Let's speak frankly for a second. As many years as I've been in the business of interactive entertainment, not a day goes by that I don't reflect on how blessed I am to be doing something I love. Counseling software/hardware developers, publishers and investors, acting as a product talent scout and writing about the industry is its own reward – there's no substitute for working with the most talented and creative people in the world.

But let's not kid ourselves either: The game industry is just that – first and foremost, a business. And while money isn't everything, as any successful entrepreneur can tell you, it sure does open doors. That said, Embassy Multimedia Consultants takes great pains to, above all else, ensure that our clients get their financials right first. In other words, not only do we want to see you relish your work, garner widespread acclaim and recognize constant personal growth, but we also want you to get paid what you're worth – and enjoy the increased leverage, greater stability and better bargaining power that such success inevitably affords.

It's not about rocking a new Porsche or spending summers sunning oneself in the Hamptons. Rather, for a developer, it's about putting food in the mouths of dedicated employees and holding enough influence to control the use of original intellectual property (IP), and therefore one's own destiny. For a publisher, it's about being able to deliver on promises to shareholders and investors, and ship the kind of first-rate titles today's discerning fans demand. And, of course, for an individual, it's about establishing the means to make one's dreams reality by starting new companies, developing groundbreaking technologies, or just gaining the kind of life-changing, real-world business education you can't put a price on.

My own personal advice for would-be tycoons:

  • Get rich slow – Learn what it's like to operate lean and mean, and the responsibilities that come with earning large sums of money. Stay humble, stay hungry... It's one thing to see huge windfalls, another to avoid pissing them down the drain.

  • Invest in yourself – Cash spent on cars, penthouse offices and vacations is fun while it lasts – but it seldom lasts long. Instead, try building a stable, self-fueling financial foundation for yourself. It'll continue to feed your personal and professional ambitions long after success, and the glamour, inevitably fades.

  • Control your destiny – Do it yourself, or don't do it all. Working for someone else is the best way to learn any craft, but you'll never truly master it without coloring outside the lines. Simple logic dictates that any employer will have their own, not your, best interests at heart. Remember: With great risk comes great reward.

    That being said, given the sensitivity of this subject, you deserve feedback straight from the horse's mouth. And so I recently reached out to a few acquaintances that just happen to have enjoyed fame and fortune by virtue of their past and current efforts in the gaming industry.

    The mission: Speak to each, to gain firsthand insight into just what it takes to not only break the bank in our beloved field and realize the dreams of millions of aspiring moguls worldwide, but also enjoy a long and fruitful reign at the top. Listen closely to their words. If time truly is money, well... consider yourself about to enjoy several tens of thousands worth:

    Sid Meier

    Visionary software creator responsible for more than 25 games including the best-selling Civilization, Pirates! and Alpha Centauri franchises, which have sold in excess of 10 million copies. Co-founder of Firaxis Games; often called "the father of computer gaming."

    "I have to say up-front that, from a development perspective, we have no idea of knowing off-hand which games will be hits: Some strike a chord with consumers, some don't. Many we thought would be huge successes weren't, and vice versa.

    But I will say that we're extremely proud of every title we've produced, and that, as a designer, picking titles with broad appeal is important if you hope to sell. It's not just that you can mine them to find juicy nuggets of fun. It's also that these topics are more interesting to work on, produce better results and offer players reasons to come back and replay the games, offering greater value.

    Companies often mistakenly make technology the focus of a product – cool tech is a great way to support great gameplay, but without the latter aspect there, titles just won't resonate as well with players or be as long-lasting. And play quality is just as important today, if not more so, as it was 10-15 years ago. Developers really have to be true to their passion, and get excited about what they're doing – if they don't have fun making a game, no one else is likely to either. Some initial financial successes have allowed me to enjoy a rare degree of freedom in terms of trying new things; I think it's a grave error to try and follow the latest trend or hot genre.

    To really achieve success too, you also have to be careful to stick with what you know. Tempting as it is to consult at this point or run a company, I found what I enjoyed most was making games, not managing people. I like to think that's reflected in my work. I always think about the audience I'm designing for (say, for handheld platforms versus the PC) and the technical capabilities of the medium as well, so I can deliver a compelling experience that's an interesting fit for the system. I'd like to think that you can't go wrong with this approach.

    The key thing to remember though is that every game we make here is fun and accessible, even those based on deep or complex topics. You want players to feel good about themselves at the end of the day. If they're able to jump right in and have a good time with a game, it's a good sign you're onto something special."

    Next page: Nolan Bushnell