Jesus. You work for a website full-time or this is a volunteer/side gig? Because my experience has been nothing like this.
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Is Working in The Gaming Industry still your Dream job?
- Thread starter Kliemie
- Start date
At this point, knowing how cutthroat and stressful the industry can be, I'm not sure I'd even like working in it. The problem is I feel like I need to know for myself, so despite everything I've seen and heard, I'm still pursuing a job in it. If it doesn't work out, I can always go back to what I do now.
CIS college student here hoping to make it into the gaming industry as a programmer, I just can't see myself working with anything else. If everything fails I at least will have something to fall back on.
It's especially hard for me because the gaming industry here in Brazil is pretty much dead, save for one or two indie company. I've been thinking of doing Computer Science as a international student in the US once I'm done with CIS.
It's especially hard for me because the gaming industry here in Brazil is pretty much dead, save for one or two indie company. I've been thinking of doing Computer Science as a international student in the US once I'm done with CIS.
Nope. I've worked on a few basic games as passion projects for myself and others, and I found it ruined the mystique for me. When I actually played, all I could think was "this could have been done differently. This could have been better." It was like looking at a clock to tell the time and only seeing the gears and springs and stuff.
I'll stay a player, thanks.
I'll stay a player, thanks.
I never did other than maybe briefly thinking about games journalism while majoring in that field. I soured on that and went to grad school in a totally different field and am very happy with my career now. I don't like programming and have no artistic or creative talent so making games was never in the cards.
so you would like to go straight to one of the hardest and most demanding positions, yet one where you get to do very little fun stuff? :D
I don't know, it's hard to say. I get home from work and game every day. After all it's what I love.
I had the opportunity to write and do social media management for a site I'll leave unnamed. It didn't pay great, but it was door into something that I thought was my dream job. Mind you, I'm not the best writer and I'm not the best at conveying how I feel about a particular title or really anything in general, but the biggest thing that really kinda turned me off from it was having to force myself to play one game all the time. Maybe the problem was that I specialized in writing about MMOs, but that meant that I had to dedicate pretty much my entire day playing a couple of games (Final Fantasy XIV and EVE). I love both of those games, but having to chronicle what I did in order to write about what I needed really detracted from the overall good feeling I'd have after clearing a raid or having a successful wormhole camp.
Since I've moved onto trying to make streaming a thing, but I really just don't have the personality for it. I think I want to get back into the industry, but not particularly because I find it fun like I thought it was going to be when I had first started, but because I feel like I have something important to say... I don't.
I had the opportunity to write and do social media management for a site I'll leave unnamed. It didn't pay great, but it was door into something that I thought was my dream job. Mind you, I'm not the best writer and I'm not the best at conveying how I feel about a particular title or really anything in general, but the biggest thing that really kinda turned me off from it was having to force myself to play one game all the time. Maybe the problem was that I specialized in writing about MMOs, but that meant that I had to dedicate pretty much my entire day playing a couple of games (Final Fantasy XIV and EVE). I love both of those games, but having to chronicle what I did in order to write about what I needed really detracted from the overall good feeling I'd have after clearing a raid or having a successful wormhole camp.
Since I've moved onto trying to make streaming a thing, but I really just don't have the personality for it. I think I want to get back into the industry, but not particularly because I find it fun like I thought it was going to be when I had first started, but because I feel like I have something important to say... I don't.
Full time for a well known website. Which I'll not name.
Is yours a blog or website? I've noticed a few that seem to actually give fucks. Destruction being one. I'd love to write for those folks. Not that they don't do SEO either, but they do it while writing about interesting things they are obviously passionate about.
I tried to do a feature once on an upcoming indie I felt passionate about, but I was shot down by my editor for not targeting a popular enough game. He made me write a "top 10" list instead :(
I DO like my job. It's not as terrible as it sounds. But there are definitely downsides.
Haha, the burn.
(Jason Schreier works for Kotaku by the way, apologies if I'm coming off rude, but it did made me laugh.)
A year of QA at rockstar was enough for me, I did some work a few years later on Football Manager, but my year at Rockstar taught me there is more to life than working.
Absolutely not, no.
As a kid, it was absolutely my dream job. But then I did work experience at a videogame developer when I was 16 (holy shit that was 21 years ago) and got offered a job there over the Summer, doing a variety of audio editing, data entry and beta testing. I then realised that the idea of me sitting in an office all day staring at a computer screen was the job from hell.
I'd be keen to write and produce some videogame soundtracks though, for indies.
As a kid, it was absolutely my dream job. But then I did work experience at a videogame developer when I was 16 (holy shit that was 21 years ago) and got offered a job there over the Summer, doing a variety of audio editing, data entry and beta testing. I then realised that the idea of me sitting in an office all day staring at a computer screen was the job from hell.
I'd be keen to write and produce some videogame soundtracks though, for indies.
I studied video game design at university hoping to get a job in industry. Looking back i dont think it was worth it. I enjoyed everything I did there but they never really prepared us properly. Everything was rushed in our final year to specialise in a field. We published a game for a charity in our final year but that's where my game development stuff ended.
I'd still like to make a game at some point but due to being away from the field for so long. I doubt I'll get a a job in games company.
I'd still like to make a game at some point but due to being away from the field for so long. I doubt I'll get a a job in games company.
I think that "wanting to make games" and "working in the games industry" are two completely separate things.
Like every job, it has its good and bad points, and good/bad time periods.
You must just know why you want to do it, and which job you want to do as they're all pretty different (if you're into marketing, you'll have a good backup plan). Don't go into this industry for the money.
I'd love to, but I don't know how feasible it would be to start from scratch at 30 years old while juggling a full time job in a pharmaceutical company. I tried to get in with Sumo who are local to me in the UK, but zero experience, 30 and a dream is not exactly what they're looking for and who can blame them?
I've been doing this games journalism thing full-time for close to a decade now, and honestly, I'd still want to jump into PR. Pay is better, and it's more stable.
Nope, want no part of that hellhole and all the politics, deadlines, insane hours, lack of respect, and everything else. Plus, programming is dreadful, lol. More than content to just play and enjoy the games.
I wouldn't want to make games, but I'd love to write/talk about games, old and new. Maybe something like a Youtube channel.
I'd much rather remain on the consumer end of the industry, I feel like maybe a lot of the charm would be gone if I was a part of it.
Even just reading gaming related forums sort of has that effect already... :)
I'd much rather remain on the consumer end of the industry, I feel like maybe a lot of the charm would be gone if I was a part of it.
Even just reading gaming related forums sort of has that effect already... :)
Not really, but I don't really have dreams anymore, so I don't know if I specifically fell out of love with that idea or just gave up on everything at once.
When people think making video games they thing those big companies. I would love to know how to do it all and just have my little own Indie company.
Wish I could be making games that I like alone like the undertale guy or you know just a small group.
Wish I could be making games that I like alone like the undertale guy or you know just a small group.
Never was my dream to "work" in in the industry, as much as it is a dream to own a studio and have others make the games I dream of. Hence why it is a dream.
I mean if I won the lottery today, I'd start a studio, pay fair wages, with actual work life balance, no crunch, and employee work council/union part ownership with a focus on creating a sustainable business and not worry about having to return value to investors/shareholders or always make the next big huge hit. Hard as hell to do, but I think companies can carve out this kind of niche, not just making games, but making tools, helping with ports, middleware, support etc. These kinds of companies exist in the business now, and that's kind of what I would do if it was my dream, but no, I technically wouldn't work in the industry, I'd be helping others work, and I have no desire to work at a developer/publisher now.
I mean if I won the lottery today, I'd start a studio, pay fair wages, with actual work life balance, no crunch, and employee work council/union part ownership with a focus on creating a sustainable business and not worry about having to return value to investors/shareholders or always make the next big huge hit. Hard as hell to do, but I think companies can carve out this kind of niche, not just making games, but making tools, helping with ports, middleware, support etc. These kinds of companies exist in the business now, and that's kind of what I would do if it was my dream, but no, I technically wouldn't work in the industry, I'd be helping others work, and I have no desire to work at a developer/publisher now.
It was always my dream to work with games in some official capacity. And despite all the things that are wrong with this industry, especially AAA, I still love it... I would be very resistant to working in anything else. I never really knew what my 'dream job' was in particular, just as long as it involved games... Though over the years that changed somewhat and now I'm more into animation/cinematics, and all the stuff that entails. After working in that field for a AAA company for about 4 years, I'd love to try something new. Maybe indie, but I'm not in a rush... Plus opportunities in the UK are a bit scarce at the moment...
I think if my actually working on games were to ever fall through, I'd love to try writing about them for a living. The whole culture and process behind it has always been so fascinating to me.
I think if my actually working on games were to ever fall through, I'd love to try writing about them for a living. The whole culture and process behind it has always been so fascinating to me.
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Was once, but not anymore. Still a programmer but Game Dev isn't something I'm interested anymore.
Yep. To bad it'll never happen even after spending several years of school for that specific purpose. ...Well maybe I could try and get into QA again.
Nah, and hasn't been for several years now.
As a kid, I loved the idea of doing just about anything for video games whether it be development, writing, play testing, etc. I even spent a lot of time in RPG Maker back in high school. As I got older, I began veering away since I didn't really have any idea what I would want to do and began getting deeper into another hobby which is now my career. The horror stories that have been coming out over the years within the industry are also worrisome, but I suppose that can be said for a lot of jobs. Some places are just better than others.
As a kid, I loved the idea of doing just about anything for video games whether it be development, writing, play testing, etc. I even spent a lot of time in RPG Maker back in high school. As I got older, I began veering away since I didn't really have any idea what I would want to do and began getting deeper into another hobby which is now my career. The horror stories that have been coming out over the years within the industry are also worrisome, but I suppose that can be said for a lot of jobs. Some places are just better than others.
I hate programming, so I'd never be a game dev. I wanted to be a games writer or UI designer, but hearing that fuckery about 40hr+ weeks turned me right off.
I'll work on being a novelist and figuring something else out professional wise. I'm not working 40+ hours a week just so ungrateful gamers can still whine about the finished product.
I'll work on being a novelist and figuring something else out professional wise. I'm not working 40+ hours a week just so ungrateful gamers can still whine about the finished product.
I'm a product manager who writes fiction. I would hope that I get to be involved in a game at some point but I'm not mad concerned about being in the industry.
I am currently 35 and I have been working as a full time junior programmer for almost 1.5 years now so I fully acknowledge that I currently don't have the skills/experience to be a game dev and I figure that by the time I have the relevant skills/experience, I'll probably be too old to even be considered for an interview.
So I'll stick to playing games rather than making them.
So I'll stick to playing games rather than making them.
Game industry is interesting to work i as long as you're not on the development side. But it's sure not stable and you'll lose your job at any time.
Ended for me when I took a beginner's computer science class in college. Not for me! Combined with the layoffs and crunch, I don't think I could do it.
It's why I appreciate the hard work of devs every day!
It's why I appreciate the hard work of devs every day!