Some Links:

• Kenn Hoekstra, formally of Raven Software, has a very page about this on his website - http://www.kennhoekstra.com/musings/getajob.html


• A website from the people who bring you Gamasutra & Game Developer magazine - http://www.gamecareerguide.com


• International Game Developers Association's (IGDA) Breaking-In Site - http://www.igda.org/breakingin/

 

• Gabe Newell on getting into the games industry - http://www.gamecareerguide.com/features/641/valves_gabe_newell_on_becoming_a_game_developer.php


• Edge's 2008 how to get into the industry articles - http://www.edge-online.com/magazine/how-break-games-industry

Some comments from me about breaking in on the code side:

All games companies, including Lionhead hire juniors - people without any profession experience, straight out of uni, etc.

When it comes to programming we prefer people with comp sci degrees, because with them there is a level of knowledge we can work from.  But this isn't absolutely necessary, especially if you've got experience elsewhere, if you're and can prove it then that's enough.

For other departments a degree is less important, but experience and knowledge is needed - you need a portfolio, a demo reel, levels you've built for game X, etc - you need to show what you can do.

To me this is the most important thing, if you want to work in the games industry you should be doing everything you can to make yourself stand out from the crowd - work on mods, make levels for things, create small games, take part in competitions like Dare to be Digital, etc, etc. 

Whatever you can do, do it - don't wait to go to uni or whatever, I started coding games when I was 8 or 9, most of the programmers round here are the same.

We look for people who are talented, passionate, have experience (doesn't have to be pro experience for junior roles) - just doing the minimum, e.g. a degree, isn't enough, you have to make yourself stand out.  For example, we got a bunch of CVs from a job fair that LH sent some guys to from students on a games course - all that was on the 10, 20 demo CDs were the same things over and over again, their course work... who stood out there?

You obviously haven't got a passion to work for lionhead if you cant be bothered spending 6 years in education to do so.

as I'm trying to explain in this post just turning up and getting an education isn't enough.  If you're going to turn up on our door step looking for a job straight out of uni you'd better be doing additional stuff.  And it is possible, many coders around here started at LH straight out of uni, myself included.

From Jon (Stilts) for artists:

As for artists:

A portfolio of work is far more important than any degree or qualification. That's just the way it is (and this is coming from someone with a degree). No one in any art interview ever asked what qualifications I had - they wanted to see my portfolio, and what I could create for their company.

And that's it basically - make the best portfolio of work you possibly can. Strive to be the best, and stand out from the crowd. I got into games from working on Mods for Quake 3, and I think this is a sound route - it proves you can work with a team, to a common goal and even sometimes (shock horror), deadlines!

My biggest piece of advice would be: put all your eggs in one basket. Be the best at one thing. The very best. No one at Lionhead is looking to hire an artist who is " src="/emoticons/g_o_o_d.gif"> at 'a little bit of everything'. Be the best character modeller, or the best texturer that there is. You will be noticed. The rest you can learn if you need to.

Don't forget also, that you can't get away with being a bad artist in the computer games industry any more. Game-art is becoming closer to whatever is in the artists mind. So, in this respect, formal art training is very handy. Take figure drawing classes. ACTUALLY DRAW. You know, the pen and paper. It has no undo.

My last piece of advice, should you take the route to become a games artist, is to fill your portfolio with game-specific work. I would be a rich man if I gained a penny for every mobile phone or bedroom I saw on a showreel. Put your best piece of work at the front of your portfolio, and your second best piece last. Don't fill the middle with rubbish. I'd rather see 5 amazing pieces of artwork, than 15 pieces of average work.

My advice would be to stay in college, and complete a degree. You might get into games and realise it wasn't for you. But similarly, if you have a passion for art, go to art college, work on a portfolio in your spare time, and then join a company. If you're talented, you'll be hired.

That sounds interesting; I still haven't decided what I want to do yet but I'm surely going to read those tips on the site; thanks for the link.

A good article that. Something to read to know the kind of stuff to talk about in interviews for sure

y'know i wouldnt mind working for lionhead in the future, in fact that would be an honor, too bad i cant afford any schooling at the moment.

I still not sure whether i want a job in the games industry, but thats a very good article

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I would still atleast like to have attmepted a career in the games industry at some point in my life... even if it everytime i consider it i get a fair bit of negativity from people around me that have either had jobs in the industry or known people in games jobs. Im still happily coding away in my current software job... i may have the possibility of an interview at EA coming up, although will wait and see what happens... the last time i had an interview lined up for a games role i got burned by LH... so little more cautious about getting hopes up this time

for any one interested (possibly fluke) theres a game job fair thing in dundee on the 31st of march, the websites interactivetayside.com/gameinscotland, i was thinking of gate crashing my way in and demanding to work for someone but dundees so far for someone with no petrol, hehe, worth checking out if your interested in gameing jobs and live close to dundee though :P

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i hope you all realise how close i got to "69" karma on the old boards

OOOh, very interesting. Thanks for the info. I'm looking for something new starting in/around May so I might pop along to this if I can find the time

That's a very informative (and lengthy) article. And keep us posted on your progress fluKe.

Oooh. I have a job/paid internship interview tomorrow at a Dutch games development company.

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Programmer at Triumph Studios

 Quoting: SHADOWCODE

Oooh. I have a job/paid internship interview tomorrow at a Dutch games development company.

How did it go?

Hmm, working in the Games Industry... Interesting hehe

I got hired. 6 months of experience straight to the CV \o/ And it's AWESOME. Altough it's really wearing me down, heh, being a rookie and all. Altough that may be because I have to travel by train for one hour and a half to get there and get home again. I wake up at 06:30 and I get home at 19:00. But the game we're working on is AWESOME. Can't tell anything about it though, it's still heavilly under the wraps.

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Programmer at Triumph Studios

 Quoting: SHADOWCODE

I wake up at 06:30 and I get home at 19:00.

LOL :P i do that anyway Congrats, im still struggling to even get an interview with games companies, even when ive had the chance of an interview things seem to conspire against me, they either get postponed/cancelled, a company in the area goes bust and im suddenly competing with experienced talented peopel out of work, or (as with my last one) the details get sent to the wrong email address (even though they had originally contacted me on my current one). So it would appear im destined to continue working in other random software development stuff. Its all good mind, i just feel im wasting something by not combining my love of gaming with my abilities as a software engineer.

I saw something about this in OPS2 magazine. Who's seen it.

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LOL that ad is old as hell! Havent even made it yet! (I'm not planning to finish it either. a few TV shows took my idea )

 Quoting: SHADOWCODE

I got hired. 6 months of experience straight to the CV \o/ And it's AWESOME. Altough it's really wearing me down, heh, being a rookie and all. Altough that may be because I have to travel by train for one hour and a half to get there and get home again. I wake up at 06:30 and I get home at 19:00. But the game we're working on is AWESOME. Can't tell anything about it though, it's still heavilly under the wraps.

hmm... dimitri

 Quoting: Tiletron

hmm... dimitri

Considering his interview was with a dutch company i assume not :P

i am 13 and want to do stuff like make games and that noiw has made me realise that i need to think what area i need to work on

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Bowchikabowwow

 Quoting: Pug

Considering his interview was with a dutch company i assume not :P

Heh, no. Overlord, though! http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12248 http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/704/704287p1.html http://www.gamespot.com/news/6148732.html First link is the best, has two screenshots and a concept art thingie.

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Programmer at Triumph Studios

man all i've ever wanted to do is work in the games industry been like that since i started playing computer games when i was like 7. but my only problem is knowing where to start i guess i should learn to program but finding the good tutorails is hard. i think this is the big problem for many people wanting in on the games industry where do we start what experience should we get. so yea any help? i'm goin to finish school soon and start college and i need to use this time to build myself up a good base so i can get some work.

To be honest mate the recommended reading sections from the link in the first post here is probably a good place to start. Career Guidance (especially here in the uk) when i was younger certainly wasnt all that much use when you said you wanted to work in games... this is why i somewhat lost my way before ending up as a software engineer... now im sorta working backwards trying to get into the industry. Companies Like EA are doing more here now with summer placements available in warrington chertsey and guildford. Its extremely competitive for jobs, im still not convinced that specialist degrees at university are the way forward because the jobs are limited. I would suggest you read the initial article on here, look at job sites, see whether you think you would be better in cerain roles (theres more than just programming around) and then gain as much experience in that area as you can

i e-mailed someone at ea and they where really positive and said that if i do well enough in my studies then they can pretty much get me a place in warrington (most likly just testing games out for them)

Yeah they have a tonne of testing work atm, I got asked if i fancied some this morning :P but my current salary is a touch higher and i dont think i could afford the rent on a game testing role... The annoying thing is a year ago i was living with my parents in warrington and would have been able to jump over to that from my temp work no problem... typically they had nothing then :P Ohwell I will continue to plod along with my hobby stuff and apply for what ever is going.

When I finish high school, I plan to apply for college at Full Sail. I know it's just a dream right now, but it's genuinely what I want to do. Maybe you'll see me at Lionhead ten years down the road, hm?

Hey yall this is a quick question to the moderators, or anybody with knowledge about this question? People involved with game-making, design ect.. What requirments are needed to get a job in that field? What do they really look for in people? You know, what subjects do you need to excell in? I understand probably has nothing to do with the Movies, but then again it kinda does. I'm really thinking about pursuing an imagination that I have, and don't want to put myself in a place that I'm not prepared for. There alot of talented people on here, so I was wondering if anybody might give me some helpful and true information? I'm at the end of my ropes.... And I'm asking online even though it'll probably be taking off soon. Lot of people on here who might know about that sort thing. I'm too pissed off to ask anyone else... and don't know where else to turn. I wanna know what are the risks that one might take pursuing a dream like that. My life is real Crazy,and violent right know. Loved ones are saying do something with my passion., Soo then again I"m really wondering. Please no smart a** remarks! I ethier try for boxing or stunt man. Have no idea what it takes to be a stunt man... so then here this...Alright I'll shut up now... but I'm really just wanting a little help from the experienced or knowing of you.......( People keep telling me post this thread on this thread)......