Industry Vet to Young Devs: You Might Never Be AAA

[maantren]

This is similar to James Cameron telling an audience of film students that they're unlikely to ever work on something like Avatar, but that it is possible to find satisfaction in other projects. It's good, realistic career advice. Breaking into the 'AAA' side of the games industry will soon be at least as hard as breaking into big budget movies - probably more so, given all the movie people who are crossing over - and I personally think a LOT of young hopefuls are being sold a bill of goods as to their prospects.

(And yes, you can always go indie)

Cheers

Colin

 

[Chemical Alia]

If I had to settle for Barbie's Pony Adventure 12 as my first title to work on, I would have been grateful and ecstatic, and getting my first portfolio together and getting my foot in the door of the game industry was the most stressful and borderline depressing time in my life D:

My first game job was at a AAA studio as an artist intern, and from there I went on to get a full time job at another AAA game company. I love the game I'm on, and the creativity I'm allowed to express with my work, yet I have many friends at other big studios who are extremely stifled in their duties, or are working for crappy contract pay with no benefits or health plan. I would much rather be working with a small, focused, and fun team on a stable indie project or licensed game than be exploited or worked to death on a project that happens to be extremely popular. I think that what's most important is how satisfied you are with your position, and how much you enjoy your work.

But if working on a AAA game is really your goal, with the right focus/marketing of your abilities, a good networking base, and some persistence/luck, it should be entirely possible.

Also, "orginal" = "original IP" in the context of this article, or what?

 

[Baldr]

I was sitting on that session yesterday at ECGC. The speaker was saying it may be almost impossible to get a job on a AAA game, but was talking about his career writing and designing for licensed games for other media like Ben-10 Alien Force and Despicable Me. While those games not be a big and popular as a AAA game, I still think they would be fun to work on. There also another side to the industry that growing rapidly that I work in is Serious Games: Instructional and Simulation games for corporations and the Military. I sometimes find it more interesting and challenging than an entertainment game.

The bottom line is while it may be extremely hard to find a game job for a AAA, there are a ton of non-AAA game jobs out there that are still just as fun and excellent career opportunities.

 

[Jfswift]

Follow your dreams. Don't listen to people like Dave Ellis.

 

[Baresark]

Why would any self respecting young developer get into the industry to work on cookie cutter games? All AAA titles are made for maximum profitability, meaning they are not really all that innovative. I am a carpenter, and I work under the assumption that I get work because I can actually do better than other people. This is how business is motivated by people. People think they can do things better than other people. This guy thinks AAA titles are the top, but I don't consider them the top, and I am willing to believe that there are other people out there who think the same as myself. I would love to work on a huge mansion and be given creative control, but I love my job even though that hasn't happened for me yet.

Edit: Game developers do not make great money, they will not ever make great money either. Notch has made fantastic money through innovation and fun, but he is an anomaly. As more and more developers enter the market, real salaries will decline because you're not special at all.

 

[Canid117]

When did we go from "Everyone is special" to "You'll never fulfil your dreams".

A little spirit crushing, isn't it?

Agreed
http://img.slate.com/media/1/123125/2063881/2157154/2161620/070312_da_dixieSadFaceEX.jpg
Downer speech is a Downer

Though it might prevent more of those crushing ego problems that create people like this

 

[Direwolf750]

Always nice to know that people in the industry are working on crushing our hopes more than college, college loans, the industry, politics, and life in general. Always nice to know that someone thinks that you probably won't ever amount to much of anything. Thank you so much for helping this generation in learning that our elders obviously think we seem to be shit, and don't feel bad about telling us that before most of us have had the chance to try.

College is hard enough without someone telling you, "Oh, by the way, you probably will be stuck doing a job you hate for the rest of your life, and you won't get the opportunity to do anything you ever thought about."

Thank you ever so effing much.

Signed, a college student who has enough on his plate already without your help.
AKA Direwolf750

PS: really, overall, if all you have to say is this sort of shit, just shut up and let us figure it out for ourselves.

 

[snowman6251]

I'm no game designer and I likely never will be but I would not be content working on licensed games. I'd take the job sure, cause money is money, but I'd definitely keep looking for a better position elsewhere.

 

[Direwolf750]

Folks, "original" in this sense means "new IP" not "new and creative idea."

That doesn't change the meaning of what is being said. It still is a big kick to anyone trying to get in. "Sorry, you will probably get stuck working on Madden umpteenbillion and similar for the rest of your career" is not that much different than "You will probably never get to work on anything that you will actually want to be associated with." To me, the latter actually seems a little bit worse...

I know that what I and so many others have set out to do isn't easy, but I really don't need to hear about another person doubting us.

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

Agreed, accepted, moved on. I know plenty of people spending a fortune trying to break into AAA development, but when I'm honest I doubt any of them will (considering the major obstacles just to get level with the industry standards - thanks, aussie government). It's a good thing the convenience factor isn't the only part I desire from the indie field, or perhaps knowing I'll likely never get a shot at a AAA title would discourage me.

To paraphrase what a professor of game psychology told me: You might spend years breaking into the industry, and when you do you'll be making something like Barbie's Outdoor Adventure 4. You'll have no choice, you won't get any better, but your job is still to design the hell out of that game. One day you might move up, but the truth is you'll never get to make the blockbuster of your dreams.

Indies are slowly blurring the lines and picking up speed though, it's not like you can't still make something great with enough inspiration, motivation, and talent.

 

[Ruptuk]

Yay, some one finally told the truth!!!

 

[Frotality]

not getting laid off is hard enough in the industry at the moment; really not worth getting into until things stabilize and publishers start realizing that their employees arent immortal servants who will be with them forever and new talent is needed at some point.

i dont think anyone goes into business school expecting to secure a high level position at goldman sachs, so id imagine new devs would have to work for years on small fry stuff like everyone else.

i suppose its nice that someone's trying to gently instill reality into college grads....no it isnt. tell us the truth ellis, it sucks ass! at any rate...this is the reason i dropped out of college; something like that is probably the BEST id ever get, and more likely i would have spent 3 years and 100000$ to go work off the debt at starbucks for the rest of my life. i would really just wait until the employment situation in the industry is less hellish...

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

When did we go from "Everyone is special" to "You'll never fulfil your dreams".

A little spirit crushing, isn't it?

Sadly that's today's outlook on life. I want to become a Science Engineer for new Technologies between interactions and users, but most people will go "your 20, your not in Uni, you'll never make it". Heck, when I was doing my HSC (Yr 11/12) my own parents would tell me "You'll never make it to Uni" because of everyone doubting me I eventually gave up towards the end, doesn't mean I wont try though.

Plus I wanted to get into Radio, I have resources that could help, but finding an actual station itself nereby that will take me own is another matter. Closest is the largest in AUS, and half the producers on air arent even in AUS or Australian to begin with, its quite bullcrap. :S

 

[PixelKing]

*cough*notch*cough*

 

[neurohazzard]

Folks, "original" in this sense means "new IP" not "new and creative idea."

For the record, I meant both. Though I suppose new AAA IP's do turn up, the more time goes on, the more everything AAA seems to be either a sequel or a remake.