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Ideally, you should probably have at least an idea of how to market your game from the moment you come up with the core concept. Everything, not just character and level design, but even things like marketing and how to sell your game should flow from that core idea.

These days, there's a big debate raging about “Casual” games and “Hardcore” games. A casual game would be something like “Diner Dash” or “Bejeweled,” while hardcore would be something built for seasoned gamers like, say, “Gears of War” or “Halo.”

But you really shouldn't bother getting caught up in that silly argument.

This whole casual versus hardcore gaming thing is really just a sign of old-fashioned game developers who are lost in the new market.

Thanks to cell phone games and those puzzle games you can play on your Web browser at work, the gaming market has expanded. Ten years ago, the only people playing games were “gamers.” Now, just about everyone plays games in some form or other, and the people who started developing games back when it was just “gamers” playing are having a hard time grasping this new development.

The thing is, they're so used to developing games for gamers that they've forgotten how to develop games for PEOPLE.

We discussed “Super Mario Brothers” in an earlier chapter, but it serves as a perfect example of how there's really no difference between casual and hardcore gaming. The reason “casual” gamers are put off by a game like “Halo 3” isn't because it's too hard. “Super Mario Brothers” was tough, and in fact, most of us who played it never beat it, but we enjoyed playing it all the same. “Casual” gamers want challenge too.

“Halo 3” and its ilk are simply so wrapped up in the old school of game design that you can't even begin to get into the game unless you've already played a long list of shooters. So much is taken for granted, and none of the game's world, story, or level design makes sense to a non-gamer or a casual gamer.

If you simply approach your game design from a perspective of common sense, of basing your game more in reality than in other games, then anyone will be able to play it. Don't worry about whether or not your game is too hard for casual gamers or too easy for hardcore gamers, because no matter what your game is about, no matter how it plays, your core demographic is going to be the same...

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user
[Type the company name]
Personal Financial Review
Be sure to have the following
resources available:
? Tax Return
? Notice of Assessment
? Employee Benefit Statement
? Insurance Policies
? Bank Statements
? Income Statements
Personal Informa-on
Spouse’s Informa-on
Last Name First Name SIN/SSN #
Address City Prov/State
Postal/ZIP Code Phone ( H) Other #
Email Address Birth Date( YYYY/MM/DD)
Dependent Children and Elderly Parents
Name RelaGonship Birth Date
(YYYY/MM/DD)
M/F
Last Name First Name SIN/SSN #
Address City Prov/State
Postal/ZIP Code Phone ( H) Other #
Email Address Birth Date( YYYY/MM/DD)
Employment Informa-on
Self
Employer Title
[ ] Yrs.
Address
Phone Fax
Previous Employer [ ]
Yrs.
Spouse
Employer Title
[ ] Yrs.
Address
Phone Fax
Previous Employer [ ]
Yrs.
Professional Advisors
Name Phone Address Email Fax
Lawyer
Accountant
Tax Preparer
Power /A)orney

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And this brings us to the final category- debt. We all go into debt at some point in our lives for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s from the purchase a house, unforeseen emergencies or simple over spending, credit and debt has become an unfortunate commonality in our world today. Some may go as far as saying it has become a necessity for most people. No matter how you look at it, it would be irresponsible not to address it as a major concern in your budgeting.

This section is not going to go into the pros and cons of credit and debt, that’s coming up later. For the time being we will simply be outlining a list of the different types of credit and debt most people will likely have to handle in their budget. The following table separates them into 2 categories – Fixed Debt Payments and Variable Debt Payments.

As you can see, for the purposes of establishing a budget, fixed debt payments are pretty straight forward and simple to recognize. Any debts for which you make regular payments on that are the same amount each month, would fall into this category.

As mentioned earlier, you will be taking a more in depth look at your debts and determining if there may be opportunities for improvement. For now, the purpose of this table is simply to get all your payments listed for your budget.

Now that we have completed listing all sources of income and expenses, we have a much better idea of what your financial situation looks like. Our next step is going to be putting all these numbers into a budget based on your current situation. Once we have completed that process, the discussion will move towards learning how to find new solutions based on a greater understanding about what cash management is.

As important as this process has been so to this point, it’s not going to be what really help you. The only accomplishment so far has been writing down your numbers and getting an organized list together. The fundamental principles of cash management haven’t begun to be applied yet. When you get to that stage in the process, you will begin to make some changes in your finances and in your decisions. More importantly you will come out with a new view how to handle your money and how to avoid the traps and pitfalls that surround you.

Usually immediately following the previous task of itemizing debts, people tend to get a little down and discouraged. Do not let this happen to you. There are reasons beyond your control that have ensured you would be in debt at this stage in life. We have an education system, in both Canada and the United States, that has completely failed at educated its citizens on personal finance and money. The average consumer is also pinned up against thousands of companies who are cleverly enticing you to believe you need to separate yourself with your hard earned money in exchange for their latest and greatest gizmo.

So the reality is, it’s not your fault. That doesn’t excuse from taking responsibility to end the pattern of going further into debt and get out of debt completely. It does, however allow you to not beat yourself up over it.