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So I heard studios tend to fill entry level design positions from within their own company. Is that the case? If I had my heart set on design (not saying I do), would it be better for me to try to find an entry position in, say, programming and then try to prove myself from there? Or just keep trolling the job boards for "Associate" and "Junior?" Or cold-contact hiring departments with a copy of my card game and my résumé? And yeah, I'm going to work on a digital version of the game, but I'd like to start sending out applications ASAP.
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Aug 22, 2013 07:52
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Fishbus posted:Aww dangit, thenks Still waiting on either Hessel or Stern to give me a key. 
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Aug 22, 2013 09:51
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If I can get a key I'll be sure to send you one!
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boho posted:So I heard studios tend to fill entry level design positions from within their own company. Is that the case? If I had my heart set on design (not saying I do), would it be better for me to try to find an entry position in, say, programming and then try to prove myself from there? Or just keep trolling the job boards for "Associate" and "Junior?" Or cold-contact hiring departments with a copy of my card game and my résumé? And yeah, I'm going to work on a digital version of the game, but I'd like to start sending out applications ASAP. No I think a lot of juniors can start with no experience. What a lot of people do, especially at smaller companies is start in QA and eventually move up to either design or an AP role. Really though, if you want to design (presuming you're starting from scratch here) what I'd do is design a mod or Skyrim questline or something and keep applying to places.
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Aug 22, 2013 09:54
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I don't know where else to put this (ugh, I really need to start up my nerdy mailing list)... I'm horribly curious to see what happens with Wildstar AND Elder Scrolls going with a boxed copy + monthly subscription fee. They're both being run by old-timey MMO execs (Jeremy Gaffney was super early Turbine, and then Origin, while Matt Firor was on Dark Ages of Camelot) so it's not like they're naive (though Firor was quoted as saying "The reason why we don’t need F2P is we have a huge IP behind this." which given Star Wars and Lord of the Rings fates seems a little hubristic.) Fun times ahead! It's like the mid-2000s all over again!
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Aug 22, 2013 12:57
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boho posted:So I heard studios tend to fill entry level design positions from within their own company. Is that the case? If I had my heart set on design (not saying I do), would it be better for me to try to find an entry position in, say, programming and then try to prove myself from there? Or just keep trolling the job boards for "Associate" and "Junior?" Or cold-contact hiring departments with a copy of my card game and my résumé? And yeah, I'm going to work on a digital version of the game, but I'd like to start sending out applications ASAP. For level design, your portfolio is really big, especially before you have any shipped games. Working on a mod, making some great levels for a game, or a Skyrim questline as concerned mom posted. Have a really strong portfolio and show it around, be exciting, and while a card game is neat, it doesn't really show that you know how to build fun and interested levels, kind of an apples and oranges thing, though there are parallels. Also, it never hurts to apply for a position even when it says they want a few shipped titles under your belt. A strong portfolio and experience working with a mod team can cover that a bit. Good luck on it!
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Aug 22, 2013 13:07
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boho posted:So I heard studios tend to fill entry level design positions from within their own company. Is that the case? If I had my heart set on design (not saying I do), would it be better for me to try to find an entry position in, say, programming and then try to prove myself from there? Or just keep trolling the job boards for "Associate" and "Junior?" Or cold-contact hiring departments with a copy of my card game and my résumé? And yeah, I'm going to work on a digital version of the game, but I'd like to start sending out applications ASAP. Link your portfolio. Your portfolio, your design process, and how you interact with a team are your key points. Heres my portfolio: http://www.danmerboth.com/index.php Pretend the MW3 stuff isn't there and thats what I got hired with.
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Aug 22, 2013 15:14
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devilmouse posted:I don't know where else to put this (ugh, I really need to start up my nerdy mailing list)... I'm curious, too, especially since I just read about EverQuest Next being a free to play MMO. EQ Next Landmark has some really cool terraforming tools: http://kotaku.com/everquest-nexts-in-game-terraforming-is-downright-hypn-1178326729 and http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/2/4582742/everquest-next-landmark-sony-online-entertainment Looks like a really interesting reboot of the franchise.
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Aug 22, 2013 15:34
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Irish Taxi Driver posted:Heres my portfolio: http://www.danmerboth.com/index.php Pretend the MW3 stuff isn't there and thats what I got hired with. Just shared this on fb to my old uni designery friends.  "This is how you get hired as a level designer. You look at existing games with level editors and you Make Cool poo poo for them."
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Aug 22, 2013 15:44
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Aliginge posted:"This is how you get hired as a level designer. You look at existing games with level editors and you Make Cool poo poo for them." Seriously. [Your favorite game] probably has a level editor for it, and some crazy guy on youtube whos figured everything out has tutorials on how to do everything (this is how I learned radiant).
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Aug 22, 2013 15:51
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Alright, but I'm more interested in systems design than level design. Mods instead of maps, then?
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Aug 22, 2013 18:59
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boho posted:Alright, but I'm more interested in systems design than level design. Mods instead of maps, then?
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Aug 22, 2013 20:12
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Shalinor posted:Yes. In that case, it's easier to become a jr gameplay programmer and move over - in which case, you want a portfolio of mods and cool poo poo built in Unity. This. You need systems/games prototypes coming out your ears. If you don't know how to write code, you better learn. The number of places that'll take a game/systems designer that can't write any code is shrinking rapidly in my experience.
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Aug 23, 2013 00:09
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Much obliged for the tips guys. Fortunately I can code and have already used Unity (in the C# flavor). Hooray CS degree? I keep seeing LUA pop up here and there -- is that "worth" learning vis-a-vis game development? I was under the impression it was more of a scripting language, but I've seen it recommended in the context of Love 2D since 2D in Unity was a pain last time I tried it.
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Aug 23, 2013 03:02
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devilmouse posted:I don't know where else to put this (ugh, I really need to start up my nerdy mailing list)... My previous project (The Secret World) did exactly this mistake, and suffered badly for it. They're basically trying to turn back the clock; there's no way this won't end in tears unless they do something truly revolutionary within the MMO space. EverQuest Next might have pulled it off with their feature set, but we'll (thankfully) never know.
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Aug 23, 2013 03:23
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Vinterstum posted:My previous project (The Secret World) did exactly this mistake, and suffered badly for it. They're basically trying to turn back the clock; there's no way this won't end in tears unless they do something truly revolutionary within the MMO space. EverQuest Next might have pulled it off with their feature set, but we'll (thankfully) never know. SOE, honestly, has a brilliant MMO model these days. F2P/Cash shop with an available high-value membership option really works well for their games lately. PS2 exemplifies it best, IMO, but I think EQN will do great that way, too. I'm not convinced the sub model is dead, personally, though I'd argue that MOST games can't pull it off anymore. I think FF 14's going to manage it now that 2.0's launching, for example, but that's the only example I can think of offhand. Wildstar might pull it off. I have lots of doubts that TESO will. My personal theory is that players aren't willing to sub to a game full of unproven 'revolutionary' ideas anymore-- so the irony being that it feels to me like being competantly conventional is the path to subscription success. Old-style monetization for old-style games. That said, I also think most games that do succeed with subs would probably do better without them. For example, while I think FF14'll do fine with subs, I also think they'd make WAY more money selling cosmetic Buster Sword and Gunblade skins in a cash shop. BUT, I can appreciate their stated thoughts on the sub/F2P models. Also aside, there's enough people fed up with the way even the best-done f2p plans work out that there's a market for a more classic offering. I don't think there's enough for three major AAA contenders, though.
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Aug 23, 2013 04:39
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boho posted:Much obliged for the tips guys. Fortunately I can code and have already used Unity (in the C# flavor). Hooray CS degree? I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to learn lua. You already know how to code - anybody reading a resume that says C# and/or C++ on it is going to know you won't have any trouble with lua or python or whatever other scripting language they use. That said it doesn't hurt to have experience with a scripting language explicitly so if it's relevant for the particular mod or game you're building, sure go ahead and pick it up. I'm not an expert on 2D stuff but it seems like the hotness in that space is Marmalade and Coscos2D rather than Unity. Moai and libgdx are still floating around but I haven't heard of anything coming out made with them recently.
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Aug 23, 2013 05:11
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The Grammar Aryan posted:Nah. I do developer QA, and while it's nice to be on my feet and working on new builds and getting a lot of variety in, I occasionally start pining for the part of the project where things stabilize and it becomes a routine of maintaining the product in its final stages. That may be due to the fact that sometimes our projects get out of hand and changes are being made so rapidly or documented poorly so that I have to spend a lot of time getting organized before I can actually start testing. I used to think I was weird for being the only grunt in the pool who enjoyed QA- everybody else had their dreams of moving up the ladder- but honestly, I have a talent, I enjoy using it, and I'm appreciated for it. Mostly. That's how I feel! I'm glad I'm not the only one. I work at Microsoft, which seems relatively organized compared to the other big companies here, and I'm fairly confident that because I kick rear end at this, I could get a job at one of the 92837423987 developers here if they need any more QA. Living in the Pacific Northwest is awesome! It is a really cool feeling having a project shipped and seeing your name in the credits and knowing you helped. I guess I still have stars in my eyes, though.  I worked on State of Decay and seeing all the happy reviews for that when it came out made me super stoked.
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Aug 24, 2013 04:44
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Just came off a marathon week in Cologne, attending GDC Europe and Gamescom. Talks in the production track at GDC Europe were okay, nothing mind-blowing. Lots of focus on data analysis, lots of graphs with different game metrics, but I was reminded that many people can access data, many people can make a graph and draw conclusions from it, but the number of people who are capable of making that analysis on a high level is quite limited. I do work with a few who are very good at it, so that's encouraging. The next big lesson is the analysis driven companies maybe better at interpreting the past, but they are not necessarily capable of predicting or creating the future. Finding a churn point and fixing it is often trivial once you have the infrastructure in place. Creating a product that is appealing and something that people want to play is something else entirely, and I think the "traditional" developers do it better. Other highlights: From the post-mortem on Age of Empires: Online: You can not make a minimum viable product (MVP) with a branded license. You have to launch a finished product. This is something I completely agree with. Existing IP's have a huge advantage in already having a following. The problem with sequels or licenses is the best thing they bring to the table is an existing audience, which will largely show up on day 1 and play, or at least read the reviews. If they don't like what they find, they are gone and they don't come back. That leaves you with a product with no audience, or worse a hostile one. This fits well with my theory that MVP's are best used when you are in a situation where you don't understand what your players' behaviors & expectations are going to be. Gamescom I didn't have time to take in other games, unfortunately. I spent the majority of the time in the business section doing press interviews. Fortunately the Merc Elite booth is going well, and the reception seems to be positive.
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Aug 24, 2013 23:13
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I'm kind of stuck. The company I was working for dissolved and I'm left without a steady job, and me without a home again. From connections there we were all absorbed into a sort of contract gig run by one of the lead designers but it pays a paltry $200 a week and that is on the high end of things... loving ridiculous considering the workload. I have pulled consecutive stressful unpaid overtime nights just like the previous job I had, with the same infuriating dudebro culture as always, at little more than a third of the pay - which was already pretty terrible. I can't really refuse or leave, because I quite literally don't have anywhere else to go. I have to sleep on the office couch because I can't afford an apartment and I'm reduced to all the worldly possessions I can fit in my car. There is nothing in my area (podunk, nowhere) or any surrounding areas that wants anything but a senior engineer and from what little leads I've scrounged I can't imagine anyone else willing to pay relocation for some barely-junior engineer with a little over a year's experience doing iOS programming. Things seem kind of hopeless right now. I guess I'm posting for advice on if there's anything else I can do than just carpet bomb a bunch of hubs with my resume for positions I'm not qualified for until something bites. 
A Bloody Crowbar fucked around with this message at 09:24 on Aug 26, 2013 |
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Aug 26, 2013 09:20
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A Bloody Crowbar posted:I'm kind of stuck. The company I was working for dissolved and I'm left without a steady job, and me without a home again. From connections there we were all absorbed into a sort of contract gig run by one of the lead designers but it pays a paltry $200 a week and that is on the high end of things... loving ridiculous considering the workload. I have pulled consecutive stressful unpaid overtime nights just like the previous job I had, with the same infuriating dudebro culture as always, at little more than a third of the pay - which was already pretty terrible. I can't really refuse or leave, because I quite literally don't have anywhere else to go. I have to sleep on the office couch because I can't afford an apartment and I'm reduced to all the worldly possessions I can fit in my car. You're underestimating seriously the desire for skilled developers. It's pretty easy to get relocation with a year of iOS development experience. Check my other post here and send resumes out.
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Aug 26, 2013 14:28
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IOS is taking off really. We desperately need IOS programmers, although we're in the UK. Keep trying man. VVV Ahahaha we had a good laugh about that on Friday. Tell everyone I said hi and ask Byrne if he's going to organise that night out. Oh and also, need any 3d artists?
concerned mom fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Aug 26, 2013 |
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Aug 26, 2013 16:53
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concerned mom posted:IOS is taking off really. We desperately need IOS programmers, although we're in the UK. Keep trying man.
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Aug 26, 2013 17:00
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A Bloody Crowbar posted:I'm kind of stuck. The company I was working for dissolved and I'm left without a steady job, and me without a home again. From connections there we were all absorbed into a sort of contract gig run by one of the lead designers but it pays a paltry $200 a week and that is on the high end of things... loving ridiculous considering the workload. I have pulled consecutive stressful unpaid overtime nights just like the previous job I had, with the same infuriating dudebro culture as always, at little more than a third of the pay - which was already pretty terrible. I can't really refuse or leave, because I quite literally don't have anywhere else to go. I have to sleep on the office couch because I can't afford an apartment and I'm reduced to all the worldly possessions I can fit in my car. Move to the Bay Area. Enjoy your $100k/year job.
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Aug 26, 2013 17:41
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A Bloody Crowbar posted:There is nothing in my area (podunk, nowhere) or any surrounding areas ... I think you should move. It's unfortunate, but you have to go where the jobs are. If you don't care where, then just apply everywhere and tell them you're willing to relocate yourself if it's junior positions.
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Aug 26, 2013 20:04
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Comrade Flynn posted:Move to the Bay Area. Enjoy your $100k/year job. While still sleeping in your car.
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Aug 26, 2013 20:55
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Paniolo posted:While still sleeping in your car. True. I was making stupid money there but one of the reasons I left was because of how expensive everything was.
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Aug 26, 2013 20:57
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In regards to QA, I'm on my second year of summer contract work for a publisher and enjoying the hell out of it. Good pay, reasonable hours (managed to avoid any crunch time this year) and an awesome group of people who have been nothing but kind and helpful.
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Aug 27, 2013 23:11
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A Bloody Crowbar posted:I'm kind of stuck. Maybe go on unemployment and shore up your portfolio (if you even need to) while applying to other places? I imagine it would at least pay better and be less stressful, though you will have that "unemployed" stigma.
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Aug 28, 2013 02:10
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cgeq posted:Maybe go on unemployment and shore up your portfolio (if you even need to) while applying to other places? I imagine it would at least pay better and be less stressful, though you will have that "unemployed" stigma. 
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Aug 28, 2013 03:13
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Are flash games that lucrative? After HNA I don't think I would EVER want to touch flash again in my life but if it's easy money haha Granted I'm not really up to speed on how web games and that market work.
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Aug 28, 2013 04:01
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Vinterstum posted:My previous project (The Secret World) did exactly this mistake, and suffered badly for it.
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Aug 28, 2013 04:21
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OneEightHundred posted:I don't think it's unrealistic to do subs, but subs make it harder to maintain a stable playerbase, so it only really works with a big marketing push and good, broadly-appealing game. It worked for Rift, but doing it on a niche title like TSW was suicide. But then, I think the root of that problem is that they didn't think TSW was a niche title, hence its inflated budget. It didn't really work that well for Rift... they've had two large rounds of layoffs at Trion in less than a year, closed one of their studios, and Rift went F2P back in June. I guess keeping it subscription-based for 2 years is something, but that's not what I'd point to as a success.
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Aug 28, 2013 11:02
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devilmouse posted:It didn't really work that well for Rift... they've had two large rounds of layoffs at Trion in less than a year, closed one of their studios, and Rift went F2P back in June. I guess keeping it subscription-based for 2 years is something, but that's not what I'd point to as a success. The transition to F2P is in line with what I said though: A subs-only model shrinks the playerbase compared to F2P, so it only really works when the appeal is strong enough to absorb that and prevent it from getting to the death spiral of players leaving because there aren't enough players, and it has to be able to be at that point from day one. Rift managed that for a while, but it was bound to become a worse idea as the playerbase shrank from boredom and competition. It's probably even worse now since so many MMOs have transitioned to F2P that players will cancel their subs if they expect to be able to play for free in a few months.
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Aug 28, 2013 14:41
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OneEightHundred posted:The layoffs were mostly related to Defiance, and they reported Rift as making substantially more money than they expected to. The first batch of layoffs last year were all reportedly from the Rift team. This year's and the studio closing were attributed to Defiance. I don't know if I'd have the stones to launch a sub-only MMO in this day and age with all the competition. Ugh. That said, I definitely agree with the problem of perception of MMOs always going F2P means a player should just wait until that time (see the behavior with paid games on mobile and the inevitable sale shortly afterwards in an attempt to get as much as possible out of the title before it vanishes entirely). As my consultant friend likes to shout at her clients and executives, "KEEP YOUR FUNNELS WIDE!!!"
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Aug 28, 2013 14:51
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A Bloody Crowbar posted:Are flash games that lucrative? After HNA I don't think I would EVER want to touch flash again in my life but if it's easy money haha
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Aug 28, 2013 15:50
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Not intending to spam but this is an open call for folks who've done any significant amount of graphics coding. I'm writing a tool for graphics programmers on Windows + DX11 and I'm looking to get some external feedback. You don't have to be currently working on a DX11 game, I'm just after people familiar with graphics who can run a DX11 app. If that interests you and you've got some time to spare then please shoot me a mail: baldur AT crytek.com.
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Aug 28, 2013 16:15
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devilmouse posted:As my consultant friend likes to shout at her clients and executives, "KEEP YOUR FUNNELS WIDE!!!"  Which means what in English?
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Aug 28, 2013 22:33
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In business you funnel customers through your sales pipeline into realized revenue. Keeping your funnel wide means that you try to attract many different kinds of customers. In MMO context, I guess it means attracting casuals, hardcores, people with no money, people with little money, people with a ton of money, etc.
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Aug 28, 2013 23:03
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Getting set up for an interview (QA). Hope it goes well. I've ran into the unemployed spell for a bit too long. Anymore and I would've said gently caress it go indie.
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Aug 28, 2013 23:04
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Indie QA. An interesting idea. You could probably start an low cost out sourcing business for indie qa. You need a cool hipster company name though. Trench Babies.
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Aug 28, 2013 23:06
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