7 Reasons You Don't Want To Work in the Video Game Industry

Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 7:05 am

So yeah I found this article and think its pretty cool. I think every gamer goes through a stage where they want to work in the video game industry and this article is designed to show people what its really like.
http://www.dorkly.com/article/27379/the-dorklyst-7-reasons-you-dont-want-to-work-in-the-video-game-industry
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Emma
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 1:52 am

Yeah from the few professionals I know in the business this is fairly accurate
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Zoe Ratcliffe
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:48 am

Yeah, we had lectures about those subjects on our first year. Crushed false hopes on some people. (And they quit)
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Kevin S
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:30 am

This could be done for exactly all jobs, just saying :D

"7 reasons you don't want to work as the president" wouldn't be so hard to make.
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JUan Martinez
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 3:47 am

This could be done for exactly all jobs, just saying :D

"7 reasons you don't want to work as the president" wouldn't be so hard to make.

Yeah, I could fit that into my job "7 reasons you don't want to work as a software developer.", the only one that is wrong would be 3, people here complain plenty and the odd "[censored] piece of [censored]" can be heard from across the office...Or is it the guy next to me, I can't tell its so loud :P
And 5 could be instead of fans, testers and the clients.
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Carolyne Bolt
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:48 am

Yeah, I could fit that into my job "7 reasons you don't want to work as a software developer.", the only one that is wrong would be 3, people here complain plenty and the odd "[censored] piece of [censored]" can be heard from across the office...Or is it the guy next to me, I can't tell its so loud :P
And 5 could be instead of fans, testers and the clients.

Pretty much the same for me but switch software developer to Designer and web developer.

Clients. I hate clients.
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Trish
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 4:27 am

It's the same for any "glamour" job - music, television, film. Basically, if everyone wants to do what you're doing, they can treat you any way they want to because you'll svck it up like the svcker you are. Until you realise that you're never going to be able to live a proper "grown up" life (unless you're married to someone with a super job) and quit it to do something mundane with proper benefits and a going-home time, and vacate that chair for the next person silly enough to want to do what you're doing.

It's cool to do it when you're young, though.
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Cartoon
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 8:51 am

Come to think of it, it doesn't sound all that bad. #7 and #1, as well as #2 to a lesser extent, are primarily for the majority that get a job at a faceless games company like Activision. If you remove the brainless big-wigs (*coughBobbyKotickcough*) making decisions from the mix, and just go with a more "independent" developer, those problems tend to be a lot less bad. Granted, I saw gamesas go a bit in a slightly disturbing direction when they called out Skyrim's release months in advance, but in so many cases, release dates from GOOD companies are simply "when it's done." Not having specified deadlines means you won't have deadlines that (invariably) are way too demanding.

All in all, not all game developers hate their jobs. It's just that for most people who look at devs and think "that'd be a cool job," they're going by the wrong logic; it's those people that this article is targeted toward. Most people look at the industry, and go "well, video games are fun for me, so making them would be fun for me too!" Nope. Yes, it's work that some people will love, but hardly everyone. For those that relish in creating things, and making them breathe, yes, this could be a form of work one loves. But to do so means, say, that one would actually have to get MORE satisfaction out of finally stamping that fatal glitch out of the code than one did slaying a final boss.
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Tiffany Castillo
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 4:08 am

This of course doesn't apply to all 'glamour' jobs. If you're a TV star, you become an icon. Firing the face of a series would be suicide of the developers part. You gain eternal life once you become the face of something, because when you do, you're worth more than the company itself.

What would any music or movies (especially series movies) be with their main character cut out? Or a different person singing the songs? Cheap remakes and a crappy movie is what they are.
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Dylan Markese
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 3:20 am

Working in the software industry in general svcks. This line summed up a lot of it: "Its executives didn’t pay its employees their promised overtime, and the people who understandably complained about this fact got fired." That and the compulsory long hours not being fun. If I could go back in time, I'd beat myself about the head with a blunt object until I promised to have nothing to do with the software industry and did something less painful like submitting myself for medical experiments or being an elephant's doormat.

I understand that the videogames part of the software industry is possibly the most svcky of all. No thanks.
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Ryan Lutz
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 3:16 am

This of course doesn't apply to all 'glamour' jobs. If you're a TV star, you become an icon. Firing the face of a series would be suicide of the developers part. You gain eternal life once you become the face of something, because when you do, you're worth more than the company itself.

What would any music or movies (especially series movies) be with their main character cut out? Or a different person singing the songs? Cheap remakes and a crappy movie is what they are.

Yet, big stars get fired more often than you'd think.
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Jerry Cox
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:41 am

Yet, big stars get fired more often than you'd think.

After they are payed millions of dollars. :tongue:
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Noraima Vega
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 8:14 am

Pretty much the same for me but switch software developer to Designer and web developer.

Clients. I hate clients.


Contributor for http://www.clientsfromhell.net ?
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emma sweeney
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 7:20 am

As much as I despise everything about publishers and marketing departments, those would be the only jobs I would want in the Video Game Industry because those ones pay very well and all you have to do is fly around the country and lie a lot.
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Suzy Santana
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 9:12 am

It's the same for any "glamour" job - music, television, film. Basically, if everyone wants to do what you're doing, they can treat you any way they want to because you'll svck it up like the svcker you are.


*nods*

Yup makes me wonder about where i'm going with my life right now and how I will "Advance" if I even get a job. Advancement is expected of any job to be honest however if there are too many generals and not enough soldiers there is a problem. Sad thing is some people will never get the chance at advancement and they'll be left holding the proverbial poo bag for the rest of their life which svcks.
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Niisha
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 1:02 am

The 8th reason is Peter Molyneux.
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Nadia Nad
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:49 pm

8th reason you'll be paid (unless you make your own company and get really lucky) as much or less than a janitor.
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brian adkins
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:01 pm

I read the article, I know it's fairly accurate, and I still want to become a game developer.
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Catherine N
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:52 am

I read the article, I know it's fairly accurate, and I still want to become a game developer.

I feel the same.
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maddison
 
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Post » Fri Nov 18, 2011 8:03 am

Good thing is indie games are huge these days, so you can still make a ton of money and not have to deal with most of the stuff in that article.
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Mariaa EM.
 
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