How to break into the videogame industry.

[Romier S]

Here are the details:

 

http://www.thegameinitiative.com/labreakin/index.html

 

Date Saturday, May 8, 2004

Time 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM

Location Mount St. Mary?s College in Los Angeles

Little Theater on the Chalon Campus

Cost $60 in advance online / $75 onsite at the door

 

This event is designed for students and professionals looking to get into the industry as well as existing industry insiders looking for new opportunities. For artists, programmers, writers, musicians and designers.

 

LA is the number #4 Region for computer and Video Game Development in the US. Find out what it takes to get into the business. Students find out how to build a professional road map to a career in the games industry. Professionals, learn how your experience and transferable skills can gain you rapid entry into this industry. Find out what employers are looking for now and in the future, how the game development pipeline works, receive an overview of the industry, understand the core competencies, where's it going. Meet and network with professionals in the industry.

[Beer Monkey]

I was offered a job in the industry many years ago but I would have had to take a huge pay cut from my current job developing business applications. Has that changed?

 

I was qualified for the job (having done a fair amount of graphics programming and C) but there were too many young kids willing to work in the industry for cheap because it was 'cool'.

[dogbert]

I was offered a job in the industry many years ago but I would have had to take a huge pay cut from my current job developing business applications. Has that changed?

 

Nope.

[Romier S]

I don't think I'd ever want to actually develop or work on an actual game. I love this industry to death but I fear I would lose some of that if I had a hand in creating an actual game. When I sat down years ago to write and illustrate my own comic with one of my close friends we got so engulfed in the work that my love for reading other comic works diminished greatly, to the point where I all but abandoned it as a hobby. I would never want that to happen with what I do now.

 

I do indeed want to be a part of this industry and am working towards that (with this very site) but only in an journalistic capacity.

[Chris F]

I would LOVE to do something in the game industry. But I have no programming skills, and don't think I'd be well suited to do anything really.

 

Dare to dream... *sigh*

[Mark E]

I'd love to do voice work, but being untrained I would undoubtedly sound like Sierra's early CD-ROM games . And I talk way too fast .

 

I dabbled, briefly, in the idea of writing my own adventure game using one of those game constructors you see online, you can do really good work with those. However, the fact that I can't draw worth a damn kiboshed that pretty quickly.

[Josh]

I have to agree with Romier on this one. I've had some really fun jobs in the entertainment field, doing writing for leisure magazines, creative-directing movie websites, interviewing celebs, writing game reviews, blah blah...

 

The thing I realized, at least for me, was that I didn't like being paid to do the things I loved as hobbies. By the time I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was play games or work on any of my own personal writing. I'd gel out in front of the TV or go get a drink with friends. Having to finish a game in a weekend in order to get a review out the door turned gaming into work. Having to study a CD and its nuances in the period of a few hours to write a decent review turned my music listening into a chore rather than a passtime. Going to movie screenings and deconstructing the script and performances kept me from being lost in the film.

 

Of course, I've recently been seen gelling and drinking, but now I have a job that is intellectually challenging and creative in a field that I'm not personally passionate about. Oh, I do a great job and I still give two shits about it all, but I'm keeping gaming and other personal passions sacred from now on. Besides, this way, I learn something new every day.