Truth is, you have to be specialized on something to even get a job in the games industry.
Being a jack-of-all-trades might impress your friends, but it wont impress recruiters, that's why one must have a focused portfolio.
And face it, given how large games are getting on this generation and generations to come, this kind of specialties are a "evil-needed", games are getting so huge, the tasks have to be wisely spreads within the team.
Wierd. I wonder how all these guys get their first taste of game making without just walking in the door of a game studio asking for a job.
":3cnncxm9]Truth is, you have to be specialized on something to even get a job in the games industry.Being a jack-of-all-trades might impress your friends, but it wont impress recruiters
I wouldn't say that's true... it really depends on the company. A lot of companies are still actively searching people who can do more than just one thing.
Quote from kleinlukaI wouldn't say that's true... it really depends on the company. A lot of companies are still actively searching people who can do more than just one thing.
especially when it comes to small companies and tight production times. if i werent busy with my degree i would probably write code too besides the regular level design, modeling, texturing work
I agree it's the "paste any huge publisher/developer"'s way, not necessarily Ubisoft's. We are 130+ people on Prince of Persia, and that's just the next gen game, not the DS. With teams that size, specialization is not only something that's desirable, it's a simple organizational necessity. If people worked different jobs, nothing would ever get done because for one thing no one would ever know where to reach you.
But I agree with Zeta that the variety of tasks at hand is very enjoyable, and that can still be achieved in a game like Prince of Persia as a level designer, because it's a level design driven game. Level design drives everything else. As such, with the organization we have in place right now, level designers also interact very closely with the level artists obviously, but also the cameras team, and we do our own scripting which usually involves the programmers as well when we need something that isn't in Anvil yet because Assassin's Creed had no need for it, etc.
I've run into a few devs on other forums (car forums) and they sort've had the 9-5 attitude. One was a producer and one an artist. Both were empolyed at AAA studios. I think it comes down to the fact that this is a passion/hobby for us. It is just a job for some people unfortunately.
Also interesting tidbit is that I once asked the artist-guy how he stumbled into the video game business. He said he dropped out of art school (not sure exactly what he studied), was working at an auto body shop painting cars for awhile and a friend offered him a job. I always have wondered how many people have stumbled into this business rather than sought it out.
I'm in the architecture field myself, level design/env art is just a casual hobby ( I wish I could spend more time, tbh). Not sure if I want to go the vid-game route yet, though.
Quote from kleinlukabut that's the ubisoft way... there are still a lot of companies who have the jack-of-all-trades type level designer who also models and textures his own level (ontop of designing it) ....but this is getting more rare I think...industry seems to swing more towards specialized positions these days.
Personally, I'm thankful for that. Due to monetary restraints I've yet to even get a shot to attempt to learn how to model or texture. My next computer will actually be good enough to run 3dsmax or Maya though, and I'm looking to get a digital camera so I can try to make simple textures (I certainly can't draw them by hand 
Taking pictures of walls and things and cleaning them up and adding filters seems like a good way to make a texture, though).
The sheer number of times I've wishes for a specific texture or decoration and not had it because I have to rely on the standard game content and what others make and release for free is very depressing.
Edit: At least I know simplistic coding. I'm up to par for stuff like UnrealScript and Source's I/O system.
I'm a bit late to the thread but I think it's a very interesting question.
In the seven and a half years I've worked in games dev, most of the designers I know have come through one of a few routes. These are:
At a guess I should say over 90% of designers I have worked with come from one of these backgrounds.
As for why these people don't post, a quick poll of the people around me here in the office gives a fairly telling answer.
"I get enough of it at work, I don't want to read forums about it too."
I guess we are in a minority. My take on it is that the people who work in the industry and have done for a while, but who still make maps outside of work and are involved in games related projects in their free time as well as professionally, these people (us) are the hardcore. We all have a little bit of the obsessive in us.
We never get enough of it 
Quote from JamesLI guess we are in a minority. My take on it is that the people who work in the industry and have done for a while, but who still make maps outside of work and are involved in games related projects in their free time as well as professionally, these people (us) are the hardcore. We all have a little bit of the obsessive in us.
That's us, hardcore baby!
I'm with James: we are hardcore and can never get enough of this. I can see myself working full-time 40 hours a week and then going home to work on mods or personal projects.
Quote from PogoPInteresting thread to read through.I think level designers are very underestimated in the game design industry. Environment artists get all the credit for making the awesome-looking models/textures, the people that make the game immersive through gameplay don't get as much credit at all.
I AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT!!! SOOOOO BAADDDDDDDDDD
Also, I feel like we are the hardcore punks of level design that like to design 24/7!
most of the people that I have worked with in the past were from design school. A lot of kids from the Guild Hall it seems are emerging "new trend"
But we also have a lot of older level designers that just come in and do the 9-5 and go home to their families and stuff.
serious: game industry isn't the best place for having a family. regarding those people i know most of them changed the company at least each 3rd year. good luck relocating with a wife and children. one reason for me not to be in this industry tbh.
Quote from hessiserious: game industry isn't the best place for having a family. regarding those people i know most of them changed the company at least each 3rd year. good luck relocating with a wife and children. one reason for me not to be in this industry tbh.
this question is driving me mad as well. though I see this as a general problem in our "new globalized" world.
As the industry grows older and expands more (more places to work near your house!), it will become less of a problem.
It has to, or else this industry cannot move forward.
And I know plenty of devs with families.
this won't change my experience. might be a problem that is correlated with the country you live in.
yeah it kinda sucks i guess. Cause if you have kids you don't always want them moving and not growing up with friends.
actually at ioi i get the feeling that me zacker and mazy are the only 3 people there that don't have kids !
i understand perfectly why anyone with a family would do ld (or any game dev job) 9 to 5 and not 24/7 like most of us do
Quote from hessiserious: game industry isn't the best place for having a family. regarding those people i know most of them changed the company at least each 3rd year. good luck relocating with a wife and children. one reason for me not to be in this industry tbh.
one reason for me not to get a wife lol
Quote from kleinlukaone reason for me not to get a wife lol
shame on you, nerd! 
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