story, etc. 

   3. There's no community around the game (yet!)
      
      We'll have to work at marketing our game to get it in front of an audience, get feedback, and make it the best game it can possibly be! At the same time, this actually kinda a pro, as it gives us time to get it right, with no expectations from others on how our game should be.

And now, to the pros!

Pros:

1. There's time to get systems in place.
   
   What better time to stay organized than when founding your studio? Founding our studio beforehand gave us a chance to get an agile development cycle in place, make a business plan, and do all the business filings now, rather than scramble to do so later. It really helped us to do it upfront, I can't imagine needing to do all that while in the midst of bug-fixing and polishing. I think it would be harder to stay organized if we waited until then, since my brain would be fried. Which leads me to the second pro...

2. Budgeting, funding, and keeping track of money spent can be easier when it’s under your business rather than mixed with personal expenses.
   
   Having separate accounts makes this A LOT easier when you're trying to go back months ago and find that one little purchase you needed for your game buried under your grocery shopping and day-to-day living expenses.

3. The pressure to deliver.
   
   There’s skin in the game! Your studio is counting on you to pull through and release a quality game. Most games are never finished, but with the added pressure, that (hopefully!) is enough to kick you into action.

So there you have it folks, 6 pros and cons of starting a studio first. It definitely is not a black-or-white, it's better to do 'x' issue. If you're on the fence about starting a studio, I hope this gave you some insight.

Now if you excuse me, I have a game to make!