A passion for gaming
Back when I was still in high school, I've been dreaming of working in the Game Industry, so from time to time I'd go visit the local book store to look for game magazines. I'll even check out programming mags as long as they feature a game I know. I was sort of trying to get as much exposure as I can in preparation for college and the years after since that sort of work is not common at the time. Heck, I'm not even sure if there were local companies offering that line of work in the first place.
Little did I know that several years from that period, getting a job in that said field is not that far-fetched. Since the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) breakout, I found companies offering gaming-related work.
Which road to take
So you wanted to take a dive into the gaming scene, but the question now is: what do you really want to do and where do you start?
For starters, you need to decide what you really want to do. Do you want to make games? Do you want to create models and animation? Do you want to help manage and oversee the game? If you already know what you'd like to do then it wouldn't be difficult to figure out where to begin.
If you have the knack for artistic stuff, then I believe you should invest on making a name for yourself and expand your portfolio. Think of it as an investment. You can use those creations the moment an opportunity pops up, just like hitting two birds with one stone. You get to practice your craft and that will also help you sell your name to game companies.
Don't have artistic talent, but you're really passionate about gaming? Then maybe you can work as a Game Master or a Forum/Community Moderator. I don't know if other countries have a lot of BPO Companies offering that kind of work, but here in the Philippines there are a good number of them. Want to see it for yourself? Then open a Jobstreet page for Philippines and search for a job using the keyword "Game". You'll be happy to see pages upon pages of companies looking for staff to work with game development and customer service.
It's not all fun and Games
Just because you work in the Gaming Industry doesn't mean you play all the time. Sure, you get to play while at work, but most of the time you'll be dealing with tight schedules or a good load of tasks. That's why I believe that if you aren't that passionate about it, then I'd recommend that you look for a different work/career instead. Let me cite several experiences starting off when I was still working for this gaming company that makes consoles. I usually get 60+ calls per day from pissed off parents because their awesome kid used their credit cards to buy stuff online or get an extension of a subscription that they are not aware of. Also included in those 60+ calls are requests for technical help and inquiries for their consoles that were sent for repairs. Great.
After that stint, I found myself working as a Game Tester and boy those days were something. If a game is nearing completion we usually spend a lot of time fine-tuning stuff. That means Overtime work. I experienced staying in the company premises 5 days a week working 12 hours per day and I just go home on weekends to get fresh clothes. It's all good though, the company has its own sleeping quarter, shower room and pantry. I also get to brag once the game launches or is made available in the market since my name is included in the credits. Win!
Another memorable experience came when I worked as a Game Master for an MMORPG game. A player we banned for cheating got so upset he sent us thousands of ticket that flooded our system to get revenge. It's a hassle since his tickets were mixed among the legit ones so we have to filter everything. It took us several hours, but everything went well in the end.
Now, if all of those sound really troublesome for you then that's bad news. You're not cut out to work in these kind of environment. So save yourself the trouble and look somewhere else otherwise you'll burn yourself out. Trust me, I know how it feels to be burned out doing work you don't like and it will eat you day after day until you find a better job.
Find a job you like and you'll never work a day in your life
I think you've seen that quote a hundred times before, right? It must be pretty accurate, but I would beg to differ for the simple reason that every job is not easy. You still have to sweat it out and put a great amount of effort regardless of what you do for a living. Bummer. So, is there no escape? Well there is, sort of. Since we get to suffer regardless of what job we do, then just pick the one that you can deal with or something. At least, that way, we get to chose how we suffer. It should all be worth it in the end somehow especially if you are really passionate about it. Cheers!
Which road to take
So you wanted to take a dive into the gaming scene, but the question now is: what do you really want to do and where do you start?
For starters, you need to decide what you really want to do. Do you want to make games? Do you want to create models and animation? Do you want to help manage and oversee the game? If you already know what you'd like to do then it wouldn't be difficult to figure out where to begin.
If you have the knack for artistic stuff, then I believe you should invest on making a name for yourself and expand your portfolio. Think of it as an investment. You can use those creations the moment an opportunity pops up, just like hitting two birds with one stone. You get to practice your craft and that will also help you sell your name to game companies.
Don't have artistic talent, but you're really passionate about gaming? Then maybe you can work as a Game Master or a Forum/Community Moderator. I don't know if other countries have a lot of BPO Companies offering that kind of work, but here in the Philippines there are a good number of them. Want to see it for yourself? Then open a Jobstreet page for Philippines and search for a job using the keyword "Game". You'll be happy to see pages upon pages of companies looking for staff to work with game development and customer service.
It's not all fun and Games
Just because you work in the Gaming Industry doesn't mean you play all the time. Sure, you get to play while at work, but most of the time you'll be dealing with tight schedules or a good load of tasks. That's why I believe that if you aren't that passionate about it, then I'd recommend that you look for a different work/career instead. Let me cite several experiences starting off when I was still working for this gaming company that makes consoles. I usually get 60+ calls per day from pissed off parents because their awesome kid used their credit cards to buy stuff online or get an extension of a subscription that they are not aware of. Also included in those 60+ calls are requests for technical help and inquiries for their consoles that were sent for repairs. Great.
After that stint, I found myself working as a Game Tester and boy those days were something. If a game is nearing completion we usually spend a lot of time fine-tuning stuff. That means Overtime work. I experienced staying in the company premises 5 days a week working 12 hours per day and I just go home on weekends to get fresh clothes. It's all good though, the company has its own sleeping quarter, shower room and pantry. I also get to brag once the game launches or is made available in the market since my name is included in the credits. Win!
Another memorable experience came when I worked as a Game Master for an MMORPG game. A player we banned for cheating got so upset he sent us thousands of ticket that flooded our system to get revenge. It's a hassle since his tickets were mixed among the legit ones so we have to filter everything. It took us several hours, but everything went well in the end.
Now, if all of those sound really troublesome for you then that's bad news. You're not cut out to work in these kind of environment. So save yourself the trouble and look somewhere else otherwise you'll burn yourself out. Trust me, I know how it feels to be burned out doing work you don't like and it will eat you day after day until you find a better job.
Find a job you like and you'll never work a day in your life
I think you've seen that quote a hundred times before, right? It must be pretty accurate, but I would beg to differ for the simple reason that every job is not easy. You still have to sweat it out and put a great amount of effort regardless of what you do for a living. Bummer. So, is there no escape? Well there is, sort of. Since we get to suffer regardless of what job we do, then just pick the one that you can deal with or something. At least, that way, we get to chose how we suffer. It should all be worth it in the end somehow especially if you are really passionate about it. Cheers!
Cheers for the new site, mate.
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