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Gaming careers
Lach
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
This year I was hired as an intern at a large corporation. I've only been working there for a month, but the grind of working 8 hours a day and commuting to work everyday are not something I'm looking forward to for the next 40 years of my life. I'm not exactly going to give up on it, but I've been thinking about what things I could do on the side or instead of working full-time.
This is what led me to consider starting a business. I've read a few books on this topic in the past week and there's one thing that stands out: most successful business people had a passion and found a way to make money from that passion. In trying to list the things I'm passionate about I found that I mostly like to play video games, read about video games and talk about video games on or off the internet. This is why i created a thread here in G&T, to discuss gaming and entrepreneurship or jobs in the industry.
I don't think we really need to discuss being a game designer or a game store employee. But I'm sure there are many jobs in between that we could talk about. So what do you say G&T? What can I do to work in an industry I love? What kind of cool jobs are out there? Does anyone on here have a job or story they'd like to share about working in the industry or anything like that?
This is what led me to consider starting a business. I've read a few books on this topic in the past week and there's one thing that stands out: most successful business people had a passion and found a way to make money from that passion. In trying to list the things I'm passionate about I found that I mostly like to play video games, read about video games and talk about video games on or off the internet. This is why i created a thread here in G&T, to discuss gaming and entrepreneurship or jobs in the industry.
I don't think we really need to discuss being a game designer or a game store employee. But I'm sure there are many jobs in between that we could talk about. So what do you say G&T? What can I do to work in an industry I love? What kind of cool jobs are out there? Does anyone on here have a job or story they'd like to share about working in the industry or anything like that?
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I'm working on a double major in International Business and Asian Studies. I really have no idea why I did this or what the hell I'm going to do with it, but i am almost done.
thank god i got a job as a game writer
It sounds like you're still a normal-aged college student. That's plenty of time to learn the trade. With the major you're looking at, I'm sure you could land some entry-level spot with a game publisher and start learning there. It's pretty common for publisher execs to switch over to development, if that's their passion. Spend some time making contacts, keep your eyes open for openings, and go for it when you've got the chance.
This thread is turning into an H/A thread about my career problems. anyone else have a cool job to talk about?
If anyone is interested.
International Business and Asian Studies? Be an American contact for an overseas company (or an overseas contact for an American country, if you move). Are you good with Flash or Photoshop? Be a web designer or ad creator. If you're good at what you do and like doing it, you can still work at a game company without necessarily being the guy who writes code all day.
Question for Houk: how much do you consider yourself a game "writer?" I think of myself as an editor, because I don't feel like I'm creating something as much as putting my own interpretations onto somebody else's original ideas. Also, nasty technical limitations restrict how much of my thoughts can be included in the final versions of the text, but that's usually on a game-by-game basis.
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
I've read these two articles to somewhat mentally prepare me for a fraction of work that I'll need to do in order to make it into a career that I dream of.
We do have some nasty limitations, but i consider that a challenge to my creative ability, not necessarily a barrier to it. I see it as a form of technical poetry, in a way. Of course, im sure plenty of fans would disagree and say i should be putting as little of myself into the words as possible. But, well...it's my job, not theirs, our games sell, and the guy who signs my checks completely backs me up on my philosophy.
Not only that, but I also consider myself a game writer in that im also responsible for creating wholly original content for ad copy, trailer composition, and various packaging materials.
And, on top of that, we've been working on a project where i actually had an admittedly small hand in shaping the original story/characters, and will be helping to create the website, manual, and packaging from scratch. Besides, i want to eventually transfer into american game development, and the sooner i get into the mindset of a writer, the sooner ill feel ready to make the jump.
Also, it seems like a new website or blog pops up every day. This journalism seems pretty crowded.
Yes, that can be frustrating. However, something to consider, if you do want to use the game writing thing as as a step toward your eventual goal, writing for your own website, and writing well, can get you noticed, and hired by established sites. that's what happened to me, and I have seen it happen more than once since I have been in this field.
Most successful independent business people also work their asses off for their businesses/passions. If you're going to go that route, know that it's not going to be a 40-hour work week.
PSN: super_emu
Xbox360 Gamertag: Emuchop
Eh? Eh?
PSN: super_emu
Xbox360 Gamertag: Emuchop
Everyone I know works for a firm and not with a particular company/set of companies?
But that's the stupid kind of corporate law.
I took a professor last quarter who was the "Unofficial Official Computer Science -> Law School Advisor".
Apparently every year my school pumps out one or two CS majors who go into law school, mostly looking to be software patent lawyers and the like. But if you want to be a general lawyer for the industry, this might be a good way to go.
Well, I'll have a degree in International Business (I.E. Marketing and Business) with minors in Physics, Computer Science, and Math.
I was going to be one of the two CS kids, then I realized I hated CS before I figured out I wanted to be a lawyer. Meh.
International Trade is something I have no been able to avoid fixating myself on. I check forecasts constantly, read essays on various practices etc. So I'd probably want to deal with something of that nature.
I'd rather work 60 hours knowing all the fruits of that work will be enjoyed by me and not some exec that doesn't even know my name.
know your risks.. it's not all fun and games. my dad had his own business and he put his life and soul into and it failed. we were financially devestated. we lost everything and lived with no power and heat for a year. we boiled our own water to wash our selves with warm water. caculate your riskes and when you take the plundge make sure you have an "out".
PSN: super_emu
Xbox360 Gamertag: Emuchop
Yeah. Let's just say I'm in the process of trying to send applications to places. Let's see what the CS degree can really do.
PSN: super_emu
Xbox360 Gamertag: Emuchop
t scootch - that really sucks man. i always hate hearing about people who took a risk and had the world kick the shit out of them.
Don't let the bullshit about the "entertainment" industry fool you, we make, first and foremost, software, and henceforth follow our own paradigm on doing things. You know all those game companies in the 90's that fell through because of Hollywood asshat and asshat wannabees, they didn't realize that. Movie & TV != Games & Software.
Prepare to be unemployed. A lot. Plan on being laid off at least once every two years, and that's if you're lucky. Prepare for the fact that loved ones and those dependent on you might not like this fact and it will cause you stress later in life. Prepare for the fact that contemporaries with similar skill sets in other fields will make more money than you. If you're a designer, go in knowing that your skill set, unlike programmers and artists, and the skills you learn in the game industry are completely useless outside of it.
You don't make games for 'the people', or gamers, or women, or children. You make games for Publishers and Marketing Departments. 99.9% of the time, you will be working on someone else's idea and you will have little sway in changing it. A good 75% of the that time you will be working on an established IP and have little to no power at all over changing things. If you're VERY lucky, you'll get to work on a game that's famous or infamous enough to get made fun of by Penny Arcade.
Programmers are exist to make everyone else's lives easier. If something doesn't work right, it's up to you to fix it. If someone needs a tool, you write it. If you're lucky, you'll be at a reasonable company that will listen to SOME of your input, but you are NOT a designer. However, since only you understand the codebase, you CAN get away with getting features in under the hood.
Artists should never expect a reasonable description of what designers want. Most designers aren't able to communicate their ideas as clearly as they should. In addition, prepare to have to make weird cuts and hacks to your models, whether it be for poly count or gameplay reasons or because some designer doesn't think what you did was 'good enough'. You will never have as many polys or shaders as you like. Get used to it.
If you want to be a programmer, learn how to program in C++ and be able to switch between multiple languages very quickly. If you want to be an artist, learn 3D Studio Max AND Maya, you'll eventually need both anyways. If you want to be a designer, you'll have to learn a little bit of everything, but most of all, learn how to write very well, and take courses in marketing and public speaking and debate if you're not already good at it.
A designer shares a lot in common with a car salesman, you don't have to know everything about a car, just enough to convince people that it's a good car. If you're not a level designer/artist, your job is to convince other people you have a good idea. Once you get past that, then you might get to do some actual game design.
Every designer, artist and programmer I know that comes into the industry wants to make a game, HIS game. Unless you're just that damn good, or just that damn charismatic, you will NEVER get to make the game you want to make. The only way you will ever make that game is to do it yourself and if you're lucky, convince people through speech or money to help you.
Actions speak louder than words. As a designer, you MUST learn how to demo your ideas to be successful. You will find that programmers and artists will sometimes be more successful than you in conveying ideas. Programmers can actually implement their ideas, and artists can usually storyboard them. If you have a gameplay idea, implement it in something, whether in code, with figurines, or with pen and paper. If you have a story sequence idea, create a storyboard. People don't read, but they will look at pictures.
...that's my rather cynical view towards our industry. You do twice the work for half the pay and little recognition. If you're a gamer, and I mean that in the purest sense, you will not enjoy being in the game industry.
It's like sex, sure it feels good and and all, but do would really like it if you had to experience it from your sperm's point of view?
I'm only 22 and I don't have a wife or kids. I think now is as good a time as any for me to be taking risks. And i can always go back to working. I'm pretty responsible with my money so i'll have some money saved before I decide to do anything. If I decide to do anything.
Writing about games seems like a great idea. I think it's something I can work on while I'm working for this company. And if it works out I'll see where it goes.
But i still want to know what all the options are... Maybe the experience I'm getting at this job (it's mostly marketing research and reports) will help me find a job with a company in the game industry.
I would of been angry if he didn't take the risk, always wondering what it would of been like. atleast he lived.
PSN: super_emu
Xbox360 Gamertag: Emuchop
it's not all just money though. trust and friendship with your friends and family will go a long ways. good luck man and make sure you talk to your family.
PSN: super_emu
Xbox360 Gamertag: Emuchop