3 answers
Jaliyah
Student
Chula Vista, California
1
Question
Updated
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How can I make the choices today—through my college applications, study habits, and early career steps—that will put me on the best path toward landing my dream job in the video game industry?
Through my college applications, study habits, and early career steps, what will put me on the best path toward landing my dream job in the video game industry?
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3 answers
Emily Henderson
Environment Artist & World Builder
4
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Emily’s Answer
Hi Jaliyah,
Thankfully, there are many paths to becoming a game developer. These paths might look rather different depending on the department you seek or position you wish to obtain. I can share my own experiences and give you the advice that I would give my younger self in your position.
I went to a four year college, got my degree in Art with a minor in mathematics. Big surprise (not really), I could not get a job. At the time, I was working in accounting and did not consider video games as a career. So, I ended up going back to school, taking a number of community college courses to figure stuff out. One of those classes was for game art development. Four more years, countless classes, online courses, practice hours, and only two portfolio pieces later, I was finally hired as a contractor. I worked my way up the chain and am now a senior level artist. Having spoken to many other developers, I know this is a common path.
Now for the advice:
- Explore all fields until you find what you love to do. Start as soon as possible so that you can effectively narrow down what you actually want to do. This will help determine colleges and classes.
- Remember that everyone learns at different rates. The more you try, the more likely you are to succeed.
- do not discount the value of a college education OR the value of free online tutorials.
- Above all else, work hard and do not give up. Sounds easy, but it isn't. It can be discouraging to work so hard, just to have someone else do something better in half the time. I may not be the best artist, but I work hard to produce the best work possible. And 9 times out of 10, employers will value effort over skill ( at least the smart ones do).
- also just be a nice person and good human. This one is actually easy. Real people will likely choose the person with less experience and skill if they are a much nicer person to work with than the obnoxious rockstar with a stellar resume.
Now for some heavy hitter, potentially controversial advice.
- Be willing to move to a new city, state, or even country. LA, San Diego, and San Jose all have lots and lots of studios, but so do many other states. The wider you are willing to open the door, the greater chance you have at breaking into the game industry. Many jobs nowadays can be remote, but the willingness to move is highly valued at nearly every studio. (I took this step early in my career and have never regretted it)
- Don't get caught up in needing to work for the absolute best studio right away. Always aim for higher standards and never stop trying to reach them, but sometimes those legendary game studios aren't all sunshine and rainbows. Don't pass up on a good job at a lesser known studio just because it isn't flashy.
- Take the contract position. In case you are unaware, there are many contract jobs in the game industry. They are often seen as unstable or less valuable. But as a first time gig? They can be exactly what you need. I know many people who continue to do contract work, simply because it gives them a chance to work on more games with less commitment.
Sorry for this absolute wall of text, but hopefully it helps!
Figure out which department sounds the most interesting/fun to you
Start learning online & through free software like unity, unreal, and blender
Thankfully, there are many paths to becoming a game developer. These paths might look rather different depending on the department you seek or position you wish to obtain. I can share my own experiences and give you the advice that I would give my younger self in your position.
I went to a four year college, got my degree in Art with a minor in mathematics. Big surprise (not really), I could not get a job. At the time, I was working in accounting and did not consider video games as a career. So, I ended up going back to school, taking a number of community college courses to figure stuff out. One of those classes was for game art development. Four more years, countless classes, online courses, practice hours, and only two portfolio pieces later, I was finally hired as a contractor. I worked my way up the chain and am now a senior level artist. Having spoken to many other developers, I know this is a common path.
Now for the advice:
- Explore all fields until you find what you love to do. Start as soon as possible so that you can effectively narrow down what you actually want to do. This will help determine colleges and classes.
- Remember that everyone learns at different rates. The more you try, the more likely you are to succeed.
- do not discount the value of a college education OR the value of free online tutorials.
- Above all else, work hard and do not give up. Sounds easy, but it isn't. It can be discouraging to work so hard, just to have someone else do something better in half the time. I may not be the best artist, but I work hard to produce the best work possible. And 9 times out of 10, employers will value effort over skill ( at least the smart ones do).
- also just be a nice person and good human. This one is actually easy. Real people will likely choose the person with less experience and skill if they are a much nicer person to work with than the obnoxious rockstar with a stellar resume.
Now for some heavy hitter, potentially controversial advice.
- Be willing to move to a new city, state, or even country. LA, San Diego, and San Jose all have lots and lots of studios, but so do many other states. The wider you are willing to open the door, the greater chance you have at breaking into the game industry. Many jobs nowadays can be remote, but the willingness to move is highly valued at nearly every studio. (I took this step early in my career and have never regretted it)
- Don't get caught up in needing to work for the absolute best studio right away. Always aim for higher standards and never stop trying to reach them, but sometimes those legendary game studios aren't all sunshine and rainbows. Don't pass up on a good job at a lesser known studio just because it isn't flashy.
- Take the contract position. In case you are unaware, there are many contract jobs in the game industry. They are often seen as unstable or less valuable. But as a first time gig? They can be exactly what you need. I know many people who continue to do contract work, simply because it gives them a chance to work on more games with less commitment.
Sorry for this absolute wall of text, but hopefully it helps!
Emily recommends the following next steps:
John Everson
Software Engineering Manager at Visual Concepts
20
Answers
Austin, TX
Updated
John’s Answer
The first thing you need to do is to pick a discipline. The three major disciplines in the games industry are design, art, and programming. Each one typically has different job requirements and duties. Based on your preferred discipline, there is usually a degree type you want to target. For example, programmers typically pursue a computer science degree.
Before graduating college, you will want to have a portfolio showcasing your work. An artist might have a portfolio of 3D models or environments, designers might have examples of level or system designs, programmers will have tech demos, etc. You can apply to internships (these typically require you to be a student), or attempt to get an entry level position after graduation. You will also want to be prepared with a backup plan. Most candidates do not make it into the games industry immediately. Many people end up joining the workforce in a different career and gaining experience there before later breaking into the games industry.
Before graduating college, you will want to have a portfolio showcasing your work. An artist might have a portfolio of 3D models or environments, designers might have examples of level or system designs, programmers will have tech demos, etc. You can apply to internships (these typically require you to be a student), or attempt to get an entry level position after graduation. You will also want to be prepared with a backup plan. Most candidates do not make it into the games industry immediately. Many people end up joining the workforce in a different career and gaining experience there before later breaking into the games industry.
Arsen Escobedo
Student, currently working for volunteer hours.
30
Answers
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Updated
Arsen’s Answer
Try to play some well-known series/games, or genre-based games, like RPG's, Shooters, or platformers
The Final Fantasy series
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Super Smash Bros.
The Legend of Zelda series
The Fatal Fury series
Arsen recommends the following next steps:
Hi Arsen, thank you for recommending games to Jaliyah! Can you give more information around how playing these games will help in their path?
Sharyn Grose, Admin
Final Fantasy: Learn how to tell a story if you're interested in making RPG games
Expedition 33: Good graphics, with a great backstory; you could probably learn from that.
Super Smash Bros: Learn how to make fighting mechanics, if you're interested in making fighting games.
The Legend of Zelda: You can get inspired to make an area full of puzzle-solving secrets.
Fatal Fury: Interesting combos and ultimates, that'll probably give you ideas.
Arsen Escobedo