Russell McDonald August 14, 2013

Presen ted by MyCCA.ne t

Counseling Students Who Think They Can: Turn a Love of Games into a

Career

Why Gaming?

§  Gaming is a $17 billion per year industry!

§  Most apps are games §  Traditional games sell by

the millions §  “Independent Studios” are

now viable §  Employs the best artists &

programmers §  Unlimited growth potential

What are the options?

§  Design - $48,281, 1-3 years experience •  Writing •  Art •  Choices

§  Programming - $65,441, 1-3 years experience •  Gameplay •  Graphics •  AI

§  Production - $85,687 for 3-6 years of experience •  Planning •  Marketing

What skills will lead to success?

§  Drive + Passion §  Competitiveness §  “Self Starter” mentality §  Creativity §  Ability to think outside the box §  Flexibility §  Skill §  A great portfolio

The Reality

§  Building a Game is: •  Stressful •  Hard •  Long, long, long

§  The People: •  Shorts & Sandals •  Office tournaments

§  High Turnover Rate •  Studio jumping •  Competition for jobs •  Long hours •  Work environments

FUN FACT:

Riot  requires  every  employee  to  play  League  of  Legends  at  least  once  during  the  work  day…including  the  legal  team!  

Video Game Programs

§  The Degree §  The Professors §  The Classes

The Degree

§  Evaluate the degree program as a whole: •  Does it teach more than just programming or art?

§  Is the degree well rounded? •  Watch out for narrow programs!

Learn programming! A band manager doesn’t need to play the

guitar, but stil l needs to understand music. An

understanding of programming is key to success in the gaming

business.

Some good advice…

The Professors

§  Does the typical professor have a game on their resume? •  Can you play the game? •  Are the games good?

§  Many schools employ professors who haven’t designed games!

The Classes

§  What is the end game? •  3 years of learning java or how to draw won’t help!

§  Theory v. Practical classes •  Go for programs that focus on hands on, real life

projects!

§  Actual game development is key! •  This is what leads to jobs, post graduation

Breaking into the Industry!

§  Experience •  Typically 1-3 years is

standard for an entry level position

§  Scare tactics

§  The “game” of applying for jobs

§  Networking is key! §  Join IGDA §  Start small

If you don’t have experience, no one

will pay you.

The sad reality…

The Best Part!

§  Synergy •  The gaming industry thrives on collaboration!

§  Challenge •  Pushing a student’s skills and talents result in growth!

§  The Reward •  Simple things…

MyCCA Gaming Tagged Lists

Want More?

§  Follow Up Email will be sent on Friday 8/16 •  Link to the Slides •  Link to the recording

§  So you Want to Work in a Game Studio? •  Link to hand out will be sent with the follow up email

§  Upcoming Webinars in this series: •  Visit the MyCCA.net website to sign up!

÷ Engineer Bridges & Buildings, September 11th ÷ Throw, Catch or Hit, September 26th ÷ Dance, Sing or Act, October 3rd