How do you get into the gaming industry?

[Fragamemnon]

you also don't have to hack FPS engines. Most strategy games and even RPGs have some interesting options for budding AI programmers, level designers/event scripters, or tools folk. Best of all, you'll get to know stuff like LUA and XML very fast (not that they are hard, lol).

[hyp]

Uni is good but not necessary for game design. Schooling, in general, is overrated. It doesn't matter WHAT your degree is--it is not going to get you a game design position. It might get your resume noticed for a moment longer, but it's never going to get you a job.

i agree.  when it comes down to you versus the other guy, it really depends on who has something tangible to show.  you can list all your school credentials, but if the other dude created some levels using the unreal engine, and you've sat around reading books and studying throughout college, it's obvious who will get the gig.

if you're going to school without an internship or not working on projects on the side, it's gonna be a rough ride getting the job you ultimately want. 

[bluemax]

bluemax, I could help you out and talk to some of the people we work with and see what they can do about junior positions. Let me know.

Sure, I have a resume and cover letter readily available. Let me know.

I'm gonna echo what the others said Mike, it doesn't matter what kind of games you make or what engines you work on. The point is showing that you have initiative and a sense of design principles. Despite the move towards creating actual game design course work and degree programs its not really translating into requirements for jobs. I suggest checking the job postings on game companies and seeing what kinds of skills/experience they want and start learning as much of that stuff as possible. Learn things like LUA/C#/Rapid Basic etc. Do modding of any kind be it RTS, platformer, shooter etc. I know a guy who is a complete slacker, total asshole and one of the worst CS majors ever who got an internship with DICE doing a BF2042 add on or whatever because of his modding experience. He had no other tangible skills than modding but it got him an in to the industry.

You have to be proactive.

[The Sceneman]

Thanks everyone for all the comments and input. 

[bork]

Is there any point to even attempting to apply to Japanese companies when my Japanese is average at best and I haven't taken a JLPT yet? 

I'm really interested in translation/editing work.

[Fresh Prince]

Depends upon your school and the engineers or maybe times are just changing. I've met plenty of engineers who have normal people interests, like movies, tv, drinking beer, sports etc etc. There are still a few weird ones but it seems like the majority of the engineers I meet these days don't fit in the age old stereotypes.

I agree with this: it also depends on what sort of engineering as well. Mechatronics\Robotics and Software still seem to be the most socially inept. Bio\Elec\Tele\Aero all seem cool. Also Civil is the science faculty's version of accounting, so they're mainly dweebs with the occasional cool slacker.

[tiesto]

Depends upon your school and the engineers or maybe times are just changing. I've met plenty of engineers who have normal people interests, like movies, tv, drinking beer, sports etc etc. There are still a few weird ones but it seems like the majority of the engineers I meet these days don't fit in the age old stereotypes.

I agree with this: it also depends on what sort of engineering as well. Mechatronics\Robotics and Software still seem to be the most socially inept. Bio\Elec\Tele\Aero all seem cool. Also Civil is the science faculty's version of accounting, so they're mainly dweebs with the occasional cool slacker.

What about Systems Engineers?

[Shuri]

Is there any point to even attempting to apply to Japanese companies when my Japanese is average at best and I haven't taken a JLPT yet? 

I'm really interested in translation/editing work.

while noble, why would you get a job translating things from japanese to english when you just said that your japanese was pretty average?

[Fresh Prince]

What about Systems Engineers?

I don't think I've encountered them.

[Ichirou]

most people I know are in the "industry" for several years on the fringes--marketing, QA, journalism, or just plain-old self-taught modding experience--before they move over to development proper.

I don't know why anyone would want to get into the industry...I have a friend who's a programmer and she makes it sound awful.  I'm glad to just enjoy the games without having any knowledge or interest into what goes into making it.

[bluemax]

Depends upon your school and the engineers or maybe times are just changing. I've met plenty of engineers who have normal people interests, like movies, tv, drinking beer, sports etc etc. There are still a few weird ones but it seems like the majority of the engineers I meet these days don't fit in the age old stereotypes.

I agree with this: it also depends on what sort of engineering as well. Mechatronics\Robotics and Software still seem to be the most socially inept. Bio\Elec\Tele\Aero all seem cool. Also Civil is the science faculty's version of accounting, so they're mainly dweebs with the occasional cool slacker.

Depends upon the school but I agree, although EE majors are right up there with CS in terms of socially awkwardness. Biomedical, Aerospace, Civil and ISE all seem to attract people who are smart and want to be challenged but aren't exactly your run of the mill nerd.

Tiesto: at my school we have Industrial and Systems Engineering. Its the most un engineering of the engineering majors and most of the other engineering majors deride them. It tends to be where all the kids who wash out after their 2nd year go because they don't want to delay graduating/quit being an engineer but can't hack it in their original field. There was a cute ISE major in my Linear Algebra class though. She was a bitchy sorority girl though.

most people I know are in the "industry" for several years on the fringes--marketing, QA, journalism, or just plain-old self-taught modding experience--before they move over to development proper.

I don't know why anyone would want to get into the industry...I have a friend who's a programmer and she makes it sound awful.  I'm glad to just enjoy the games without having any knowledge or interest into what goes into making it.

Not everyone is the same. Some people don't mind the hours.

For me it comes down to looking at other jobs and just not being interested in the technologies involved. I can't get into web programming, or data base management. My dad writes statistical analysis stuff all day and he LOVES it but the languages and tools he use just don't interest me at all. At this stage in my life I want to try and work a job that I'm actually excited about.

[bork]

Is there any point to even attempting to apply to Japanese companies when my Japanese is average at best and I haven't taken a JLPT yet? 

I'm really interested in translation/editing work.

while noble, why would you get a job translating things from japanese to english when you just said that your japanese was pretty average?

I enjoy doing that for comics and such with the limited amount of knowledge that I have.  Also my Japanese is getting better all the time, mainly because of my wife...she doesn't make much effort to study English, so I have to use Japanese.

I don't know why anyone would want to get into the industry...I have a friend who's a programmer and she makes it sound awful.  I'm glad to just enjoy the games without having any knowledge or interest into what goes into making it.

Yeah I've heard this a lot before too.  But maybe it's just the development that's bad? 

[demi]

It depends on the environment as well, and the project.

Surreal in Washington is supposed to have a killer office environment. They use Razor scooters to get around.

[Oblivion]

most people I know are in the "industry" for several years on the fringes--marketing, QA, journalism, or just plain-old self-taught modding experience--before they move over to development proper.

You've probably mentioned it before, so forgive me, but what do you do for a living, if I may ask?

[demi]

Nobody knows. Rumor has it he works at Southpeak, and worked on Two Worlds. That glitchy horse? That's him.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Nobody knows. Rumor has it he works at Southpeak, and worked on Two Worlds. That glitchy horse? That's him.

I tried so hard, and ran so far, but in the end, quadraped mocap was beyond my ability.

[Oblivion]

Nobody knows. Rumor has it he works at Southpeak, and worked on Two Worlds. That glitchy horse? That's him.

I tried so hard, and ran so far, but in the end, quadraped mocap was beyond my ability.

What's your job title/description, damn it?! 

[demi]

Nobody knows. Rumor has it he works at Southpeak, and worked on Two Worlds. That glitchy horse? That's him.

I tried so hard, and ran so far, but in the end, quadraped mocap was beyond my ability.

What's your job title/description, damn it?! 

What's yours?

[demi]

Oblivion, add me to MSN

[Oblivion]

Okey dokey. PM your screen name, demi. (or here, I guess)