Aksherly - I forgot to mention - I have been in the industry since 1986 and worked on around forty games, some of which have been numero uno titles. About five or six were never released, but of the ones that were, all bar two have been successful ie been top ten sellers and made money.
What recognition did I get for this? Shitty bonii and a big 'so what it's your job' from the tenth rate managers at the big corps.
But then I think about all the REALLY CRAP jobs I could be doing...no really there are some very bad jobs, I've done them, I did a few before I got into games, I interviewed for crap jobs, my friends do them, my family do them, and people are jealous of me when I tell them what I do, and that my housr are flexible and I can wear what I want and that the boss is pretty much just another bloke, and that I am regularly complimented on my work - do you know how many people I know outside of games that are EVER complimented on their work? NONE! They're only ever told when they're screwing up or if they're late or if they parked in the boss's wife's space or if they didn't do something they were supposed to. They're never told 'you're doing an excellent job, your work is outstanding!'. I'll work my nuts off for that! It makes me feel great.
I agree with everything you've written here but...whenever I get pissed off about my job (artist) I think about all the abysmal turgid work I could be doing, all the millions of useless terrible worthless low paid crap there is in the world. Then I think how easy I have it (yes I do the three weekends on one weekend off, no overtime pay, absurdly low vacation time, barely any bonus thing, like we all do...). I could be sitting in an office wearing a suit and tie and be in the INSURANCE industry or the CATERING industry or SALES or something equally brain numbing. Instead I get to draw and paint and animate and model and I get paid a lot of cash to do it.
My one complaint is the lack of females in the industry.
Come on birds, watch a load of sci fi and action movies and get your heads around what people want, and you'll be working in games.
Slashdot Mirror
Aksherly - I forgot to mention - I have been in the industry since 1986 and worked on around forty games, some of which have been numero uno titles. About five or six were never released, but of the ones that were, all bar two have been successful ie been top ten sellers and made money.
What recognition did I get for this? Shitty bonii and a big 'so what it's your job' from the tenth rate managers at the big corps.
But then I think about all the REALLY CRAP jobs I could be doing...no really there are some very bad jobs, I've done them, I did a few before I got into games, I interviewed for crap jobs, my friends do them, my family do them, and people are jealous of me when I tell them what I do, and that my housr are flexible and I can wear what I want and that the boss is pretty much just another bloke, and that I am regularly complimented on my work - do you know how many people I know outside of games that are EVER complimented on their work? NONE! They're only ever told when they're screwing up or if they're late or if they parked in the boss's wife's space or if they didn't do something they were supposed to. They're never told 'you're doing an excellent job, your work is outstanding!'. I'll work my nuts off for that! It makes me feel great.
If there's a better job out there, let me know!
I agree with everything you've written here but...whenever I get pissed off about my job (artist) I think about all the abysmal turgid work I could be doing, all the millions of useless terrible worthless low paid crap there is in the world. Then I think how easy I have it (yes I do the three weekends on one weekend off, no overtime pay, absurdly low vacation time, barely any bonus thing, like we all do...). I could be sitting in an office wearing a suit and tie and be in the INSURANCE industry or the CATERING industry or SALES or something equally brain numbing. Instead I get to draw and paint and animate and model and I get paid a lot of cash to do it.
My one complaint is the lack of females in the industry.
Come on birds, watch a load of sci fi and action movies and get your heads around what people want, and you'll be working in games.
Cheers
The Geffel