Questioning my career path
polycounter lvl 7
So I was reading a thread on Reddit this morning and it got me wondering.
the thread
http://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/z83h2/the_games_industry_is_a_scam_and_this_is_why_you/
this guy was not an artist and although I am sure it is not the "norm" in the industry it seems like this is particularly true if you are not a programmer (disposable, constantly looking for work)
As for me personally I have never had an industry job but would love to get in some day. Is this how it is? Am I working to get into an industry that will just chew me up and burn me out?
to sum up, what is life like as a game artist? How fulfilling is a career in the game industry?
the thread
http://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/z83h2/the_games_industry_is_a_scam_and_this_is_why_you/
this guy was not an artist and although I am sure it is not the "norm" in the industry it seems like this is particularly true if you are not a programmer (disposable, constantly looking for work)
As for me personally I have never had an industry job but would love to get in some day. Is this how it is? Am I working to get into an industry that will just chew me up and burn me out?
to sum up, what is life like as a game artist? How fulfilling is a career in the game industry?
Replies
so it worth it if you love games so much, because you will be working on the object of your passion, and you just cant substitute this with anything else
and basically dont work for EA, Activision and Ubisoft :poly142:
It was his choice to move that many times.
There are bad jobs and there are good jobs, and there is also freelancing and going indie. All which are perfectly viable options IF you get good enough.
Whats awesome about the being a professional artist though is... man you make things that make people happy for a living. One thing that i try to always think of and it puts things in perspective is that everyone single person in this industry is an entertainter. It your job to entertain people, we just choose a really round about way of doing it.
Also i hear girls like boys with skills.
[ame="
It's great! ... well actually its got its ups and downs - but which job doesn't?
Just like with any job where your hobby/passion becomes your actual job, there's a good chance to burn yourself out.
Be careful with the employers you choose and be prepared to change jobs a few times until you find the place that suits you. Then again, this is also true for other jobs.
And remember: being a gamer doesn't really mean a career in games is for you. In fact it means very little. But being someone who creates - art, programs, designs, writings and who loves games, then it may just be what you're looking for!
Imho there's a lot of office jobs which suck much more than games (and which have overtime too, or being on reachable/on-call every weekend'n'shit).
Quite a large chunk of my circle of friends work in AAA places, and some are successful indie developers, and they way we each talk about our experiences is all pretty similar.
If you're a driven and passionate creative / artistic person - the games industry can be quite stymieing at times to be honest.
As a junior or senior, and maybe even as a lead, there will be times when your ideas and your artistic expression / ideas will be pushed aside in favor of your superiors, or their superiors, or for the sake of your customers - whether you like it or not. How well you deal with that over the years of being 'caged' as an artist will determine how much you get burned out.
I suspect most of the guys who get really bitter and burnt have probably been caged and poked at with sticks, for far too long.
Also at the top end of games development whether your indie or AAA, I think you would be extremely lucky to go your whole career without working overtime or putting in some extremely long hours at some point.
But there's something extremely rewarding about battling through those hours alongside top talent, and seeing greatness at the end (if its not greatness tit can be pretty disheartening)
Ive met and worked alongside some of my game industry heroes, sometimes had to do massive hours - 14 + hour days and got to make some cool art along the way.
But for me personally I still feel that I haven't been able to really flex my wings yet - So, from my experience, I feel only partly fulfilled as an artist so far, still, I have a long way to go
If after 5 years of going through absolute shit like this dude says he's been experiencing (he's been doing this for 10 + years apparently) then GTFO or shut up.
Believe it or not, it takes SOME intelligence (just a bit) to figure out what will make you happy in life... if certain people lack said skill than they will undoubtedly find themselves in a very lame loop like this poor bastard.
From my perspective I'm pretty much focused on being a part of this amazing industry for as long as I can. Every few years I will always re-access my life at that point and figure out where the next stepping stone will take me... could be trying out a new studio, expanding my skillsets or perhaps go into teaching... whatever it may be, I'm generally going to be doing it for the love no matter what.
Passion is such a huge driver for one to succeed in whatever he or she does, be it career, relationships etc. This dude sounds like a pathetic bastard who has lost his way a long long time ago... he needs a good wake up call.
/Rant
Edit: And as others have said, if you're coming into this industry thinking it's all fun and games... it's not going to be ALL the time. This is a job, and a lot of times a very demanding job. They'll be weeks where you just can't see the end to your current task, than there are other times when you're on fire and enjoying every aspect of what you're doing.
What's so great about this industry is generally you are going to be working with such amazing talent, and if you seek it out, there are soo many chances to learn / share new things that it's impossible for this job to truly get "old".
I'm fackin in-love with this industry, and even though I complain like a mofo to my workmates when times get tough / annoying / dumb... I wouldn't change it for the world.
GREENTOOTH 4 LYFE!
Let's not freak out here. I get annoyed when blanket statements are made about companies. Quite frankly it all depends on the culture of your specific studio and who you work directly work under. I don't know what choices that poster on Reddit made, good or bad. But if you're given the opportunity and you make the most of it... i still believe you can make an honest living in games. Now the caveat is "if you are given the opportunity", those things don't come around as often as they used to. I've worked for EA nearly 11 years and have worked with mostly great people. A couple pricks... like anything in life, there things you can control and things you cannot. Shit happens, especially when layoffs come. EA has done alot of great things for me and my family and I've done some good things to help the company. It's been a good reciprocal relationship. You cannot go into making these life choices randomly and hope for the best. You have to think logically about what you're doing and know what your goals are. You can choose well backed, relatively stable (loose terms these days) corporate companies that may suffer in creativity or you can choose highly creative risky bets and love every minute of it. You also need to be able to set your own limits and draw the line to what's acceptable to you. If working insane hours isn't agreeable to you. Look for another job. Don't just take it and complain. I think too many times people victimize themselves, take the punishment and don't do anything about it. Making a decent living while making art is a gift. I think sometimes we take that for granted and focus too much on the bad stuff.
Rant over.
fwiw I was offered a job at EA once upon a time and they offered me significantly ( 30k ) more $$$ than what I was currently getting for the same responsibilities, which surprised me a whole lot considering what I'd 'heard'.
IF money motivates you, you could probably do a whole lot worse than EA.... just sayin.
I have read many posts about working in the industry (many on here in fact lol) and it seems like any industry...it has its good points and bad points.
At least I won't be surprised if I get into the industry and start my dream career!
I hope I can level up my skills to join the ranks someday, either way I sure do appreciate the positive responses!
If it wasn't going to be his career in games, it sure would have been something else. If you want an easy way through life, this job isn't it. Toughen up and get your shit together or cash out and think about a career change. Life's tough, crying about it doesn't help.
I have a friend who has a degree in Economics and Business - Doesn't have a job, still goes to school, but Internship positions are NOT open for him.
I have several friends how have a degree under Sciences - Neither of them got a job for the past 4 years.
I have a friend who is an Electrical Engineer - He got a job 4 years after school and because his father was the boss of his own company and was able to call in favors to other people.
I have a friend who is in Plumbing - He can set his rates all the way to 90$/hr if personal hours calls or get hired by a company for slightly less to work on new buildings with less work on the pipes.
You know what I say? I like it and love it when stories like these pop out, because it's makes me feel good for two reasons;
A) I can look at them, and think of all the new 'potential' talent that might come in and take a possible position away from me not actually getting and instead going and doing something else (and frankly, why not? Just because you have access to a Wacom doesn't make your legible to a place in game design).
Things are different in different places and if you've been doing ok then perhaps this fellow's perspective is harder to understand, but I can certainly see where he's coming from and it's the reason why I'm rather less than enthused about getting back into games even though through all the bad there's a lot of things I like about it.
To the OP, the games industry is a hit or miss place,you can be fortunate and have a solid career in a company such as Valve or you can bounce around companies being treated as a resource as opposed to a person. As fun as games development can be,it is an industry/business. Businesses rise and fall all the time and one can not have a nativity about how businesses are run and what are the positive effects of good business decisions ,as well as the consequences of bad decisions.
Some advice i can offer based on personal experiences..
1. You are a professional... One mistake i see new artists in the industry have is how they perceive them self in relation to employers. Even if its your first job ,realise that your first job is a business agreement,you have a service you offer and they have a need for a particular service. Depending on the your experience and quality of work it will determine how much money the employer will pay.
I see alot of artists who get their first job in the industry and they are so grateful to have their position that it blinds them to mistreatment and opens them up to exploitation. Dont get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with enthusiasm but there will be occasions that newer artists will not ask the proper questions about their treatment at a company and allow themselves to be pushed to limits they should not be pushed in the name of company/team spirit.
2. Draw a personal line and have a plan if and when its crossed. My loyalty to a company goes as far as how the company treats me. My first job was so blatantly exploitive and illegal in some aspects that it killed any sort of nativity about this industry. Because of this horrendous company I defined boundaries for my self regarding what sort of treatment i find acceptable. Once these boundaries have been crossed if i my opinion about it is strong enough ill try to bring it up with management and have it diplomatically resolved. Depending on how management treats with me will determine what i do next. Large amounts of unpaid overtime, management that lies,broken promises, shady business practices are for example some of the boundaries that when crossed will lead me to reconsider if i want to be at a company.
3. Be prepared If you are planning to find work or if you have an idea you will be laid off soon. Well even if you dont have an idea you are about be laid off you should have an up to date CV and portfolio ready at all times. It can come all of a sudden and you do not want to be caught with your pants down. You should also keep up to date with changes in tech and the industry.
4. Know who you work for and know the signs of a sinking ship. The possibility of being laid off is is always something every game developer has to be prepared for. Sometimes it can some out of the blue but sometimes there are signs. For instance does a company have a reputation for laying off staff after a game is complete,like LucasArts for instance, how well are the stocks of a publisher performing, does the amount of resignations and colleagues who have found work elsewhere suddenly spike up? Is the game over budget? Is management away for long periods of time in secretive meetings? Is there a sudden influx of men in suits at the company? Do little perks such as free fruit and cola suddenly get cut? The company misses a payment of your salary?
Also keep an eye out on the outlook and trends in the industry. Like one big question i have is,if all of those wonderful tax incentives companies in Canada get are taken away one day what will it do to the job market there for instance?
Some of these may seem a bit silly but ive seen them before as sure fire signs a company is about to make lay offs or even crash and burn. Be ready if you see those signs.
5. Network,get to know people and dont be a jerk The sad reality is that in this industry, the best artist will not always get the job. Sometimes its who you know that will help you into that dream job. Dont be anti social or difficult to work with because this is a small industry and people will remember the way you are at a job.
6. Have a Career plan Being an awesome artist may be an aspiration but it isn't a real career plan,do you want to just be an artist or do you one day want to be art director,have your own company? You may be young now but when you get older you might have a family,kids etc and if you want to be able to support them and work in games figure out a career path you want to take and how long will it take to achieve it.
This industry has its ups and down for sure and can be really fun and rewarding but you have to be savy and realistic about the nature of the industry to survive in it.
from my experience EA treats their employees pretty well - I won't name names but I've heard horrible nightmare stories about studios most people outside the game industry hold up as their dream job.
It all just comes down to your personality - getting into the game industry made most of my depression and anxiety problems go away. I've always bitched about moving but I think my girlfriend and I actually enjoy the adventure, after a year in Texas we started talking about moving across the country again even though we didn't have to. We decided not to move again in the end because it still feels like the game industry has fared better than other industries so it's harder for her to find work.