Is it worth to pursue a career in games, if there's no industry within my country?

miguelnarayan

Hi all.
I'm feeling a bit down with the perspective of game careers at the moment.
I've been training my past year upon graduation, to make a concept art portfolio, I took a long journey to re-learn art fundamentals and take my skills to the next level... but in Portugal, my place of residence and birth, the game industry is non existent.

I'm starting to realize that no matter what, a candidate in concept art that is local, will always win over a foreign like me, no matter the skill level... (sorta)

I'm wanting to weight whether or not I should streamline my energy to a career in UI/UX, graphic design and other multimedia art, with a more reliable career and better options if there is not a market in my own country for it? I really like concept art, but I don't like being a freelancer for it.
Thanks for reading.

aryarie

It's definitely not impossible but it depends on your situation and if you have the opportunity to move to where the jobs are. I worked with someone in a game studio a couple of years ago who had moved over to the UK from Portugal for exactly the same reason

It might be the case that you'll need to work other sorts of jobs in the mean time, in which case the UI/UX stuff would be a good idea. There are also UI/UX jobs in games (I see more of these jobs around compared to concept art) so that might be more reliable in the long run.

Frankythebeast

Congrats! You did it.
I'm from Pakistan , I have the same scenario and I'm also confused and seeking answer for the same question 

Larry

I seriously thought of turning to UX/UI designing as there are so many jobs around that. The salaries are bigger as well. What do you have to lose? Your portfolio is already oriented to the style of your choice, might as well leave that as it is and try something different.

Zi0

For you it makes sens to go into the industry if you wish. Since Portugal is a member if the EU its easy for you to find a job in a different EU country, Europe has a lot of cities that are game development hubs. If you really love concept art then I would stick to doing the thing that you love. Did you try to apply to studios around Europe?

Neox

This thread is from 2017 i guess his artstation is proof that it can work.
I was about to tell that quite a bunch of our artists on games like Overwatch, Fortnite or Valorant are from Portugal, so it certainly is possible. But i guess that info isn't really of importance to the original poster anymore

PixelMasher

super cool seeing threads like this get bumped and just proof of what's possible. my first  reaction on loading the OP's artstation was "whoah this is DOPE!" his portfolio is super strong and it makes sense he was able to find work. also judging from the content in the portfolio and his initial post he went all in on the role he was most passionate about regardless of the fact that UI/UX might have been a more "attractive/easier" route.

obviously I am making a lot of assumptions here, and reading between the lines. But this is the same story I have seen play out over and over again, where artists in a non ideal situation still make it work by just buckling down and getting too damn good to ignore. really cool and inspiring to see how this turned out, kick ass work Miguel!

NikhilR

It is interesting that the company that hired him isn't one of the behemoths that hire top tier samurai ninjas.

I mean I would assumed they would go all out to poach him and likely buy the company he's part of.

That is if it really came down to his work in the end.

Theres a good bunch of artists that do not get work regardless of how good they might be and remain where they are.
Sometimes I wonder how the idea of being a good artist started becoming equated with getting a good job to gain credibility, but its human nature to be rewarded for their efforts so this seems to be a logical extension of that. 

Not that companies are obligated to hire them because of their work. It is a business after all and its up to the artist to make the most of their talent.

Neox

i am trying to understand your point @NikhilR but i can only read disconnected ramblings

who would hire him because he is a top tier ninja?

who would buy the company he is part of?

yes not every good artist gets a job, sometimes its bad timing, or wrong person applying at the wrong place. but i do believe once you hit a certain margin you can get a job. there is a ton of competition but there are also many many not so great folks out there. It's not impossible to stand out.

YF_Sticks

Yes it's totally worth. In my country there is no game industry at all and after 2 years of hard work I found a job in a AAA studio abroad. 
It just really depends on your work/portfolio and if you're a good match for the team. 
Don't let yourself be held back by those limiting beliefs. I had them too, trust me. But just keep going at it hard, apply and work on your portfolio. You will find something. It takes patience and effort, but it's worth it. 

miguelnarayan

I was digging the web from older pieces of artwork I did and found this thread, oh god. I am a ninja, apparently, cool.
Yeah, I was going through a case of soul searching. Thanks, polycount for putting up with a bunch of my emo shit back then, and thanks for the comments guys.

I've been working on the recently shipped Amnesia Rebirth for the past...uh, 3-4 years? I don't know, it feels like the OP was written yesterday though.

But tldr to the OP, was it easy? ahahhaha, fuck no. Is it possible? Yes.

Go get em @Frankythebeast and make me proud

neilberard

@miguelnarayan Glad it worked out, always nice to read success stories on here.