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.
I've had my own internal dialogue about this. In the hunter gatherer sense, VERY few successful people have jobs that directly benefit society, or they contribute just as many detriments as they do advances. This is true even for STEM fields where many advances are either solely in the commercial sector or so abstract that we wont see any benefit in our lifetimes.
If you look at history though, one of the most common attributes a society's level of advancement is measured by is art. IMO, games are the razor's edge of the art world. At no other time has humanity been able to create such elaborate illusions from scratch. Nor have we been able to mass produce experiences that force an audience to participate, rather than just observe.
That's one reason why the reception of games is so interesting. People not only take them personally, but they occasionally feel entitled to certain aspects, be it the story or mechanic or what have you.
Art aside, many games are simulators with entertainment value. Studies have also shown that games are therapeutic, help increase or maintain neuroplasticity, and increase reflex times. They're also a large part of why people under fifty have a far better grasp of abstract concepts dealing with technology (like coding logic), than people over fifty. Games have also helped increase the literacy rate, though the internet can claim a larger chunk of the credit.
So why aren't games perceived as having more social utility? Firstly because your dad probably didn't play them, they're just too new. Secondly, because content is developing in maturity with its audience, especially if you were born in the 80s. Thirdly, because the fine art community is still predominantly occupied with conceptual art. They'll get there when we're the grizzled old artists with opinions.
If you really want to help society, you can always do charity work in your spare time. If I'm too far away to have thanksgiving with family, I tend to look for a homeless shelter to help in. You can create media for non profits in your spare time too.
Art's really damn flexible and useful, as long as you know how/where to apply it.
That might be part of why the games I enjoy playing lately have simple graphics. Stuff like Thomas Was Alone and Pixel Junk Eden. There is less tech and graphic chest thumping to get side tracked by, so I can just play and enjoy.
yeah it is great to have variety, also the reason they are stand out is because their great aesthetic. Thomas was alone is not made by clueless people .
in the mean time, I still believe in high quality graphic when budget allows,because by the time every game creator neglect the cutting edge graphic innovation, is the time I leave game industry.
Simple question, as I'm still working on getting my first job with all the layoffs lately and volatility of the industry, does anyone regret it ?
Regret no, but I'm glad I had a backup plan. I still enjoy creating game art and maybe an indie game in the future. But, I enjoyed my first career (electronics/electrical) just as much and really started to miss it.
I also have a family so moving every three years or working endless crunch isn't an option. Happy wife, happy life
I've received a lot of emails from ex co-workers asking for advice on how to get into trades. I write out long explanations and offer concrete advice. Not one of them has ever followed through. Its too difficult for them to switch careers late in life so they take another contract and pack their bags for wherever.
The reality is you've spent approx $50,000 for school, plus lost wages going to school, plus loan interest, and waited around for two years looking for a jerb. This has cost you well over $100,000 if you aren't bankrolled by mom and dad. Nothing anyone says is going to change your mind if you are that dedicated.
But, how are you going to feel when you are 40? Nobody knows, not even you. Maybe you will love game art, maybe you will hate it. Maybe you will land a great job at a well-managed studio or get stuck at a sweatshop. The crystal ball is cloudy.
So, my advice to you is: have a backup plan. I mean a real one. Start learning a skilled trade or profession on the side. If you have some experience already in something else, then build from there. Working retail or fast-food doesn't count. If all you love is videogames, then you need to fix that first.
If you really want to help society, you can always do charity work in your spare time. If I'm too far away to have thanksgiving with family, I tend to look for a homeless shelter to help in. You can create media for non profits in your spare time too.
And you can always start at your own doorstep too! Ever considered the people you work with every day? Make their life easier. Help out even if there's no material gain for you. Smile more. Be polite. Help others to learn new stuff and become better at what they do! Make whatever stress they have more easily to bear and you're already making life better for some folks. I think this sounds like a given, but it isn't, and there's nothing stopping anyone from starting with this right now. There's no excuse that you cannot afford it or have no time. Just think about what you're doing some more
While my career as a game artist is still in the extremely early stages - and perhaps my feelings will change over time/grueling hours/shitty projects/whatever - I feel the exact opposite of regret, so much so that I had to search and figure out what that emotion is (according to Google this is gratitude or contentment, both sound perfect in this instance).
I really am grateful that there exists a profession, which is relatively stable by a lot of standards (and horribly fucked by others), that allows me to be an artist and maybe not starve to death while trying. Had I not discovered that the game industry was actually a legitimate career choice I would have been a graphic designer and less happy. Had graphic design not been an option I would have been some other incantation of modern-day artist, and had none of those panned out I would've been miserable. Actually I would've pursued something else that is relatively enjoyable, so perhaps not miserable, but certainly less happy.
This isn't to say that traditional professions, whatever your definition of those happens to be, are bad or depressing or whatever. I understand how crucial they are and appreciate all those that go down that route, and if you enjoy them then by all means pursue that. I would just like to hold onto some sort of dying ideal that since I'll be spending the vast majority of my life working I would appreciate if that job was something I enjoy and not something that is necessarily lucrative/stable/etc...
But that's just me and I'm sure there's a possibility I will end up poor and sad and burned out from games/art. Money has never been a motivation though (maybe because of my youth) and I would rather take a chance at being happy in an unstable/difficult field than dragging my ass through a traditional job.
*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!
That's what's great about working for a small dev, you get to do so many hero pieces
I wouldn't want to do anything else. I wish I had started getting serious about 3d earlier and actually studied 2d as well, but eh.
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
It's not trolling but it is positioned pretty firmly from one point of view. Who says games don't make a real impact on society and people? I have countless stories of people who say that video games got them through terrible times in their lives, or they met their spouses in the game, or they finally found a way to spend time and connect with their kids through video games, or whatever it might be.
I'd wager there are way more "real" jobs that do nothing to benefit society or people than working on video games.
Replies
I've had my own internal dialogue about this. In the hunter gatherer sense, VERY few successful people have jobs that directly benefit society, or they contribute just as many detriments as they do advances. This is true even for STEM fields where many advances are either solely in the commercial sector or so abstract that we wont see any benefit in our lifetimes.
If you look at history though, one of the most common attributes a society's level of advancement is measured by is art. IMO, games are the razor's edge of the art world. At no other time has humanity been able to create such elaborate illusions from scratch. Nor have we been able to mass produce experiences that force an audience to participate, rather than just observe.
That's one reason why the reception of games is so interesting. People not only take them personally, but they occasionally feel entitled to certain aspects, be it the story or mechanic or what have you.
Art aside, many games are simulators with entertainment value. Studies have also shown that games are therapeutic, help increase or maintain neuroplasticity, and increase reflex times. They're also a large part of why people under fifty have a far better grasp of abstract concepts dealing with technology (like coding logic), than people over fifty. Games have also helped increase the literacy rate, though the internet can claim a larger chunk of the credit.
So why aren't games perceived as having more social utility? Firstly because your dad probably didn't play them, they're just too new. Secondly, because content is developing in maturity with its audience, especially if you were born in the 80s. Thirdly, because the fine art community is still predominantly occupied with conceptual art. They'll get there when we're the grizzled old artists with opinions.
If you really want to help society, you can always do charity work in your spare time. If I'm too far away to have thanksgiving with family, I tend to look for a homeless shelter to help in. You can create media for non profits in your spare time too.
Art's really damn flexible and useful, as long as you know how/where to apply it.
yeah it is great to have variety, also the reason they are stand out is because their great aesthetic. Thomas was alone is not made by clueless people
in the mean time, I still believe in high quality graphic when budget allows,because by the time every game creator neglect the cutting edge graphic innovation, is the time I leave game industry.
Regret no, but I'm glad I had a backup plan. I still enjoy creating game art and maybe an indie game in the future. But, I enjoyed my first career (electronics/electrical) just as much and really started to miss it.
I also have a family so moving every three years or working endless crunch isn't an option. Happy wife, happy life
I've received a lot of emails from ex co-workers asking for advice on how to get into trades. I write out long explanations and offer concrete advice. Not one of them has ever followed through. Its too difficult for them to switch careers late in life so they take another contract and pack their bags for wherever.
The reality is you've spent approx $50,000 for school, plus lost wages going to school, plus loan interest, and waited around for two years looking for a jerb. This has cost you well over $100,000 if you aren't bankrolled by mom and dad. Nothing anyone says is going to change your mind if you are that dedicated.
But, how are you going to feel when you are 40? Nobody knows, not even you. Maybe you will love game art, maybe you will hate it. Maybe you will land a great job at a well-managed studio or get stuck at a sweatshop. The crystal ball is cloudy.
So, my advice to you is: have a backup plan. I mean a real one. Start learning a skilled trade or profession on the side. If you have some experience already in something else, then build from there. Working retail or fast-food doesn't count. If all you love is videogames, then you need to fix that first.
And you can always start at your own doorstep too! Ever considered the people you work with every day? Make their life easier. Help out even if there's no material gain for you. Smile more. Be polite. Help others to learn new stuff and become better at what they do! Make whatever stress they have more easily to bear and you're already making life better for some folks. I think this sounds like a given, but it isn't, and there's nothing stopping anyone from starting with this right now. There's no excuse that you cannot afford it or have no time. Just think about what you're doing some more
I really am grateful that there exists a profession, which is relatively stable by a lot of standards (and horribly fucked by others), that allows me to be an artist and maybe not starve to death while trying. Had I not discovered that the game industry was actually a legitimate career choice I would have been a graphic designer and less happy. Had graphic design not been an option I would have been some other incantation of modern-day artist, and had none of those panned out I would've been miserable. Actually I would've pursued something else that is relatively enjoyable, so perhaps not miserable, but certainly less happy.
This isn't to say that traditional professions, whatever your definition of those happens to be, are bad or depressing or whatever. I understand how crucial they are and appreciate all those that go down that route, and if you enjoy them then by all means pursue that. I would just like to hold onto some sort of dying ideal that since I'll be spending the vast majority of my life working I would appreciate if that job was something I enjoy and not something that is necessarily lucrative/stable/etc...
But that's just me and I'm sure there's a possibility I will end up poor and sad and burned out from games/art. Money has never been a motivation though (maybe because of my youth) and I would rather take a chance at being happy in an unstable/difficult field than dragging my ass through a traditional job.
That's what's great about working for a small dev, you get to do so many hero pieces
I wouldn't want to do anything else. I wish I had started getting serious about 3d earlier and actually studied 2d as well, but eh.
That's pretty amazing, dude. I love stories like that, and when studios do things like this for their fans.
I'd wager there are way more "real" jobs that do nothing to benefit society or people than working on video games.