How to Make it Into and In the Game Industry

The Game Industry is the Fasetest Growing Industry in the World

No matter who you are, no matter where you are, you've played a video game. Even Max Von Sydow and Ian McKellan have admitted to playing video games (even though they've admitted that their grand children are a bit better at the stuff than they are). As graphics continue to enhance, as immersion technology continues to grow, so does the market.

This makes the video game industry the fastest growing industry on the market right now - and quite frankly, it's only getting bigger. It's a multi-billion dollar industry and it appeals to all ages, regardless of the platform. There once was a time when parents loathed seeing their children in front of the screen, now they too are picking up control pads, or are simply enjoying listening to the music their kids play over Guitar Hero, remembering such songs as Carry on My Wayward Son and Ziggy Stardust.

And the truth of the matter is, lots of people want to join the game industry. They want to make the next "big game". That's why colleges are offering video game design courses - but you know what? That's not going to help you, because they teach you the easiest part of making video games, the basic languages to actually code the games.

No, the hard part is getting into the game industry - and then excelling in it. And with a little help, you're going to learn how to do it yourself.

Some Great Studios to Look Into

You want in the game industry, so here are some great avenues to try through:

Green Monster/38 Studios - Formed by Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, this is a promising looking game studio founded by someone with two things very necessary for success in the industry: money and a love for the product.

Funcom - The studio who made the highly successful Anarchy Online and are now working on Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. A newly up and coming MMO is a great place to start in terms of QA, which will definitely put your foot in the door in the industry.

Sony Online Entertainment - A relatively easy to get into studio based in San Diego, California. Easiest to go through the QA department up - but they are always looking for talent of all types. Furthermore, this is essentially the company that created online gaming.

So You Want to Make Games?

So you want to make video games? You've elected an awesome career choice, one that universities the nation over are starting to realize is a very respectable and successful field. With a multi billion dollar a year industry, it's becoming obvious that video games are not just the mindless wastes of time people once thought they were.

No, they're here to make an impact on the American economy and they're here to stay.

So then what's the first step on the path to game development? Well that depends - like most games, this is where you're going to start by "making your profile", as it were. You have a cross roads, you can either happen upon the game industry completely inadvertently because you spent the majority of your life playing with C++, html, and other coding/scripting languages et al, and a game company desperately needs someone with your skills, or you'll take the path I did. You'll want to have that satisfaction of knowing that your name is in the credits for a game thousands, maybe even millions of people enjoy.

Amusingly, the latter choice will seem harder, but it's really not all that much so. What do you do, you may ask?

Well, although it is not necessary, I must stress that you must educate yourself. At the very least pick up some books - familiarize yourself with C++ and SQL languages. Although not every game works with these, it's important to understand how they work, because a flexible developer is a valuable developer.

Not everyone who made great games or gets into the industry has a BA in computers - but it's certainly an easy way to insure success and make your resume stand out.

But at the very least, make sure you understand the basics, the jists behind these languages. Make sure that if you're confronted with a script you won't understand, you can at least figure it out if you really have to.

Be creative - set yourself apart from everyone else by showing that your levels aren't the same cut out of shooting through hordes of zombies or slaying the same dragon you have in countless other games.

Get to know people. The hardest part about surviving the industry or actually working in it is getting your foot in the door. Therefore you need to get to know people, you need to familiarize yourself with them, you need to get on good terms with them.

This does not mean be a stalker - by God I do not advocate the creepy levels of stalking that I've seen from some people. This doesn't mean appearing outside of female developers' houses dressed as a heart and singing love songs in the moonlight with a guitar. In fact, any outfit that would appear on the new Fruit of the Loom commercials should be strictly avoided.

Play games. Play them a lot. Know what makes people "into" games, what types of small features can make one game unenjoyable and one game enjoyable.

Why do people play Halo, even though it's a cardboard cut out of every other first person shooter ever made with a substandard story? Why are games like System Shock 2 entirely overlooked?

Figure these things out, and figure them out fast.

Gain ancillary skills. Learn how to make videos and movies, become an excellent story writer, learn how to draw or animate - that way you're available for a wide range of jobs at the company.

Remember, a flexible developer is a successful developer.

These are the keys to getting into the industry - more in-depth explanations will follow, but for now, just remember that these are the most important, simplest, and surest ways to that all-coveted goal of succeeding in the game industry.