29. First industry job @ Mythic for 5 years.
Playing games since 1987 (SMB & Metroid on NES)
Writing own games in BASIC on a 286 (1990)
Hypercard games and graphics on mac (1993)
Doom2/Warcraft 2 maps, gfx and the beggining of the end (1995+)
Hypercard-games ftw! Damn that was a looooong time ago...
I think the reason most people leave is because crunch doesn't go away, but now they have kids, plus other industries pay better and have saner hours. I love it though, my dream job.
High five Ruz!
So where do they go after 40? I'm curious what industry they can transition into..
21.
Just got out of school and just had an interview for an internship at a local game studio. Besides that no industry experience yet, trying to get started! lol
20 right now and I've been doing 3d for between 2 and 3 years now.
It sounds like a lot of people get into the industry around this age, so that makes me hopeful.:) I've only had a few freelance gigs so far. Mostly been working on portfolio and jobs to pay my loans.
It's funny, but even though this is my dream job now, I can't see myself doing it in my 40's. 20 years is a long time to do the same thing. But by then who knows what game development will be like.
21 for a few more months, 0 "official" years in the industry though. I started doing simple mods back in middle school, spent pretty much all of high school getting my feet wet with my first game art and full total conversion modding.
I started going to college at 18 in 2006 majoring in graphic design, unsure of whether or not I really wanted to pursue level design/game art as a career. I started modding World in Conflict in 2007, got several of my maps added to the official ranked map roster for the game in 2008, and decided I loved doing it too much not to go for it. Currently working on my portfolio and working full-time for my university as a 3D artist doing mainly architectural visualization and the like (which has pushed my graduation date back a year, but besides pay+benefits I get some of my education paid for as well).
28 now. Been in the industry since 2004 right after college. Started as an environment artist at Sigil Games, then moved on to characters. Worked at SOE for a bit, and now work at Trion as a character artist.
So overall, a bit more than 5 years at this point.
I'm 22. I finished art school in December of 08, and now with just under half a year of professional experience. I got my first job as a Tech Artist earlier this year doing some stuff for Sony's PS Home, and just recently started as a 3D/2D Artist at Zynga. I am still a newbie =(
24. Started playing around with sprites in duke3D and then levels in quake.
Got my first 3d app in 1999, Became a freelance artist in 2005, been doing that since
Few Mythic guys on here I see I'm 27, currently working at Sega in London as a games tester, but hoping to move onto something more in development soon. Really want to work as a character artist down the line Although I haven't got a background in traditional art, hope that won't hinder me too much
28, been an fx artist for three years now, taught myself fx the summer before I got my job. Before that, I did QA for about a year and a half, and college for a few years (BA in computer graphics). As far as how long I've been a gamer.. as long as there's been a computer around to play on (i.e., somewhere there's video of me playing on a black and green-screened computer).
28, done three years time, 2 at TT and coming up to my first birthday at R*north, did some freelance befor that, been into game art since Imagine 3d, played them since ZX........still crap
First Official Games Job back in 1998, sprite works and low poly ( although I can go back to '93 or so when I was creating 'official' sprite work for an Amiga dev co. when I was still in school ). Before that, I would 'program' my art on a bbc electron, pixel 'star jumps' man !
Worked at various studios, last big one was for 5 years, had many roles as senior artist, senior character, senior environment, env. lead, character lead, car lead, tech. artist, up until about 2005, company collapsed, took on smaller contracts and now find myself unemployable for the last 2 years..
I'm 26 years old. I graduated last year from a 2 year graphic design program majoring in 3D. I have spent the last year and will continue to spend time until summer 2011 buidling my portfolio.
I learned Maya in school as well as Adobe After Effects. I know all adobe products through working as a contract web designer for years before I went to college.
I played Unreal Tournament for years and just loved the environments creating in the Unreal engine across the series. I am currently practicing rendering out single scenes using the UDK.
Give this a try... For different particle effects try created them in adobe after effects. You can bake out videos of a certain particle system and then use the individual frames for flip book textures or morph targets.
Been playing games since I was 2-ish (Blitz on the Vic 20, memories....), started messing about with editing them since I found out you can edit the car skins in Grand Prix 2- didn't do much more until I got a copy of Quake 2.
Was in the games industry for 5 years at Mobius/Rockstar Leeds, been on the outside looking in for the last 18 months but hoping next year will bear some fruit work wise. Part of me really regrets leaving R* but then again I wouldn't be engaged and always be wondering what life would be like on the outside heh
I will be 27 next week and I've worked in games for 5 years. Started off with a little over 2 years in QA after college, and then 3 years on the art side.
I used o work with a fella who fas somewhere in his mid forties. don't know for sure unfortunately.He started out wid first 3ds Max on dos or something like that.
But he unfortunately was one of the most vivid example for me that years of experience shouldn't be realted to it's quality...
yea man, thats the post i wanna see. Who is the OLDEST guy you ever met working with games?
i had a coworker who's past sixty now, still alive and contracting, as far as i know.
another one here is pushing sixty, he's the (grumpy) grandpa around here. both coders who worked on games since the early 80ties. oldest artist i worked with? - 45, i think. all with family and kids and things.
feels good to know sometimes that the "industry" doesn't have to be just a single twenty-something's sausage-fest with frequent company-sponsored late night pizza events.
myself - 33 / 8 years in. wish i had joined earlier.
Just graduated and looking to grab my first gig soon. Started out at AI Dallas in 98, not really something a fesh out of highschool 18 yr old can afford living on their own... took time off, classes here and there and transferred into UTD. Getting a late start, but I'm fairly optimistic.
Just graduated and looking to grab my first gig soon. Started out at AI Dallas in 98, not really something a fesh out of highschool 18 yr old can afford living on their own.
I did it! Its completely possible, you just have to acquire lots and lots and lots of debt
I'm 22 here, Yet to get into that first job though; Hoping to hear back from a studio in Maitland about some contract work by the first of the year. Working with 3d for the last 2 years while at Full Sail(lots and lots of debt indeed... but well worth every penny), known photoshop for since like version... 6 or 7?
I'm 29 and I've been in the industry for six years now. As a kid, I first cut my teeth on Shoot-em-up Construction Kit and AMOS on the Amiga and also made some maps for Duke Nukem 3d. I didn't really do any art at all between the ages of 15 and 22. Kind of wish I hadn't wasted so much time. Oh well - I ain't dead yet.
Replies
10 years getting paid to make game characters
17 years of editing games I would say
I'm 31, and have been in the industry for, ooh, 7.5 years. Jeez that sounds a long time now I write it down! w00t.
It seems I fall into your middle category.
Hypercard-games ftw! Damn that was a looooong time ago...
So where do they go after 40? I'm curious what industry they can transition into..
Just got out of school and just had an interview for an internship at a local game studio. Besides that no industry experience yet, trying to get started! lol
"Good news everybody! We're downsizing and you've all been chosen for 'extended holidays'"
Dunno, maybe it's just me but the average age I've worked with seems to have crept up to early 30s.
It sounds like a lot of people get into the industry around this age, so that makes me hopeful.:) I've only had a few freelance gigs so far. Mostly been working on portfolio and jobs to pay my loans.
It's funny, but even though this is my dream job now, I can't see myself doing it in my 40's. 20 years is a long time to do the same thing. But by then who knows what game development will be like.
I started going to college at 18 in 2006 majoring in graphic design, unsure of whether or not I really wanted to pursue level design/game art as a career. I started modding World in Conflict in 2007, got several of my maps added to the official ranked map roster for the game in 2008, and decided I loved doing it too much not to go for it.
Turned 38 last month. I'm told I don't look/act my age which sounds about right since I don't feel or do things like someone close to 40.
Feb 2010 will be 9 years in the industry. Love games and the industry... the good and the bad. Just like my wife.
7 years in game industry.
So overall, a bit more than 5 years at this point.
27. Got my first artist job at 18, but remember reconstructing Castlevania in cardboard at 8!
Game art not as fun these days? It's better than ever!
been doing game art since 2001.
1 year education
2 years studio and freelance work
5 years teaching and occasional dev. projects
I've graduated just above 100 students now.... And I'm happy to see many of them doing great stuff at different studios, and some of them here at PC
yea man, thats the post i wanna see. Who is the OLDEST guy you ever met working with games?
at DICE we peak at like 42. We call them guru's of wisdom and magic due to their exceptionally high age :P
im 29 btw
Got my first 3d app in 1999, Became a freelance artist in 2005, been doing that since
Been doing game related art for 4 months now, heh
34.
First Official Games Job back in 1998, sprite works and low poly ( although I can go back to '93 or so when I was creating 'official' sprite work for an Amiga dev co. when I was still in school ). Before that, I would 'program' my art on a bbc electron, pixel 'star jumps' man !
Worked at various studios, last big one was for 5 years, had many roles as senior artist, senior character, senior environment, env. lead, character lead, car lead, tech. artist, up until about 2005, company collapsed, took on smaller contracts and now find myself unemployable for the last 2 years..
6 years? 5 years? 5 and a half?
I learned Maya in school as well as Adobe After Effects. I know all adobe products through working as a contract web designer for years before I went to college.
I played Unreal Tournament for years and just loved the environments creating in the Unreal engine across the series. I am currently practicing rendering out single scenes using the UDK.
Give this a try... For different particle effects try created them in adobe after effects. You can bake out videos of a certain particle system and then use the individual frames for flip book textures or morph targets.
Been playing games since I was 2-ish (Blitz on the Vic 20, memories....), started messing about with editing them since I found out you can edit the car skins in Grand Prix 2- didn't do much more until I got a copy of Quake 2.
Was in the games industry for 5 years at Mobius/Rockstar Leeds, been on the outside looking in for the last 18 months but hoping next year will bear some fruit work wise. Part of me really regrets leaving R* but then again I wouldn't be engaged and always be wondering what life would be like on the outside heh
Was told I had about 2 years XP from a recruiter...
Been editing 3D and textures since 18, Quake 3 Arena made me do it!
But he unfortunately was one of the most vivid example for me that years of experience shouldn't be realted to it's quality...
Hah, I guess I'm one of those then. First published game I did anything for was Pinball Fantasies(256 col version).
i had a coworker who's past sixty now, still alive and contracting, as far as i know.
another one here is pushing sixty, he's the (grumpy) grandpa around here. both coders who worked on games since the early 80ties. oldest artist i worked with? - 45, i think. all with family and kids and things.
feels good to know sometimes that the "industry" doesn't have to be just a single twenty-something's sausage-fest with frequent company-sponsored late night pizza events.
myself - 33 / 8 years in. wish i had joined earlier.
Just graduated and looking to grab my first gig soon. Started out at AI Dallas in 98, not really something a fesh out of highschool 18 yr old can afford living on their own... took time off, classes here and there and transferred into UTD. Getting a late start, but I'm fairly optimistic.
I did it! Its completely possible, you just have to acquire lots and lots and lots of debt
Thats awesome Haken!
Myself about to hit 25, almost 2 years exp at TT-Fusion. Been modding games for ever feels like.
Seems odd reading most studios dont have many 40+s, seem to be loads here its an awesome family studio i geuss?
looking at bbobs work... dang...
Just under 5 years in the actual industry, and a few years of mods before that. (started 2001ish?)