It appears to me that in the great scheme of things, artists are the most expendible commodity in the games industry.
I get what you're saying but I disagree. I think, contractors are the first to be let go, often that's QA. Then CS and support staff like front desk, non essential marketing people, paid interns? But they are a small number of people when you stack it up against the art dept's overhead.
I think most places try hard to hold onto artists, but its a big pool of expensive people and equipment to maintain.
With the recent flood of people wanting to work in the industry and experienced people looking for work a company could think they can drink for the hiring hydrant anytime they want. New talent that might be better and willing to work for less.
I kind of wish more places where handling it a bit more creatively. Who knows maybe they are. I'd help keep the company afloat if its willing to do the same for me.
One thing to keep in mind also, is that some places reported they where projecting to lay off X number of employees but hadn't gotten to dishing out the pink slips and would stagger lay offs. So it hits the news a few times after that.
I get what you're saying but I disagree. I think, contractors are the first to be let go, often that's QA. Then CS and support staff like front desk, non essential marketing people, paid interns? But they are a small number of people when you stack it up against the art dept's overhead.
I think most places try hard to hold onto artists, but its a big pool of expensive people and equipment to maintain.
With the recent flood of people wanting to work in the industry and experienced people looking for work a company could think they can drink for the hiring hydrant anytime they want. New talent that might be better and willing to work for less.
I kind of wish more places where handling it a bit more creatively. Who knows maybe they are. I'd help keep the company afloat if its willing to do the same for me.
One thing to keep in mind also, is that some places reported they where projecting to lay off X number of employees but hadn't gotten to dishing out the pink slips and would stagger lay offs. So it hits the news a few times after that.
Well the employees at Free Radical didn't get any warning, they turned up and the doors were locked. They were told to go to a nearby hotel for a meeting! Crazy.
I like making games.. it pays the bills, I hang out at work with cool people and talk shit about nerdy crap I cant talk to other people about.
Try not to bitch and whine, if you feel your job sucks tell the management... if they don't make things better then leave. The only reality we have is determined by our perspective, so your the only person who can change that through whatever course of action.
Make it better or leave.. I like working with people who are excited about what they are doing... you know the best shit happens when people are enthusiastic about their work right?
I do it because I get to hang around with awesome people, and because I get paid to do things I would otherwise do anyway for free as a hobby (which is both an upside and a downside). Luckily the stuff I do at work is far from the stuff I do at home on my own time.
Bottom line: we do it because it's what we want to do. If it's not, we're not doing it right.
I was a glass cutter for 4yrs. Hardest.job.ever. Wearing 15lbs of kevlar, gloves, facemask, metatarsal steeltoe boots, lifting and cutting huge sheets of glass all day, in temps up to 140º (w/relative humidty in summer). Carrying 600lb pieces of 3/8" glass with another guy, holding on for dear life to your 300lb end. Lifting pieces 84"x130" of 1/8th" onto a dolly and rolling them to a rack, while it waves like water two feet about your head. Scary scary shit.
Dood you got to wear KEVLAR? That's sweeeeeeeet...:poly136:
Replies
I think most places try hard to hold onto artists, but its a big pool of expensive people and equipment to maintain.
With the recent flood of people wanting to work in the industry and experienced people looking for work a company could think they can drink for the hiring hydrant anytime they want. New talent that might be better and willing to work for less.
I kind of wish more places where handling it a bit more creatively. Who knows maybe they are. I'd help keep the company afloat if its willing to do the same for me.
One thing to keep in mind also, is that some places reported they where projecting to lay off X number of employees but hadn't gotten to dishing out the pink slips and would stagger lay offs. So it hits the news a few times after that.
Well the employees at Free Radical didn't get any warning, they turned up and the doors were locked. They were told to go to a nearby hotel for a meeting! Crazy.
Try not to bitch and whine, if you feel your job sucks tell the management... if they don't make things better then leave. The only reality we have is determined by our perspective, so your the only person who can change that through whatever course of action.
Make it better or leave.. I like working with people who are excited about what they are doing... you know the best shit happens when people are enthusiastic about their work right?
Bottom line: we do it because it's what we want to do. If it's not, we're not doing it right.
Dood you got to wear KEVLAR? That's sweeeeeeeet...:poly136:
Before I became an artist in this field I worked for 7 years as a nurse for mentally challenged. That, too, felt more like a real job.