How to get into the game industry

Posted on:May 01 2007

It looks like it's the time of the year again: People keep sending me mails, asking me how to get into the game industry. (I'm wondering why they keep sending me those, BTW, but who cares..) I should add an FAQ entry on my websites. But it's also a nice blog entry :)

So here is a very quick, short and hopefully obvious way how you can easily get a job in the game industry, no matter if you want to work as level designer, 3d graphic artist, game programmer or whatever: Simply impress your future boss with a finished game you've been worked on. Simple as that. There is no better way to show that you are able to work on and create a game and maybe even that you can do it in a team. Burn the game or project on DVD and take it with you to the job interview. Tell them about some of the details, and that's it. With this they'll see that you are the right man for the job and than you can finish it. Academic degrees or documents from those currently getting popular game development universities are worth nothing to people who know how to develop software or especially games, in my opinion.





Comments:


Amen.
butz
Quote
2007-05-01 20:27:00


thanks :)
halan
Quote
2007-05-01 21:16:00


Thanks a lot niko! I have been programming for some while now, but i havent been able to get very good grades in skul! I always knew if i showed them i can do it, i wud be able to get a job or land my self in a good university but you have removed all doubts!
RapchikProgramme
Quote
2007-05-01 23:33:00


Another thing to add to is that even the game you worked on to show them doesn't have to be at industry level. They are looking for the ambition, the determination and proof that you won't fluff off and give them a hassle.

It's character that they are looking for. Not degrees.
Jonathan Snyder
Quote
2007-05-02 14:50:00


There is an absolutely brilliant audio Podcast on podcast.gamasutra.com which is an interview with Marc Mencher and he gives a very objective step-by-step on how to get into the game industry. Fortunatelly I have been doing exactly what he says in the Podcast and I have been succeding quite well... (Just got myself a job in a major company).
Eduardo Hulshof
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2007-05-02 15:14:00


terribly sorry, the web address for the article I mentioned is actually this one.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13659
Eduardo Hulshof
Quote
2007-05-02 15:15:00


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