Freelance Game Programmers

[tomsamson]

well,you´ve lots of options.
sure,you could invest some money to have your website professionally designed,also pay an artist to reskin one of your games (if you have any).
In case you don´t have money or are not into spending some before earning any more, i´d suggest you work on a cool game or at least an impressive tech tidbit demo and showcase it here or on some art forum to look for an artist whos up to supply you with art for fun and/or as portfolio entry for his own website,too (and the chance of profit splitting in case you should make money with it once its done).
once you´ve got that done you could shop it around at some game portals, in either case you´d have a nicer portfolio which could help you getting some other (freelance) work going.
also regarding learning xml,php,asp etc,i went through all that during my education and also while working at a web agency for a good while and while its surely generally a good idea to have an as broad skillset as possible, realistically you can only learn so much in a certain timespan and i´d rather perfection things in the field i want to work in and then go on learning other stuff afterwards rather than trying to get into 10 things at once and ultimately beeing an amateur at best in all.
i´d suggest you start out with flash/AS (hence you want to make flash games), from there get into using xml (since its not that complex anyway) and then go on to php or asp and dbs (after having one or some games made) afterwards.

[Baukereg]

What I dont understand, you are retired but want to get a job again. I'm currently working full time with webdevelopment, and so I have no time working on hobby projects, like new games I'd like to create.

Since you dont have a job, maybe you can come up with a nice hobbyproject, like creating an online adventure game or anything that you like. No constituents telling you what to do, no dissatisfied clients, just you and a plenty of time to dedicate yourself to your hobby.

[webgeek]

Cutting down the rant and coming to the subject, I think I'm in a catch 22,
situation. I've to invest, on a new website and build it professionally, learn XML, PHP, ASP etc, etc, to get clients, and then I can do it only if I get clients.

I suggested starting a business, getting a domain name and hosting, and getting a web site. The only cost for that is:

- Filing fees for the business paperwork (less then $100 or so, depending on location)
- Domain name registration (10 bucks at GoDaddy)
- Hosting ($4 a month for cheap hosting at GoDaddy)

You can design your own site. When in doubt, keep it clean and simple. You can even pay a professional a few hundred dollars for some early designs but this isn't necessary. So it's just not that much to become a bonafide company ready to go forth and do business.

As for other technologies to learn, I agree with Tomsamson. You need to get Flash/AS down solid, then probably XML (it shouldn't take more then a day or two to get XML down if you have experience in all the languages you listed). Since you know Java you already have a solid web language under your belt. I wouldn't really get into ASP or PHP because you simply won't need them. Java already does all they do and more.

[Eager Beaver]

Hi! Webgeek,
I am convinced that having my own website does not cost me a heaven!
What are the advantages of having my own website, when compared to a free website?
PS: Can you please suggest a catchy name for the website!

[webgeek]

What are the advantages of having my own website, when compared to a free website?

It's a matter of image. Free hosting means cheap site. Any company looking at your site on a free host will just turn you away out of hand because it's on a free host. People here might disagree with me but I know this is often the case. You need to project a successful image if you want others to think the same thing. Free host != successful Now if you can point a domain name at the free host, that would work but remember - you get what you pay for.

As for names, you are on your own there!

[Quit]

I wouldn't really get into ASP or PHP because you simply won't need them. Java already does all they do and more.

Do you really think so?

I mean yeah JAVA can and will do anything you ever imagined but the resource footprint is of prehistoric size!

I personally like PHP because of it seems to be Speedy and Effective Language.

I like asp classic and .net but ... it isn't opened source so I like to stay away from it you know?

I think you can gain a lot by learning PHP, and honestly it isn't exactly a difficult language.

Can you please suggest a catchy name for the website!

lol, may wanna stay away from the word Beaver, people may be disappointed when your site pops up :P.

How about SuperAmazingFreelanceGameDeveloper.gov

(the .gov makes you all professional sounding ... I don't think you can actually get those though :/)

[tidenburg]

Go with bluehost, they have fantastio so you don't need to learn any languages and it automatically adds stuff like blogs, and its really cheap with a free domain name. 300GB of hosting and 3TB transfer.

[tidenburg]

oh, and bucktooth productions should sooo be your name.

[Eager Beaver]

Thank U all boys and gals!
I have blocked the website name: gamesmostwanted.com/
Anyway, Now I have to pay the web hosting fees, and get going.
@Quit:
Eager: marked by enthusiastic or impatient desire or interest (dictionary meaning).
Beaver: Beavers are best known for their natural trait of building dams in rivers and streams, and building their homes (known as beaver lodges) in the eventual pond. They are the second-largest rodent in the world (after the capybara).
Beavers continue to grow throughout life. Adult specimens weighing over 25 kg (55 lb) are not uncommon. Females are as large as or larger than males of the same age, which is uncommon among mammals-Google.

My comment: They are not however interested in Flash Games!

[webgeek]

I mean yeah JAVA can and will do anything you ever imagined but the resource footprint is of prehistoric size!

Sadly, this is a very common and highly inaccurate sentiment. Java for server-side applications takes very little memory and blows other languages out of the water in terms of performance. In fact, the Java version of PHP (called Quercus and was developed by the makers of the Resin application server) smokes the native C PHP engine by about 4x

IIRC, the Java memory footprint starts at about 8mb as the lower limit. It CAN use a ton more but it can also be configured to use a lot less. There is a reason you see it on cell phones and embedded devices so often.

Obviously you should go with what you know and are most comfortable with but since Eager Beaver said he already knows Java it doesn't make a lot of sense for him to learn another web language. Particularly one like PHP which isn't easily usable for anything else.

[Eager Beaver]

Talking of jAVA, XML, and PHP, How they are used in FLASH?
I know XML is used for backend programming such as sending
highscores etc using LoadVars. Can JAVA, and PHP also be used.

[webgeek]

XML is the way you "encapsulate" and describe the data so that it can be loaded and parsed by any language. XML is not really used so much for back-end programming as it is for moving around data. Sometimes it's used for storage as well but only because it's powerful and easy to use.

For a high score board, you still need something on the server to actually save the data; ie a server side language like java/PHP/.NET etc.

[Fall_X]

Yeah, you don't use PHP or Java inside Flash, but you can communicate with a server, using, for instance, XML. The server needs to be able to respond to your communications (by storing stuff and/or sending a response), and this can be done with a server-side language, like php, or java, or basically anything you want. This can go from simple things (highscores, save games, etc) to more complex things like user interaction.