Claidhmore
June 23rd, 2009, 01:42 AM
Much of this information has been gleaned from myself and other friends/former coworkers and how they got in the industry, as well as actually interviewing myself for positions in various game companies.
Who am I? I've worked in the game industry for nearly 4 years, first as technical support, then as a game designer. Currently I work as a game designer and assistant producer at Acclaim Games. For those who have been here a while and said "where did Claidh go?", well, I was laid off from EA/Mythic back during their last big layoff, and I managed to get really lucky and find this job shortly after. So if I was quiet, it was because I was focused on finding a new job, and then learning my new position, then getting promoted to a different position (which actually just happened). Note that my personal experience is with MMORPGs, but I can speak a bit on regular game companies due to speaking with more than a few developers in those fields.
And of course, anything I say can be wrong, and may not be an across-the-board truth in this industry. You have been warned.
I want to work in the game industry!
Of course you do - we all do! When you work for the video game industry you go to work and play video games all the time! It's a never-ending party, filled with blackjack and hookers!
If you believe that, then you have been grossly misinformed about the nature of work and the location of the majority of video game companies (it's not in Nevada ;) ).
Making games is work. It can be rewarding work, it can be fun work, but it is still most definitely effort. Some days you will be very sad. Others you will work 12 hour days, 6 days a week to get that last push to your players. It has a good chance of sniping your social life, which will more than likely involve your coworkers for the most part.
Is it all bad? Heck no, but it is a job. You will have some bad, but you will also have some good. Nothing says fun like beating up your boss in a mandatory game test, and the occasional game of your favourite miniatures game during lunch can be a pleasant distraction. Not wearing slacks and a button-down shirt is also a typical perk, and some companies will even have a sweet rec room (with Guitar Hero/Rock band, maybe a couple of arcade cabinets).
Okay, so how do you actually get into the industry?
Send your resume and pray. A lot.
It's not QUITE that bad, but it depends on the position you're going for. We'll go over the major areas in a bit.
Don't you need a degree in IT or something?
No.
Oh, you want me to elaborate? I do not have a degree. Many of my friends do not either. Those who do have a wide array of degrees, from philosophy to theater to English. Yes, some do have an IT degree and others actually have gaming degrees from FullSail, but it is not a requirement.
And for that matter, a FullSail degree is nice but it is by no means a guarantee in this industry. It helps, but you have to show that you actually picked up the skills needed.
It helps to know people at the company already, but that will only help you see an opportunity, it doesn't ensure that you will get the job. Networking is very important in this industry, and word of mouth can get you hired more quickly.
Okay, so what positions do you see?
Here we go, the meat of this post:
QA
This is where a lot of future game designers start. It also typically has the least requirements, so those of us without degrees will be looking at this first. It's easier to get in here than other positions, but it can still be a challenge because there's a LOT of people applying for the same position. If you have friends at the company, this is probably the easiest way to ninja your way into the industry. You will be looking at a lot of beating on various parts of the game, testing and testing and checking and testing. This will get monotonous sometimes, but it's a very necessary job - if 23 of the 24 head types work, you're the one that will find it and get that last head fixed and that provides for a more polished product.
Support
This is how I got in. It's more of a foot in the door for MMOs from what I've seen rather than other games, but it can certainly help, especially if you get promoted to some sort of manager status. Essentially, you're being paid to be nice and help people as best you can. You'll glean a lot of information about the game you're supporting (which will help) and in MMOs you will be using tools a lot like developers use, so that's certainly a point in your favour.
Programming
Okay, for this you're going to need a degree. Mostly you're going to be an Engineer, whether it be client, server, tools or anything in between. The bottom line is, you're fudging with the stuff that makes the game go. In smaller games the programmer is also the designer (see below), but with larger projects you will be assigned to a particular part, and it's your job to make it work. From what I've seen, you should be well-versed in C++ or C#. In some cases you'll need to know a proprietary scripting language (or alternately, Python or Lua) but more often than not, you're the one that makes stuff work.
Art
This is a HUGE area, encompassing 2D, 3D, sprites and everything in between. You could be making a user interface or NPCs for the player to interact with. Sometimes level design ("world building") falls into this area, considering the tool overlap. A degree isn't necessary here but it really helps - what is better is to have a kickass portfolio/demo reel.
Design
This is a hard area to get into - you almost never get brought in directly without experience. That's where you get pulled in from QA/CS, usually. This is a pretty wide area, including quest design, systems (like, numbers), sometimes level design and anything else that involves making the game fun for the player. Writers usually fall into this area as well.
Producer
This is what we would call 'management'. Someone's gotta rein in all of the designers, artists and programmers and get them pointed in the right direction. In this position, you can potentially dabble in any of the above stuff but it's mainly your job to make sure things get done.
Marketing/Community
Yes, I'm lumping these in together even though some people would beat me for it. This is all about what your potential customers see, where they see it and how they see it. This can be a very fun position, but as with any other job with dealing with people, it can be very stressful. A degree is good here, but any other experience with dealing with people is good.
Okay, so where do I find these most excellent jobs?
I usually hit up http://www.gamasutra.com (http://www.gamasutra.com/) for most of my job-finding things, but there are plenty of other places. Try LinkedIn, try looking up particular companies' websites, sometimes you can try general places like Monster. Also, this is where that networking thing kicks in big - knowing the position is available is half the battle.
Do you have any tips?
Be nice, be polite. When you show up for the interview, take a shower and make yourself look good. Don't come off as belligerent, don't talk about how your game ideas will make them look bad. Try not to come off as narcissistic - you're not a rockstar yet. Be genuinely excited, do some research into the company and be prepared for odd questions. Don't panic!
A lot of the stuff you read about resumes will work here, but you get to add more stuff (like games you've beta-tested!). Artists will want to show their best work, and ensure that the stuff you're showing is relevant. Programmers will want to show some code of stuff they've worked on if they can, or at least be able to demonstrate that they know what they're talking about. Designers, unless you have a mod/level made in a modern game to show off there's a good chance you will get a test.
I have more questions!
Ask here, and I'll see if I can get an answer.
Can you find me a job?
With Tundra's permission, I may make the occasional post if I hear of an available job that might be up someone here's alley. I can't make any guarantees about the job, other than I heard from a guy or girl that the job is available.
You suck, Claidh! Post more!
I AM, OK :(
Who am I? I've worked in the game industry for nearly 4 years, first as technical support, then as a game designer. Currently I work as a game designer and assistant producer at Acclaim Games. For those who have been here a while and said "where did Claidh go?", well, I was laid off from EA/Mythic back during their last big layoff, and I managed to get really lucky and find this job shortly after. So if I was quiet, it was because I was focused on finding a new job, and then learning my new position, then getting promoted to a different position (which actually just happened). Note that my personal experience is with MMORPGs, but I can speak a bit on regular game companies due to speaking with more than a few developers in those fields.
And of course, anything I say can be wrong, and may not be an across-the-board truth in this industry. You have been warned.
I want to work in the game industry!
Of course you do - we all do! When you work for the video game industry you go to work and play video games all the time! It's a never-ending party, filled with blackjack and hookers!
If you believe that, then you have been grossly misinformed about the nature of work and the location of the majority of video game companies (it's not in Nevada ;) ).
Making games is work. It can be rewarding work, it can be fun work, but it is still most definitely effort. Some days you will be very sad. Others you will work 12 hour days, 6 days a week to get that last push to your players. It has a good chance of sniping your social life, which will more than likely involve your coworkers for the most part.
Is it all bad? Heck no, but it is a job. You will have some bad, but you will also have some good. Nothing says fun like beating up your boss in a mandatory game test, and the occasional game of your favourite miniatures game during lunch can be a pleasant distraction. Not wearing slacks and a button-down shirt is also a typical perk, and some companies will even have a sweet rec room (with Guitar Hero/Rock band, maybe a couple of arcade cabinets).
Okay, so how do you actually get into the industry?
Send your resume and pray. A lot.
It's not QUITE that bad, but it depends on the position you're going for. We'll go over the major areas in a bit.
Don't you need a degree in IT or something?
No.
Oh, you want me to elaborate? I do not have a degree. Many of my friends do not either. Those who do have a wide array of degrees, from philosophy to theater to English. Yes, some do have an IT degree and others actually have gaming degrees from FullSail, but it is not a requirement.
And for that matter, a FullSail degree is nice but it is by no means a guarantee in this industry. It helps, but you have to show that you actually picked up the skills needed.
It helps to know people at the company already, but that will only help you see an opportunity, it doesn't ensure that you will get the job. Networking is very important in this industry, and word of mouth can get you hired more quickly.
Okay, so what positions do you see?
Here we go, the meat of this post:
QA
This is where a lot of future game designers start. It also typically has the least requirements, so those of us without degrees will be looking at this first. It's easier to get in here than other positions, but it can still be a challenge because there's a LOT of people applying for the same position. If you have friends at the company, this is probably the easiest way to ninja your way into the industry. You will be looking at a lot of beating on various parts of the game, testing and testing and checking and testing. This will get monotonous sometimes, but it's a very necessary job - if 23 of the 24 head types work, you're the one that will find it and get that last head fixed and that provides for a more polished product.
Support
This is how I got in. It's more of a foot in the door for MMOs from what I've seen rather than other games, but it can certainly help, especially if you get promoted to some sort of manager status. Essentially, you're being paid to be nice and help people as best you can. You'll glean a lot of information about the game you're supporting (which will help) and in MMOs you will be using tools a lot like developers use, so that's certainly a point in your favour.
Programming
Okay, for this you're going to need a degree. Mostly you're going to be an Engineer, whether it be client, server, tools or anything in between. The bottom line is, you're fudging with the stuff that makes the game go. In smaller games the programmer is also the designer (see below), but with larger projects you will be assigned to a particular part, and it's your job to make it work. From what I've seen, you should be well-versed in C++ or C#. In some cases you'll need to know a proprietary scripting language (or alternately, Python or Lua) but more often than not, you're the one that makes stuff work.
Art
This is a HUGE area, encompassing 2D, 3D, sprites and everything in between. You could be making a user interface or NPCs for the player to interact with. Sometimes level design ("world building") falls into this area, considering the tool overlap. A degree isn't necessary here but it really helps - what is better is to have a kickass portfolio/demo reel.
Design
This is a hard area to get into - you almost never get brought in directly without experience. That's where you get pulled in from QA/CS, usually. This is a pretty wide area, including quest design, systems (like, numbers), sometimes level design and anything else that involves making the game fun for the player. Writers usually fall into this area as well.
Producer
This is what we would call 'management'. Someone's gotta rein in all of the designers, artists and programmers and get them pointed in the right direction. In this position, you can potentially dabble in any of the above stuff but it's mainly your job to make sure things get done.
Marketing/Community
Yes, I'm lumping these in together even though some people would beat me for it. This is all about what your potential customers see, where they see it and how they see it. This can be a very fun position, but as with any other job with dealing with people, it can be very stressful. A degree is good here, but any other experience with dealing with people is good.
Okay, so where do I find these most excellent jobs?
I usually hit up http://www.gamasutra.com (http://www.gamasutra.com/) for most of my job-finding things, but there are plenty of other places. Try LinkedIn, try looking up particular companies' websites, sometimes you can try general places like Monster. Also, this is where that networking thing kicks in big - knowing the position is available is half the battle.
Do you have any tips?
Be nice, be polite. When you show up for the interview, take a shower and make yourself look good. Don't come off as belligerent, don't talk about how your game ideas will make them look bad. Try not to come off as narcissistic - you're not a rockstar yet. Be genuinely excited, do some research into the company and be prepared for odd questions. Don't panic!
A lot of the stuff you read about resumes will work here, but you get to add more stuff (like games you've beta-tested!). Artists will want to show their best work, and ensure that the stuff you're showing is relevant. Programmers will want to show some code of stuff they've worked on if they can, or at least be able to demonstrate that they know what they're talking about. Designers, unless you have a mod/level made in a modern game to show off there's a good chance you will get a test.
I have more questions!
Ask here, and I'll see if I can get an answer.
Can you find me a job?
With Tundra's permission, I may make the occasional post if I hear of an available job that might be up someone here's alley. I can't make any guarantees about the job, other than I heard from a guy or girl that the job is available.
You suck, Claidh! Post more!
I AM, OK :(