Game Jobs Megathread: Wear clean underwear to avoid the smellz.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Game Jobs Megathread: Wear clean underwear to avoid the smellz.

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M4rk: Oct 14, 2006; ArcheAgeSource.com

GeauxSteve posted:

I didn't get the job at Irrational They did say that they were impressed with me though. Oh well. Anyone else hiring experienced QA?

I didn't get a response from Irrational for that Community position, so you did pretty well.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 03:29

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# ? May 31, 2024 07:10

GeauxSteve: Feb 26, 2004; Nubzilla

M4rk posted:

I didn't get a response from Irrational for that Community position, so you did pretty well.

I got lucky enough to make it through two interviews. I think the fact that I was a long distance applicant might have hurt my chances a bit. They're in Boston and I am in Louisiana.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 03:38

M4rk: Oct 14, 2006; ArcheAgeSource.com

GeauxSteve posted:

I got lucky enough to make it through two interviews. I think the fact that I was a long distance applicant might have hurt my chances a bit. They're in Boston and I am in Louisiana.

Eh, I'm in Florida, but you're right, distance does hurt a bit.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 03:54

djkillingspree: Apr 2, 2001; make a hole with a gun perpendicular

mutata posted:

You guys hiring any artists any time soon? I grew up in Orange County and have some friends at Blizzard and Carbine, so I wouldn't mind getting back there... Just wondering.

We are hiring animators for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if we started hiring for more art positions in the not too distant future. However, if you're really interested just send me a pm and I'll see what I can do.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 08:21

Tricky Ed: Aug 18, 2010; It is important to avoid confusion. This is the one that's okay to lick.

GeauxSteve posted:

I got lucky enough to make it through two interviews. I think the fact that I was a long distance applicant might have hurt my chances a bit. They're in Boston and I am in Louisiana.

Distance hurts in most positions (unless you've got a II or Manager in your title). I couldn't even get emails returned from anyone outside of the city I had listed on my resume.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 09:25

Shalinor: Jun 10, 2002; _{Can I buy you a rootbeer?}

As I'd never tried it before, I threw together a press release for the SA GameDev challenge, just to see if I could get it picked up. As it happens, no one did, aside from GamaSutra's aggregator that posts everything that hits GamesPress.com - I submitted it to GamesPress.com, IndieGames.com, DIYGamer.com and (ok longshot) Rock Paper Shotgun, all through their given "submit tips/stories here" email, and nadda. It was in email form, with that text in the body of the email, and the email subject line reading "(for immediate release) SA GameDev Challenge VI wants you to play some games", and the email was rich text with links.

I know there are some media folks in here, so, what did I do wrong? I tried to throw some character into the release - did I go too far? Not far enough? Did I screw up by not providing youtube/screenshots? Did I just submit something that they didn't care about? Is it just a terribly written press release (if so, why)? Etc?

On the bright side, now I have evidence of this PR stuff being harder than I thought :v:

Better to figure that out now, though, than when it really matters and I'm pushing my own stuff. At this point, I probably would just go with that indie-friendly PR dude I linked earlier.

EDIT: VV In the title, it was "SA", in the actual release, SomethingAwful.

Shalinor fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Aug 9, 2011

# ? Aug 9, 2011 15:44

Monster w21 Faces: May 11, 2006; "What the fuck is that?"
"What the fuck is this?!"

Did you say SA or Something Awful?

# ? Aug 9, 2011 16:13

Akuma: Sep 11, 2001

So there's no FlashGoons looking for work in the UK? :sad:

# ? Aug 9, 2011 17:49

M4rk: Oct 14, 2006; ArcheAgeSource.com

Shalinor posted:

As I'd never tried it before, I threw together a press release for the SA GameDev challenge, just to see if I could get it picked up. As it happens, no one did, aside from GamaSutra's aggregator that posts everything that hits GamesPress.com - I submitted it to GamesPress.com, IndieGames.com, DIYGamer.com and (ok longshot) Rock Paper Shotgun, all through their given "submit tips/stories here" email, and nadda. It was in email form, with that text in the body of the email, and the email subject line reading "(for immediate release) SA GameDev Challenge VI wants you to play some games", and the email was rich text with links.

I know there are some media folks in here, so, what did I do wrong? I tried to throw some character into the release - did I go too far? Not far enough? Did I screw up by not providing youtube/screenshots? Did I just submit something that they didn't care about? Is it just a terribly written press release (if so, why)? Etc?

On the bright side, now I have evidence of this PR stuff being harder than I thought Better to figure that out now, though, than when it really matters and I'm pushing my own stuff. At this point, I probably would just go with that indie-friendly PR dude I linked earlier.

EDIT: VV In the title, it was "SA", in the actual release, SomethingAwful.

Try using a wire service to send out your press release. There are a few low-cost alternatives available. Also make friends (network) with people from the websites you want your news on. If you wanted an article on Examiner.com, I could write one for you. If you wanted one on Kotaku, make it a point to find them at the next convention you go to and chat them up. I got Mike Fahey's businesscard this way.

Basically personal connections trump anything you put in your press release, which is why Bastion got a lot of coverage on certain sites (GiantBomb especially).

Of course, it doesn't hurt to include rich media content. Often linking to a pack of images/logos/videos/high-quality content gives the press more material to work with, instead of a simple text-only article. Screenshots of the best-looking projects would have been the least I would have included. Good video content takes a lot of time and effort to create, unless you're an editing prodigy.

Yes, videogame PR is difficult, especially for indy stuff. Websites practically fall all over each other to cover AAA titles, but the same can't be said for smaller games.

And I'm happy people are realizing that these communications-type jobs aren't easy.

M4rk fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Aug 9, 2011

# ? Aug 9, 2011 18:12

BizarroAzrael: Apr 6, 2006; "That must weigh heavily on your soul. Let me purge it for you."

Akuma posted:

So there's no FlashGoons looking for work in the UK?

What level is needed? I've used it here and there, serviceable ActionScript ability and have used the similar C# a lot. What is the focus of the role?

# ? Aug 9, 2011 18:34

Akuma: Sep 11, 2001

BizarroAzrael posted:

What level is needed? I've used it here and there, serviceable ActionScript ability and have used the similar C# a lot. What is the focus of the role?

Bringing an existing product (game) up to a higher standard. Basically, finishing it off. Do you have any examples of work I could see?

We have C# pretty well covered in the office already, but we really need someone with ActionScript experience because we don't have a huge amount of time to retrain at the moment. We're one big, friendly team, but you'd be with individual, usually solo, projects. If this sounds good to you we could take this to PMs and I could probably show you a copy of the game.

Lemme know!

# ? Aug 9, 2011 20:45

Adraeus: Jan 25, 2008; by Y Kant Ozma Post

M4rk posted:

Try using a wire service to send out your press release. [...] Yes, videogame PR is difficult, especially for indy stuff. Websites practically fall all over each other to cover AAA titles, but the same can't be said for smaller games.

Of course, before you do that, Shalinor, you should rewrite and restructure the press release according to the standard format. I know you're a fiction writer, but the habits of fiction writers are awful for nonfiction. Scrap the excess and wordiness; focus on the facts. Unlike a novel which a writer purposes to create, the press release is a true medium; it exists only to convey meaningful information as efficiently as possible. Journalists have yesterday deadlines, so your press release should be clearly considerate of their limited availability. Your work should also be competitive, as your press release is just one among many on a journalist's proverbial desk. Press release writing requires precision and brevity to communicate a large amount of critical information in, ideally, less than a half-page.

If that sample is representative of what indies are sending out, I'm not surprised by their lack of coverage. However, even when press releases are written by expensive copywriters such as myself, they're not often picked up. When we announced my book, a few major outlets (of 20 or so targets) printed stories, despite the fact that nearly every major player in the industry is contributing their story. I've become disillusioned with conventional public relations, having learned that most outlets narrowly tailor their publishing strategies to the assumed, and not actual, interests of their readers. When you need to spread the word, skip the middlemen and take your news directly to the people that care. You can only feed the hungry.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 20:57

M4rk: Oct 14, 2006; ArcheAgeSource.com

Black Eagle posted:

Of course, before you do that, Shalinor, you should rewrite and restructure the press release according to the standard format. I know you're a fiction writer, but the habits of fiction writers are awful for nonfiction. Scrap the excess and wordiness; focus on the facts. Unlike a novel which a writer purposes to create, the press release is a true medium; it exists only to convey meaningful information as efficiently as possible. Journalists have yesterday deadlines, so your press release should be clearly considerate of their limited availability. Your work should also be competitive, as your press release is just one among many on a journalist's proverbial desk. Press release writing requires precision and brevity to communicate a large amount of critical information in, ideally, less than a half-page.

If that sample is representative of what indies are sending out, I'm not surprised by their lack of coverage. However, even when press releases are written by expensive copywriters such as myself, they're not often picked up. When we announced my book, a few major outlets (of 20 or so targets) printed stories, despite the fact that nearly every major player in the industry is contributing their story. I've become disillusioned with conventional public relations, having learned that most outlets narrowly tailor their publishing strategies to the assumed, and not actual, interests of their readers. When you need to spread the word, skip the middlemen and take your news directly to the people that care. You can only feed the hungry.

Brb, finding examples of good and bad press releases in my fansite inbox. There's some hilariously badly-written releases that some companies persist in writing, like they actively hate their own product and don't want it to get coverage. You guys will love this.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 21:11

Shalinor: Jun 10, 2002; _{Can I buy you a rootbeer?}

EDIT: ^^^ I would love you forever if you listed an assortment of good ones too, to give me an idea of what to aim for next time. Or just PM me directly, whatevs.

Black Eagle posted:

Of course, before you do that, Shalinor, you should rewrite and restructure the press release according to the standard format. I know you're a fiction writer, but the habits of fiction writers are awful for nonfiction.

I sapped it up because I'd been told that making it something interesting and more directly copy-pastable as content, as opposed to vanilla facts, might improve my chances. Bad advice, possibly.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 21:14

BizarroAzrael: Apr 6, 2006; "That must weigh heavily on your soul. Let me purge it for you."

Akuma posted:

Bringing an existing product (game) up to a higher standard. Basically, finishing it off. Do you have any examples of work I could see?

We have C# pretty well covered in the office already, but we really need someone with ActionScript experience because we don't have a huge amount of time to retrain at the moment. We're one big, friendly team, but you'd be with individual, usually solo, projects. If this sounds good to you we could take this to PMs and I could probably show you a copy of the game.

Lemme know!

I don't know, I've not finished any Flash game projects for some time, mostly prototypes since uni. Probably not for me if there's no time to come back up to speed.

Got a rejection from my interview with Blitz, and things are getting really dispiriting, unable to move upwards and forever marked "overqualified" for QA, and it's hard not to feel bitterness towards people who used to be my peers, no better than I, doing so much better, afforded opportunities I never had. When I took the last job I thought I was getting out of QA, but I was put on QA money whilst people in QA got made associate producers, instead of redundant for the sake of inept management keeping their BMWs.

Honestly this industry has treated me appallingly and I'd give up on it if I thought I could go anywhere else. As it is other employers only see six months not working after only working in games, and think (correctly) that I don't want to be elsewhere.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 21:39

Adraeus: Jan 25, 2008; by Y Kant Ozma Post

Shalinor posted:

Bad advice, possibly.

The advice is correct; the interpretation is not. What you wrote would work great for crossposting on a forum or blog, but for publishing as news on a professional outlet's website? Certainly not. The Walt Disney Company and Proctor & Gamble have two of the most powerful marketing machines in the world. Look to their press releases for models.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 21:40

Shalinor: Jun 10, 2002; _{Can I buy you a rootbeer?}

BizarroAzrael posted:

Honestly this industry has treated me appallingly and I'd give up on it if I thought I could go anywhere else. As it is other employers only see six months not working after only working in games, and think (correctly) that I don't want to be elsewhere.

This is complete horse pockey. If you want to change industries, you can - just start applying, and keep applying, until you find something.

If you DON'T, and just make a token effort because "games!", then yes, it will bleed through. But that's on you, not on your employment history or on theoretical people reading your resume.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 21:41

M4rk: Oct 14, 2006; ArcheAgeSource.com

Shalinor posted:

This is complete horse pockey. If you want to change industries, you can - just start applying, and keep applying, until you find something.

If you DON'T, and just make a token effort because "games!", then yes, it will bleed through. But that's on you, not on your employment history or on theoretical people reading your resume.

But he doesn't want to work anywhere else, he just wants to go up in the vidya.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 21:46

BizarroAzrael: Apr 6, 2006; "That must weigh heavily on your soul. Let me purge it for you."

Shalinor posted:

This is complete horse pockey. If you want to change industries, you can - just start applying, and keep applying, until you find something.

If you DON'T, and just make a token effort because "games!", then yes, it will bleed through. But that's on you, not on your employment history or on theoretical people reading your resume.

I've been firing applications, with non-games focused CVs for months, no interviews, barely any replies. Think I had a couple of phone calls where I get to say I want to be paid something like a living wage, but that in my last job I was paid practically gently caress all.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 21:51

Solus: May 31, 2011; Drongos.

BizarroAzrael posted:

Got a rejection from my interview with Blitz, and things are getting really dispiriting, unable to move upwards and forever marked "overqualified" for QA,

Blitz Research or Blitz Games?

# ? Aug 9, 2011 23:02

BizarroAzrael: Apr 6, 2006; "That must weigh heavily on your soul. Let me purge it for you."

Solus posted:

Blitz Research or Blitz Games?

Games, design on some new project for a big publisher. Said I had good initiative and technical ability, but that the role needed "a greater level of creativity than was evidenced", which didn't seem to match what was said on the day.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 23:33

GetWellGamers: Apr 11, 2006; The Get-Well Gamers Foundation: Touching Kids Everywhere!

Here's the last big press release we did, stripped of all the fancy formatting:

quote:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

EVE Online Fanfest 2011 Raises $11K for Get-Well Gamers

Donation Highlight of Annual Fan Convention for Popular MMO Publisher

Huntington Beach, CA, April 10, 2011� The Get-Well Gamers Foundation (https://www.getwellgamers.org), a video game charity whose mission is to bring interactive entertainment to children in healthcare facilities, has received a $11,000 donation from EVE Online Fanfest 2011, an annual gathering of the EVE Online Community whose latest installment was held March 24 through March 26, 2011, at the Laugardalsh�ll Convention Center in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Attracting thousands of gamers from around the world, Fanfest allows the EVE Online Community to socialize, meet representatives from the popular MMO's publisher, attend concerts, and even engage in various charitable activities throughout the weekend to show their commitment to helping others. For Fanfest 2011, these Community activities included:

�Silent Auction: This event allowed players to bid on unique artwork and items from EVE Online. This year CCP auctioned off the "Banhammer" from Customer Support along with EVE and Dust 514 artwork, prototype EVE T-Shirts and a specially hand-painted "Kronos" battleship model. As always, items auctioned off were extremely rare or one-of-a-kind whenever possible.

�No Limit Texas Hold-Em poker tournament: This event ran from the first to the last day of Fanfest, with players participating in qualifying tables in order to make the grand final table. Each player donated 3,000 Icelandic Krona ($22USD, approximately) in order to participate. The winners of this event were rewarded with a collection of EVE merchandise and PLEX.

�CCP Office Tour: Each year we allow players to bid before Fanfest for a chance to win an office tour to be conducted by CCP CEO, Hilmar Veigar P�tursson. This year, our office tour winner, who was a winner twice before, received his third VIP visit to the CCP Headquarters in Reykjavik.

�Art print auction: CCP Soundwave held an impromptu auction for three amazing art prints which were on display at the venue. These prints alone raised in excess of $1500.

�Player contributions: Veto Corporation, who generally attend Fanfest with 30+ members, held a pool tournament on their own time. The proceeds from this tournament were presented by their CEO, Verone, as a contribution to our charity drive.

"The EVE Online Community has once again shown that it is the most public-spirited community in the history of gaming," said Ryan Sharpe, President, Get-Well Gamers Foundation. "We cannot begin to thank everyone for their generosity. This money will go directly to impacting the lives of children who depend so much on interactive entertainment during their treatment-stays."

�If you ever spent time in hospital as a child or spent time with a child who was in hospital, you get what Get-Well Gamers is all about,� said Valerie Massey, CCP�s Senior Director of Public Relations and Community. �As game developers, we understand the positive impact video games can bring to a person�s quality of life. CCP is proud to raise awareness of such a worthy cause and thank Get-Well Gamers for the opportunity to contribute to the excellent work they�re doing.�

The Get-Well Gamers Foundation accepts console games and equipment as well as hand-held systems and the games supported by these platforms. To make a tax-deductible donation or to recommend a treatment facility, visit https://www.getwellgamers.org.

About Get-Well Gamers:

The Get-Well Gamers Foundation is a California-based 501(c)(3)-certified public charity dedicated to bringing electronic entertainment to children's hospitals for the benefit of entertainment and pain management since 2001. Its network includes more than 140 hospitals and treatment facilities across North America and Canada. For more information, please visit https://www.getwellgamers.org.

About CCP Games:

CCP is recognized for the creation of revolutionary gaming experiences designed with a unique combination of stunning artistry and advanced technology. Best known as the independent developer and publisher of EVE Online, the critically-acclaimed, space-based massively multiplayer online game (MMO) and PC Gamer's 2009 "MMO of the Year," CCP is currently in pre-production on two additional titles: World of Darkness, a dark, immersive MMO based on the legendary roleplaying franchise of the same name; and DUST 514, the groundbreaking massively multiplayer online first-person shooter (MMOFPS) set in and linked to the EVE Online universe. Founded in Iceland in 1997, CCP is privately held and has offices in Atlanta, Newcastle, Reykjavik and Shanghai with a datacenter in London. More information can be found at https://www.ccpgames.com.

Media Contact:

William Lessard

PRwithBrains for Get-Well Gamers Foundation wlessard@prwithbrains.com
914.476.6089

I mean, there's info, a few quotes, but like Black Eagle said, keep it very short and very on-point.

# ? Aug 9, 2011 23:41

Adraeus: Jan 25, 2008; by Y Kant Ozma Post

Here's a small selection of press releases that I wrote for clients several years ago:

Note that sometimes clients make changes after you submit the approved final version and those changes are not always carefully implemented.

I remain available as a freelance copywriter, by the way.

Adraeus fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Aug 10, 2011

# ? Aug 10, 2011 00:53

AntiPseudonym: Apr 1, 2007; I EAT BABIES

Looks like another Australian developer is closing its doors, this time THQ/BlueTongue:

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/08/rumour-thq-brisbane-closing-its-doors-today/#more-458727

These are bleak times to be an aussie developer. In Melbourne, we only have three companies left, and all are owned by EA.

Hoping some guys will come out of this and start some new studios, I want somewhere to go if anything happens to my current job. :smith:

# ? Aug 10, 2011 01:29

M4rk: Oct 14, 2006; ArcheAgeSource.com

AntiPseudonym posted:

Looks like another Australian developer is closing its doors, this time THQ/BlueTongue:

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/08/rumour-thq-brisbane-closing-its-doors-today/#more-458727

These are bleak times to be an aussie developer. In Melbourne, we only have three companies left, and all are owned by EA.

Hoping some guys will come out of this and start some new studios, I want somewhere to go if anything happens to my current job.

Indy startups with great ides can make great games, but it takes a lot of effort and a little money.

# ? Aug 10, 2011 01:43

Splaa: Jul 23, 2007

Shalinor posted:

This is complete horse pockey. If you want to change industries, you can - just start applying, and keep applying, until you find something.

maybe it was different because I was a producer and thus could sell myself as a PM, but if you're trying to move fields you just need to make sure that in your resume you talk about your skills in a way that they are useful to something other than games.

Granted, it took me a grip and a half to find something, but that's my resume advice. Have a games one and a not games one.

# ? Aug 10, 2011 01:57

AntiPseudonym: Apr 1, 2007; I EAT BABIES

M4rk posted:

Indy startups with great ides can make great games, but it takes a lot of effort and a little money.

Yeah, thing is that most people in the Australian industry don't really seem to make enough money to be able to fund a startup.

Although if we're lucky this might be the start of a rebirth of the Australian industry. We've been making lovely outsourced licenced titles for far too long, hopefully with the amount of talent out on the streets (And the new tax breaks) we'll start seeing more indie startups with more focus on original IP.

# ? Aug 10, 2011 02:11

Shalinor: Jun 10, 2002; _{Can I buy you a rootbeer?}

It isn't just one developer, looks like THQ is making deep cuts: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/36472/THQ_Lays_Off_200_Employees_Closes_Australian_Studios.php

AntiPseudonym posted:

Yeah, thing is that most people in the Australian industry don't really seem to make enough money to be able to fund a startup.

If severance is involved, or unemployment, that's one way to go about it. Unemployment + creative contracting has launched a few indies.

# ? Aug 10, 2011 03:03

Adraeus: Jan 25, 2008; by Y Kant Ozma Post

I came upon an article, Learn to Love Networking, that I thought would interest the opportunity/jobseekers here. The article is an interview with Devora Zack, author of Networking for People Who Hate Networking. You'll note that the website is an association leadership website, but the interview is actually not at all specific to the association business. Here's an excerpt:

ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership posted:

A main takeaway from the book is that networking is not a one-size-fits-all activity, and so it's OK to not enjoy attending events or collecting business cards. But those are essentially the unwritten rules of networking. How do you think networking expectations should be modified?

Not only is it OK to not do that, it's better to not do that for most of the general population. It is better to not collect so many cards. Less really is more, which is a huge departure from traditional networking advice, which says more is more and to get out there as much as possible, and to eat all your meals with other people, and to have constant contact.

That works for about 30 percent of the general population. But in fact, to do less and to go deeper works better for most of us. So to collect three business cards at an event and to follow up personally with all those three people is a much stronger networking approach than to collect 30 cards and to follow up with no one. And when you collect 30 cards, you're much less likely to follow up with anyone. Not to mention the fact that you probably won't remember who those people are within a day or two, and frankly they won't remember who you are either because you have more fleeting, superficial connections with them as opposed to deeper, meaningful connections.

Personally, I usually collect up to 10 cards when I attend any event, including GDC. I spend anywhere from 15 minutes to hours with each person.

ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership posted:

You also mention how important it is to have an elevator speech about yourself. How do you create one that is informative and engaging but isn't too self-promoting?

The way to make the speech isn't to talk about how great you are, which introverts are generally uncomfortable with. I always encourage people to talk about what makes them excited, what they love about their work. If I say, "You know what, I am just so good at helping people understand themselves," that's not so compelling to you. If I say instead, "I love my work because I hear from people how they really have changed their lives based on understanding themselves," not only is that me telling you something that's more authentic, but my whole face lights up. My voice gets excited. And if I am excited by something, so are you.

So really telling people what you love, I find, is a really great approach to the foundation of an elevator speech. And another thing to remember is that an elevator speech is not the same thing as saying your bio. So don't tell them facts about yourself. Tell them a quick story or something you care about. Show your passion. Show your interest. Tell them something that's exciting to you. Not what you do but why you do what you do.

I once told a client that he should be prepared at all times with a 15-second introduction. (I also carry my business cards everywhere.) I shared my own introduction and he said, "If you said all of that, I'd want to speak to someone else." I asked, "What would you say if someone asked you, 'What do you do?'" He answered, "I'm a programmer." I asked, "What kind of programmer?" He replied, "A game programmer." I inquired, "...and what does a game programmer do?" He quipped, "I make games. It's technical." I said, "Well, I want to talk to someone else who can make better use of this time."

This is an excerpt from another book. The title is in the quote.

How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes posted:

I still harbor painful recollections of being tongue-tied when confronted by naked job flashers. Like the time a fellow at a dinner party told me, "I'm a nuclear scientist." My weak "Oh, that must be fascinating" reduced me to a mental molecule in his eyes. The chap on my other side announced, "I'm in industrial abrasives," and then paused, waiting for me to be impressed. My "Well, er, golly, you must have to be a shrewd judge of character to be in industrial abrasives" didn't fly either. We three sat in silence the rest of the meal.

Just last month a new acquaintance bragged, "I'm planning to teach Tibetan Buddhism at Truckee Meadows Community College," and then clammed up. I knew less about Truckee Meadows than I did about Tibetan Buddhism. Whenever people ask you what you do, give them some mouth-to-ear resuscitation so they can catch their breath and say something.

# ? Aug 10, 2011 07:12

Monster w21 Faces: May 11, 2006; "What the fuck is that?"
"What the fuck is this?!"

Shalinor posted:

As I'd never tried it before, I threw together a press release for the SA GameDev challenge, just to see if I could get it picked up. As it happens, no one did, aside from GamaSutra's aggregator that posts everything that hits GamesPress.com - I submitted it to GamesPress.com, IndieGames.com, DIYGamer.com and (ok longshot) Rock Paper Shotgun, all through their given "submit tips/stories here" email, and nadda. It was in email form, with that text in the body of the email, and the email subject line reading "(for immediate release) SA GameDev Challenge VI wants you to play some games", and the email was rich text with links.

I know there are some media folks in here, so, what did I do wrong? I tried to throw some character into the release - did I go too far? Not far enough? Did I screw up by not providing youtube/screenshots? Did I just submit something that they didn't care about? Is it just a terribly written press release (if so, why)? Etc?

On the bright side, now I have evidence of this PR stuff being harder than I thought Better to figure that out now, though, than when it really matters and I'm pushing my own stuff. At this point, I probably would just go with that indie-friendly PR dude I linked earlier.

EDIT: VV In the title, it was "SA", in the actual release, SomethingAwful.

Well then that's odd.

Part of my job involves copy writing and putting together press releases. If you need or want any help in future I'd be happy to do it.

# ? Aug 10, 2011 09:02

GeeCee: Dec 16, 2004; "You're going to be...amazing."

So I've no spent my first week (+3 days) at my new junior artist job at DNA Dynamics and I have to say I'm really liking it here!

- Studio full of cool guys that know what they're doing, if i need to know something specific I get an answer immediately. This is a big reason why I wanted to get a job within the industry rather than join a student start-up, as I would learn a shitload on the job with experienced devs who were throwing fair whacks of money around on live projects.

- Really relaxed work environment. Shoes are always off.

- Near universal disdain for degree-mill Game Designers and design documents.

- 2D work only is a lot of fun and really lets me draw on my traditional art (tho not trained) background as well as get projects done an awful lot quicker that working on high res 3d.

- Being the only artist means I get a lot of control and input into the final look of the game. This is a HUGE plus to this job.

Seriously, working on ios and phone games like this is such a far cry from working on AAA+ quality 3D work for a portfolio. If you are an artist or programmer currently stuck in the rut I was, trying desperately to join a console company along with everybody else, seriously consider pitching yourself to mobile phone studios, you might be pleseantly surprised that the job might turn out a lot better in the end.

Plus you know, being a goon got me this job.

GeeCee fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Aug 10, 2011

# ? Aug 10, 2011 19:29

The Angry Brit: Sep 17, 2005; Do I pull G's? no sir, I'm married

There's a few jobs up on NaturalMotion's career page in the London/Oxford studios for those who may be looking!

# ? Aug 10, 2011 19:42

Shalinor: Jun 10, 2002; _{Can I buy you a rootbeer?}

Aliginge posted:

Seriously, working on ios and phone games like this is such a far cry from working on AAA+ quality 3D work for a portfolio.

Remember that, while what you're getting is solid experience, that this will be a question that is raised when you look at moving elsewhere. "You just spent the last 2 years making 2D iPhone games, so are you really ready for 3D high-end AAA stuff?". There's an unofficial tiering between studios types, with casual/mobile/etc somewhere near the bottom, and moving "up" can be difficult.

Programmers get it too. I've been locked into a really, really old code path and PC-only where I am now, and if I didn't already have other plans, I'd be concerned about it hurting my chances at being employed at a high-end console studio (and probably be working on something on the side to try and fill that gap / demonstrate competency).

Best bet is to just keep it in mind, and work on the side on other stuff that's outside of what you do for work. Also, keep posting in here, because networking is the single easiest way to avoid that. "Oh, you know them, they're cool, and have experience? Ok, bring them in."

EDIT: Also, you'd like our tech director. He wears flip flops and shorts every day. You know it's cold outside, as in around 0, when he finally wears pants (and actual shoes, the horror!).

Shalinor fucked around with this message at 20:07 on Aug 10, 2011

# ? Aug 10, 2011 19:55

SnafuAl: Oct 20, 2010; VR! VR! VR!
BLOODY VR!

Aliginge posted:

Shoes are always off.

That explains the smell around the office then.

# ? Aug 10, 2011 20:00

GeeCee: Dec 16, 2004; "You're going to be...amazing."

Shalinor posted:

Remember that, while what you're getting is solid experience, that this will be a question that is raised when you look at moving elsewhere. "You just spent the last 2 years making 2D iPhone games, so are you really ready for 3D high-end AAA stuff?". There's an unofficial tiering between studios types, with casual/mobile/etc somewhere near the bottom, and moving "up" can be difficult.

Honestly, the future is a bit open at the moment. I'm not sure if triple-A is the next step for me. After so long trying to plan out the future, I'll sit and dwell on the issue for a bit, but noted, I still intend to do some mapping for RO2 that should keep me fresh with the 3d for a while.

SnafuAl posted:

That explains the smell around the office then.

Terry gave me the idea :goleft:

GeeCee fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Aug 10, 2011

# ? Aug 10, 2011 20:18

M4rk: Oct 14, 2006; ArcheAgeSource.com

Shalinor posted:

EDIT: Also, you'd like our tech director. He wears flip flops and shorts every day. You know it's cold outside, as in around 0, when he finally wears pants (and actual shoes, the horror!).

Went to Germany for gamescom once, wore flips and jeans, the natives didn't know what to make of me. Germany is a fun place, drinking age is lower. I was legal there when I went.

Anyhow, anyone want to take a look at my LinkedIn profile and critique it?

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mwilhelm

I'm working on updating my personal site, need to clean up my tumblr stream and switch to a more appropriate theme. Don't look at that yet.

# ? Aug 10, 2011 22:29

mutata: Mar 1, 2003

Got extended at Disney. 3 more months of awesome! Maybe I'll still be around when they announce...

https://instagram.com/mutatedjellyfish/
https://www.artstation.com/mutatedjellyfish

# ? Aug 10, 2011 23:18

Shalinor: Jun 10, 2002; _{Can I buy you a rootbeer?}

On the one hand, you know, LEGO wouldn't be as cool to work for as some big studio - it's not a Sucker Punch, or an Obsidian, or a Bioware, or a Valve, but on the other...

(there's a pet building contest - LEGO employees are disqualified, but what the heck, it was fun)

Only registered members can see post attachments!

# ? Aug 10, 2011 23:43

Carfax Report: May 17, 2003; Ravage the land as never before, total destruction from mountain to shore!

On the subject of AAA development, let me toss out a big question. What's everyone's though on the sustainability of the current AAA industry?

I'm coming at this from the management perspective, rather than developer, but my own belief is that the current rate of AAA console development is no where near sustainable and we've already seen the market stabilize toward a new equilibrium of significantly less AAA console game development.

For signs of current difficulties, see the closing of various studios and recent losses experienced by the publishers. ROI on games that take 4+ years to develop is difficult in an environment where retailers and first party royalties tally up to 2/3 of the price of a game. From the consumer perspective, there are too many games out there for them to spend $60 a pop on, and so the quality bar drives higher. (I think in some recent focus testing, we found that consumers are willing to spend on a highly rated AAA game for $60, or a 99 cent app, but no where in between.) And even developers are admitting that games are too expensive (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/314236/games-are-too-expensive-but-skyrim-isnt-argues-lead/?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-General-RSS). But as retailers and console royalties can't be changed, I don't see console price flux being possible in this market.

This means, though, that there will be a lot of great, experienced AAA developers who will be ride to build on new content and business models that will be coming out in the next few years as we move toward browser and cloud gaming which can support complex 3D graphics (rather than their development talent being locked to develop on the consoles.) As someone whose responsibility is to transition my firm toward this future, I am happy about that.

# ? Aug 11, 2011 03:35

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# ? May 31, 2024 07:10

Shalinor: Jun 10, 2002; _{Can I buy you a rootbeer?}

Carfax Report posted:

This means, though, that there will be a lot of great, experienced AAA developers who will be ride to build on new content and business models that will be coming out in the next few years as we move toward browser and cloud gaming which can support complex 3D graphics (rather than their development talent being locked to develop on the consoles.) As someone whose responsibility is to transition my firm toward this future, I am happy about that.

I somewhat agree with this. We're seeing movement away from AAA $60, and a re-stabilization around other cheaper markets that can put a greater emphasis on content and originality due to reduced financial risk. Namely, downloadables are huge in this. There's been a massive spike in the popularity of PC gaming thanks to Steam, and the $5-$20 price range is now enshrined as roughly where most games should fit. You don't get Red Dead Redemptions with whisker physics that took someone 6 months to write in this tier, but you do get games with just as much depth and fun.

... though that's why AAA $60 isn't going away entirely. There's still a market for those games, but only the topmost of them.

Carfax Report posted:

(I think in some recent focus testing, we found that consumers are willing to spend on a highly rated AAA game for $60, or a 99 cent app, but no where in between.)

This, however, is hooey. $5 to $20 is doing famously on Steam, XBLA/PSN are on the rise (and set to explode next console generation), and so on.

99c is a concern on mobile, which is a flooded ecosystem that plays by different rules. The relative of 99c, F2P, is also present there, and on the web - and generally, anywhere characterized by time filler games as opposed to focused games. This is a different market, though, that is not negatively impacting the $5-$20, or really even the $60. People play 99c mobile games or free web games for very different reasons than they play a $15 Metroidvania or a $10 experimental narrative game.

The one place the two do meet is in multiplayer games, as they do well with conversion to Freemium / Games As Service. Outside of that, though, not so much.

# ? Aug 11, 2011 03:59

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Game Jobs Megathread: Wear clean underwear to avoid the smellz.

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