Work on bad game?
polycounter lvl 15
A vehicle I built a year ago was used for an IOS title at a company I am no longer with. The environment and game play are terrible and not something I would showcase as I did not work on that. Would you put this on your resume as a game you worked on or do you leave it off?
Replies
You should absolutely have it in your resume because studio experience of any kind no matter how bad of a game you made is worthwhile.
If the game is really that bad, instead of using screenshots from the game in your portfolio, make a really nice screengrab of it in Max/ Maya or Marmoset, with all the bells and whistles on. At least you get something great out of a not so great experience that way.
The knowledge that you have worked on a game and work well with others in a pressured environment far outweighs the final product (a largely unpredictable multifaceted luck-based venture).
Infact hiding something is what would cause alarm. I can quickly assume the worst if you hide something you recently did... Honestly if it is years behind you and you have newer better stuff then by all means get rid of it. But if it seems like it should be there but I don't know the reason it is not it could cause alarm (I guess).
Regardless of how good the game is, or how well it did, it's time and experience. You did the job, you did what you could, you contributed to a project that eventually got released and is floating out there in the world. whether you're proud of it or not, or if it conflicts with your artistic ego, you still were part of the project and it's experience that can lead to bigger things. If the art sucks, don't show it, but I would still claim it.
Even when the art is terrible, I'm often proud of what I did with the time and resources given.
Showcasing titles show you've worked on, showcase your experience through pre-productions, crunches, E3-builds, and shipping. It shows that you've been a part of a very integral part of the production process, and can be depended upon in various situations.
Fuck you. All my games are awesome.
Haha - Don't make me stalk you on LinkedIn and post up your dirty little secrets
If you're an artist who did some decent art for a game with bad gameplay, yes of course put that on your portfolio/resume etc. Professional work experience is a good thing and I'm not sure if you'll ever get into an interview where someone will say "Oh I see you worked on barbie yacht club 7, that game looks great but has a metacritic score of 37, I'm sorry we can't hire you.".
But you could choose to only list the top 5 or so games you're most happy to have worked on. Additionally you could(should?) put your complete list of games and/or companies somewhere else but slightly less prominent. By listing a selection of games you can show a bit of yourself, give a bit more direction to your profile. Not all games/jobs are free choices, sometimes you just gotta earn some money. But you can say "this is what I'd like to do more of".
Also, there's the whole experience thing. Regardless of if a game was received well or not, it is still work experience and that can always give you the edge over another person.