A Career in video games

[fustercluck]

I've been thinking about trying to get a career in the Gaming industry. All my life i've always been real passionate when it comes to gaming. I imagine everyone wants a job in the gaming industry though. I've just been thinking about it, not really planning anything yet. Which is why I'm looking to get some good advice/info. I guess i would have to go to some kind of school that specializes in courses that prepare for a job in the gaming industry....and probably before that i would have to get my GED? Or does it matter?

I want to go to a good school, not those cheesy ones i've seen from commercials on G4..."I can't believe i'm actually getting paid to play video games! This is the coolest job ever!"...yeah, right.

I don't know what position i would like to have in the gaming industry. Maybe i'm thinking too far ahead, but I don't know what i would like to do for a job. I'm not very artistic so 3d/character design probably isn't for me. I hate dealing with coding, but i'll probably have to learn that anyways. I think i'd be a really good Consultant, i doubt that's an actual position though.

So I obviously don't know anything, and need some good advice/info/linkage, thanks.

 

[43st]

No art & no coding = no job in gaming

 

[mundane]

Originally posted by: Thera
No art & no coding = no job in gaming

Seriously limits positions on the design/developer side. There's always work with the Publisher - marketing, support, etc.

 

[BatmanNate]

I love games too but the only part that I'd be good at is writing, and apparently they don't hire those anymore.

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: Adaman
I'm not very artistic so 3d/character design probably isn't for me. I hate dealing with coding, but i'll probably have to learn that anyways.

Yeah, you sound really cut out for the gaming industry. :roll:

I'd suggest going to a regular school, going for business, and then getting a job for a gaming firm/company.

 

[BatmanNate]

 

[tjaisv]

Originally posted by: sash1

Originally posted by: Adaman
I'm not very artistic so 3d/character design probably isn't for me. I hate dealing with coding, but i'll probably have to learn that anyways.

Yeah, you sound really cut out for the gaming industry. :roll:

I'd suggest going to a regular school, going for business, and then getting a job for a gaming firm/company.

Agreed. Get a business degree and then jump in that way.

 

[txrandom]

Your best place to start as a professional in the video game sector is your parent's basement.

 

[fustercluck]

Originally posted by: tjaisv

Originally posted by: sash1

Originally posted by: Adaman
I'm not very artistic so 3d/character design probably isn't for me. I hate dealing with coding, but i'll probably have to learn that anyways.

Yeah, you sound really cut out for the gaming industry. :roll:

I'd suggest going to a regular school, going for business, and then getting a job for a gaming firm/company.

Agreed. Get a business degree and then jump in that way.

How long would that take? Just curious. Even if i got a business degree how would i get a job in the gaming industry? Don't exactly see them offered in the classifieds.

That's probably not the route i would take, going to a normal school for business sounds like the pits. A job in gaming might not be for me, i should at least explore the possibility though.

 

[MrCodeDude]

How old are you?

 

[AgentUnknown]

Just because u like games and spend your whole life playing them doesn't mean u will be good at making them. Don't go to those game institutes and waste your money. If u have no artistic talent or don't like to code, this career ain't for you. Seriously, people who like games and think they can make them are full of it.

 

[fustercluck]

So you have to dislike video games to work on them? - There's got to be a lot of jobs in the gaming industry that don't include modeling and coding.

I'm 20 years old, but that shouldn't matter.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Thera
No art & no coding = no job in gaming

Wrongo. Making a game is like making a movie - dozens, hundreds, thousands of people can be involved. Sound effects, sound track, story, voices, level design, game testing, artwork, 3D modeling, programming, marketing, sales, it goes on and on and on. I looked into the gaming industry seriously at one point, but after doing some in-depth research I decided it wasn't the life for me.

The burnout rate for people close to the game (programmers, artists, etc.) is really high - 5 years at most for many of them. I decided I wanted a family and a more steady job instead. Also, many or most of the major companies seem to jerk workers around, just do a google for "EA worker problems" and start reading.

Choose wisely, young Padawan

 

[Reckoner]

Watch Grandma's Boy

 

[Sentinel]

Originally posted by: tjaisv

Originally posted by: sash1

Originally posted by: Adaman
I'm not very artistic so 3d/character design probably isn't for me. I hate dealing with coding, but i'll probably have to learn that anyways.

Yeah, you sound really cut out for the gaming industry. :roll:

I'd suggest going to a regular school, going for business, and then getting a job for a gaming firm/company.

Agreed. Get a business degree and then jump in that way.

That'd be the way to go.

 

[xanis]

Coding would be the way to go if you really want to get involved, and in that case you would need to major in Computer Science. However, if you're in to the buisness side of things, then go major in Buisness and it will give you opportunities in other buisness-related careers as well.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: BatmanNate
I love games too but the only part that I'd be good at is writing, and apparently they don't hire those anymore.

Not true, Bioware is hiring writers right now for their Edmonton and Austin offices.

 

[dfi]

You don't have to be a 3d guy or a coder. Personally I thought of doing coding, but quickly realized how monotonous it would be for me.

I have a friend who is a producer. He got started with an internship type position reading game design docs, and did it for about 7 years before being hired elsewhere as a producer. If I wanted to get in the game industry, that's how I would do it too. Get in early and young, and prove yourself while you're still in school. Get the full time position after graduating from a college of your choice. I'm not sure how much education really matters in the game industry - I seems to me that experience is much more desirable.

I would recommend trying to get an intership position with a major developer/publisher ASAP. Then you can see if it's all fun and games.

 

[Glavinsolo]

Computer Science degree, 3dstudio max, Maya, and a good list of personal contacts.

 

[ndruw]

Originally posted by: BatmanNate
I love games too but the only part that I'd be good at is writing, and apparently they don't hire those anymore.

They should hire more...most games in the last couple years have had sh!t plots....I wanna see you make the next Half-Life (love the game, plays out like a movie)

 

[akshayt]

Are there home part time jobs which pay for trying comp games?

 

[fustercluck]

Originally posted by: dfi
You don't have to be a 3d guy or a coder. Personally I thought of doing coding, but quickly realized how monotonous it would be for me.

I have a friend who is a producer. He got started with an internship type position reading game design docs, and did it for about 7 years before being hired elsewhere as a producer. If I wanted to get in the game industry, that's how I would do it too. Get in early and young, and prove yourself while you're still in school. Get the full time position after graduating from a college of your choice. I'm not sure how much education really matters in the game industry - I seems to me that experience is much more desirable.

I would recommend trying to get an intership position with a major developer/publisher ASAP. Then you can see if it's all fun and games.

That sounds like a good way to get into it. How would i go about getting an internship with a gaming company?

 

[BatmanNate]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: BatmanNate
I love games too but the only part that I'd be good at is writing, and apparently they don't hire those anymore.

Not true, Bioware is hiring writers right now for their Edmonton and Austin offices.

It was just a tongue and cheek comment about the ****** writing in most games these days. Nothing to see here.

 

[desteffy]

Business degree FTW!

 

[Koing]

You could also try being a games tester. Test games for various bugs and do stupid stuff to the game etc. May require you write some scripts also. Then evetually that could lean to a team leader position and then on to a higher position. I have a guy I know who did this for EA in England and did exactly that.

A friend of a friend started up hiw own company way back in the C64 type of days and has his own gaming company is minted now.

Koing