Started with art, have since moved to design/scripting roles. Love doing all of it though
And the oldest guy I've met was 65+ I think. He was a baker or something for most of his life, but decided that he wanted to switch it up and went to an Art Institute. He got a job at EA after if I remember correctly (I only met him briefly, he came in to chat with the current students. I have a bad memory, so some details may be off) Was a cool dude though.
24, and just about 9 years in.
I started modding and modeling when I was 15, and did that until 2005 around when I started school. Picked up freelancing off and on from there, and have done that, personal projects, a couple of school mods since then.
Still don't have a sit down from 9 to 5 paid gig yet, but I do have an internship at a local company
This thread is awesome!
I had no idea so many of my game artist hero's (yeah, you guys are hero's to me at least) are so freaking young.
I just turned 27, and I have been trying my hand at freelance for a year and 3/4's now.
But I have actually been making money freelancing for about 8 months now.
Still looking to get a studio gig, but I'm really close now... (got some pretty promising opportunities). At least so I think.
This thread is awesome!
I had no idea so many of my game artist hero's (yeah, you guys are hero's to me at least) are so freaking young.
I just turned 27, and I have been trying my hand at freelance for a year and 3/4's now.
But I have actually been making money freelancing for about 8 months now.
Still looking to get a studio gig, but I'm really close now... (got some pretty promising opportunities). At least so I think.
right there with yah man, one of the most respected guys I know on here was a year younger than me, totally blew my mind.
if only this was highlander and I could chop peoples heads off and absorb there powers...
22, I've been practicing throughout my high-school years, decided to go to college... dropped out within 4 months, got my first job at Insomniac Games, been doing that for 9 months now.
just thought I would mention that when i was 27 I tried to enrol on a games art course at LCP in London.
Their attitude was appalling, saying I was far too old and should not bother.
I think it's a bit different now, though one studio made it quite clear they were ageist.
One of the artists actually said out loud within my earshot that why do they need to bother hiring old guys. made me a laugh, but it was a bit shabby really.
Some studios do have a younger culture, but its really should n't be a barrier if you are really determined.
I aim to be freelancing when I am 80 still:)
just thought I would mention that when i was 27 I tried to enrol on a games art course at LCP in London.
Their attitude was appalling, saying I was far too old and should not bother.
I think it's a bit different now, though one studio made it quite clear they were ageist.
One of the artists actually said out loud within my earshot that why do they need to bother hiring old guys. made me a laugh, but it was a bit shabby really.
Some studios do have a younger culture, but its really should n't be a barrier if you are really determined.
I aim to be freelancing when I am 80 still:)
We've got a few guys around 27-30 in our game art course here. They pretty much always complete the course start to finish, as opposed to younger (18 year old) students that don't even make it past one semester. I think at that age you've got a lot more discipline and determination to finish something properly.
Wow, thanks for all of your replies! I guess I was partially right though: Theres is a SHITLOAD of <30ish people working in the industry. Was kind of wrong about the 40+ I guess :poly136:
As for myself I started messing around with games when I discovered you could paint over some of the textures from Kingpin: 'Life of crime' in paint and it would change in the game... my mind nearly exploded! haha. Must have been about 8 years ago or something because I bought the game for 5,- fl in a discount bin. (fl,- stands for florin and was the dutch currency right before the Euro, thats like 2,5 Euro )
27, got my first job when I was 22 after 2 years of school and 2 years at the University of Polycount. I didn't go to school with the intent to do 3D, but 2D animation. I opened up 3DS Max for the first time toward the end of my first year of school and proceeded to crap my pants.
I've been an art dork my entire life, I was always in the art room in high school, always had a sketch book, etc. I had always played games and whatnot, but I had no idea how they were made and assumed it was something like programming like most people I run into now do.
We seem to be pretty diverse here when it comes to age, I work with guys in their 20's to guys in their 50's and no one cares. I think it's really bizarre to judge someone like that just cause they're older.
Oh and I love my job and I'm thankful that I have it every freaking day, it beats the shit out of retail and cleaning houses. :P
I'm 25, I didn't consider 3d until I was 21 (before then I was more interested in concept art) and I got my first 3d job in military sim when I was 22, I got my first video game job as a DS character artist right before I turned 24. They had layoffs and I've been working military simulation again while trying to get my act together artistically.
Replies
Started with art, have since moved to design/scripting roles. Love doing all of it though
And the oldest guy I've met was 65+ I think. He was a baker or something for most of his life, but decided that he wanted to switch it up and went to an Art Institute. He got a job at EA after if I remember correctly (I only met him briefly, he came in to chat with the current students. I have a bad memory, so some details may be off) Was a cool dude though.
I started modding and modeling when I was 15, and did that until 2005 around when I started school. Picked up freelancing off and on from there, and have done that, personal projects, a couple of school mods since then.
Still don't have a sit down from 9 to 5 paid gig yet, but I do have an internship at a local company
I had no idea so many of my game artist hero's (yeah, you guys are hero's to me at least) are so freaking young.
I just turned 27, and I have been trying my hand at freelance for a year and 3/4's now.
But I have actually been making money freelancing for about 8 months now.
Still looking to get a studio gig, but I'm really close now... (got some pretty promising opportunities). At least so I think.
right there with yah man, one of the most respected guys I know on here was a year younger than me, totally blew my mind.
if only this was highlander and I could chop peoples heads off and absorb there powers...
*sharpens battle axe*
Their attitude was appalling, saying I was far too old and should not bother.
I think it's a bit different now, though one studio made it quite clear they were ageist.
One of the artists actually said out loud within my earshot that why do they need to bother hiring old guys. made me a laugh, but it was a bit shabby really.
Some studios do have a younger culture, but its really should n't be a barrier if you are really determined.
I aim to be freelancing when I am 80 still:)
We've got a few guys around 27-30 in our game art course here. They pretty much always complete the course start to finish, as opposed to younger (18 year old) students that don't even make it past one semester. I think at that age you've got a lot more discipline and determination to finish something properly.
As for myself I started messing around with games when I discovered you could paint over some of the textures from Kingpin: 'Life of crime' in paint and it would change in the game... my mind nearly exploded! haha. Must have been about 8 years ago or something because I bought the game for 5,- fl in a discount bin. (fl,- stands for florin and was the dutch currency right before the Euro, thats like 2,5 Euro
I've been an art dork my entire life, I was always in the art room in high school, always had a sketch book, etc. I had always played games and whatnot, but I had no idea how they were made and assumed it was something like programming like most people I run into now do.
We seem to be pretty diverse here when it comes to age, I work with guys in their 20's to guys in their 50's and no one cares. I think it's really bizarre to judge someone like that just cause they're older.
Oh and I love my job and I'm thankful that I have it every freaking day, it beats the shit out of retail and cleaning houses. :P