Break into the Game Industry: How to Get a Job Making Video Games (Career Series)

Ernest Adams9780072226607, 0-07-222660-9

“Ernest Adams has been around the gaming block many times; his industry insights coupled with the developer war stories should give any aspirant that extra edge to break into the game industry. -Jason Della Rocca, Program Director, International Game Developers AssociationPractical Advice for Landing the Job You Want!Join the fun! Learn how to become part of the excitement and creativity of game development-one of the hottest and most profitable industries today. Author, game designer, and producer Ernest Adams takes you inside the game industry, then delivers an action plan for you to break in-even without any game industry experience. Get great career advice and learn the different jobs that are available. Whether you’re a curious gamer, a student, or a career changer seeking immediate help, this handy guide provides the information and insider advice you need to land a job in the game industry.* Learn how a game is built and published * Understand and acquire the skills you need to get into the industry * Discover the inner workings of the game business * Get your foot in the door as a game tester or with other entry-level jobs * Exercise your creativity as a game designer, artist, producer, or programmer * Get the right education for the job you want * Gain insightful advice from more than 20 industry professionals * Includes hundreds of useful resources for job seekers”

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Table of contents :

Break into the Game Industry: How to Get A Job Making Video
Games……Page 3
Copyright……Page 4
Contents……Page 5
DEDICATION……Page 14
Acknowledgments……Page 15
1 A Brief History of Interactive Entertainment……Page 21
Computer Games and Mainframes,……Page 22
Enter the Personal Computer,……Page 24
The IBM PC Arrives,……Page 26
The CD-ROM Changes Everything,……Page 27
Interactive Movies Come … and Go,……Page 28
The Online Explosion,……Page 29
Wrap-up,……Page 30
2 A World of Games……Page 31
Personal Computer Games,……Page 32
Home Console Games,……Page 34
Games in the International Market,……Page 36
How the Xbox Changed the Rules,……Page 37
Online Games,……Page 38
Handheld Devices,……Page 39
Location-Based Entertainment,……Page 40
Games Versus Multimedia,……Page 41
Wrap-up,……Page 42
3 How the Game Industry Functions……Page 43
Some Fundamentals,……Page 44
The Customer……Page 46
The Retailer……Page 48
Electronic Arts: A Game Industry Giant……Page 50
The Internal/External Cycle……Page 52
The Developer……Page 53
Converting Games to Other Platforms……Page 54
Console Manufacturers……Page 55
Product Manufacturers……Page 56
Online……Page 57
Shareware……Page 58
“Unsold Returns”: A Game Industry Scam,……Page 59
“Video Games Are for Kids”……Page 60
Casual Versus Hardcore……Page 61
Action……Page 62
Strategy and War Games……Page 63
Construction and Management Simulations……Page 64
Online Role-Playing Games……Page 65
Children’s Games……Page 66
Players’ Magazines and Web Sites……Page 67
Wrap-Up,……Page 68
4 Inside the Fun Factory……Page 69
Evolutionary or Revolutionary?……Page 70
How Publishers Hear about Game Ideas……Page 71
Pitching the Game……Page 72
Design Work……Page 73
Technical Research and Prototyping……Page 74
Project Planning……Page 76
Going to Full Production……Page 77
The Development Contract……Page 78
Stage 3: Production,……Page 82
Jobhunting Tip: Avoiding Incompetent Employers……Page 83
Marketing Activities……Page 84
Alpha Testing……Page 86
Beta Testing……Page 88
Disney’s Christmas Configuration Calamity……Page 89
Quality Assurance……Page 90
Licensor and Console Manufacturer Approvals……Page 91
A Sample Development Schedule……Page 92
Stage 5: Manufacturing,……Page 93
Wrap-Up,……Page 95
5 Preparing to Be a Game Developer……Page 97
Uncover Your Talents……Page 98
Lay the Foundations……Page 99
Don’t Drop Out!……Page 101
University or Trade School?……Page 102
How to Evaluate the Programs……Page 105
How Do They Feel about Games?……Page 107
How to Use the Curriculum Framework……Page 108
Learn about Particular Areas……Page 111
Other Useful Subjects……Page 115
Postgraduate Programs,……Page 116
If You’ve Already Got a Job in Film, TV, or Other
Entertainment Media,……Page 117
Your Head Start and Your Handicap……Page 118
Breaking in: From Television to Games……Page 119
Your Head Start and Your Handicap……Page 120
The Legend of Army Battlezone,……Page 121
Learn about the Differences……Page 122
Other Ways to Prepare Yourself,……Page 123
Play the Games……Page 124
Breaking in: Playing and Persistence Pay Off,……Page 125
Attend Industry Events……Page 126
Be Your Own Press……Page 127
Take Part in Beta Tests……Page 128
Wrap-Up,……Page 130
6 Skills and Careers in the Game Industry……Page 131
Production Versus Development,……Page 132
What about Internal Development?……Page 133
A Warning about Job Titles, Responsibilities,
and Org Charts……Page 134
The Two (Well, Three) Types of Career Ladders……Page 135
Project Organization……Page 138
A Day in the Life of an Engine Programmer……Page 143
Talents and Skills……Page 144
Tools……Page 145
Specializations……Page 149
Art and Animation,……Page 152
A Day in the Life of a Production Artist……Page 153
Tools……Page 154
Specializations……Page 157
Audio and Music,……Page 158
A Day in the Life of an Audio Lead……Page 159
Talents and Skills……Page 160
Tools……Page 161
Specializations……Page 162
A Day in the Life of a Writer……Page 164
Talents and Skills……Page 165
Specializations……Page 166
Game Design,……Page 167
Design Jobs……Page 168
A Day in the Life of a Game Designer……Page 169
Talents and Skills……Page 170
Specializations……Page 172
Production Jobs……Page 173
A Day in the Life of a Producer……Page 177
Talents and Skills……Page 178
Tools……Page 180
Specializations……Page 181
Testing and Quality Assurance,……Page 182
Breaking in: All Experience Is Good Experience……Page 183
Tools……Page 184
Specializations……Page 185
Marketing……Page 187
A Day in the Life of a Marketing Director……Page 189
Information Technology……Page 190
Mailroom……Page 191
Wrap-Up,……Page 192
7 How to Get a Job……Page 193
Packaging Yourself as a Professional,……Page 194
Networking: It’s Not What You Know…,……Page 195
Where to Meet Game Developers……Page 196
About Recruiters……Page 198
How to Schmooze……Page 199
Talking about Yourself……Page 200
Mary Margaret’s Résumé Tips……Page 201
Job-Hunting Tip: Show Them You’re Adaptable……Page 203
Crafting the Cover Letter……Page 204
Mary Margaret’s Tips on Demos……Page 206
More about Demos……Page 207
Job-Hunting Tip: Don’t Mail in a Mountain of Stuff!……Page 208
How Do You Find the Jobs?……Page 209
Mailing out Your Résumé……Page 210
Handling the Interview,……Page 211
Mary Margaret’s Interviewing Tips……Page 212
Dress Properly: Neither Too Poorly nor Too Well……Page 213
Who Will Interview You?……Page 214
Showing Your Demo or Portfolio……Page 215
What about Tests?……Page 216
Financial Compensation……Page 217
Time-Off Benefits……Page 219
Health-Related Benefits……Page 220
Miscellaneous Benefits……Page 222
NEGOTIATION……Page 223
Reasons to Accept a Lower Salary……Page 225
Reasons NOT to Accept a Lower Salary……Page 226
Discrimination and Workplace Issues,……Page 227
Women……Page 228
Inside the Job: Advice for Women in the Game Industry,……Page 230
Minorities……Page 231
Non-Western Game Developers……Page 235
Wrap-Up,……Page 236
8 Legal Issues for Creative People……Page 237
First, Three Disclaimers,……Page 238
The Three Types of Intellectual Property Protection,……Page 239
Trademark……Page 240
Patents……Page 241
Trade Secrets and Non-Disclosure Agreements,……Page 242
Don’t Worry Too Much about Protecting Your Ideas,……Page 243
Beware: Your Inventions Are Not Your Own!……Page 244
Protecting Your Existing Inventions……Page 245
The California Labor Code on Inventions……Page 246
The Hazards of Moonlighting……Page 247
Moral Rights……Page 248
How Come You’re Being Kept in the Dark?……Page 249
Wrap-up,……Page 250
9 The Future of Game Development……Page 251
Bigger Teams Mean More Bureaucracy……Page 252
The Rise of the Content Creators……Page 253
Subcontracted Services……Page 254
Publisher Conservatism……Page 255
Inbreeding……Page 256
Sequels and Sequels to Sequels……Page 257
Homebrew: Mods, Bots, and Engines……Page 258
Video Games as an Art Form……Page 259
Will there Be Another Crash? How Safe Is this Business?,……Page 260
A Few Final Words,……Page 261
A Educational Institutions……Page 263
B IGDA Curriculum Framework……Page 275
WELCOME……Page 276
Contact Info……Page 277
About the Framework……Page 278
Overview of Core Topics,……Page 279
Game Design……Page 280
Audio Design……Page 281
Business of Gaming……Page 282
Critical Game Studies……Page 283
Games and Society……Page 285
Game Design……Page 287
Game Programming……Page 290
Visual Design……Page 291
Audio Design……Page 293
Interactive Storytelling……Page 294
Game Production……Page 295
Business of Gaming……Page 297
Tying Core Topics to Career Options,……Page 298
Game Technology Educator……Page 299
Game Journalist……Page 300
Producer……Page 301
Game Designer……Page 302
Level Designer……Page 303
Programmer……Page 304
Game Graphics Artist……Page 305
Game Audio Engineer……Page 306
THANKS……Page 307
C Jobhunting Resources and Development Tools……Page 309
Major Employers in the Game Industry,……Page 310
The IGDA Breaking In Page,……Page 314
Programming Tools……Page 315
Audio Tools……Page 316
Professional Game Development Web Sites,……Page 317
Gatherings……Page 318
Resources for Minorities……Page 320
Miscellaneous Resources……Page 321
Glossary of Game Industry Terms……Page 323
Index……Page 343