Hi Nathan, you wrote:
>considering starting a business developing webcam
>software including the idea of developing games that involve a webcam.
>Unfortunately we have almost no experience in the game development
>industry.
That's your biggest problem right there, IMO.
>Both of us have degrees in computer vision related fields so we feel
>like we have the technical area covered.
You both have degrees, but do you both also have any professional
experience, even if not in games?
Does either of you have a business degree, or experience starting up a
business?
Does either of you have substantial startup capital?
>We have heard of the success
>of the Sony Eyetoy, played with the Apple PhotoBooth application and
>think that webcam games are just waiting to happen in the large Windows
>PC market.
Well, perhaps not a terrible thought, but the real potential for your
venture depends on the questions I posed above.
>1. How much potential do you see for a small business in this area?
Depends on the answers to the questions I posed above.
>2. Can money be made in the development of game libraries rather than
>writing end user applications?
It can, but that's a bad question. Can you think of a better one?
(Hint: insert word "how" at the very beginning of the question, and
you've got a much better question.)
>3. Is this too risky for a two-man company
Depends. If the answer to the questions I posed above are all YES, then
no, it's not.
>(e.g. are large businesses
>working on the same thing)?
No idea.
>4. Are there resources you could recommend besides game development web
>sites?
No. Read my article 29. http://www.sloperama.com/advice.html
Oh, read
article 60 too.
>5. Do you have any other recommendations for us?
Get game industry experience. Get an MBA. Wait until you have
substantial startup capital of your own (most business lenders require
you inject 25% of your startup capital). ... Assuming you didn't answer
Yes to my questions above, that is.
Good luck,
Tom
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