Starting at 40yo
Hi everyone. I'd like to ask for some advice, and I'd really appreciate honest opinions. After all, this is Reddit. 😄
I recently turned 40. I work in the tech and IT sector, but nothing related to game development or anything close to it. I've just always loved video games. I've been playing since I was a kid, I started with an Amstrad CPC when I was 4 or 5 years old, and I haven't stopped since.
I've always had that little itch to see what it would be like to make a game, especially in recent years now that there are so many accessible and powerful tools available, such as Unity or, in my case, Godot. I particularly like Godot's open-source philosophy.
So, on my 40th birthday, I decided to finally start learning both the engine and game development itself. As part of this new adventure, I started looking for Discord servers and local game development groups, because what attracts me most about making games is collaborating with other people and having fun creating something together, whether that's art, programming, music, or design. My own skill set is fairly limited: I know programming and a bit of game design, but I know next to nothing about everything else.
And that's where my concern comes in.
When I started getting in touch with some of these groups, I realized something that probably should have been obvious, but honestly hadn't occurred to me at first: the age difference. Most of the people I've met are in their mid-20s or early 30s at most. And, frankly, I feel like that has become a bit of a barrier when it comes to connecting with people and making new friends within the game development community.
So my question is: do you think this is actually a problem? Am I late? Are there other people starting out in game development at my age or around it, or am I really the odd one out?