Jobs In The Gaming Industry

[Reesy]

I'm currently a database programmer. I have had enough of my current job and I'm looking for a new one but I thought I may as well consider moves to other areas of computing programming while I'm at it. I would love to get into the game industry, but I have no idea how I would go about this.

I was wondering if any of the more experienced programmers that visit the board would share their experiences and insights on the gaming industry. It would be interesting to hear from someone thats been there and done it all before.

Thanks

Reesy

 

[lizard808uk]

Best thing to do is to use Reed's job site. All the best postings are on there. Its @ Reed

Also, CWJobs and New Media Jobs are worth a look at.

I recently saw one of the big Brit developers were on a recruitment drive (it might have been Codemasters, but I can't quite remember).

I'm currently involved with SAP at BP and it too is starting to annoy me massively.

On the other side, you can stick with DB programming, and get job postings anywhere in the world - its a skill that is highly sought after.

 

[PinkSpider]

I'm currently a database programmer. I have had enough of my current job and I'm looking for a new one but I thought I may as well consider moves to other areas of computing programming while I'm at it. I would love to get into the game industry, but I have no idea how I would go about this.

I was wondering if any of the more experienced programmers that visit the board would share their experiences and insights on the gaming industry. It would be interesting to hear from someone thats been there and done it all before.

Thanks

Reesy

​

If your in the UK the back of Edge magazine has industry places in.

 

[moz]

Best thing to do is to use Reed's job site. All the best postings are on there. Its @ Reed

Also, CWJobs and New Media Jobs are worth a look at.

I'm currently involved with SAP

​

ching ching SAP=bling

what modules you a master of? or are you basis

 

[Mark]

Ya Pink's right, the whole back of Edge is devoted to games jobs.

I've just noticed that my post was completly pointless. Sorry.

 

[Moogle]

Or try putting up your resume on Gamasutra, or if you'd want you can reply to the job offers on the site or in the newsletter directly. Quite a lot of good articles/biographies about the whole game industry on it too. Very good site.

 

[lizard808uk]

ching ching SAP=bling

what modules you a master of? or are you basis

"Project Management" as far as SAP goes. Its funny though that at every company I've been at thats had a SAP implementation its gone horribly wrong. :rolleyes: Business people come up with insane business requirements, keep changing it, want to build a widget into the old legacy system, tack on go-faster stripes etc...

 

[about:blank]

I wanna be a game tester. c'mon i mean, what could be better than bumming about sitting on your arse all day stopping only to write down a few bugs that youve found, on a piece of paper greased by fat from the big macs youve been eating all day


PS ive killed 3 gp32x board members and hid them under my floorboards, can the observant of you find the missing member and his 2 alias's

 

[EvilDragon]

I think applying as a coder shouldn't be too hard if you show them DrMD...

Maybe you could also look at some game companies sites, look for the ones that look interesting to you and write them an eMail...

 

[yaustar]

I wanna be a game tester. c'mon i mean, what could be better than bumming about sitting on your arse all day stopping only to write down a few bugs that youve found, on a piece of paper greased by fat from the big macs youve been eating all day

​

Imagine playing the same level several hunderd times on the worst game you have played in your entire life. The hours can be very long as well..

Try:
http://www.gamesrecruit.com/ if you are in the US or
http://www.gamesrecruit.co.uk/ if you in the UK (I can also find you a lot more agencies if you are in the UK)

Judging from your current work, you already have a strong portifilo to join any company although you may want to add a few games demos into the mix. If anything, experience is worth a lot more then qualifications at the moment.

Since you are a programmer already, you probobly know about 'crunch time' that can happen when the release date is moved up althoguh this can be a lot worse in the games industrty (See 'Story of a programmer at EA' that was posted up a while back on the net). Also, if you can, try joining some of the bigger names of developers as as the smaller ones are having a habit of being brought out or going bust (at least in the UK).

 

[Bigjunior]

ching ching SAP=bling

what modules you a master of? or are you basis

"Project Management" as far as SAP goes. Its funny though that at every company I've been at thats had a SAP implementation its gone horribly wrong.

I work at a company that uses SAP. And yes, everyone's opinion is that it really really REALLY sucks. On a side note, the board member who pushed to implement it... is "pursuing other interests". I think we all know what that means.

 

[frolik]

he's right, my first job was a games tester, sounds great but it is sooo repetitive. I tested Atmosfear and Thumbelina to name a couple (ever heard of them,.. probably not...) and I hope to god I never see them again. Well, that was 10 years ago now

 

[tekt5]

PS ive killed 3 gp32x board members and hid them under my floorboards, can the observant of you find the missing member and his 2 alias's

uhhhhh.. Nova and Wolly_Wotsit?

 

[johncross85]

I worked at a games company for a bit and on the few occasions that the programmers emerged from their lair they seemed to have a 'Village of the Damned' look about them. Meanwhile most of the marketing department moved around the office on skateboards (and generally deserved the hatred that was aimed at them), the HR department was evil, and the person in the next cubicle was a self declared 'wacky and fun person'.

It was supposed to be a 'cool', chilled out' and/or 'rad' working environment which would have been okay if it didn't come across as compulsory. Ever seen the movie 'Office Space'? Jennifer Anniston's character works at a diner where, to show individuality, staff had to wear at least 15 items of 'flair' (badges and crap). JA constantly gets into arguments with her boss because she only wears the minimum 15 items... it was kind of like that.

What I'm getting at is that the grass is always greener. A games company may look fun on first inspection but you will still hate your boss, there will still be a co-worker that gets away with doing bugger all work, you'll still resent all those memos... The difference with working at a games company will be that you'll stop playing games in your spare time because it's too much like being at work.

...And it's for that reason that I now masturbate caged animals for a living.

J(ohn)

 

[BaDToaD]

...And it's for that reason that I now masturbate caged animals for a living.

J(ohn)

​

I can honestly say this is probably the strangest thing I have ever read here. Even in the off topic section.

 

[about:blank]

PS ive killed 3 gp32x board members and hid them under my floorboards, can the observant of you find the missing member and his 2 alias's

uhhhhh.. Nova and Wolly_Wotsit?

​

beyatch! no 1 lets me have any fun


p.s u missed out watzza_uppa