Yet Another Article on Game Dev Careers

[Section_Ei8ht]

Found another one on slashdot that I found kinda interesting. Looks at the whole dead-end career and all that stress stuff in the game dev world.

From: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/40/23

"Jason Della Rocca, the executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), looks at the big picture of the grim, dead-end careers of game developers. From the article: 'More fundamental is the notion that immature practices and extreme working conditions are bankrupting the industry's passion - the love for creating games that drives developers to be developers. When the average career length of the game development workforce is just over five years and over 50% of developers admit they don't plan to hang around for more than 10, we have a problem. How can an industry truly grow, and an art form evolve, if everyone is gone by the time they hit 30?'"

I'm sure its mostly the general EA principal about overworked game devs that have to bow down to the publishers (and Wal-Mart). What about all you mapcorians that work pro? How long do you guys see yourself sticking around the pro game biz? Forever? One more title? As long as possible? I mean I'm sure you hear this kinda crap all the time from online articles and its been discussed to death, but whatever. Just thought it was intersting.

[Minos]

How long do you guys see yourself sticking around the pro game biz?

That's the question I ask to myself when I think about working on this industry or not. If you don't get a degree now what will you do for a living if you get tired of games ? Clerk in a convenience store ?

My aim is to get a degree in Industrial Design so that I'm able to either work on games or in other related fields if I eventually get tired of it.

[insta]

How long do you guys see yourself sticking around the pro game biz?

That's the question I ask to myself when I think about working on this industry or not. If you don't get a degree now what will you do for a living if you get tired of games ? Clerk in a convenience store ?

Same here. The problem is I have no idea what else I would want to do for a living. I'll probably cling onto the industry for as long as humanly possible, then sell souvenirs on the street until I retire into homelessness. The future is a scary place

[sensee]

I wouldn't worry about such a thing.

Let's say you are a texture designer who worked 5 years for the same company and you get bored by your job, you still have a lot of options left. You can learn a 3d application and become an environment or character artist or you can improve your artistic skills and start making concept art. You could try to get a job in another company (maybe the gras is greener there) or move to another country. It shouldn't be that hard to get "unstuck".

Sure, being a game designer is a hard job, but which job isn't?

[Minos]

That won't help if my biggest fear comes true in the near future sensee: Since games are getting too complex, companies will be VERY demanding as well. Also, they will rather be more "mechanized" than "humanized", if you get what I mean. That all will lead to boredom and that feeling of emptiness, which are the worst feelings a human being can have imo.

I know I'm being a bit too pessimistic but you better have a Plan-B in case things go wrong. That's why a degree is important imo... they aren't really important to get into the industry indeed but they will if you decided to quit.

[st0lve]

I'll atleast try to get some cheap illustrator\graphic designer degree or so. So that I atleast could always work within art. Industrial designer (as in machines) would also be pretty cool I'd guess.

But first step, would be to break into the industry, then let the future decide what will happen.

[Gaz]

Hell Im doing a degree IN Computer and Video game art....

I've no choice but to stick it

[sensee]

That won't help if my biggest fear comes true in the near future sensee: Since games are getting too complex, companies will be VERY demanding as well. Also, they will rather be more "mechanized" than "humanized", if you get what I mean. That all will lead to boredom and that feeling of emptiness, which are the worst feelings a human being can have imo.

I know I'm being a bit too pessimistic but you better have a Plan-B in case things go wrong. That's why a degree is important imo... they aren't really important to get into the industry indeed but they will if you decided to quit.

You are absolutely right about having degree, but it takes time to achieve that and maybe in 4 years it could be much more difficult to actually get a job in the game industry. It also would be harder to build up a strong portfolio because school can be very time-consuming. Maybe it's the best way to study something that is somehow related to game design like industrial design or traditional art.

I don't quite share your pessimism about the future of gaming. Games are a form of art and a form of entertainment and it takes creative minds and certainly not "robots" to create them. Of course there are many exceptions (EA...) but those studios who create dull and repetitive games will never be able to take over the whole market, because there will always be a demand for fun and creative games.

And the demand is getting bigger. I mean the DS is outsaling the PSP. Ubi is getting bigger - EA is getting smaller. Games like Katamari Damacy are a huge success and last but not least, the Revolution is coming.

I see a bright future

[kleinluka]

I'll atleast try to get some cheap illustrator\graphic designer degree or so. So that I atleast could always work within art. Industrial designer (as in machines) would also be pretty cool I'd guess.

But first step, would be to break into the industry, then let the future decide what will happen.

"Cheap illustrator/graphics designer degree" ?

Since when is traditional art cheap?

[st0lve]

"Cheap illustrator/graphics designer degree" ?

Since when is traditional art cheap?

No not like that, but more like a "security" degree if you understand. I love traditional art, there is a reason why I'm at a vocational school. But being an illustrator or graphic designer isn't really what I wanna do for a living, it would be a way, but unless I got a spot a cool company.

[kleinluka]

The problem many newcomers have they wanna work for a big name studio right away.... sometimes you have to work your way up to get to where you want to be. Many people who are now very established and renowned people in the industry have started at small companies and worked their way up with the years. It's all about getting the foot in the door.

[Section_Ei8ht]

I agree with the degree part. I'm going to uni for a Computer Science degree. I figured if I want to get into the game industry, everyone is looking for programmers. I'm trying to focus on Event Driven and Graphics programming . Granted I can do all kinds of main stream programming like databases and software engineering, but graphics is the most interesting.

I'm a designer at heart, but after working for about 3 years as a web designer, I'm just getting sick of people changing my work because they think it looks better their way, or they think it doesnt fit. You dont really have that problem with programming, at least in my experience. If your program is efficient and gets the results needed, they dont care how its written. The art of programming is in the elegance of the code, and thats not what publishers care about. Sure, other programmers might, but thats comparable to a group of artists working together; the understanding that they have with each other.

Figure if I can get into a game dev with a programming gig, I could work with that until I either got bored with it, or found something more interesting to do (like go for a doctorate in CS or go to film school).

[ginsengavenger]

I give myself five years. In five years I'll probably say the same thing. Until I die.

[Hourences]

A degree is indeed important if you decide to step out of the industry but on the other hand just being good can help just as much. There are other creative industries out there and for those too its most important to just be good at what you do

Thats my backup plan anyway, widen my skills

I dont know how long Ill keep on doing this but I have to say this industry really is frustrating at times. 'Happened so many times before that some marketing idiot who only thinks of his money screws thing a or b up once again. Look at bethesda right now. They are selling plugins and the community is getting pissed off. If I were an artist working for bethesda Id be frustrated by now.

Same goes for example screenshots. You put in all your effort and skill in to creating cool looking stuff and then some screenshots of a 3 month old alpha version get released. To me thats sending out the message "that was good enough already" so why would I even bother trying to create something cool next time ? If an alpha thing is good enough already to sell your entire damn product with Id rather take 3 months vacation next time instead of working my ass off making something cool.

And so on.

On the other hand if you do manage to keep up long enough with this stuff you might get in a more powerful position one day where you could block such problems partially or completely and after all it still is a better job than most "normal" jobs.

[Pericolos0]

i can see myself working in the industry for quite a while, but then again i'm still young and enthousiast

I think the trick is not to limit yourself to some niche... there is no way i see myself doing enviroment textures and modelling for the coming 10 years... I hope to do more level design stuff, character modelling or even interface design in the future. Maybe in the long run work my way up and get into more design like positions or even management. Change is everything.