Gulp! This is Scary!

The last few days I've been off work sick, and as a result I've had plenty of time at home alone to think. As a result I handed in my notice today to start up Reiver Games as a full-time outfit. Man, that's scary.

My reasoning was thus:

• Firstly, I can afford not to earn for a while to try it out, if it doesn't work, I'll just have to find another job.
• I think it might work!
• I'd love to do it - it's been a pipe-dream for ages now.
• The Wife is 100% behind it.
• I'm way too busy with a full-time job that involves a lot of travel to devote the time I need to Reiver Games.
• I've been in IT now professionally for eight years, and did six years in IT at University, time for a change.

So what does this mean for Reiver Games? I'm going to move into making professional runs, predominantly sold through shops & distributors, so my time will be spent doing the graphic design and trying to flog copies to shops and I'll obviously have much more time for playtesting, designing and developing games. I'm aiming for three professional runs by next April (not this April!), with maybe a hand-made run thrown in as a bonus.

I'll also have more time for blogging, so hopefully you'll be hearing more from me too.

What are the downsides? I've given up a well-paid job for no financial security whatsoever. I've enough money squirrelled away to last me a year, but there's every chance I could end up having pissed it all up the wall in a year's time, with nothing to show for it but a flat full of unwanted games. Professional runs means cheaper production, so I can afford to sell to shops and distributors, but it also means much more risk, and if I choose badly I could end up throwing lots of money after a game which no-one wants. I've got to be damn sure a game is excellent before I publish it, and I've got to make sure the production is right, as fixing problems could drive me under. So anally-retentive checking of everything before it goes to the printer is required.

Good decision? I'll not know for a while yet, but feel free to call me an idiot, commend my bravery or offer me spare change when I'm destitute in the comments below...