Having just completed creation of my first game, here are 5 thoughts about game development...

1. I'm happy with the game I made, because I set out to make a game I wanted to play. This wasn't a process of, I wonder what game will make me money, or even I wonder what kind of game might be fun for people to play? I set out with a clear goal to make this game BECAUSE I really wanted to play it.

2. Most of game creation really does come in the conceptual stages, before you even touch a computer. With Chinese Zodiac Animal Race, I spent over a year conceptualizing a board & dice style betting game where you would have the opportunity to hijack the race with underhanded tactics. I didn't begin development on a PC until I had a VERY SOLID CONCEPT that I believed worked; it was all notepads and clipboards before that day. I changed the concept so many times it would make your head spin -- and then when I began developing, I found I needed to change so much more in order to make the game "fun" for players. Everyone has their own creative process, but if it helps anyone to know, mine own was about 70% conceptual stages and 30% at the computer writing and drawing the game.

3. It helps to have an exercise plan if you're going to be sitting at a computer all day. Didn't take long before my back began to suffer as a result of my new career in games development. Some push-ups and a stretch and walk goes a long ways.

4. Don't give up on what you love to do. I dropped my regular work to spend 5 months designing the game, on a family loan. Spent another $150 on a voice actor for my games tutorial. My total profit on release day: Ten bucks and some change. But I won't quit my new passion. Why? Because it's fun as hades, and I know I can be profitable at it if I keep building games and round out my portfolio.

5. Your friends may be your biggest asset, even in games design. My friends Chris and Kerri came by to test my game on more than one occasion, and their feedback was invaluable to me and I made all the necessary changes. My brother Jesse threw his tips in as well, having tested the beta. They all had a blast playing, and I was genuinely surprised to see their reaction; I thought the game would be fun, but what I saw from play testers was trash talk, whooping and hollering, loud cheers... After all my months of developing, seeing this made me finally relax, and I got ecstatic about the game all over again like it was the first day I dreamt it up.