game girl advance: How to Break Into the Games Industry. No, really.

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November 07, 2003

How to Break Into the Games Industry. No, really.

I attended a talk by Chris Klug [MobyGames rap-sheet], former creative director of Electronic Arts' MMORPG, Earth & Beyond, at Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center. Klug came to the videogame industry by way of the pencil & paper RPG industry [Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2], and spent much of his early working years as a professional theatrical lighting designer. As somebody who changed from one field to another perceived (mistakenly, he believes) as being very different, he had quite a bit to say on how you, too, can get into not just the games industry, but any industry.

A word of warning: Klug's answer to the question "How do I get a job?" is, I'd say, roughly the equivalent to answering the question "How do I get in shape?" by saying "Good diet and regular exercise." Those of you looking for silver bullets had best stop reading and look elsewhere. Also, this is, of course, largely opinion, and I didn't agree with everything he said, so no guarantees.

The first thing to do is figure out why you are unique. This is not easy, but there you go. This is important because it is a part of answering the question, "What do I really want to do?" not simply in the sense of job title, but in the sense of discovering your unique vision, which you bring to everything you do. This is the sort of thing that you need to show an employer: what you bring to them that they can't get from anybody else. Companies hire people, not skills, so when you're out there trying to sell yourself, make sure you're really selling yourself.

From here on out, it is all about who knows you. The amount of time your favorite game company is hiring for a position ends when you finish this sentence. By the time you know about it, it's too late, so you have to make them know you. That way when they get the word that money has been allocated to hire 3 new Postion-Xes, your name immediately spring to mind.

Think of a person in the industry whom you admire. Think hard. Research this person. Take your time doing this. If they're giving a talk at a conference, attend the talk. If they've written papers, read the papers. Wrap your mind around this person's work. Take your time doing this. If you still admire them at this point, you're doing okay. If not, start over again with somebody else you admire.

Now, contact them. Somehow. If they can't be contacted directly, go through their office. Show that you admire them, but also that you know who they are (that's where the research comes in). Tell them that you'd like to enter the industry, but what you really need is some advice. Try to get the names of 3 other people that you can talk to. Contact those people, explaining how you got their contact information, ask for more advice, and see if you can get 3 more names from each of them. Just keep doing this. This is how you make people know you when you haven't done anything yet.

And never, ever ask for a job. They will say no, and you don't want to ever put these people into a position where they have to say no to you. Just keep asking for advice and for more people to talk to.

Once you've made contact with somebody, every few months or so, send them an "update" email, talking about what you've been up to recently. Write it like they would care. Worst case, they delete it right away. Best case, they read the whole thing. This is how you make people remember you.

Basically, you're letting the universe know that you're available, one person at a time.

Don't trust making Neverwinter Nights mods or Unreal mods or levels to sell you. Don't trust your awesome website to sell you. Hiring decisions get made at bizarre times and bizarre places, and your demo is meaningless if they aren't at their computer, or don't have the game they need to run it. Still, if you have these things, don't neglect them. Every single thing that you use to sell yourself, from resume to website to demo reel, must be able to sell you 100%, because there is always the chance that it's the only thing they'll ever see.

This isn't a quick fix method. You could follow Klug's advice for years without getting picked up anywhere. Nevertheless, if you have the skill, the passion, and the endurance that would make you succeed in the games industry, Klug's a good man to listen to.

Posted by ClockworkGrue at November 07, 2003 01:33 PM | TrackBack

Comments

It also doesn't hurt to start small. An independant developer is a start and, if they become successful, it could work out better than you expected.

Oh, and just in the rare chance some kids or people who just don't know are reading this, learn video game history. Read up on famous old games, landmark games, companies that aren't around anymore, or better yet... play old games. A few weeks ago I met someone who said they wanted to get into the gaming industry and we were talking about games. I nearly gagged when I found out he had never played the original Mario bros. or original Link.

Posted by: Draigon on November 8, 2003 02:52 PM

It also doesn't hurt to start small. An independant developer is a start and, if they become successful, it could work out better than you expected.

Posted by: Draigon on November 8, 2003 02:53 PM

Here's some better advice: If you want to be a games designer, then start designing games. Don't wait for someone to hire you. Don't wait for financing. For God's sake, don't wait for someone to give you your big break. Just start doing it. Hook up with other like-minded individuals and do it together. It's an old saw: "Do what you like and the money will come eventually." Or not. But anyway, it's better than waiting for someone to hand you a job.

-Sir Robert

Posted by: Sir Robert on November 8, 2003 04:19 PM

Draigon: Heh. One of my favorite questions to ask potential job applicants in an interview for a gaming position is "what's your favorite game of all time?"

I've had lots of borderline applicants come up with answers that are "Oh you know, GTA3, Metal Gear Solid, that sort of thing," which completely blows the interviewer's chances, in my opinion. If you're into gaming, you typically have a game that you consider "the best" for a multitude of reasons.

The only reason I started using the question was because it was asked of me when I interviewed at Midway, and my answer was "Bionic Commando." Scored big time with that one ;)

Posted by: Bowler on November 8, 2003 09:07 PM

Tom Sloper has a site that anyone who is interested in a game career should check out. Besides that, my advice is to network your ass off (which is to say, Klug's advice sounds right on to me). Most everyone I've met in the industry so far was brought in by a friend and a number of these people started with only limited gaming experience. It certainly helps to have built some skills by making your own games, programing or art classes, etc. but at the end of the day, I suspect it's who you know (and how much they like you) that'll make the difference.

Posted by: Scott Bonds on November 9, 2003 01:26 AM

Posted by: Scott Bonds on November 9, 2003 01:27 AM

re: Sir Robert

If you're interested in game design as a profession, I couldn't agree more with Sir Robert, although I would clarify by saying don't just try to design video games, design non-electronic games, too.

Why?

1) Modern video games are designed by committee these days, so it's almost more important to just show you have the "plays well with others" trait when it comes to video game design and writing design documents.

2) You can actually complete a non-electronic game prototype by yourself! In a few days! Which means you'll still have the energy to playtest and refine the hell out of it! (Bonus points if you keep documentation of this process).

3) Fundamentally, there isn't that much difference between non-electronic and electronic game design principles. Especially as multiplayer electronic games become more and more popular. If you can show that you know how to make my brain happy using pocket change and a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, that says something.

Like the old saying goes, "As the goatherd learns her trade by goat, so the writer learns her trade by wrote." "Game designer" doesn't fit the rhyme scheme very well there, but it's the same idea.

Posted by: ClockworkGrue on November 9, 2003 06:56 AM

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Posted by: outsider

on April 11, 2006 07:51 AM