#getting a job in the game industry

[askagamedev]

G’day GameDev. I am in my late 30’s and considering returning to school to study Game Design. I currently have no applicable/transferable knowledge, skills or experience and I will be 40 years old when I have finished my studies and looking to find my first job in the industry. Am I too late? Will I be wasting my time (and money) trying to enter the industry at that age?

There's some major questions that you need to answer for yourself.

First and foremost, I think it really depends on what your own goals and responsibilities are. What is it you want to do with your life? Do you have any other major goals outside of your career? Is doing game design professionally what you really want, or would doing game design as an amateur hobbyist be enough? You need to be sure that this is something you want to commit to for years, not just the studying and learning, but also the doing. Remember, getting an entry-level job in the game industry isn't the end of the road but the beginning. Once you get hired, you don't just ride off into the sunset while the credits roll. There's a whole career after that first offer letter, and that kind of career really isn't for everyone.

The second major question you need to ask yourself is "Do I really need to go to school to study game design?" I'll tell you now that I never went to school for game design. The majority of designers I work with didn't go to school for game design. Game design is a field where being self-taught still works just fine, especially if you engage with the game dev community. You can build a game or mod yourself, get it out in front of people, learn from it, iterate on it, and use that as experience to get yourself a job doing it. It is fully possible to learn game design without significant school debt (which will have a large effect on your life as well).

I could go on, but I think this should be enough food for thought to chew on for a bit. Take some time to consider your answer to these questions and about your life. Consider the tradeoffs from making these choices - what you are giving up to move forward with this, especially if you have to take on several thousands of dollars in school debt. If you have further questions, my inbox is always open. I wish you good fortune.

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#game career advice #getting a job in the game industry #personal soapbox

[brandinotbroke]

actually let me add to this whole "sims 5 is going to be free" (+ microtransactions) because it is particularly disgusting with their recent history: Their rebranding is specifically and increasingly trying to appeal to children.

The way they dressed their presenter during the stream was specifically done to seem more relatable to children.

The way they already dumbed down Sims 4 is to specifically appeal to children. They even lowered the age rating.

Making Sims 5 free will make it incredibly easy for kids to get the base game (especially if it comes out on mobile) and once they have access to it, they'll pester their parents to buy microtransaction bullshit.

I am not usually one who goes for "omg they are targeting your children"-hysteria, but this one is so on the nose, it's really astonishing. They should be ashamed.

#I know I've said many times that I hate EA but I mean it #I HATE that company with a burning passion #sims 4 #sims 5 #project renee #I know getting a job in the video game industry is SUPER hard #but personally this is the moment I would quit working for them #I have no sympathy left for any of them #including “regular” employees

[eebie]

thinking about the future . . . .

#after scad then what ..? #hm #tarsier studios in sweden. ans also my wife #ive been thinking about tarsier for a while Because like last year i saw they were lioking for employees #and i learned thst apparently the video game industry is big over there #dream life finish studies in US get experience marry my wife find job and live joyously ^^ #it cluld take a while But id be willing😤😤😤😤what is 6 years even #ill only be like 25 in 6 years #the time will pass anyways #woah u can get a residence permit 4 cohabitation over there #fhats so cool #id have 2 do sooo much research #thinking ou loud here dont mind me.^_^. #who lnows whats ganna happen

[baishouqijia]

guess which bad bitch is at risk of redundancy 😜

#fuck the games industry #soulless. #so i have a lot more free time now until they’re done deciding if my position is necessary (spoiler : if you want your games to run then #it is) #5 years at this company. bought a house from this job. could just be gone overnight. #im seething. #it’s so fucking humiliating. #cashing out my shares and looking elsewhere. cunts #negative / #it’s not even about the money. I’m good at my job. #I could get another one no problem. it’s having to reapply for my own position. #so fucking degrading.

[verothexeno]

That moment when I'm told I could probably become a project manager and be part of the production team...

I'm freakin' floating on a cloud!!!!!

Being told that my talent is recognized and that it should not be wasted simply boosted my day.

I really needed to hear that 💜

#i was having such a shitty day so far #so when my producer told me that I was like 👀👀👀👀👀 #we'll know what happens by the end of the year #'cause if I don't become a Team Lead - he wants me to go in production #and I'm 10000000% okay with that #i love my job i love the video game industry i love the studio i'm working for #and to be able to grow and get more involved in the process feels like a dream

[yusuke-of-valla]

I’m… really hoping this guy just phrased this really poorly and means “the main story is engrossing but then when you beat it you get more ability to run around and do things”

Because uhhh this just kinda sounds like he’s saying the main story sucks? Like when people say Persona 4 takes a few hours to “really get going,” that’s not a compliment of the beginning few hours? Those are generally one of the parts people complain the most about, and even then it’s only a couple of hours? I wanna say it’s not more than 4 but I haven’t played in a while.

Basically it’s not a good thing, it’s something you put up with to get to the good parts of you’re saying that

Idk how you end up a game exec and don’t know how to talk about your game in that case.

#of course the cynical reading is this is a way to discredit bad reviews #’the reviews are bad because the reviewers didn’t #didn’t spend an entire work week getting to the good part!’ #but idk much about the game other than big space thing and Xbox exclusive #either way considering promoting games is part of an exec’s job I feel comfortable going ‘what the fuck dude’ #industry bullshit

[cerealmonster15]

I don’t wanna go to work tomorrow my lead got frustrated at me today

#I get scared all the time cuz I don’t wanna get let go #things are dire in the games industry #if I get let go then my partner and I are both out of a job #and there aren’t a lot of listings that aren’t leads/senior positions #and fewer that are remote #I’m looking anyway to try and get something remote #so that my partner can maybe find something if we gotta relocate #bc I’m tired anyway. I need a more enriching place @-@

[47crows]

“It’s morally correct to steal from massive corporations like Nintendo.”

And

“Palworld’s theft of designs and silhouettes is ethically bankrupt and will lead to further disintegration of the value artists bring to the industry in the eyes of shitty ai-loving techbro designers and uncaring consumers.”

Are two different opinions that can coexist and the artists calling out Palworld’s plagiarism are not “sucking Nintendo’s dick” for doing it.

#this is a vague post #about someones take here on tumblr not irl jsyk #crow caws #palworld #like damn #we’re all already scared for our jobs and uneducated takes like these really dont do anything for the community #the game design industry is already a terrible place to work why assist in its degradation by spreading a take like that #their so called magic artist quote unquote made all the designs in a year. modeling a hundred plus designs in a year is an insane workload #no wonder they had to cheat to get it done by ripping assets #the deadlines and standard for overtime in the industry is also rediculous but we all already knew that

[arcaneyouth]

this shit really makes it hard to want to do anything to distract myself

#vent post #negative #want to play a game to calm myself down? yeah that's not going to help. that's a nice reminder of everything. #want to work on my comic? keenly aware of how much i need to code my own website before webtoon and tumblr fuck themselves over for good #want to watch youtube? keenly aware of how much youtube wants its creators dead too #ok maybe i'll cross stitch. but i'm aware i'm only doing it because its one of the few things available to me anymore #read a book? guess what industry ALSO wants its creators dead! #i can't enjoy any of this because i feel sick #can't even go outside and enjoy myself there's nothing out there for me to even do #that doesnt stave anything off i'm just going to have a breakdown but i'm outside now #the world gets smaller. #i know it will get better. as everything burns a better life will come out of it. #but i don't know how to be ok with experiencing the now while i wait for the better to come #even as i try to look into 'the good industries' so maybe i can survive in this world with an ok job #there's nothing there #i know better than to expect anything perfect but Everything Wants Me Dead #i want the bare minimum of Doesn't Want Me Dead and it doesn't exist #what do i even do. all i can do is keep going while hoping for a miracle.

[askagamedev]

How do you get (or work towards) a promotion as a game designer?

Getting a promotion in the game industry usually requires the designer to take two steps.

The first step is to level up one's skill set to the next level. This means taking on more difficult responsibilities and tasks, the sort that the mid or senior level devs are doing. In order to do this, one needs to increase her understanding of the way the systems and content interact by guarding against future possible edge cases and issues that she foresees others on the team bringing up, and being able to articulate all of the elements needed to craft the experience she's trying to create. I gauge the level of my ability by predicting the kind of feedback that I will get from my design work from the experienced designers and then going through the reviews to see how accurate my predictions were. I figured I was ready to move up when my predictions were right most of the time.

The second step is to find an opportunity and go for it - usually by taking a new job at another studio. If you want to try to get an internal promotion, you need to talk to your supervisor during your one-on-one meetings and make sure she knows what you want and will take steps to help you realize your career goals. If your supervisor can't or won't help you do that, you should consider looking for employment elsewhere instead of waiting. In career terms, waiting is stagnating.

In my experience, most promotions in a game design career don't happen internally. I've never had an internal title change during my career. All of my title promotions (e.g. junior to mid-level, mid-level to senior) came from finding a new job at a new employer, by showing that I could shoulder the responsibilities of the new role. Many of my industry friends and compatriots have similar stories - getting promoted internally is a lot harder than finding a new job elsewhere that starts you in the role you wanted to grow into. Even if you really like your current employer, leaving on good terms to level up elsewhere means you'll be welcomed back later with a better title with more responsibility and pay.

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#game career advice #working in the game industry #career advancement #getting a job in the game industry

[manicdragondreamgirl]

Nothing can make a bitch more hateful than a SINGLE hour —the FIRST HOUR OF A DAY—at a job where everyone pretends they can do her job better than she’s been doing it because they read something in the news recently

#it’s the inherent sexism in this industry for one part #for the second part it’s that everyone thinks they’re better than me which is only so true #I’m not better than anyone but I certainly have gotten results #but everyone forgets that the minute an article crosses someone’s feed and they think why aren’t we doing anything about this #newsflash! I actually was already doing stuff about this thing before they even knew about it #I have even mentioned as much! #but no I now have to do more bullshit busywork to appease idiots who think they can do my job because they saw an article #everyone’s got my job title and I’m worthless and do nothing #how silly I am to have forgotten that no matter what I do I have a curse #the curse of everyone constantly getting in my lane #manufacturing management is real game of thrones shit #I am very good at the game but I’m not in a position where I can smack people back often without being considered resistant or difficult #so whatever I’ll do the extra bullshit but everyone’s making me MAD about it #literally cannot stress how irritated I am that I’ve had no joke like six people talk to me about the same thing since yesterday #when the thing was on my radar a month ago and i was already working on it #I fucking loathe people I hate it here I want the swift embrace of death to take me

[cogitrot]

My character is currently working down in L.B. Industries to grind their Shadowy a bit, and I know why the rats aren't a faction. We're not worthy of them. They have on-site babysitting.

#fallen london #haven't been down here since I first discovered it while exploring awhile ago and I got myself a single crate of biscuits #gotta get 90 Shadowy to make the MYN heist viable though and I'm several levels short even with equipment #my friend is Seeking and I don't want to bug him for loitering 24/7 #so I'm down in Industries because it's got a very tough Shadowy check with no menaces and it gives like. 32 Foreman's Favors or something #on Success and you only lose 2 when you fail #so it's overall good at giving a feel of constant and significant forward progress #and when I'm done I can get some stuff #probably not the most efficient way to do this but eh #it makes the grind somewhat bearable. and the rats are nice. #the upper level MYN grinds need all the help they can get really. They suck. #and not in a 'haha but we love it anyway' way #it just sucks #gotta get through it though I guess #back to doing my actual job in the pretend fun game. on my weekend. full of jealousy at the amazing work conditions of fictional rats.

[the-most-pathetic-edge-marquis]

actually i think that american football should just. stop existing

#got the world's WORST email from my boss today #why are spring exhibition games even a thing. why do people come to these. what the fuck #anyways #if anyone needs me. too bad. i will be dying on saturday #& spending the rest of the week crying in preparation #editing these tags bc i'm still so stressed about this #working in the service industry for sports specifically is HORRIBLE #& football is the worst of it #the amount of food waste the amount of plastic waste #(the only game where i've ever seen a woman crying about her husband being an alcoholic outside the stadium!) #the culture around these games is insane #& saturday's game is literally record attendance #which is SO STUPID #also. ssshhh don't tell anyone #but there's literally a hole in our warehouse floor rn #that we just stuck a pallet over #bc crumbling infrastructure etc #i cannot WAIT until i start my new job. this is the last game i'll work #but also just the fact that it exists at all SUCKS #...and that's not even getting into the costs #or the injuries to players #just my personal beef #lmao

[wellthisisembarrassing]

scheduling posts so i don’t crash and burn immediately out of college

edit guess what exact thing i did

#drive knight #genos #opm #genos opm #one punch man #i had a whole paragraph written in the tags and then i hit 'post' instead of schedule #you'll never get to hear it now #the gist was that i'm going to look for a stable job and maybe never find an in-industry animation/game job #esp. with how the animation industry is looking right now #because i'm edfinitely someone who values stability over all else #there May be a position i can get at a pastry shop which would be a funnie full circle in my original career options #(my other planned career path was culinary arts but i have major issues with math/numbers so i would have Struggled at a school) #anyway coming in later to say i was already burnt out #i had multiple nghts of heart palpitations and am considering taking Several years before doing any professionally oriented artwork aging #*again #i want to have fun doing my silly little shipping art again and start making other work that isn't work related #anyway i'm still trying to get info about the pastry shop job and maybe another part time position #theoretically i could have almost 30k saved up in 3ish years and that would float me through the strain of finding a studio position

[marklikely]

whatever maybe im being too hard on him specifically maybe the other execs in that article are right that he's just an easy target because he's the one passing on changes from all of them. but even so what kind of insane defense is that. "no this one guy isnt bad at his job! the employees are just mad at him because hes the point of contact for the rest of us, who are all bad at *our* jobs!"

#god remember when i said it felt like they werent really in control of the chaos in this movie? turns out they actually fucking werent. #maybe because the producers and directors couldnt decide on what to do and had animation staff with no guidance for SIX MONTHS? #and then had to crunch them for a year to make up for it!!! yeah you guys are right this is an unavoidable part of moviemaking (/S) #there was simply no way you could have possibly. had a handle on what you were doing and had the employees work consistently #on a normal schedule instead of giving them nothing to go on until the last minute. #between movie animating and video games like. these industries are making me lose my fucking mind. #its all so needless its just blatant failures of people in management #who make their employees suffer to make up for the exec's incompetence #just for those execs to be the ones who get all the royalties and acclaim. for work that was good largely in spite of them. #avpost #once again reminded of how the movie that won best editing this year was run by writer/directors who were actively on the sfx team #and therefore. actually worked with the editors and had a plan and gave the effects team what they needed. #but yeah no you guys at sony are right your way is clearly the only option theres just simply no other alternative im sure. #its clearly too much to expect of you guys. to manage projects like this. when its literally your job to manage projects.

[sammyloomis]

nothin like having to spend my bday tomorrow doing a bunch of shit i dont rly wanna do :V

#ash.txt #starting off strong with my grandparents coming over to drop my card off #and stay for an undetermined amount of time while asking me invasive questions about my future #then its going out to town for dinner with my parents while park life is starting this weekend so its gonna be rammed #THEN its having to go to this degree show thing at 3 to get set up #and is then lasting from 5pm to 9pm #with zero time for me to get food #to do something to try and get a job in an industry i dont even know if i want to work in anymore #who the fuck made it so this degree show is a) so late in the day and b) from 5pm to 9pm what the actual fuck is that about #thats so fucking late and so long who even cares #id hoped i was gonna have some more stuff to bring to this between finishing uni and now #but ive been so fucking burnout and depressed i havent been able to make anything #HAPPY 26TH BDAY TO ME YAHOO #oh and also preempting the gifts and cards that show a complete lack of awareness of who i am as a person from my family #AND THE SUMMER GAMES FEST SHOW SUCKED AUGHHH