As discussed in the previous post, I’m now going to tackle the various career tracks found in the game industry. Obviously, every game company is different, but as a rule, the larger the firm, the more structured it is. So while you might be allowed (or even expected) to do some level design work in a small game development studio, this may not be possible in a thousand-plus employees megapublisher.
So… where should we start?
Administration/Support
Let’s start with the easiest to explain. If all you want is to be able to say “I work for BigNamePublisher” to impress the rest of your family, this is probably the easiest path to follow. All those large firms need HR Managers and salespersons. They need administrative assistants. They even need janitors and supply clerks.
Obviously, none of those jobs sound very glamorous. Also, if you want to do actual game development, well, those aren’t the jobs you should be going for. At best, they’ll be a stepping-stone to an assistant-producer or producer position. So… let’s skip to the more interesting career tracks.
Music and Sound
That’s another easy one to handle. If you want to do game music or sound effects, you can immediately skip the small development studios. You’ve got three real options: working for the larger studios and publishers, working for specialized sound firms, or starting your own studio.
To get in the large studios as a composer or SFX creator, you’re going to need a track record. Simply put, you need to have worked on some game projects, to show that you understand the whole development process and that you can deliver the goods. You need to have experience on standard equipment and software - even if you created great sounds using only your mouth and a cheap mic from Best Buy, you’ll have to be able to use better tools. And ideally, you should have a degree or certification for your skills.
You probably need the same type of credentials to get a job at a specialized sound firm. However, these firms sometime offer internships, which can be your opportunity to earn that experience you need.
Finally, small studios can’t afford a full-time composer/SFX guy. Which means there’s a fairly high demand for independent composers and SFX persons. So they’re a great opportunity to get that experience you need, and to get your name out. Unfortunately, getting that first game out is very difficult, so if you go that route, be aware that you might be putting your time in a doomed project.
Art
The good news: there are always openings for artists in the game industry.
The bad news: by the time you see the job opening on BigNameStudio’s website, fifty people have applied on it.
Simply put, as an artist, you live and die by your portfolio. Experience helps, of course, as does a degree, but as long as you have the basic skills (i.e. know how to use the relevant software) to do the job for which you’re applying, the only thing that matters is how good an artist you are.
If you’re applying at a large firm, you’re going to need to prepare The Perfect Portfolio For The Job. If it’s animation, include humans, animals, mythic monsters, moving chunks of environment, the works. The employer is probably looking for someone to handle a specific set of animations (ex: mostly monsters) so if you don’t include that, you won’t get a call back. In addition, showing flexibility is a good thing - if you just do monsters, you’re not going to be able to help the guy handling humans when the schedule starts slipping.
If applying at a smaller firm, you’ll get a bit more slack. For starters, a more generic portfolio can usually do the job. Also, small firms get a lot less applications, so they can’t be as picky. And they can also take the time to ask you for a sample if they need a specific type of art asset, whereas a big firm can just pick from the dozens of portfolios that they received.
Programming
So you’re a programmer… first, congratulations, you’re pretty guaranteed a job somewhere, if not ncessarily in the game industry.
In the gaming industry, frankly, you’ve got it easy… if you’re good and can convince someone you are. The unfortunate truth is that the programmers bear the brunt of the crunch time, and that results in high turnover. So the big firms are always looking for new programmers. What they can’t afford is to give on-the-job training - after two years of training, the programmer will be on his third burn-out and will be looking for work somewhere less stressful (like Afghanistan or Iraq.)
Kidding aside, if you want a job as a programmer, the easiest way is to show a game you’ve programmed (in something like C++). If you’ve got something (a gameplay demo suffices, no need for fifty hours of content) you’ll get a job.
If you don’t… it’ll be a lot harder. Programming degrees aren’t that hard to come by, so they’re the bare minimum. If you don’t have either a game demo or a degree, don’t bother applying.
If you do have a degree, you’ll be asked to show projects you made in school (or in your free time, or at work), and let’s be honest - you’ll be up against guys who spent their whole summers, nights, and weekends creating various projects. On the other hand, if you have a degree and can’t get in the industry, you’ll still be able to find a well-paying job.
Producing
Producing is probably the hardest field to define. Most producers start out as either game testers or as assistant-producers, which is basically a nice way to say they do whatever unskilled work is necessary to finish the game, such as data entry.
A producer’s job is to act as project manager. This is why most producers start out in entry-level positions - the only thing that is really needed to work as a producer is experience in the field of game development, and experience managing projects.
While being an assistant-producer or a tester is about as unglamorous a job as can exist, pretty much anyone can apply for those jobs. Of course, only the best will be promoted to producer, but at least you’ll have the opportunity to show your abilities.
Design
A few years ago, taking classes in game design was an excellent way to move to the front of the unemployment line. That is not true anymore. Having graduated from the various game design programs is an help in landing an entry-level design job. That said, it is not yet a necessity - you can still work your way into these jobs through testing or assistant-producer jobs.
If you’ve set your sights on senior or lead designer positions, however, you’ve got your work cut our for you. Those are, understandably, the most coveted jobs in the industry. Typically, lead designers come from the ranks of producers, programmers, and designers. Some firms prefer to draft their designers specifically from one of the three specialties, others give those jobs as rewards to well-performing employees. The best strategy is probably to just secure a job in the right field, then figure out exactly how your employer assigns those positions.
I hope this can serve as a good primer on the various ways to get into the industry. It was certainly fun to write (if a bit long.)
Vincent