Question about making a VN studio.

[Nekolover]

So let say somebody wants to make a VN studio themselves, what do they need to make it happen? 

Just wondering how everything works.

[Darklord Rooke]

Writers
Artists
Coders
Shitload of free time
Fairy dust
The horn of a Unicorn
Pretzels. Everybody needs pretzels.

Then when you release a game, incorporate yourselves (create a legal studio) by paying some lawyer many hundreds of your hard earned dollars. This is so you can say it’s by ‘such and such’ a studio to make you guys sound ‘professional’. Because ‘this VN released by Billy Bob and his 3 friends’ sounds silly when compared with ‘Taularor, by Balthazar studios.’

I wouldn’t formalise your company by incorporating it until you’re going to earn tons of money. Until then, just call yourselves whatever you want.

[DarkZedge]

1 hour ago, Rooke said:

Fairy dust
The horn of a Unicorn
Pretzels. Everybody needs pretzels.

These three are essential no doubt about it  but yeah Rooke pretty much summarized what a studio would need in order to function

Though I think that passion and dedication are important as well   

[solidbatman]

Time. You can get by on limited funds, but then you'd need plenty and plenty of time and dedication to the project. 

[Gauzra]

Don't forget willpower. The most important part is to not crap out half way and actually finish something.

[Ningen]

You need to know how to actually run a bussiness.

[Narcosis]

Blood, sweat and tears.

Aside from that, nothing.

So, you want to make a visual novel?

1. Have an idea
2. Have a plan
3. Form a development team/studio/circle/whatever
4. Write a GDD/summary, organize your workload, divide duties between members
5. Agree on financial and payment models
6. Create your Itch.io developer profile/account
7. Create the game
8. Advertise the game before, during and after developement
9. Sell your finished product through itch.io
10. Earn money from said product. If it's good and popular, earn tons of money and stop worrying about bills.
11. Rinse and repeat until you feel like satisfied with your life as a creator

Contrary to your popular belief, you don't even need Steam to become successful. All that matters is a great concept, hard work and final execution.

[kingdomcome]

Have money before you even start.

 

[wraithseeker]

5 hours ago, Narcosis said:

Blood, sweat and tears.

Aside from that, nothing.

So, you want to make a visual novel?

1. Have an idea
2. Have a plan
3. Form a development team/studio/circle/whatever
4. Write a GDD/summary, organize your workload, divide duties between members
5. Agree on financial and payment models
6. Create your Itch.io developer profile/account
7. Create the game
8. Advertise the game before, during and after developement
9. Sell your finished product through itch.io
10. Earn money from said product. If it's good and popular, earn tons of money and stop worrying about bills.
11. Rinse and repeat until you feel like satisfied with your life as a creator

Contrary to your popular belief, you don't even need Steam to become successful. All that matters is a great concept, hard work and final execution.

Steam is important because there's an existing audience for visual novels. If your game doesn't get on Steam, your audience will be much smaller unless the developer group is already well-known already.

[Xavier12]

11 hours ago, Ningen said:

You need to know how to actually run a bussiness.

*takes a look around*

...

No, you don't.

[Narcosis]

8 hours ago, wraithseeker said:

Steam is important because there's an existing audience for visual novels. If your game doesn't get on Steam, your audience will be much smaller unless the developer group is already well-known already.

No? If you think being on Steam is 'be or not to be' in modern vn or game industry, you're gravely mistaken. Steam makes a lot of thing easier for developers, it streamlines a lot of the whole distribution process; doesn't mean, other services don't do the same and at the same time, you're tasked with a lot of responsibilities, too. You also can't release 18+ games, nor provide direct support for them through Steam, at least not yet.

You create an audience yourself. All it takes is a good product and a bit of hard work.