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-- Game development thread incoming --
A friend asked what advice I have for someone who wants to get into the game industry. I wrote them a lengthy response, and figured I should share it here as well! [cont& #39;d]
A friend asked what advice I have for someone who wants to get into the game industry. I wrote them a lengthy response, and figured I should share it here as well! [cont& #39;d]
Keep in mind that it& #39;s all based on my own experiences, and I& #39;m sure everyone has their own story to tell and advice to give on the subject (and it& #39;s all relevant!). When I was in my 3rd college attempt (due to finances) trying to learn what I could, I hated it when... [cont& #39;d]
... some industry dude would write entire articles on why you "don& #39;t" want to get into game dev. It was usually some shitty form of gatekeeping, and didn& #39;t help anyone or help change the industry they supposedly hate so much. So I vowed to never do that!
here we go!
here we go!
You prob already figured this out, but the 1st thing to do is to figure out which part of the industry you want to try to get into. In college, I was sure I could do anything. Hell, I was SURE I& #39;d find a job in character animation!
I did not find a career in animation. [cont& #39;d]
I did not find a career in animation. [cont& #39;d]
Even within field, you gotta think about where you& #39;d be happiest. Art, for example, has many paths ranging from environment art, hard surface asset modeling, VFX, character art, Tech Art, materials/texture art, lighting art, etc., and each is its own respected career. [cont& #39;d]
Same goes for design (Gameplay Design, Sandbox Design, Level Design, etc.), and programming (tools programmer, gameplay programmer, engine programmer). And that& #39;s not even including careers like sound design, animation, production, test, and so much more. [cont& #39;d]
In AAA games, these jobs are usually specialized and narrow focused, but in indie games you can typically wear multiple hats (in fact you& #39;ll probably HAVE to, lol). [cont& #39;d]
Once you& #39;ve decided on a general path (Art vs Design, for example), it& #39;s time to absorb as much as you can! Download game engines like Unity or Unreal, or free art programs like Blender. Find tutorials online for them via Youtube or sites like Udemy, and start studying. [cont& #39;d]
Remember that while these are individual professions, it& #39;s good to at least have an ear for the the things you don& #39;t want to specialize in. Blueprints in Unreal, for example, might go a long way in helping people understand basic scripting logic! [cont& #39;d]
Additionally, start working with your intentions on social media. Join groups/subreddits/etc. for your chosen field. befriend people in the industry on Twitter and engage with us here. Just be a sponge! [cont& #39;d]
Once you& #39;ve got your feet wet with studying, start looking for small game jams to collaborate in and personal projects. I wouldn& #39;t try to host a game jam yourself just yet, as managing people in a short project is a job all its own. The goal here isn& #39;t necessarily... [cont& #39;d}
... to make something that ensures a "foot in the door", but it does wonders for learning, understanding the throes of game development, and maybe make some lifelong friends (and potential future contacts) along the way. [cont& #39;d]
Put in the time and effort here. After a while, it could be worth hitting up recruiters on LinkedIn/Dev websites/etc, but MAKE SURE you have some work to show them.
It& #39;s at -THIS- point where you will actually begin your journey into finding a path into the industry. [cont& #39;d]
It& #39;s at -THIS- point where you will actually begin your journey into finding a path into the industry. [cont& #39;d]
These days, expect your 1st (and possibly 2nd, 3rd, etc.) gig to be contract positions (Short term contracts by vendors hired by studios where you work 6 months to a year on a project, but aren& #39;t technically an employee of said developer). [cont& #39;d]
I was a contract employee for the first 4 years of my career before I got an FTE (Full Time Employee, with benefits, etc.) position, and it wasn& #39;t even at the same company I contracted for all that time! [cont& #39;d]
so yeah. It& #39;s a looot of work, and prep. and failure, and learning, and more failure, and more learning. And even once you get in, expect that loop to not only accelerate, but be part of your daily grind. It& #39;s not a bad thing! and you& #39;ll be amazed at how much you grow! [cont& #39;d]
Final note here: I didn& #39;t mention colleges for a reason. Game Art/Design schools are out there, and while I certainly can& #39;t speak for all of them, TOO MANY of them are well-intentioned wastes of money and time at best, and absolute frauds at worst (like mine was). [cont& #39;d]
I& #39;ll say a secondary degree of some kind is pretty much mandatory nowadays. There are no "wiz kids" or "unicorns" in most game dev, just educated professionals. BUT, the degrees they have vary wildly, from Architectural degrees, to psychology, and everything in between. [cont& #39;d]
THAT SAID, some paths absolutely require specific degrees (programming and engineering come to mind), even with a substantial body of personal project work.
