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Do you wish you worked in the game industry?
- Thread starter BAD
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Speaking as an outsider, this is mostly my view of what "being in the industry" seems to be like. I wouldn't mind working on my own project, but working on someone else's project in a big company could probably drain your motivation pretty quickly it seems. Still, my current job isn't any better, so I could be dead wrong about that.
If I wanted to, I'd be there already.
No way in hell I'm gonna work those insane hours with Bangladeshi wages for entitled bastards telling me I'm "lazy" for not having fixed every single issue in the final product.
But a big thanks for those who do. Without them, we wouldn't be there.
No way in hell I'm gonna work those insane hours with Bangladeshi wages for entitled bastards telling me I'm "lazy" for not having fixed every single issue in the final product.
But a big thanks for those who do. Without them, we wouldn't be there.
The working conditions and the lack workers' rights means I would never pursue a career in the gaming industry.
I used to be a marketing consultant.
I've had enough pitch meetings, design briefs, critique syncs, reiterations, feedback meetings, crunch, financial presentations, reiterations, changes to the briefings, crunch, reiterations, more feedback, reiterations, changes, financial expectations, changes, re-pitches, crunches and then finally project burials for a lifetime.
I've had enough pitch meetings, design briefs, critique syncs, reiterations, feedback meetings, crunch, financial presentations, reiterations, changes to the briefings, crunch, reiterations, more feedback, reiterations, changes, financial expectations, changes, re-pitches, crunches and then finally project burials for a lifetime.
Heh, I work as a game designer for board-games, yet I'd really like to work in the video game industry.
Trying to develop something in my spare time...
Trying to develop something in my spare time...
I think software development is fun regardless of whether it's games or other applications, and I'd rather not have the stress that the games industry seems to carry.
That said, I do still enjoy developing my own game/game engine hobby project, but that's purely for fun, not for profit (I'm giving it away for free).
That said, I do still enjoy developing my own game/game engine hobby project, but that's purely for fun, not for profit (I'm giving it away for free).
I work next to my "real" job in game journalism in Germany (we are focused on indie games) and I love the industry and wish I could work full-time in this field or even work on a game. It has its ups and downs but the people I met in this industry were all(!) great.
I'd like to work on the system software side of the industry, i.e. doing software engineering for Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft on the OSs and system features.
It's one of those things where I'd love to work in game development, I have a bunch of ideas but no knowledge or skill in how to execute them. I'm 31 already doing 40-50 hour weeks, just bought a new house, even if I'd like to pursue it I don't know where I'd feasibly begin at this stage.
My local developer is Sumo in Nottingham UK. I've tried to apply for a couple of positions there that aren't related to game development, but a foot in the door so I could learn from the environment. No such luck unfortunately
This is why I'm so excited for Dreams. OK it's not going to give me a career in making games, but I could potentially see some of my ideas come to life and be played by others. For me that's exciting.
My local developer is Sumo in Nottingham UK. I've tried to apply for a couple of positions there that aren't related to game development, but a foot in the door so I could learn from the environment. No such luck unfortunately
This is why I'm so excited for Dreams. OK it's not going to give me a career in making games, but I could potentially see some of my ideas come to life and be played by others. For me that's exciting.
Could you expend a bit?
I'm also studying/working in marketing and was pondering on getting into the game industry. I'm especially interested on what a crunch in marketing would consist of.
I'd like to be an ideas person, I wouldn't like to actually have to do the grunt work. So no, basically.
Well, I think being a one-man indie developer would be incredibly rewarding, that's the kind of hard work that seems worth it, but I wouldn't want to work for a big corp.
Well, I think being a one-man indie developer would be incredibly rewarding, that's the kind of hard work that seems worth it, but I wouldn't want to work for a big corp.
It's a broad industry, I work in marketing and haven't had quite that kind of experience, but then I've never really been in the project management side things. Depends what you want to do.
Given that EA just laid off most of it's marketing teams I wouldn't of thought that was a great line of work to try and get into anymore.
I work in games and love it. That said, i dont work in AAA. I work in the indie space. Indie is where its at.
For sure, I just assumed that marketing would be less prone to crunch since the deadlines aren't really the same which is why I was interested to hear more.
EA isn't really the best exemple, I would aim more towards an Ubisoft type of company being in Europe and having some ties and a degree with/in Canada. More job security while working on global project and having opportunities to work abroad easily.
To be absolutely clear: I am NOT saying it's a shitty industry or anything! NO, I had TONS of fun while working in marketing. The highs were super high, but just be prepared to deal with a lot of frustration, depending on where you're headed. Yes? Marketing is full of characters.
There are better and worse projects of course, but I found myself stuck in the following scenario many times:
Many marketing projects, especially if you're an external consultant, can span multiple stages and multiple months. There is often a planning/briefing-stage, an concept-stage, the actual implementation of strategies and so forth.
And the chief marketing consultant spake, let there be deadlines, yea, and many of them. They often seem to appear out of nowhere. Beware.
So while deadlines loom on the distant horizon and seem far away, you toil away at your desk. You come up with designs and with ideas and you get to work on some of them before they are shelved for various reasons. Most of them don't get past your superiors and clients. As the deadline comes closer, people realize the actual lack of meaningful content you've produced during the last 12 months.
So you get to dig out all of your old ideas. Only you've meant to discuss them with your team and stuff like that - refine them, as it were. But now you get to implement them straight away, you go from sketch in your notebook straight to the client meeting.
They say: "I see where you're going with this. But it needs a lot of work still. By the way? We're still on track for a go live in 2 weeks - right? "
And then you start crunching. Long days, short nights, shitty food, the usual stuff. Marketing can be fun, challenging (in a good way) and exciting. Just make sure you always have a solid project plan and STICK TO IT!
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Thanks for this, your perspective is really interesting since I never really looked at the industry under that light.
I think that's probably true, but marketing can definitely still be stressful and if you're working on a globally-facing product, you'll sometimes have to work slightly unsociable hours in order to take calls with offices in different time zones. And from my experience in a couple of different places, long hours can sometimes be necessary as launch deadlines approach.
It does come with plenty of perks, though, so that's definitely something.
Haha sure thing.
I've also updated my post to "superiors and clients". Since you'll often be working with clients - be they internal or external. Best of luck out there man! I know many people who still love working in marketing and wouldn't want any other job in the world. :)
Yeah at the end of the day, marketing is great and very diverse in terms of tasks and knowledge I don't see myself getting bored anytime soon.
hmm?
Is I worked in QA the new my uncle works at Nintendo?
On Topic
I would love to be n the industry.
Ive done Indie work, and effectively its a hobby and once you lose even a bit of focus the whole project can die.
Hell I started a project in CryEngine 3 in 2014...migrated to Unity, migrated to UE4, migrated back to Unity....now abandoned.
Might get back to it when I have focus.
I currently don't work in the game industry, but that's something i'm thinking of. I think I would have pleasure to work on the communication for games or studios or publishers and I think I'm able to do it great, as it's what I know how to do + something I like (videogames). I didn't apply anywhere in the game industry yet, but really thinking about it.
I used to work on the gaming industry, for almost 4 years. I was laid off, and the company is almost gone. It was a really great time, really. I really enjoyed my time there. Pay wasn't that much, but it was a cool job. Great people in there. Now I'm in the oil and gas industry and I also like it. I always dreamed of working for Nintendo or Sony. I will give it a try and see if it's worth it.
The way they treat their workers never.
I would rather work in a more honest environment were everybody is here to do a job and nothing more.
This whole "making the magic" and "living the dream" is just really nasty exploitative crap that managers use burn workers out and discarding them like trash because they know they find many more workers that "want to live the dream"
I would rather work in a more honest environment were everybody is here to do a job and nothing more.
This whole "making the magic" and "living the dream" is just really nasty exploitative crap that managers use burn workers out and discarding them like trash because they know they find many more workers that "want to live the dream"
I have worked as a Project Manager within IT and software development for several years, and the role best suited for me in the games industry would probably be as an Associate Producer. I have two large game studios close to my location and I have applied for positions there a couple of times (one time resulted in a screening call). Sadly the requirements for those positions is extremely high, and most of the time requires several years within the games industry and released AAA titles on your resume. Even though I on paper have the experience in a very similar industry, I'm not interesting to the recruiters just because I haven't worked with specifically game development before.
Interestingly enough, these positions are often advertised for several months (two of them have been up for more than a year) with no one seemingly being recruited for them, which makes me wonder why they won't even bother with an actual interview with me in person. It seems to me that they value experience on paper more than anything else.
This is just my experience of course, and maybe I'm setting my bar too high on what positions or companies I apply to, but it's really discouraging since I would love to work within the industry.
Edit: Also, on the screening call the recruiter asked what my salary expectations were, and I mentioned what my current salary was and that I would prefer to at least not go lower than that. She very quickly stated that the salary for the advertised position was "probably not even close" to my current one, so maybe I should just be happy with the job I have. :)
Interestingly enough, these positions are often advertised for several months (two of them have been up for more than a year) with no one seemingly being recruited for them, which makes me wonder why they won't even bother with an actual interview with me in person. It seems to me that they value experience on paper more than anything else.
This is just my experience of course, and maybe I'm setting my bar too high on what positions or companies I apply to, but it's really discouraging since I would love to work within the industry.
Edit: Also, on the screening call the recruiter asked what my salary expectations were, and I mentioned what my current salary was and that I would prefer to at least not go lower than that. She very quickly stated that the salary for the advertised position was "probably not even close" to my current one, so maybe I should just be happy with the job I have. :)
I have worked in the games industry - ten years or so at Rebellion. And it was hell. So I ought to answer NOOOOO!
And yet... there is something I miss about it. So if - and it's a big if - I could get back in entirely on my own terms with something indie with no external pressure, being done more for my own satisfaction rather than necessarily a mindset of commercial success, I think I'd be up for it.
Edit: Actually, with the poll broadening it to include journalism, I suspect that I could probably pull off something of the "gaming historian" nature if that was ever a proper thing outside of academic circles!
And yet... there is something I miss about it. So if - and it's a big if - I could get back in entirely on my own terms with something indie with no external pressure, being done more for my own satisfaction rather than necessarily a mindset of commercial success, I think I'd be up for it.
Edit: Actually, with the poll broadening it to include journalism, I suspect that I could probably pull off something of the "gaming historian" nature if that was ever a proper thing outside of academic circles!
I did once and it sucked but I'd get back in if it was a small company with kind and trustworthy people.
Good luck with it! It is super diverse and you do find yourself doing some quite unexpected things, though, like any job in any industry, there's plenty of days when you'd rather be anywhere else.
Game journalism would be much more enjoyable than my current position. Although anything else probably would to be honest. life sucks :/.
Worked for a mobile game startup that has since went under. Wasn't a fan of the exhausting crunch, and left for a stable IT web development job.
All the respect in the world for those in the industry though. It's demanding, yet satisfying work.
All the respect in the world for those in the industry though. It's demanding, yet satisfying work.
I used to, but seeing how hostile the industry is to its employees and how little value it gives to writers killed that dream dead. No intention of ever looking back.
15+ years in the industry here and I am not leaving. It is exhausting and a lot of hard work, but also extremely rewarding. New challenges every single day and awesome people always around you. Shipping a game is such a great feeling. Love it. Love games.