I think it'd be odd for anyone to regret joining the games industry because of layoffs. Layoffs happen in any industry. I could see someone regretting working for a specific company but regretting joining the industry altogether.. i just cant see a bad side of it. i'd be shocked to find some guy who's been working on games for 5-10 years (and dealt with layoffs) saying "i wish id done something different with my life"
thats very reassuring, i just keep asking myself if its time to give up im turning 28 graduated 2 years ago and still cannot get it. I never stop working but at some point I may have to realize I'm not cut out for it
Never give up never surrender! took me awhile to get in the industry myself as long as you keep up to date and keep doing a lot of personal work you wont have a problem
also keep active in the community mostly every job/freelance gig i have gotten is through people i have met on this site.
My contract just ended at Suckerpunch, and I don't regret it one bit. I love what I have learned, love working on games, and look forward to my future in this industry.
I don't know about you but I'd hate to wake up one day when I'm in my 60's or 70's and say "I once had a huge passion for art - it was my dream to create art for a living. I took art classes and practiced what I truly loved doing daily. I had my ups and downs but I kept on pushing... until I decided to completely stop making art and follow a different career path. Now that I'm old and weary, I wish I could go back to that time of my youth and follow that dream once again".
no regrets, although I admit that there are other jobs which would also interest me. The best part of it are all the great people I met, the stuff I learned and the different parts of the world my career brought me to. ...and yeah I also did some art; but seriously, it'll look as old as pong when I'm old enough to do the whole life-retrospective thing
Not to sound all philosophical, but don't people usually regret the things they DON'T do?
If don't know what have you loose it's hard to regret it. At least that's my view on it.
It helps, so you focus on future not on regreting what might have been done.
I don't really regret it per say but sometimes I'm very very weary from all the shenanigans that might be going on. The industry is young and it shows every now and then.
That and I'm getting a bit bored by 3D, that's why I'm trying to get more into concepting but that will require around five more years of hard as nails studying to get up to snuff.
That and I'm getting a bit bored by 3D, that's why I'm trying to get more into concepting but that will require around five more years of hard as nails studying to get up to snuff.
yeah. had that by the time I ended up making clothing. My first job was modeling faces. Then mostly clothing, clothing, more clothing. I'm much happier now as tech artist ...so many awesome things and too little time to try it all. I love that there are so many different art and game related things. I feel like a cat with too many balls of yarn around to play with
I don't know about you but I'd hate to wake up one day when I'm in my 60's or 70's and say "I once had a huge passion for art - it was my dream to create art for a living. I took art classes and practiced what I truly loved doing daily. I had my ups and downs but I kept on pushing... until I decided to completely stop making art and follow a different career path. Now that I'm old and weary, I wish I could go back to that time of my youth and follow that dream once again".
Makes me cringe just thinking about this!
Can't think of a better way to of put it myself.
I went through some general neurosis last month and stopped doing any 3D as a result of several factors, being burned out, having medical issues which meant I was always doped out on painkillers or in agony, and being disillusioned with the industry and my talent as my work had took a sharp dip in quality from the stuff I was producing earlier in the year, it has to be one of the most depressive periods i've gone through in years.
but i'm finally getting back to it the past couple of days, its not going great in regards of quality of what i'm producing (infact I am going to be going back to beginner tutorials) but its giving me a reason to get up every day, I generally don't think I could quit doing this permanently and attain any level of happiness.
I don't regret the career, though I do regret the huge amount of student debt I acquired in the process when cheaper alternatives seem plenty these days.
I don't know about you but I'd hate to wake up one day when I'm in my 60's or 70's and say "I once had a huge passion for art - it was my dream to create art for a living. I took art classes and practiced what I truly loved doing daily. I had my ups and downs but I kept on pushing... until I decided to completely stop making art and follow a different career path. Now that I'm old and weary, I wish I could go back to that time of my youth and follow that dream once again".
Makes me cringe just thinking about this!
This!
I'm 30 and trying to leave a well paying and secure career in the Petro-Chem industry for an entry level and comparatively volatile job. Some of my friends probably think I'm nuts but I know I will regret it if don't at least give it a go.
One or two more environments in my portfolio and I'm going to start applying.
not at all, I like games because it can provide everything I wanted to do
I like game industry because of the diversity on art application in every games, despite there is some polycount constraint.
I like film, but the best high budget animated film today doesn't have creativity and style I wanted.
advertising : meh , its one reason to go into games, to avoid any kind of rigid advertising atmostphere ...
architecture : back then I made 3d interiors with dirt and light moods, my fellow cg artist said style like that wont sell to client, so not for me..
comic : my childhood dream, but the industry has very little room of improvement for now .. so the closest thing I can go is games. where I can find great stylized non-actor-actresses-centric piece of moving pictures.
I don't regret going into the industry at all. The only thing I would 'go back and change' would be to have focused much more heavily on 2d and actually have the foresight to start learning these skills before going to college. Besides that, I really enjoy making art for games.
Kinda wish I went to go do a programming degree as I think I would have stuck with learning art on the side though would have missed out on all the friends i made and the experiences so dont regret that Other than that I dont mind the industry.
However, I do wonder sometimes what i'm going to do as I get older, as I don't see it as a field that i'll be working in forever...
I'm curious, are there people who work as game artists up past their 50s and 60s all the way till retirement? If not, is it mainly because the industry is still young and is something we'll see in the future?
Just wondering if people think this a job they'll continue to do up until and through old age or if they had other plans (maybe teaching?).
I'm 46, and I'm teaching this year for the first time. Been doing game art up until now, probably will again, I love it. But I'm also digging teaching, so we'll see.
It's easy to focus on the negative side of things. Yes, there are lots of layoffs. However, there are still thousands and thousands of people not getting laid off.
Even when they are laid off, many find jobs quite quickly. Studios are usually good at hiring people or helping people dealing with layoffs.
Ummm, no regrets but do get worried sometimes...
I am a Engineer by education, but working for Game was my dream job which is what I have been doing since 3.5+ years...
I'm passionate abt this industry and satisfied, but almost hitting deadend now as there is just 1 Company working for game in my country (JUST 1 , CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT ?)..
thats why tried abroad studios but Ohh Boy, not so easy :P .. So, in few months, If I dont get a good job (that pay as good as my Er. frieds(:D), I have no choice then to switch my profession to something else.
I'm curious, are there people who work as game artists up past their 50s and 60s all the way till retirement? If not, is it mainly because the industry is still young and is something we'll see in the future?
Just wondering if people think this a job they'll continue to do up until and through old age or if they had other plans (maybe teaching?).
I see quite a few people older than 40 - mostly in senior leadership and leadership. But keep in mind, the industry as a whole ages and it will be more common to see older people. Maybe not as many on the production floor. Given that you can be promoted to senior in just a few years in most companies it would be strange to see many older employees there.
The other thing that I enjoy too, just like Eric, is the mentoring aspect. I too could imagine to teach in the future.
I think for some people it is quite un-natural to do the same thing their whole lives, while others have no problem working 40 years at the same company.
So if you enjoy working in the games industry today, does not mean you have to do it your whole life.
If you feel you are one of those people who may need a change of career down the line, try to plan a little for it now, by putting away a bit of money here and there to fund future education.
I remember when i thought there was no hope for me when looking for a job and 18 months passed and still wouldn't find anything.
Now 5 years later am frequently asked to join this or that place, some managers even send me a phone call saying they got my phone number from this guy and would like to know if im available for work.
Oh! i miss the days when i had all the time in the world for me and not just "work" :poly114b:
Like any job, you join the game industry because you like what you're doing.
What I like about art is you are in control. You get to decide what a scene looks like. It's this level of freestyle combined with real time interactivity that makes me want to pursue being an environment artist. It would be impossible for me to regret this unless I hate myself for wanting to draw,model and texture things a certain way.
I'm afraid of the "moving" part of this industry. Sometimes I think on sharpen my programming skills to keep it as a career and give up art. But when I think it I feel like I'm breaking up a 5 year relationship with my girlfriend.
I'm afraid of the "moving" part of this industry. Sometimes I think on sharpen my programming skills to keep it as a career and give up art. But when I think it I feel like I'm breaking up a 5 year relationship with my girlfriend.
well i don't mind cg work most of the time, but there's almost always something else i'd rather be doing instead. i didn't have to go to a college/university and waste a ton of money though, so i guess that's good?
I don't know about you but I'd hate to wake up one day when I'm in my 60's or 70's and say "I once had a huge passion for art - it was my dream to create art for a living. I took art classes and practiced what I truly loved doing daily. I had my ups and downs but I kept on pushing... until I decided to completely stop making art and follow a different career path. Now that I'm old and weary, I wish I could go back to that time of my youth and follow that dream once again".
Makes me cringe just thinking about this!
Or maybe you realize that instead of making art, you spend your life doing artisanal nonsense you had no creative input yourself into...
Ok here is an outsider opinion (who is probably suffering just as much from "what I chose must be right" bias as the other ones commenting), but I am happy that I DIDN'T join the industry, although seriously thinking about it after high-school (I even went one year to art-school):
1. Doing game-art as a hobby and working on indie/open-source projects is much more rewarding from a personal input and satisfaction level, because you can do whatever you want.
2. Doing a "real" job that has a real impact on society and people, instead of making just another run down the hill appstore 1$ game to pacify some spoilt brats for a few minutes is indefinitly more rewarding.
Just my two cents... I hope it is not percieved as trolling
well i don't mind cg work most of the time, but there's almost always something else i'd rather be doing instead. i didn't have to go to a college/university and waste a ton of money though, so i guess that's good?
yeah, thats the best thing I think that its a trade skill which you don't especially need formal education for, and if you think the CG/game industry layoffs are bad then you should look to other industries, kids today are coming out with master degrees, certifications and more and unable to get a Job because of the baby boomer generation among other things.
And unless you choose the right degree to pursue which is a pretty hard thing to do when you are so young you will be stuck with a pile of debt my girlfriend has 35k from her masters and very little job opportunity, she finally found something outside her field after a long job search.
So a key advantage to our industry is that not only is it a tradeskill, that you can teach yourself for free, but its also in a industry where you are unlikely to be competing with baby boomers with years upon years of experience to get.
so from a comparison of other industries this one is amazingly versatile, and can quite possibly give you a decent career and a moderately affirmable lifestyle which is becoming increasingly rare in this seemingly dystopian future.
in one form or another, it's important that EVERYBODY learns some form of artistic or creative endeavor... why? well, it's simple:
the unemployment crisis.
this crisis is not going to go away, it's not going to get easier. it's probably going to get a lot worse. more and more of our economic system is becoming automated. farmers as little as 50 years ago would employ a lot of people to tend their farms, milk the cows, harvest their crops etc. they don't now because they have machines to do it all for them.
sweatshops are still a problem at the moment, but as machinery becomes more commonplace and cheaper to build and maintain even those will die off.
so many facets of our lives, and our jobs either are already, or will be automated in time. and with that comes the lack of jobs for people.
so what's left for people to do? entertain! whether it's through video games, movies, music, or "classical" art... at some point our society's biggest economic product will be entertainment, if it isn't already.
If you can't get a job making games for someone else... make your own... I can understand the amount of AAA studios has only got smaller over the last 4-6 years, but at the same time a whole new area of the industry has spawned which is much more accessible.
At the end of the day if you can't get a job then your not good enough, if you have been working for two years and your still not good enough you are not working hard enough or there is a difference between what you enjoy and what your good at.
The only regret I have about is that the games industry kind-of ruined the magic of games for me. Seeing everything behind the scenes makes it really hard for me to focus on games themselves at times. That also means that games that succeed in totally immerse me and not care about the art and such are truly great games.
And regarding working as an artist in the industry. It'll always be like this when you join the industry:
*You join the industry with your burning passion that came with a great portfolio of wide landscapes and epic buildings. The Art Director comes up to you and smiles, he's got a great task for you.
- Hey buddy, I need you to make something for me. I need this really awesome and cool bench. And after that I have some really epic tarmac pieces you'll enjoy doing!
xD
---
Haha , either way. It's great, but mostly for the people in my opinion. Making a game together with some great people sure is the best. You just have to get through your year of lodding and optimizing stuff in which you learn a great deal of good topology even for regular props and how to make it easy for yourself and other when you're making thing by yourself
loving what you do and regretting something at the same time- don't really go well together in my opinion. If you love it, why the regret? I think no matter what the hardships you'll go through, you'll always find a way overcome it- you gonna have to, it's your dream.
I think something that's worth fighting for- is worth your time. I think all you need to do is just go back and remember why you want to do this in the first place? just remember your true dreams. Mine was when I first played Final Fantasy 7- then it just clicked. To answer your question directly-- no I don't regret it one bit >:]
At the end of the day if you can't get a job then your not good enough, if you have been working for two years and your still not good enough you are not working hard enough or there is a difference between what you enjoy and what your good at.
Now that's a conundrum that takes a lot of soul-searching to find and may still leave people confused. My biggest concern right now is I don't want to live a life where I come home from some dead-end job and have two choices: play games, or do something I don't want to do.
The only regret I have about is that the games industry kind-of ruined the magic of games for me. Seeing everything behind the scenes makes it really hard for me to focus on games themselves at times. That also means that games that succeed in totally immerse me and not care about the art and such are truly great games.
And regarding working as an artist in the industry. It'll always be like this when you join the industry:
*You join the industry with your burning passion that came with a great portfolio of wide landscapes and epic buildings. The Art Director comes up to you and smiles, he's got a great task for you.
- Hey buddy, I need you to make something for me. I need this really awesome and cool bench. And after that I have some really epic tarmac pieces you'll enjoy doing!
xD
---
Haha , either way. It's great, but mostly for the people in my opinion. Making a game together with some great people sure is the best. You just have to get through your year of lodding and optimizing stuff in which you learn a great deal of good topology even for regular props and how to make it easy for yourself and other when you're making thing by yourself
Oh im totally with you there man its like seeing how the sausage is made, and im constantly scouring any game im playing for insight staring at the corners (skyrim did something interesting with cornerstones and alphas) and looking for modular pieces and other tricks, doesn't make for compelling gameplay.
I still love games but I feel like shit if I play them too much just think I could've spent that time doing my own stuff.
in one form or another, it's important that EVERYBODY learns some form of artistic or creative endeavor... why? well, it's simple:
the unemployment crisis.
this crisis is not going to go away, it's not going to get easier. it's probably going to get a lot worse. more and more of our economic system is becoming automated. farmers as little as 50 years ago would employ a lot of people to tend their farms, milk the cows, harvest their crops etc. they don't now because they have machines to do it all for them.
sweatshops are still a problem at the moment, but as machinery becomes more commonplace and cheaper to build and maintain even those will die off.
so many facets of our lives, and our jobs either are already, or will be automated in time. and with that comes the lack of jobs for people.
so what's left for people to do? entertain! whether it's through video games, movies, music, or "classical" art... at some point our society's biggest economic product will be entertainment, if it isn't already.
/endramble.
Dude totally, Economically things are going to get progressively worse, especially in these first world countries, but we see even foxconn workers being replaced by machines, chinese slave labour just isn't cheap enough nor is it worth the negative PR, the unfortunate reality is we are looking at a future where there simply won't be a job or career for 90% of people, and there will be no wealth ladder at all, which we already have seen eroded.
So I can't say what will happen,socialist Utopia or madmax collapse, we live in volatile times, but its going to be for sure a hard skill for a computer to ever master, and as for 3D scanners, what does a scanner see? clearly or darkly :P.
Replies
[ame="
also keep active in the community mostly every job/freelance gig i have gotten is through people i have met on this site.
Makes me cringe just thinking about this!
It helps, so you focus on future not on regreting what might have been done.
That and I'm getting a bit bored by 3D, that's why I'm trying to get more into concepting but that will require around five more years of hard as nails studying to get up to snuff.
yeah. had that by the time I ended up making clothing. My first job was modeling faces. Then mostly clothing, clothing, more clothing. I'm much happier now as tech artist ...so many awesome things and too little time to try it all. I love that there are so many different art and game related things. I feel like a cat with too many balls of yarn around to play with
Can't think of a better way to of put it myself.
I went through some general neurosis last month and stopped doing any 3D as a result of several factors, being burned out, having medical issues which meant I was always doped out on painkillers or in agony, and being disillusioned with the industry and my talent as my work had took a sharp dip in quality from the stuff I was producing earlier in the year, it has to be one of the most depressive periods i've gone through in years.
but i'm finally getting back to it the past couple of days, its not going great in regards of quality of what i'm producing (infact I am going to be going back to beginner tutorials) but its giving me a reason to get up every day, I generally don't think I could quit doing this permanently and attain any level of happiness.
However, I do wonder sometimes what i'm going to do as I get older, as I don't see it as a field that i'll be working in forever...
The things I regret in life are not related to my career choice.
Working in games has allowed me to live most of my adult life without having to get a real job.
This!
I'm 30 and trying to leave a well paying and secure career in the Petro-Chem industry for an entry level and comparatively volatile job. Some of my friends probably think I'm nuts but I know I will regret it if don't at least give it a go.
One or two more environments in my portfolio and I'm going to start applying.
I like game industry because of the diversity on art application in every games, despite there is some polycount constraint.
I like film, but the best high budget animated film today doesn't have creativity and style I wanted.
advertising : meh , its one reason to go into games, to avoid any kind of rigid advertising atmostphere ...
architecture : back then I made 3d interiors with dirt and light moods, my fellow cg artist said style like that wont sell to client, so not for me..
comic : my childhood dream, but the industry has very little room of improvement for now .. so the closest thing I can go is games. where I can find great stylized non-actor-actresses-centric piece of moving pictures.
Mainly because I was promissed strippers and chicken wings everyday and so far there has only been wings.
WHere are the strippers I was promissed?!?!
This industry is a LIE!!
DAT LIES! Only chicken and rice! NOT WINGs! IM OUT!
They are only brought in for the morning crew, you show up too late.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRWvfMLl4ho
I'm curious, are there people who work as game artists up past their 50s and 60s all the way till retirement? If not, is it mainly because the industry is still young and is something we'll see in the future?
Just wondering if people think this a job they'll continue to do up until and through old age or if they had other plans (maybe teaching?).
Even when they are laid off, many find jobs quite quickly. Studios are usually good at hiring people or helping people dealing with layoffs.
I love it even more when I go eat chicken with Scott Homer and Pedro!
Videooooo gamesssss!
I am a Engineer by education, but working for Game was my dream job which is what I have been doing since 3.5+ years...
I'm passionate abt this industry and satisfied, but almost hitting deadend now as there is just 1 Company working for game in my country (JUST 1 , CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT ?)..
thats why tried abroad studios but Ohh Boy, not so easy :P .. So, in few months, If I dont get a good job (that pay as good as my Er. frieds(:D), I have no choice then to switch my profession to something else.
I see quite a few people older than 40 - mostly in senior leadership and leadership. But keep in mind, the industry as a whole ages and it will be more common to see older people. Maybe not as many on the production floor. Given that you can be promoted to senior in just a few years in most companies it would be strange to see many older employees there.
The other thing that I enjoy too, just like Eric, is the mentoring aspect. I too could imagine to teach in the future.
So if you enjoy working in the games industry today, does not mean you have to do it your whole life.
If you feel you are one of those people who may need a change of career down the line, try to plan a little for it now, by putting away a bit of money here and there to fund future education.
Now 5 years later am frequently asked to join this or that place, some managers even send me a phone call saying they got my phone number from this guy and would like to know if im available for work.
Oh! i miss the days when i had all the time in the world for me and not just "work" :poly114b:
What I like about art is you are in control. You get to decide what a scene looks like. It's this level of freestyle combined with real time interactivity that makes me want to pursue being an environment artist. It would be impossible for me to regret this unless I hate myself for wanting to draw,model and texture things a certain way.
Is your girlfriend the PC?
Or maybe you realize that instead of making art, you spend your life doing artisanal nonsense you had no creative input yourself into...
Ok here is an outsider opinion (who is probably suffering just as much from "what I chose must be right" bias as the other ones commenting), but I am happy that I DIDN'T join the industry, although seriously thinking about it after high-school (I even went one year to art-school):
1. Doing game-art as a hobby and working on indie/open-source projects is much more rewarding from a personal input and satisfaction level, because you can do whatever you want.
2. Doing a "real" job that has a real impact on society and people, instead of making just another run down the hill appstore 1$ game to pacify some spoilt brats for a few minutes is indefinitly more rewarding.
Just my two cents... I hope it is not percieved as trolling
yeah, thats the best thing I think that its a trade skill which you don't especially need formal education for, and if you think the CG/game industry layoffs are bad then you should look to other industries, kids today are coming out with master degrees, certifications and more and unable to get a Job because of the baby boomer generation among other things.
And unless you choose the right degree to pursue which is a pretty hard thing to do when you are so young you will be stuck with a pile of debt my girlfriend has 35k from her masters and very little job opportunity, she finally found something outside her field after a long job search.
So a key advantage to our industry is that not only is it a tradeskill, that you can teach yourself for free, but its also in a industry where you are unlikely to be competing with baby boomers with years upon years of experience to get.
so from a comparison of other industries this one is amazingly versatile, and can quite possibly give you a decent career and a moderately affirmable lifestyle which is becoming increasingly rare in this seemingly dystopian future.
in one form or another, it's important that EVERYBODY learns some form of artistic or creative endeavor... why? well, it's simple:
the unemployment crisis.
this crisis is not going to go away, it's not going to get easier. it's probably going to get a lot worse. more and more of our economic system is becoming automated. farmers as little as 50 years ago would employ a lot of people to tend their farms, milk the cows, harvest their crops etc. they don't now because they have machines to do it all for them.
sweatshops are still a problem at the moment, but as machinery becomes more commonplace and cheaper to build and maintain even those will die off.
so many facets of our lives, and our jobs either are already, or will be automated in time. and with that comes the lack of jobs for people.
so what's left for people to do? entertain! whether it's through video games, movies, music, or "classical" art... at some point our society's biggest economic product will be entertainment, if it isn't already.
/endramble.
At the end of the day if you can't get a job then your not good enough, if you have been working for two years and your still not good enough you are not working hard enough or there is a difference between what you enjoy and what your good at.
And regarding working as an artist in the industry. It'll always be like this when you join the industry:
*You join the industry with your burning passion that came with a great portfolio of wide landscapes and epic buildings. The Art Director comes up to you and smiles, he's got a great task for you.
- Hey buddy, I need you to make something for me. I need this really awesome and cool bench. And after that I have some really epic tarmac pieces you'll enjoy doing!
xD
---
Haha , either way. It's great, but mostly for the people in my opinion. Making a game together with some great people sure is the best. You just have to get through your year of lodding and optimizing stuff in which you learn a great deal of good topology even for regular props and how to make it easy for yourself and other when you're making thing by yourself
Its attached on my profile? If you click on my name it says goto skyline5gtr homepage
I think something that's worth fighting for- is worth your time. I think all you need to do is just go back and remember why you want to do this in the first place? just remember your true dreams. Mine was when I first played Final Fantasy 7- then it just clicked. To answer your question directly-- no I don't regret it one bit >:]
Oh im totally with you there man its like seeing how the sausage is made, and im constantly scouring any game im playing for insight staring at the corners (skyrim did something interesting with cornerstones and alphas) and looking for modular pieces and other tricks, doesn't make for compelling gameplay.
I still love games but I feel like shit if I play them too much just think I could've spent that time doing my own stuff.
Dude totally, Economically things are going to get progressively worse, especially in these first world countries, but we see even foxconn workers being replaced by machines, chinese slave labour just isn't cheap enough nor is it worth the negative PR, the unfortunate reality is we are looking at a future where there simply won't be a job or career for 90% of people, and there will be no wealth ladder at all, which we already have seen eroded.
So I can't say what will happen,socialist Utopia or madmax collapse, we live in volatile times, but its going to be for sure a hard skill for a computer to ever master, and as for 3D scanners, what does a scanner see? clearly or darkly :P.