How To Break Into The Video Game Industry
by Eric Hebert
With each passing year the video game industry gains more and more clout among consumers. A few years back in 2001, the industry had a combined total revenue of around 9.8 Billion dollars. By 2006 the total had almost tripled to a combined 27 Billion. As more consumers opt to spend the evening at home playing their consoles and PC games as opposed to going out to the movies, the industry continues to grow. The time and effort needed to create a new, next-gen game is enormous and many people are needed on all aspects of development. From the concept artist to the programmer, working for the video game industry can be a very rewarding, and allow you to do something you really love. Here are some of the best ways you can get your foot in the door, and start playing games for a living.
1. Understand the industry
First things first, if you want to get into the industry at any level whether retail, magazine editor, or artist, you had better know your stuff. The best way to do that in my opinion is to play a ton of video games and get to really know the hardware and software. Yeah fan boys are fun to flame on message boards, but if you don’t have a broad spectrum of the entire industry your chances become as narrow as your vision. That means everything from the Nintendo DS, to the latest PC 1st person shooter, and everything in between. No likes to walk into their local game retail store and be greeted by some teenage kid who doesn’t know the first thing about the games you have questions on. You all know what I’m talking about. Even though you may not like a certain next-gen home console or the latest Baseball game, you still need to knowledgeable about them, so start playing everything you can get your hands on.
2. Find the right job
Narrow down your options, and focus on what you really would like to do. Not all of use can be a game programmer no matter how much we practice, between patience and IQ, programming isn’t for everyone. Then again nether is the job of the concept artist, some people are naturally better at certain things. Take what you’re good at, and what you like and start looking for the jobs that fit your personal skill set. A job in the video game industry could literally be a hundred different things and you will need to pick what’s best for you. Take some time and research on-line all the possibilities and you can come away with a much clearer picture of what’s out there. Remember you will be working on video games for a living; make sure you love doing it.
3. Get some education
Attend a college that offers classes specifically catered to the gaming industry. If you have digital or satellite television, which I imagine most people reading this article do, then I’m sure you have come across commercials for “Gaming Schools.” With business getting better each year for game companies, the demand continues to grow for well qualified employees. This in turn has led to entire campuses and in some cases brand new schools being devoted directly to video game based careers. Schools can be found all over the US and may not even require you to move. All aspects of the industry are covered at these colleges, and translate very well into the job market. Many schools even offer transferable credits, if you have already started your degree, or plan to go somewhere else afterwards. Having a B.A. in Social Science may not take you as far as one in video game design if you’re trying to get a job at Capcom, and the portfolio you put together while at school is even more important then the piece of paper which says you passed.
4. Pick a location
Move to an area that has a large amount of gaming studios and/or game related companies. This is a big commitment yes, but if you’re serious about getting into the industry it’s almost a mandatory step. If you’re like me and live out in the middle of nowhere, your chances of doing anything major in gaming is severely hampered. You will want to live in a major metropolitan area, New York, California, Texas, and Washington; all of these places are home to large studios and would naturally have a much higher rate of jobs in the industry then say some place like Delaware, where I’m from. With a bit of research you can even find game studios in much less obvious places like North Carolina and Chicago.
5. Hone Your Writing Skills
Practice your writing. Regardless of what faucet of gaming you get into, there is a very good chance you will have to do some sort of writing, reviewing, or publishing. This is obviously more apparent with careers in gaming magazines, or storyboard/script writers, but important nonetheless in almost every aspect of development. This can be very easy to practice on your own, and doesn’t really require much extra help or funding. If you would love to work for your favorite gaming mag, start out by writing your own reviews of the games they cover from month to month. Have your friends read them, post them on your website or blog, or even try and have them published on the various news sites on-line. Be open to advice and accept any criticism people may have for your work. For a more advanced approach try using a shell of your favorite gaming website and re work it how you see fit. Re-write articles, or re-word interviews, all of these things can help build your confidence and portfolio.
6. Internships go along way
Get an internship. This may be any fledgling game developers dream, though much harder to come by them some other avenues. Most major studios will require a college degree in a related field and possibly some sort of demonstration of what your skills are. Though depending on what you want to do in gaming, it is totally possible to get an internship with no previous schooling, all depends on where you look. If you already have the education, then starting you own small programming projects should be no problem. If you already have the innate ability for design, then coming up with a lot of good ideas and concepts should be equally as easy. A strong portfolio is by far the most important thing you can show. Small game demos, and simple designs will allow you to show your (hopefully) new employer what you’re capable of on your own. An internship at any game studio, large or small, should be looked at as a very good opportunity to really get your name out there and start doing some real work.
7. Remember it's a job
Learn to meet deadlines and work under pressure. Unfortunately it isn’t all fun and games; the gaming industry is one of fast paced work, last minute changes, long nights, and strict deadlines. What may start out as an easy project could end up being the project you spend 80 hours a week on for the last 2 months of development. Things are constantly changing and what worked last month may be out this one. Code needs to be re-written and new designs need to be drafted, all this with a looming deadline hanging over you. You have to keep in mind that although you are technically working with games things can get hectic from time to time. On the other hand you are just as likely to have the opposite happen, your deadline is pushed back to coincide with a holiday or movie release, giving you some breathing room and allowing for bigger and better things to be added. Your career in video games will always be changing and being able to adapt to these things will help you to succeed.
8. Learn Japanese
Learn Japanese. Now while this may not immediately pop into your head when you think about jobs in the Gaming Industry, translators and voice actors are every bit a part of major games as the design team. At least half of all current games come from across seas, with an overwhelming majority coming out of Japan. Of these, a large part of Japanese titles are translated into English for American gamers to enjoy. Now take into account the fact that over 3,500 titles were released in 2006 between the big 3 home consoles, if even 25% of those required a translator you can see how important the job is. A typical translating job may run the entire course of development, upwards of 18 months, which means steady work for the most part. Large companies even keep an in-house translation team on full time. While voice acting is no less important to the overall gaming experience, it is a bit less steady. All major titles coming to PC and home consoles will have at least some voice work
in this day and age, though 3rd party titles may omit major voice work due to the already high cost of development. Just like translating though, if you can get in with a good studio you can look forward to a steady career in gaming.
There are literally hundreds of things you can do to help prepare you for what is becoming a very competitive market; these are just the few I feel are most important. The computer is your friend, use it to gather absolutely every bit of information you can about what it is you want to do. There is plenty of information out there on breaking into video games, and there are a lot of different stories about many people and how they got started in the business. Yours could be very similar or totally different; you'll never know unless you get out there and give it a try!
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