Do Any of You Want to Work in the Games Industry?

[Fubar]

Sup HR buddy. I'm in HR too.. of sorts (Occupational Health and Safety Specialist). Ignoring the fact the games industry probably doesn't have much use for a person like me - I can't see myself wanting to work in the field. Really - any creative-driven field is an HR nightmare. Executives and managers don't think the rules apply to them, high stress work, low compliance.

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I think the people thinking rules dont apply to them is in every type of work, not just limited to creative fields haha.

And I agree with you, I dont think I would want to go into a games studio in an HR role either, though like I said I wouldn't really mind it if my requirements were hit.

Big thing for me is employee relations and making sure there is no harassment. From what I know, the games industry isnt exactly a diverse or open one. Breaking that tradition would be a very fun and creative challenge. I am just not sure if many companies actively want to do that.

 

[Arkeband]

The pay and hours required are known to be awful for work/life balance, so I'm alright just being a gaming enthusiast programming less exciting things as my job. I'm sure that my wide range of gaming knowledge and skillset would be useful in the industry if I ever did want to become a husk of my former self and never see my family again.

 

[Much]

Marketing or Community Management, but either of those seriously depends on who you'd be working for and the community which you are subjected to. All in all though, as great as it'd be, it's entirely circumstantial and I wouldn't want it to get in the way of it being a hobby.

 

[diablos991]

Not nearly enough money in the industry unless I own the company.

Straight out of college I would have considered it, but not once my career took the path it's on.

I do paid beta testing on some weekends though which is more like getting a bit of compensation to support the hobby.

 

[SweetJohnnyCage]

I work for an esports tournament platform and love it.

That said, it is stressful and the hours can be a bit long some days, and I work a decent amount of weekends. I would much rather do this and figure out how to make my dream work for me, rather than work a job skip tracing people and getting their cars repo'd like I was before.

 

[AerialAir]

I would, only part-time though. I'm doing my masters in video game aesthetics so hopefully I can use all the knowledge I've acquired with my dissertation in some sort of job.

 

[AndrewDean84]

No way. I'd hate my customers to be gamers.

 

[Deleted member 9306]

This thread has been fascinating.



If you want to make games in the 'bigger industry' you need to make some games.

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What do you mean by this? Like indie games? Show a good knowledge of coding and etc?

 

[apocat]

Absolutely not. In all accounts it seems to be a horrible industry to work in. At least unless you are one of the very few actually independent studios that manage to get good revenue. I'd rather have my hobby untarnished by the horrorshows that seems to play out behind the curtains.

 

[N051DE]

If I had the ability to localize, maybe.

 

[machinaea]

What do you mean by this? Like indie games? Show a good knowledge of coding and etc?

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Indie games, small solo projects, modding, github examples. Pretty much anything that would relate to game development in larger projects. There are just so many gotchas that people tend to learn from experience, that it can be quite hard at times to hire candidates that don't have some kind of experience from making games, as (from experience) training people to fully understand requirements and avoid common pitfalls without consuming too much lead / producer time can easily take a ton of time. Of course it can be different for people like systems admins, who aren't necessarily making the functional programs based on creative input / design, but rather something more common in all of modern software.

And personally, I would like to say that the industry doesn't have to suck. A lot of AAA studios share a very painful history, and especially it seems that in Asia and in the US the conditions are improving lot slower than in Europe, they are improving. And especially on the mobile F2P-side of things, all the companies I worked for had not only healthy working hours (40/week, no forced overtime and even very much fought against the people's urge to push themselves towards breaking point) and good compensation, healthy and inclusive culture etc. The business is hard and a lot of the struggle comes from people's self-doubt, impostor syndrome and sometimes crushing financial pressure and uncertainty, but it can still be a wonderful industry to work in with wonderful people around you. But if you are in it for the end result of a good game (which has little do with the thousands of hours you put into each product) you are in for a disappointment.

 

[Se_7_eN]

I worked for Nintendo, Sony and Disney over a 12 year period... The work environments were awesome, easily the best there is. However, everyone eventually got extremely cynical towards games and new game releases were less and less exciting. Going home and "relaxing with a game" was also a thing of the past, because that is the last thing you want to do after working on a game all day. I really enjoyed the experience and met some damn fine people during my years, I wouldn't change it for anything.

But, I am happier now working in web development.

 

[The Archon]

No

Only naive people or truly passionate people want to work in the industry.

And the majority of people I've heard say they want to work in the game industry in person aren't even aware of the working conditions.

 

[Shoon]

The industry is a great place to work, but it all comes down to which studio you work for and how they are towards you. I love and really cherish all the experience I've obtained and all the people I worked/still work with to this day. Super blessed to have gotten my foot in the door early!

Pursue your dreams in the industry, because trust me, it's worth it!

 

[Demacabre]

Hell No! It seems like a loveless job of compromises and crunch hell. I am fine just spending my cash and playing the products.

Those who aren't snake oil salesman trying to put lipstick on a pig are truly dedicated and awesome people who bring us great games, stories, and experiences.

 

[RobbRivers]

I would love to, in Marketing department, but not in an agency...

 

[Deleted member 9306]

Indie games, small solo projects, modding, github examples. Pretty much anything that would relate to game development in larger projects. There are just so many gotchas that people tend to learn from experience, that it can be quite hard at times to hire candidates that don't have some kind of experience from making games, as (from experience) training people to fully understand requirements and avoid common pitfalls without consuming too much lead / producer time can easily take a ton of time. Of course it can be different for people like systems admins, who aren't necessarily making the functional programs based on creative input / design, but rather something more common in all of modern software.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the input + advice! I'll see about getting started with that. So in this case, are you saying that it's better for me to look towards getting practical knowledge and experience (i.e. actually writing scripts, video game modding, indie games, etc.) instead of, say, getting a computer science degree or something? (I know I seem fixated but I'm a 2nd year student at a University majoring in a Non-STEM, and while I like it I'm pretty paranoid. But I suck at math anyways so...)

 

[kappa_krey]

Yes, but specifically in the arcade section of things. I have a lot of great ideas for that area of the industry which, truth be told, I feel is underserved and most people on this forum for example barely know anything about despite there being some great innovations in that space over the past few years.

As for the realistic possibility of getting to do that? Well, those ideas cost money and talent. You don't get anywhere simply being an idea-man, and I while I know enough on tech to put things together on paper, actually building them and putting them into practice as a physical product is an entirely different beast. Not to mention I can't program a game worth shit, altho I'm fairly confident I could if I actually took the time out to learn how. Again, if the money were there, that's something which could resolve itself provided the other talent had similar sights on similar end goals.

All that said, I'm at least glad to see there's some solid activity in the arcade side of things and I'll be trying to check out whatever is conveniently near me, unless I happen to travel abroad.

 

[Deleted member 2785]

What do you mean by this? Like indie games? Show a good knowledge of coding and etc?

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I mean it quite literally. Make some games, or make some mods. Use those as your portfolio.

 

[machinaea]

Thanks for the input + advice! I'll see about getting started with that. So in this case, are you saying that it's better for me to look towards getting practical knowledge and experience (i.e. actually writing scripts, video game modding, indie games, etc.) instead of, say, getting a computer science degree or something? (I know I seem fixated but I'm a 2nd year student at a University majoring in a Non-STEM, and while I like it I'm pretty paranoid. But I suck at math anyways so...)

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I thorougly recommend to just try to make small games in Unity or small mods / scripts for existing games and see if you like it. If not for anything else, but just to see what it is to make games will make your CS studies immediately more interesting as you may actually gain potential takeaways from the lectures that otherwise might seem to have no clear application for you right at that moment.

 

[jstevenson]

We have a bunch of HR people at Insomniac.

But I will also readily admit that Insomniac is an example of a great place to work that has a good culture and work/life balance.

 

[platypotamus]

I wonder what percentage of my conversations with fellow game dems involve one or more participants mentioning how often they think about leaving the industry. It's... high

 

[Arthois]

No, not anymore. I paid my dues doing QA in it. Now, I am old & have a family I like to see on a regular basis. I am not pulling 90 hours week for shit pay to rush a game out that will be forgotten and/or discounted in 3 to 6 months.

Even my production manager step brother is regularly thinking of leaving it.

 

[Nome]

I would love to, but I'm not really good at (nor am I really enthusiastic) about coding and I'm not sure what path one might take in order to get into the creative part of video games, as in being a Designer, Writer, Creative Director, etc.

I think eventually I might end up creating my own video game/ finding some friends and then collaborating and doing some indie work, and eventually I'll find the time to get into Coding, but I just don't know how to break into the bigger industry. Do I need a computer science degree? Do I NEED to be a coder? It's just super confusing.

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Design is probably one of the easier aspects to get into, because most design positions don't involve any hard skills, just good problem-solving ability. The biggest barrier to design is that there's a million other people vying for the same entry-level position you're shooting for, and one of them's bound to have more experience, be a better culture fit, or just be plain smarter than you. So, any "extra" experience helps immensely; project-management, coding, Photoshop, UX, etc. A lot of designers enter the industry through QA, but not any QA job will do--you need to do your research and find which developers actually treat their QA like human beings and not a bug farm. Being able to speak directly to developers is a must for any chance of horizontal mobility within the company.

I find that a good career to transition into game development is web/UX design, since the ability to construct a good web page utilizes many of the same soft skills required to craft a good gameplay experience. The industry is always in need of professionals who have good UX sense as well.

 

[Servbot24]

Yes, I want to be a concept artist. I draw every waking moment to hopefully make this dream happen.

 

[Sephzilla]

No, I'm a programmer but the turnover rate of game programming seems like a stressful circle of hell to live in

 

[4859]

Hell no. Can' enjoy a game you made. You know everything about it.

 

[Macs]

I would love to be a game director and have my ideas and fantasies translated into games, but this is like when kids get asked "what do you wanna do when you grow up?" and they reply "being an astronaut".

 

[Mesoian]

Yes, but not in a traditional role.

I've been eyeing Nielsen's eSports division pretty hard for a while now.

 

[mas8705]

If it could be a career, I'd give it some consideration. Otherwise though, I'm happy to have it just be a hobby for now. Got a pretty good job right now with benefits and unless if the game industry offers double, I'm concept where things currently stands.

 

[R IS REAL 2041]

I wanted to segue into gaming through learning how to code but after seeing all the stories, I don't know. I definitely would as an artist or a playtester.

 

[Akita One]

No, but only because I don't want to move to California, Texas or the Pacific Northwest. Very few devs and publishers are located outside of that.

 

[Sub Boss]

Kill me first

 

[Dremorak]

As an artist:


Yes, seeing as it's one of the few industries outside of film which require lots of concept art and illustration. I really want to have in-house studio experience, at a place like Blizzard or Arenanet. Of course, that's gonna be several years down the line in my case.



How good of a "traditional" artist do you have to be? I know 2D animation requires good draftsmanship, but I have no clue about video game animation.

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I'm one of the worst 2d artists I know lol. So exactly zero. Its helps if you want to sketch out some poses or draft some stuff if you are fast and pretty good, but its not necessary at all. Esp the way I do it, I can try poses out in 3d very quickly, so no need for sketching.

The natural talents that help with animation more than anything else are a good sense of timing, creativity, and acting definitely helps too. etc.

 

[Wulfric]

I'm one of the worst 2d artists I know lol. So exactly zero. Its helps if you want to sketch out some poses or draft some stuff if you are fast and pretty good, but its not necessary at all. Esp the way I do it, I can try poses out in 3d very quickly, so no need for sketching.

The natural talents that help with animation more than anything else are a good sense of timing, creativity, and acting definitely helps too. etc.

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Well that's a relief lol. I'm interested in concept art but I know that's one of the most in-demand niches.

I'm guessing it would help to be able to produce in-game assets? I'm trying to be pragmatic, but most concept art positions I've seen listed want at least some modeling experience.

 

[Flibbertygiblet]

I work in the games industry - particularly in video game advertising. It makes coming to work much more enjoyable knowing I get to bring my passion for video games to my work, and it really hasn't hindered my love for the industry all that much.

I think it helps that I am removed from the actual game development process quite a bit. I think if I were too involved I might become jaded. There are definitely times when an ad my company puts out is met with negativity from fans, and that hurts a little. But MOST of the time I understand where they are coming from.

 

[Dark Ninja]

I work as an artist and it has gotten alot better especially in recent years I work for one the "evil companies" and let me tell you its one of the best jobs ive ever had. Dealing with Indy studios was always a nightmare to me but now that im at one of the largest companies the pay is great, on time, and I get benefits. Also one of the lightest schedules ive ever had the company goes out of its way not to make us crunch. The major problem is you never know if you're gonna get let go but as long as you're delivering its pretty stable.

 

[Dremorak]

Well that's a relief lol. I'm interested in concept art but I know that's one of the most in-demand niches.

I'm guessing it would help to be able to produce in-game assets? I'm trying to be pragmatic, but most concept art positions I've seen listed want at least some modeling experience.

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I definitely am able to produce simple assets myself, but I have never had to do that professionally even once. In any studio of more than around 5 people, they are going to have a 3d artist to handle that side of things.
There was definitely a time where being a jack of all trades was desired, but nowadays I think most companies would rather hire a master of one vs someone who can do everything well enough.

 

[greenbird]

Nah, I get burned out just playing a lot of games anymore. I can't imagine the tedium of actually making them.

 

[Ludens]

Is anyone here working as a game tester?

if so whats the pro's and con's?

 

[Celcius]

I'd like to give a try. I like the idea of knowing that I could work on something that people look back on fondly years later.

 

[Minthara]

I think that maybe I would, but my background is purely Business Administration/Human Resource and I don't think there's any room on teams for someone of my limited skill set, so I've kind of just accepted that it's not an industry I'll ever see myself in. I figured I'd apply for the HR department of a few of the bigger development studios around the area in which I live, (I live a bit south of Seattle), to see if I could at least be somewhat close to the industry in that way, but I'm quite sure that the competition to get those positions are notably stiff so I'm not putting too many eggs in that basket. I love the hobby and the industry, that's for sure, but I can't help but wonder if I'd be better served by trying to get on at a place that would pay for a good portion of my MBA, such as Amazon or a decent government job, as I really just want to get my Master's degree and maybe start teaching Human Resources or Business at a local College if I can't get into the industry.

Click to shrink...

So maybe this helps, maybe it does not, but I too have a Business Administration background and I went into the games industry.

I got my foot in the door in 2014 as a minimum wage Functional QA tester for an external QA house. This was 4 years after finishing my business admin degree. While it sucked to begin with, I realized even back then that not many people have the business background in the industry, so I was able to learn by working my butt off (there was a month or two of 72 hours a week) and by relying on my organization skills given to me by my educational background, which allowed me to take on more work. In this time I took interest in our testing video games from home division of the company, for a little extra cash on the side. I also did a few months in our PC compatibility department, gathering knowledge. All these different avenues gave me knowledge not many other people had, and put me in a unique position as a "normal" QA tester.

I became a Senior QA Tester in 2015 and because of my business and project management background working in conjunction with all the knowledge gained in the office and I was given a small project where I also took on Lead responsibilities. While this was happening, I moved up at the work from home position to basically a moderation role, in charge of managing groups. This role allowed me to really flex that Business Admin educational background, since the focus is on management, client relationships, presentations, tracking metrics, etc.

All of this came to head in 2016 where I became one of the people in charge of running the work from home teams. Now I use basically the full arsenal of everything I learned in school combined with what I learned professionally, and it tends to be a great boon to both me and the team I'm on. Since many of them don't have something as simple as PR training, a lot of the community facing stuff is given a run by me just to double check wording and language used.

I'm aiming to move up again to Project Manager at my company by years end with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work.

So I guess my point is: If you use your education degree wisely and really want to work for a video game company, you can move up extremely quickly at a video game company just because you may have knowledge that is extremely valuable to the company. But you do need to "do time" and start from the bottom, especially since a lot of video game companies like to look internally before they start looking externally. So while it might suck doing a lower paying job for an extended period of time, absorb information around you like a sponge and always look for new knowledge within the company.

It may not work for everyone, but its gotten me this far so far.

 

[Vic Damone Jr.]

At one point in time yea, it after seeing how volatile it is no:/

 

[Osu 16 Bit]

I do and it's awesome. These have been the best years of my life. I've never had any regrets nor has it negatively effected my love of the hobby.

 

[Minthara]

Is anyone here working as a game tester?

if so whats the pro's and con's?

Click to shrink...

Can you clarify what you mean by "game tester"? There are many different types of jobs that go by that name. For instance, there are companies that allow you to be a game tester from home with no training, but it does not really reflect anything about about formal QA.

If you are asking about formal QA, it can be fun! There are many types of QA game testing though:
Functionality - These are people that look for bugs for the most part, such as falling through world, sound not working, art looking weird, etc. This can be a pretty fun job some days, sometimes you are trapped in one level your entire week that you have to play through over and over again trying to find literally everything on the level that can be broken.
Compliance - These are people that look at the game as the eyes and ears of the console developers (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) to make sure that the game passes certification and does not have any platform specific bugs. A good example of a compliance bug is a game deleting your PS4 save file if you do something wrong.
Compatibility - These testers are the oens who test PC games on as many different configurations as possible, "looking" for the games minimum and recommended specs. They provide the client with the average frame rate, low frame rate, high frame rate and any specific PC bugs they can encounter, such as if the game does not work with a certain CPU or Graphics card.
Localization QA - These people generally do not translate, but instead they look for errors that are translation related. A good example of this is when text does not fit in the text box its designed for.

There are many, MANY other types of QA. However, because there are so many types, some might be boring to you and some might be really interesting. I personally loved compatibility testing the most because I loved building PCs and I got to do that all day. However, I got promoted and do not regret that one bit.

Hope that helps and feel free to ask me anything else!

 

[Deleted member 23381]

No, I don't hate myself.

 

[Snowybreak]

No, I've been working in restaurants all my life and going from that into an even higher stress workplace like that would probably kill me. I also have no skills in coding and no idea of where to learn them quick enough that I'm not 30 when I try to actually apply them. I thought about it years ago when I was starting high school, but as the years went on and my depression grew worse, I fell off any path that would have led to that as a career. Ended up training as a welder, but grew to hate the culture of that line of work. So now I'm a prep cook.

 

[Dee Dee]

It's weird to read so many people being afraid to even try here, and also so many people going "hell nooo".
My brother is an accountant, and his job isn't any more secure or less stressful than mine (I work for a localization company that focuses exclusively on video games). I agree there's stress, and there's communities (oh boy), but that just comes with certain positions like Customer Support in all types of areas - I knew people that worked in Customer Support for ebay or amazon, their stories weren't that much different from mine back when I worked in CS for video games, except mine contained more swearing about loot boxes and less about the postal service.
Don't be afraid to work with things you are passionate for, if anything that's a great asset to have when you want a job! You'd be surprised how much knowledge on the matter can help set you apart in the interview. There are so many companies out there, different teams - I worked for very different companies and on very different positions in gaming, and it's never quite the same just because it's all a job in the "games industry".

I can only strongly encourage people that have an interest in the subject to follow their heart and see where it takes them. Working in the industry has never negatively affected my love for this hobby, if anything, getting to be around teams of like-minded people is priceless. It's fun, it's challenging, and you look forward to going to work in the morning.

If anything, let me tell (and warn) you about working in the music industry, which is where I used to work for years, ouf...

 

[Deleted member 2595]

I do

The highs can be insanely high but it's not glamorous (no industry is really) and it's so never endingly disruptive. Shit that would sell millions three years ago would flop today. It's wild.

 

[chrisypoo]

If there's anything the games industry needs its people who know how to run shit. Seriously.

Click to shrink...

So maybe this helps, maybe it does not, but I too have a Business Administration background and I went into the games industry.

I got my foot in the door in 2014 as a minimum wage Functional QA tester for an external QA house. This was 4 years after finishing my business admin degree. While it sucked to begin with, I realized even back then that not many people have the business background in the industry, so I was able to learn by working my butt off (there was a month or two of 72 hours a week) and by relying on my organization skills given to me by my educational background, which allowed me to take on more work. In this time I took interest in our testing video games from home division of the company, for a little extra cash on the side. I also did a few months in our PC compatibility department, gathering knowledge. All these different avenues gave me knowledge not many other people had, and put me in a unique position as a "normal" QA tester.

I became a Senior QA Tester in 2015 and because of my business and project management background working in conjunction with all the knowledge gained in the office and I was given a small project where I also took on Lead responsibilities. While this was happening, I moved up at the work from home position to basically a moderation role, in charge of managing groups. This role allowed me to really flex that Business Admin educational background, since the focus is on management, client relationships, presentations, tracking metrics, etc.

All of this came to head in 2016 where I became one of the people in charge of running the work from home teams. Now I use basically the full arsenal of everything I learned in school combined with what I learned professionally, and it tends to be a great boon to both me and the team I'm on. Since many of them don't have something as simple as PR training, a lot of the community facing stuff is given a run by me just to double check wording and language used.

I'm aiming to move up again to Project Manager at my company by years end with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work.

So I guess my point is: If you use your education degree wisely and really want to work for a video game company, you can move up extremely quickly at a video game company just because you may have knowledge that is extremely valuable to the company. But you do need to "do time" and start from the bottom, especially since a lot of video game companies like to look internally before they start looking externally. So while it might suck doing a lower paying job for an extended period of time, absorb information around you like a sponge and always look for new knowledge within the company.

It may not work for everyone, but its gotten me this far so far.

Click to shrink...

I really wasn't expecting anyone to respond to me and honestly I'm pleasantly surprised. I do appreciate the input guys, and you did kind of just raise my spirits in a way. I can't lie, the 72 hours a week sound unsustainable for me as I've never wanted to be one of those fathers who are never home due to putting work above my daughter, but at least I know that with my education and background I can potentially still get into the industry. I have a question, do you think my being a veteran helps my chances of getting accepted in any meaningful way or is it just my education and civilian work background that will be examined? Mainly just idle curiosity, I don't suppose it really matters much. Another question, do development studios often have programs to pay for further employee education such as post grad degrees and what not? I ask because my G.I. bill is essentially dried up and I've really wanted to get my M.B.A but it is simply not economically feasible in any capacity without either the department of defense or some employer footing some of the bill, and I refuse to fall into the student loan bs trap that so many people fall into. Thanks for the suggestions and replies guys seriously, I'm now reexamining whether I should give the industry a shot or not and I haven't been able to say that for years, so if nothing else it's a nice thought. Wait....you don't think I'm too old to get into the industry right? I'm 31 in June, and I don't know if this is mostly an industry for young guys getting in the door and if they'd see me as too old or not. I know that probably sounds ridiculous but I just figured I'd mention it. Thanks again fellas.