Game Industry

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Links and articles about the game industry: how to get game jobs, how to manage your role, etc.

How to Get In

Being a Developer

Art Disciplines

  • lists the various artist roles in game development:

Education

The basic argument in the Polycount community is between going the self-taught route or going the formal education route. The best path seems to depend on what kind of person you are: self-motivated or team-motivated.

Artists on Polycount generally agree it is rare to find schools that teach current high-quality game art techniques. The web and forums are often the best places to learn these, maybe even |-) . We see it time and again... the students who succeed at entering the work force after graduation are almost exclusively those that work on their own side projects, beyond the course material. Would they have been better served without using a school?

Beware of education scams and debt! Schools can cost a lot of money and some promise easy employment afterwards, but unfortunately the reality is not so forgiving. Student loan debt can also be a crushing burden for many years, especially with the relatively low wages most game artists make. See the blog post Don’t go to art school, the Polycount forum thread Profit Schools - Can we condemn them publicly?, and the Penny Arcade episode "On Game Schools".

There are many Polycount forum threads about game art education, for a great list see Education In The Games Industry: Yes or No?, or you can do a forum search for education.

Portfolios

  • has links to tutorials and advice about creating an artist portfolio for a career in game development.

Resumes

Cover Letters

Job Searching

Most game developers get their jobs by word of mouth, this industry puts personal contacts first and foremost. Networking is key; keep in contact with your friends and former co-workers.

Going Indie

Indie means developing, marketing, and publishing a game independently.

Freelancing

Freelancing means creating assets for pay, working alone as an individual. See Freelance.

Interviews

Art Tests

Game companies often ask their art applicants to complete an art test, to gauge their talent relative to that company's particular needs, and to make sure you can actually do the work (portfolios can be faked or stolen).

Art test threads and links:

Salary Research

Do the research to figure out what a fair offer is for your skill level and geographic area.

Negotiation

Salary negotiation is an essential skill that will be put to the test after a successful interview.

Relocation

Employee Rights



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