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Breaking Into the Video Game Industry
An anonymous reader writes "RPGamer has posted an interview with Atlus USA's Tomm Hulett, who has played pivotal roles in bringing various RPGs to North America, as well as the recently-released Trauma Center: Under the Knife. The interview, however, revolves around Tomm's experiences and the advice he would give to those looking to make a living off of the video game industry. From the article: '...You don't get to make games by sitting around playing RPGs and dreaming (unfortunately)--you have to get out there and work hard. I've known a lot of really smart people who just never applied themselves. So, now they're just playing FFXI and talking about how they're going to make games someday.'"
There's no real secret to it - Be smart, work hard, apply yourself, and I'm sure it'll all work out.
You mean it's no different than getting any other job?!
Seriously, there are tons of different kinds of jobs in the game industry, and there are lots of different ways to get them. Most of them can be had simply by applying to a classified ad and being the best candidate in an interview. I agree that it's not some big mystery that needs to be solved. The problem is (and I say this from recent experience trying to hire an assistant) that so many people these days seem to lack even the most basic of job-hunting and interviewing skills. Getting *any* job is a mystery to most people. But there's nothing unique about the game industry.
My first job in the game industry was writing for a now-defunct web site (one of the many IGN/Gamespot wannabes) - I got that job because I happened to know a designer at the company and he got me an interview. (Yeah, I got lucky, but social networking is the way a lot of jobs are handed out.) My second industry job, working for a major publisher, I got both because of that first job and because of a web site that I ran on my own at the time. No, I'm not a coder - believe me, you don't want to be a coder working in the game industry. Though I can't say marketing (where I worked) is really much better.
So I broke into the industry with a combination of networking and experience. And yes, the fact that I've been playing games since 1977 did help. Like any other industry, game companies like to know that the people they hire are both interested in and knowledgeable about their products and history. You can't go into an interview and say "now, what kind of products does your company make again?" (I've had people ask me this at my current company during interviews!)
Honestly, though, my experience basically taught me that the game industry is not much fun. So it's all pretty much moot anyway. There are much better industries in which to work.
I will say that that first editorial job was probably the best job I've ever had, and if they hadn't folded I'd still be there despite the ridiculously low pay. But working for an actual publisher sucked. (Despite a doubling in salary.)