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

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

Maybe a writer in the enthusiast press but I know that that usually calls for tough freelance work or needing to have a wider range of talent ("on air" personality) to really be sustainable as full time at a publication.

No way on creating games, though. Seems super rewarding to finish a project you're proud of but I haven't got the slightest bit of confidence that I could creatively input enough to a product that people would actually enjoy when all was said and done.

 

[Kapryov]

I kinda do, yeah. I have lots of ideas for games.
Been thinking about learning how to use Unity for one, hopefully opening the door for learning some kind of language on the way. It's just the time required that keeps me away.

I'm already a musician and I regularly compose music, so I guess that's another way in if I wanted to go that way.

 

[fenners]

Can I be an EA investor?

Click to shrink...

Yes.

 

[TheUnseenTheUnheard]

I'm working towards this now. I'm enjoying tools programming and gameplay programming. I hope to get in sooner than later.

 

[Acorn]

Nah too unstable and I don't have the technical skills anyway.

 

[finalflame]

Not as a developer no, they don't make the money I'm looking for. On the business side of things yes. It's all about the money at the end of the day. I'm a corporate man. Corporate Activison or EA would be the dream if I was forced.

Click to shrink...

What kind of crack are you smoking? Product and engineering roles at top game companies in major west coast cities (SFO/LAX/SEA) are paid extremely well, especially as you get into principal or top-level roles. At the best companies, these are often the highest paid positions. Companies that pay anyone but absolute top execs better than their principal/lead designers and engineers are not companies you want to work for anyways, anecdotally.

 

[Pixel Grotto]

I've wanted to, but I don't have any sort of programming or artistic skill which are the jobs in most demand. I would be able to do something like writing or social media, and occasionally daydream of getting an ideal game industry job in those areas. But everything I've heard about working conditions in several of my formerly favorite developers - CD Projekt Red, Blizzard, etc - makes me feel like there's a lot of shit to deal with that might make me hate parts of this hobby.

I'd probably work best in a small studio on an indie game (like Supergiant, though they're not exactly as indie as they used to be) and I'd still jump at the chance to do something like that if given the opportunity.

 

[balohna]

AAA level designer here, former QA...

Have a hard time imagining doing anything else. It isn't always great, but often my job is really fun and I'm excited to go to work.


I'm lucky I haven't had to move. I was definitely broke for a while, though.

 

[Yoshimitsu126]

Not until the salary rises and the hours are more stable. Also need to practice coding a lot more since I'll be in the software development side...

Did make some okay to terrible small games for my game design elective and local game jams at other university though so I guess I can die knowing I made some sort of games lol.

Also people should really look up meetups and attend game jams to see how small games are made if they are curious.

 

[knightmawk]

I do, as a developer, or engineer of some kind. Games, specifically Fable, are what convinced me to study engineering in the first place, and I've done game-dev as a hobby for a bit now. It's full of a lot of really interesting and difficult challenges, and creative people coming up with creative solutions for those challenges. Like yes, sometimes those creative solutions are effectively duct tape and dime store illusions, but I love it anyway. Plus, do you have any idea how much of our world is propped up by shell code that an engineer swears they'll replace with something more stable as soon as he gets the time?

Im currently a software engineer and I've worked in some pretty soul crushing industries, financial technology and defense contracting. Management and work life balance sucks everywhere, if I'm going to break my ass for a bunch of ungrateful people that don't know what they're talking about, I'd rather at least at the end of the day know someone somewhere got some good pure enjoyment out of it.

 

[Ascenion]

What kind of crack are you smoking? Product and engineering roles at top game companies in major west coast cities (SFO/LAX/SEA) are paid extremely well, especially as you get into principal or top-level roles. At the best companies, these are often the highest paid positions. Companies that pay anyone but absolute top execs better than their principal/lead designers and engineers are not companies you want to work for anyways, anecdotally.

Click to shrink...

My first cousin is an Anesthesiologist. I want that kind of money. The game industry isn't going to give me $412k a year. I'm in grad school for psychology for a reason, but that's just going to be my first PhD. And I'll be done hopefully in 2022 barring any changes to my desires ( I quit in 2015 and fucked around and got a bachelors in Biology too)

Edit: side note I currently do HR after I took a non thesis masters due to financial issues in my family. That's where the corporate thing comes from. I like the culture, hate the pay, but now I'm back at the PhD chase.

 

[Deleted member 34618]

I used to want to be a game dev when I was in highschool and the first year or so of college but the industry is such a shitshow I decided it would be better to go into "regular" software engineering instead where I get paid more and work less while still getting to spend my time on the job solving interesting problems.

 

[Litigator]

Definitely not in a technical role.

Would probably enjoy it in a boss/management position like creative director or managing director or something like that.

 

[Brite_Boy]

I just graduated and am interested in user experience research in the gaming industry.

But I imagine I'll have to take some other jobs before I get to that level.

 

[Jakisthe]

My first cousin is an Anesthesiologist. I want that kind of money. The game industry isn't going to give me $412k a year. I'm in grad school for psychology for a reason, but that's just going to be my first PhD. And I'll be done hopefully in 2022 barring any changes to my desires ( I quit in 2015 and fucked around and got a bachelors in Biology too)

Edit: side note I currently do HR after I took a non thesis masters due to financial issues in my family. That's where the corporate thing comes from. I like the culture, hate the pay, but now I'm back at the PhD chase.

Click to shrink...

Just be a banker and get there without a PhD.

I've spoken/worked with a bunch of corporate folks though, and haven't come across anyone with a PhD in psych. Which isn't to say it can't be done! But interesting angle.

 

[TooBusyLookinGud]

I thought I did; my undergrad started as Computer Game Design. I started reading about how effed up the industry was - switched that shit to Software Engineering and haven't looked back.

I'm where I want to be. I enable GPU features for my company and I get to work with game developers. I'm very happy with my choice.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Can I be an EA investor?

Click to shrink...

I don't know that today is the best day for that.

 

[Neilg]

I never wanted to but a move into producer / project manager territory might be in my future.
Past few years i've been looking after a team of 3d artists on some large scale installation / exhibition work and doing a lot of budgets/ schedules / client management for 9-12month long projects. pretty much the only room I have to do this on a bigger scale while making use of my 16-year 3d background is moving into games.

 

[Komo]

I don't know that today is the best day for that.

Click to shrink...

I mean it's down 10% buy cheap or when it upticks.

 

[Prophane33]

I worked in the industry for a very artistically inclined electronics game publisher. Granted, it was for a very short time but while the last thing I wanted to do after getting home was play games, and I worked some absolutely ridiculous hours; however, the pay was decent and it was cool being a part of something so big. It was also neat to actually be in the know about stuff (even if I always made sure to keep everything I saw a secret). I always tell friends that it was both the best and worst job I've ever had. Of course, more than a decade later and far more experienced I wouldn't mind going back into the industry but it would likely be in the localization/editing side of things rather than QA testing.

 

[Ian Henry]

Hell Yes. I would definitely be apart of something important and create quality content.

 

[Anthony Hopkins]

I would like to be a games tester.
As long as they followed health standards.
No more then 2hrs screen time.
And I know what games testing is about, that I would have to play 1 section of a level 1000s of times, I would do that for min wage.

 

[Jannyish]

One day, yes, definitely. In marketing, PR, social media management or all of the above. I already work in PR and marketing, just not in the games industry, and whilst I like my current job one day I would like to help sell products that I actually have a personal interest in. Makes the job way more fun, at least that is my theory.