A blog, tracking the progress of a career in the games industry...

[Meowster]

Okay so, I keep lots of blogs. I actually do. I keep a blog for my relationships, and a blog for my day-to-day life, and a blog for ranting about how much I hate people. They're all private though, because a lot of the time I just update them because they're just like keeping Diaries. And I like writing to release anger and all that. Wait, no, wait... that makes me sound psycho. Okay, start over.

I have lots of blogs but usually they're private! This one isn't. Because I thought that maybe some of you, and some people on the internet, may one day find it a little bit useful. My blog is going to track how I get on with my career in the Games Industry, as well as issues and pitfalls I have along the way (they are plentiful, plentiful...). Hopefully, some people will find this useful. Hey, maybe even interesting!

<link removed for erm... reasons of... secrecy )

I don't have a decent design for it yet, but I'd still like some feedback anyway in the form of, well... how interested are people in it as a concept?  Do you think you'd find a blog of this sort useful or inspiring if you wanted to get into the games industry? Maybe you already do! Anyway, let me know because I can easily just flick the "private" switch on...

[Helm]

I find it interesting and well-written.

[Nikolas]

nice read indeed and I've PMed you for further details if you don't mind

[Sparky]

I and a few of my closest friends are hoping to create games professionally some day. It's nice to read about the experiences of another person with the same aspirations. So you started out as a tester? One friend of mine did testing for a while, and ended up with an RSI! Your story reminded me of him, but without the unhappy ending.

You have a tenacious streak that will get you places. Best of luck getting a design position! If it doesn't happen now, it will some day soon.

[Meowster]

I'm really delighted with the positive feedback, thanks everyone.

I guess I'll keep it public then…!



Also I'll start working on a nicer design for it, since it's a bit of an eyesore at the moment...

[Darth Mandarb]

You have a great writing style.  Very smooth and easy to read.  I rarely make it through the first paragraph(s) of most blogs I read but I read yours top to bottom.

I say keep it going [public].

It actually made me remember the old days when I first got going with my career ... the youthful excitement of nothing but opportunity and prospects of the future to come.  Now I'm just an old man

Rock on.

[radiowaves]

Yes, the blog was good to read. Actually you make me jelaous. I live in a crappy country, want to create games and I have no job. I am 18 years old and guess its going to be a bad summer again, on a construction site... I need to move outside, maybe Finland, but then again, I need some material basis to do so.

So yeah, anyone who needs an artist, web designer or other something similar, feel free to contact me...

[Pumaman]

Interesting read; and the moral of the story is, of course, that if you work in an industry where there are more people wanting jobs than there are jobs available, the people in charge will take advantage of it to get away with things that they wouldn't normally be able to.

[Meowster]

That's so, so true.

And the people at the bottom take so much crap just because they're desperate to keep their job.

[scotch]

It's kind of scary. the fixed term contracts thing is the least encouraging part. If I didn't know a few people who were quite happy in their game development jobs I'd give up any plans to do similar work... hope I can find somewhere decent once I finish my studies.

The blog is good by the way, don't know if anyone mentioned that.

[LimpingFish]

A friend of my brothers has, over the years, moved from Funcom (Dublin), by way of a few stints here and there, to Eurocom. His take on the state of the industry, in the UK at least, is to simply shrug.

I like this blog. Good luck.

[Sparky]

The profit motive of the game industry is unfortunate. It has all kinds of inhibiting effects on creative developers.

That said, I feel people shouldn't let it get them down. There are certain realities to working in the industry. And they do need to be taken into account if people want to move up in the heirarchy and gain creative freedom. But the daily grind isn't what it's about. I feel that an artist should answer to (and I risk sounding cheesy) a higher calling. Make the best art you can, enable yourself to create your own projects if you're not finding any that appeal to you. And help others to do so in the process. Remember that it's all about making good games, and don't get lost in the industry quagmire.

Umm, I think I'll take my cheerleader outfit off now before I risk ridicule. But I really would like to encourage aspiring developers here (writers, visual artists, programmers, designers, everyone) to avoid thinking like a victim and make art happen. You don't see Meowster giving up, do you? You don't think Chris Jones made AGS because it had commercial potential, right? You can do it, people, get out there and Make Cool Stuff.

Heh, I'm getting all worked up about this.
[/soapbox]

[Pumaman]

The profit motive of the game industry is unfortunate. It has all kinds of inhibiting effects on creative developers.

Perhaps, but if there was no profit there'd be no industry. Catch 22?

[Adamski]

and the moral of the story is, of course, that if you work in an industry where there are more people wanting jobs than there are jobs available, the people in charge will take advantage of it to get away with things that they wouldn't normally be able to.

I think a better moral is that if you work in an industry where there are more people wanting jobs than there are jobs available, go to University and get a degree! Having a higher level of qualifications really does improve your chances of not ending up in a bad job having to 'pay your dues' before ending up in the area you want to be.

It doesn't remove the perseverence and luck factors, unfortunatly.

[scotch]

Yeah, seems like most people going right into artist/audio/coding jobs based on qualifications and portfolio have a much better time of it. Yufster is doing it the RPG grind way, which is good at least for the blog, because it's more interesting to document.

[Nikolas]

I always have a question on what qualifications does the designer have...

I would definately accept a coder, or even artist (not usually the musician though somehow... It seems weird, and musicians are freaks  ), to be designers. And while I can accept that a designer takes a lot of effrot and is essential, still I don't see what qualifications (s)he needs to become one. Cause in the case of a musician, you get some experience, you have equipment and musical knowledge obviously and then you start hitting doors.

That part I'm asking is what is making the job of a designer rather difficult I reckon. Hard to get respect when you started as a tester, when the person talking to you has a Masters in art or something...

I don't feel this way, but all the designers I've messed with, always had double roles as coders most of the time...

[LimpingFish]

All the staff put their names in a hat...

First name out is the new designer.

Actually, I'd guess that sometimes it's just a case of seniority. Whoever has worked there the longest. :/

Which is an equally absurd way to appoint someone to do a job.

[scotch]

Game designers come from such varied backgrounds these days, but they're usually already respected people within a company that ended up with the position after being at the company a fair amount of time, so I don't think the earning respect issue is a big one.

I feel partly the same way. As it is now, I'd rather work under a great artist or an experienced coder than someone that had no practical skills besides coming up with nice sounding ideas. Artists are good at high concept and of course visual design, coders will often think about the game mechanics in a more analytical way which I think is a very helpful approach. That's not to say I don't think game design is a distinct and valuable skill, I just think it's hard to sell yourself specifically on your abilities as a designer right now because few people have much of a theoretical background, and the larger part of industry would rather people that can create the same game as last time, with some minor changes, than someone that can construct a balanced and compelling game from nothing.

I hope (and expect) that some day Game Studies/Ludology/whatever will be a respected area of research and a necessary basis for a professional game designer. The iterative methods have certainly led us to some nice playable games, of course, I just think less bone headed brute force tactics will end up making better games. For now, yeah, practically any reason to respect the designer is enough. It's annoying getting paid less than people that aren't good at anything.

ps: I actually study for a degree in "Computer Games Design", which a lot of people find amusing, even people that love games. A lot of people seriously think liking games and not being an idiot is all that's necessary to be a designer. I'll freely admit that Games Studies is in its infancy, but I find it very useful in unravelling what makes games work even now.

[Sparky]

Yeah, most of the designers I've heard of started as coders and/or writers.
There are certainly famous counterexamples: Shigeru Miyamoto was originally an artist, Tim Willits of Id Software started as a level designer, and American McGee started as a level designer.

I would definately accept a coder, or even artist (not usually the musician though somehow... It seems weird, and musicians are freaks  ), to be designers.

I wouldn't naturally think a musician would make a good designer... but maybe I'm just prejudiced. But if I think about it, I don't see why someone like you or Mods wouldn't know enough about other aspects of development to make a good game designer.

...the larger part of industry would rather people that can create the same game as last time, with some minor changes, than someone that can construct a balanced and compelling game from nothing....
The iterative methods have certainly led us to some nice playable games, of course, I just think less bone headed brute force tactics will end up making better games.

I second that! We need more designers who are willing to create rather than immitate. At the very least we need people who reevaluate and freely modify the existing formulas. Cheers to people like you who are willing to put some real thought into design.

[m0ds]

I wouldn't naturally think a musician would make a good designer... but maybe I'm just prejudiced. But if I think about it, I don't see why someone like you or Mods wouldn't know enough about other aspects of development to make a good game designer.

Hahaha! I think musicians stand as good enough chance as any others, coders, artists etc. I'm sure even a plumber with a degree of capability in creative writing & a knowledge of how games work could even be a designer. Depends how they wanna go about it though really, doesn't it. Do they strive to make their own games with their own team & build off the success or failure, or do they try and get into the industry through degrees and jobs, and work their way up to designer.
I'd imagine both are possible, as we've seen here, and all both need are perserverance(sp).