Being an old school web-based sports sim dev in the era of vibe coded games

3 days ago

The developer started Basketball GM as a web-based sports sim in 2012 when web tools were primitive, and persevered through challenges as the ecosystem improved.
Basketball GM became his full-time job in 2021, growing in popularity and profitability, but he worries about longevity due to changing trends.
Initially, competition was minimal because the niche—free, feature-rich, web-based sports sims—lacked economic incentive; developing such a game required significant effort with low profit prospects.
The rise of AI, especially post-ChatGPT, has lowered barriers to game development, leading to a surge in 'vibecoded' web-based sports sims that now threaten his niche.
AI enables both programmers and non-programmers to create games more easily, shifting the economic calculus and attracting many new competitors to the market.
Despite the influx of new games, Basketball GM's popularity and revenue remain stable, but the developer feels threatened, like a siege is approaching.
He predicts that within a year or two, a competitor could match or surpass Basketball GM, but acknowledges the uncertainty of technological change and AI's potential to disrupt many industries, potentially including his own.
The developer reflects on AI's unique threat as it may surpass human intelligence, unlike past technological shifts that created new opportunities, leaving him to continue business as usual while anticipating future challenges.

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