How to get into the game industry and why you shouldn't.
I'm in a pissy mood, so I'm going to talk about the game industry - how to claw your way into it, the subsequent realization of your mistake, what positions are super-sweet, and what are bad ideas. This was going to be a user review originally, but I would have had very few good things to say. Please, if you have differing experiences, don't agree, or just have feedback - reply and let me know.
I am, by no means, an authority on an entire industry - no one is. I have, however, worked at several publishers and in several studios. Interning, fulltime, or contract, in a variety of different positions...from casual puzzle games to $30 million dollar flops. Programmer to tester on prerelease console hardware (Xbox 360 used to be Macs) to arcade games. I've worked retail to volunteer work, 100 hour weeks to being laid off after 2 days (sadly, quite common).
I, at least, have some perspective, but no authority.
---
Where to start? You really need proficiency in a small set of skills, if you want to force your way into this industry.
Programmer? You're set, send in your resume, start with a small startup company and work for cheap developing games! That was easy.
C/C++, please...You'll quickly leave and make more money in an industry that doesn't have their head up their asses.
If you're sitting on .net and C# experience, find an Xbox 360 studio and become a tools developer. This actually isn't so bad - you learn knew things and are able to move to different projects that are small enough to actually finish in a few months. You don't have to polish your stuff, bug fixes are only necessary if it pisses off more than a few artists. Automation is a good thing you can practice at home. Make software that plays other software.
Level design: This is actually a very good way to get into the industry. As long as you aren't crapping out another de_dust level, you're better than the majority. The thing to help you succeed here is to have actually studied how buildings and 'flow' work. You, the level person, also need to be able to bring something new to a game. It's easy to study famous buildings, just to bring in some new perspective. Try to go make a Gaudi building. You'll fail, but you'd have tried and I guaranteed you learned something.
The problem with this is that level designers are getting closer and closer to the art department. One used to be able to do your own textures, models, ideas, etc. Not so much anymore, this is good for the level designer themselves, but makes the entry bar so much higher. It's harder to get a job, when your portfolio could be excellent, but looks barren compared to a level with a few artists.
Several studios have made it a piece of cake to learn this at home, Valve, Id and Epic giving you professional level editors for free. Many games come with scripting tools, object placement tools, and tons of premade content.
Art department (sound goes here too): This, I have the least amount of experience with. However, a solid portfolio is a must. Your portfolio has to be phenomenal to match some of the artist you'd see at ArenaNet or Blizzard, so start smaller. Sadly, only concept artists seem to be able to be fine artists (like, in fine arts) - the rest are in photoshop, maya, 3d studio max, etc. Good luck with this one, I never understood how they do that...
I know very little about sound, if you can make music - build a portfolio. I don't know how sound effect people get working, though.
Sound people have the cushiest offices, when you go crazy you can jump off their padded sound-proof walls and scream your lungs out.
Support staff: You, Mr/Mrs/Ms Support Person, get to go home at decent times. Good for you. This, for the most part, is a sweet gig. I'm talking receptionists, admins, HR, etc etc...why is it so sweet? You still get to go to the parties, but crunch-mode only rarely hits you. How to get in here? Have Office experience, apply and say you like games - that starts you at the bottom. I lied, that's not totally true, you need your standard degree to get into HR, or whatever. This is like at any other company.
QA for a publisher:
Literally, the easiest position to start in...but, you're a contractor 90% of the time. You'll work some of the hardest hours, are the least appreciated, won't get invited to the parties, no credits, be treated like shit (ahem...Bungie) - and have a decent chance of being let go with no notice. Seriously, to start here - you have to be of a certain age, that's it.
QA for a studio:
Hah, most studios use the publisher's QA department. You actually need some ability at a studio. Be able to talk programmer talk and you've a leg up.
None of this means squat if there are no game companies around you...so, move if you want it that bad.
If you're lucky move near Seattle, Austin, or Irvine... you're near a game studio...get crackin!
Start with a small position with a big publisher...they've got the biggest heads up the tiniest of asses, but it's a great way to get in. They have to hire so many people and the turnover is rather high, so you can build a resume within a year or two that will get you interviews.
Why you shouldn't work here...
Mediocre pay, long hours, poor working conditions, infantile industry that has mood swings that will make your head spin, massive competition, and a lot of other goodies. You put your blood, sweat, and tears into a game for years sometimes and there are only two possibilities afterward:
1) You get laid off, because your game failed to live up to publisher expectations.
2) You immediately start the process again (that means successful game).
No matter which outcome you're lucky enough to go through - your game will be ripped a new one by the gaming press, and the self-righteous gamers will pick every little flaw apart and say: "This game sucks, you don't get my $10-$60 bucks...I'll pirate it instead."
Or, if you are really lucky, your publisher dumped 100 million into advertising on a game that was a guaranteed success, hampering, for a decade, any game that comes out afterward.
...I forgot Game Designers, be a douche...
EDITx2: Bolded sections...I lie, I don't know how to bold here.
I'm in a pissy mood, so I'm going to talk about the game industry - how to claw your way into it, the subsequent realization of your mistake, what positions are super-sweet, and what are bad ideas. This was going to be a user review originally, but I would have had very few good things to say. Please, if you have differing experiences, don't agree, or just have feedback - reply and let me know.
I am, by no means, an authority on an entire industry - no one is. I have, however, worked at several publishers and in several studios. Interning, fulltime, or contract, in a variety of different positions...from casual puzzle games to $30 million dollar flops. Programmer to tester on prerelease console hardware (Xbox 360 used to be Macs) to arcade games. I've worked retail to volunteer work, 100 hour weeks to being laid off after 2 days (sadly, quite common).
I, at least, have some perspective, but no authority.
---
Where to start? You really need proficiency in a small set of skills, if you want to force your way into this industry.
Programmer? You're set, send in your resume, start with a small startup company and work for cheap developing games! That was easy.
C/C++, please...You'll quickly leave and make more money in an industry that doesn't have their head up their asses.
If you're sitting on .net and C# experience, find an Xbox 360 studio and become a tools developer. This actually isn't so bad - you learn knew things and are able to move to different projects that are small enough to actually finish in a few months. You don't have to polish your stuff, bug fixes are only necessary if it pisses off more than a few artists. Automation is a good thing you can practice at home. Make software that plays other software.
Level design: This is actually a very good way to get into the industry. As long as you aren't crapping out another de_dust level, you're better than the majority. The thing to help you succeed here is to have actually studied how buildings and 'flow' work. You, the level person, also need to be able to bring something new to a game. It's easy to study famous buildings, just to bring in some new perspective. Try to go make a Gaudi building. You'll fail, but you'd have tried and I guaranteed you learned something.
The problem with this is that level designers are getting closer and closer to the art department. One used to be able to do your own textures, models, ideas, etc. Not so much anymore, this is good for the level designer themselves, but makes the entry bar so much higher. It's harder to get a job, when your portfolio could be excellent, but looks barren compared to a level with a few artists.
Several studios have made it a piece of cake to learn this at home, Valve, Id and Epic giving you professional level editors for free. Many games come with scripting tools, object placement tools, and tons of premade content.
Art department (sound goes here too): This, I have the least amount of experience with. However, a solid portfolio is a must. Your portfolio has to be phenomenal to match some of the artist you'd see at ArenaNet or Blizzard, so start smaller. Sadly, only concept artists seem to be able to be fine artists (like, in fine arts) - the rest are in photoshop, maya, 3d studio max, etc. Good luck with this one, I never understood how they do that...
I know very little about sound, if you can make music - build a portfolio. I don't know how sound effect people get working, though.
Sound people have the cushiest offices, when you go crazy you can jump off their padded sound-proof walls and scream your lungs out.
Support staff: You, Mr/Mrs/Ms Support Person, get to go home at decent times. Good for you. This, for the most part, is a sweet gig. I'm talking receptionists, admins, HR, etc etc...why is it so sweet? You still get to go to the parties, but crunch-mode only rarely hits you. How to get in here? Have Office experience, apply and say you like games - that starts you at the bottom. I lied, that's not totally true, you need your standard degree to get into HR, or whatever. This is like at any other company.
QA for a publisher:
Literally, the easiest position to start in...but, you're a contractor 90% of the time. You'll work some of the hardest hours, are the least appreciated, won't get invited to the parties, no credits, be treated like shit (ahem...Bungie) - and have a decent chance of being let go with no notice. Seriously, to start here - you have to be of a certain age, that's it.
QA for a studio:
Hah, most studios use the publisher's QA department. You actually need some ability at a studio. Be able to talk programmer talk and you've a leg up.
None of this means squat if there are no game companies around you...so, move if you want it that bad.
If you're lucky move near Seattle, Austin, or Irvine... you're near a game studio...get crackin!
Start with a small position with a big publisher...they've got the biggest heads up the tiniest of asses, but it's a great way to get in. They have to hire so many people and the turnover is rather high, so you can build a resume within a year or two that will get you interviews.
Why you shouldn't work here...
Mediocre pay, long hours, poor working conditions, infantile industry that has mood swings that will make your head spin, massive competition, and a lot of other goodies. You put your blood, sweat, and tears into a game for years sometimes and there are only two possibilities afterward:
1) You get laid off, because your game failed to live up to publisher expectations.
2) You immediately start the process again (that means successful game).
No matter which outcome you're lucky enough to go through - your game will be ripped a new one by the gaming press, and the self-righteous gamers will pick every little flaw apart and say: "This game sucks, you don't get my $10-$60 bucks...I'll pirate it instead."
Or, if you are really lucky, your publisher dumped 100 million into advertising on a game that was a guaranteed success, hampering, for a decade, any game that comes out afterward.
...I forgot Game Designers, be a douche...
EDITx2: Bolded sections...I lie, I don't know how to bold here.
