Getting a "Gaming Job"

[Spooky]

@Lake

Spooky, look at the date. Voltaic posted that in 2002 but kerzain did some questions a few posts above yours.

Thanks Lake, I am a moron.

[kerzain]

Sorry about that Spooky.

Thanks for the answers guys, especially about the mobile platforms like iPhone etc, as those are the specific platforms I would prefer to target and program for.

I came to a realization this morning that not only was this post from 2002, but that 2002 was still pretty deep in the dot-com bust – heck, it’s the reason I was laid off from a pretty nice QA position at a software company in SoCal before being forced to take drastic measures and do something completely different (and unrelated to software or tech all together) in the years after in order to stay employed.

I’m sure the time-frame and attitudes of the earlier posts in this thread had alot to do with each other, at least I hope so.

[gurugeorge]

@GMicek

I’m upset that nothing has come out of there yet. There are some promising titles in production, but that means a little less than jack.

I am going to their Indie Games Conference in a couple weeks (first weekend of November). I’m hoping to see at least one or two titles that have made decent progress.

Hmmm - would it be fair to say that part of the reason they haven’t got anything to show is because they don’t have such a thing as “crunch time” (i.e. because they’re not in a pressured, commercial environment)?

I agree that all professions have the equivalent of “crunch time”, but I also agree with those who say that there has to be a balance - there are definitely physiological and psychological, and therefore creative diminishing returns, after a certain point.

[cliffski]

@kerzain

basically, this thread pretty much elaborates how terrible working in the Mainstream triple-A retail game industry is to people who enjoy having time to see their spouses and lead a somewhat normal life.

Fixed :D

I work in the game industry. I’m sort of working now. In-between bug fixing, I’m surfing. My family is in the house, and the cat often sleeps on my desk as I code.
I take long lunch breaks when it suits me, and tomorrow I’m taking a day off entirely. I work when I feel like it, and have no boss.
(i’m a fulltime indie developer).

Granted I worked fucking hard to get to here, but now I’m here, it rules.

BTW did I mention that I’m working on a game that was my idea, and have full creative control? /smug

[checker]

@kerzain

But… this thread is also seven years old. How relevant are the problems in this thread now days? Are 100 hour weeks and employment difficulties and such still common place in smaller development houses etc?

60+ hours work week still the industry norm?

[Dravalen]

As someone who recently left the game industry I’d pretty much say yeah, it’s kinda the same. At least on the non-indie side of the industry. The thread above covers a lot of the more interesting points.

[kerzain]

EDIT: Nevermind, as usual I’m retarded at least once a day.

[sinfony]

You’re lucky that it’s so infrequent.