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Do you/have you worked in the Games Industry?

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    Do you/have you worked in the Games Industry?

    I dont, nor ever will, work in the games industry (I dont know if running this site counts or not, sometimes it feels like a 2nd job..) but I was wondering what your experiences of this have been, what you do (if you can disclose that) and your aims, plus any other interesting information or advice you might want to pass on.

    If this gets no replies Ill assume we all work in boring old IT, although Im pretty sure there must be at least a few industry cats out there.

    #2
    according to my ects registration i work in the games industry

    closest i have got to it is trading games -- not really interested in what i can only perceive as a job which is 9 months boredom coupled with 4 months of maniacal workage

    camps

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      #3
      I'm currently a student, but frantically trying to build up my CV to be as impressive as possible so that I can get in for a placement with a games company as part of my degree.

      So far, I've had NO luck whatsoever. I even blagged my way into the Games Developers Conference last year, to try to meet as many people from inside the industry as I possibly could, and after numerous email conversations with many developers, nothing has yet come to fruition.

      It's quite surprising, I have a diverse range of technical demonstrations, a wide technical background, and also a passion for games old and new. Ah well. Suppose I'll just have to do boring IT stuff for a placement now.....

      EDIT: But if anyone is interested in employing me.....PM me I know it's a shameless plug, but I'm getting desperate now!

      EDIT AGAIN: I am also a presenter on Game Network, which is part of my building up my CV. Just doing it part time to fund my studies, so its really not what I want to be doing forever....

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        #4
        Hmm, well next to selling computer games on and off for various places over the last 10 years, my experience of the industry has been curating the Game On exhibition that was held in the Barbican Art Gallery, London and the National Museum of Scotland. It's also going to Tilburg in Holland from May to August and Helsinki, Finland from September to December (plus many other venues over the next 4 years).

        I've met and dealt with many people in the industry and have played some good games along the way.

        Also been a researcher for the History of Toys program that was on BBC2 last christmas (with my contribution lasting all of 2 seconds...) and Bravos Gamepad (doing stuff for the next series). Also been on TV on Lam Jam on CITV and Gamepad on Bravo mainly promoting Game On. Also been on some local scottish radio station (cant remember) and on radio for Czech, Polish and Brazilian radio stations.

        I should also be going to Canada next year to do some creative input work on a game coming out later next year. All I can tell you about it, is that it's a modern version of Skool Daze.

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          #5
          Me been working at CEX for nearly four years now.
          Also worked at the totally non existant Microbyte computer shop about ten years ago.
          Since working from such a long time back within the computer industry there's one thing that's improved.

          Playing games in no longer classed as geeky!

          Also people's awareness of games is certainly a lot more stronger and the import market is definitely getting weaker as so many people have gone soooo mainstream buying FIFA every year and the people that do buy these import games now buying them cheaply over the net...

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            #6
            Me? Why yes actually. I'm a consistent financial contributor. I have aided companies from Sony to Nintnedo and often aid new devlelopers such as Zed|Two and Crawfish.

            I believe that my transactions - usually through a financial advisor such as Gamestation or online like DVDBO - have made a difference and have helped shape the face of gaming today!

            *Bows graciously*

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              #7
              Yes I do. I work for a Publisher....

              I'm an EDGE refugee also.

              Erm. That's all


              -J

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                #8
                Originally posted by Rantin' James
                Yes I do. I work for a Publisher....
                Embarassed to say which one?

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                  #9
                  I worked for about a year as a programmer, a 'localisation engineer' for an agency that specialised in taking existing games and localising them for different languages. I worked on about 5 or 6 games, and had one all to myself.

                  It was ok as a foot hold, and was supposed to lead to bigger and better things, but for various reasons that company moved away from games software and it never happened. Although it had its moments, it did illustrate the tedium of being a grunt programmer on the bottom rung of games development. Well, in the case of localisation, not even really making it on to the ladder .

                  I went to a games press event recently, and I was suprised by the 'casual' interest most of the pundits there had in the games themselves. I found myself knowing more about current games and technology than almost anyone I spoke to. It makes me wonder what it would be like if I still worked with video games... shame companies don't employ on enthusiasm alone .

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                    #10
                    Yes, I've worked on quite a few games.
                    It's nowhere near as 'fun' as people often seem to think.

                    Although this comment is probably levelled more at the company's policies than the tasks themselves.

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                      #11
                      Similar to Papercut I used to be a software test manager for a large localisation vendor company in Ireland.

                      Because I was a well known gaming nut my boss gave me a free reign to actually playtest most of the stuff we were working on, PC games mainly. Best claim to fame is actually working on Final Fantasy VIII (psx) for a while as I had to show the translators how to play it... that was great.

                      Also playtested an early version of Halflife before it was released in order to get work from Havas software, oh and I also worked on the multimedia joy of sex documentary... that was fun, had to wear headphones and sit in the corner of the office all day

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                        #12
                        I used to work for Sega Europe as a coin op engineer and later went on to work at Segaworld covering their "theme park" rides.

                        Worst experience of my life >_< - I have never worked with a more useless bunch of people. From the very top down the place was run by idiots who had no clue as to what they were doing - all floor staff were untrained and couldnt give a damn about anything. Due to malpractice, apalling safety standards, lack of docomentation/spare parts, staff training and pathetic management the place died taking everything I worked hard for with it

                        I did get to hang about with people from AM4 tho ^^ (they came to train us up - DEEP brers!)

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                          #13
                          Yeah im currently trying to get a position as a programmer, at the moment im a student studying computer graphics programming and need somewhere for my placement year, hopefuly it will be games related but as long as its graphical programming im not too worried, ive been applied for Blitz games, Primary Image, Reflections and Eutynx (or however you spell it), its certainly not easy to get a position but im hoping for something.

                          Website has my latest portolio work :- http://www.norrisj.co.uk

                          Norris

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                            #14
                            If any of you reading this like the Idea of working in the industry and don't know where to start. Look through last months GamesTM and EDGE. They mention a developer (can't think off the top of my head) who are looking for new talent. If anyone can fill me in.

                            And they may be considered 'scum' by the 'harcore WaReZ' kids, but EA are apparently very good to thier employees and are well worth the effort contacting as they can be helpful!

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                              #15
                              nips - sadly our problem is that most employee's wouldn't take on a student for a placement. I'm not quite sure why, we wouldn't ask for a lot of money (Hell, we're used to being skint!!) and I'd like to think that we have a lot of talent.

                              I'd a sad situation really...as both us and the developers are missing out.

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