[[ The following rant is brought to you by a note I received from a total stranger with well meaning intentions. It contains the better tidbits from a much longer rant that almost got sent as a reply. ]]

I've developed a habit of looking at startup indie game projects with a pessimistic eye. Most often the ones I encounter stem from a group of like-minded, excited, inexperienced, yet more or less talented individuals with big dreams about making their own video game. While I very much want each project to bear fruit and be a dream come true for its creators, I recognize the reality that most indie teams fall apart before they reach their goal.

It makes me sad, but unfortunately I can't say I'm surprised. The video game industry is harder to play than Ninja Gaiden on Master Ninja difficulty, with both hands tied behind your back, one eye shut, and a car battery wired to your nipples. Everybody wants in, so there's a super-saturated talent pool. High supply of talent and low demand of work means talented people get paid far less than they're worth, or get rejected entirely if they ask too much. The people who start the game projects often don't have what it takes to finish them - namely project management skills and work ethic. And most teams completely neglect the marketing/business side of creating a video game, so even if they do produce a product that works and is kinda fun, nobody hears about it, and those who do don't want to pay the asking price. Making video games is harsh, plain and simple.

Whether you're an aspiring artist, designer, or developer, or you already have a place on a game project somewhere in cyberspace, I wish you the best of success.