Getting into the industry......Video Games, that is!

Post by **CronoTriggerfan** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 4:28 pm

I think we've all had a dream of getting into the gaming industry at one point in our lives. Some pass it off as unlikely, others pursue it; in my case, I am a pursuer.

I grew up on the greats, of course; Mario, Kirby, Star Fox, and Battletoads were some of my favorites. Back then, of course, I had no idea what being a video game designer was all about, but I knew what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing.

As my mind started to develop, though, I began moving on from simple side-scrollers to RPGs; I understood the battle mechanics, and could follow the basic storylines, and the structure and scale was mesmirizing, especially for a 5-year-old. It wasn't until much later, though, that I started to realize the TRUE scope of the RPG genere.

Before I go any farther, I want you all to understand this: I'm not exactly a normal kid. I think that's the best way to put it. While others are watching MTV and Spike, I'm spending my free time watching Fox News, listening to Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity (and have done so since the 4th grade). While others still are playing basketball and football, I was playing golf and doing martial arts. An ideal vacation for me would be going to a museum or art exhibit rather than gallivanting around town or attending mindless social gatherings. Now that's not to say I don't enjoy normal stuff as well, it's just that what is defined as "normal" by most is just not that high on my priority list.

Now, back to games; After being drawn into the fantastic world of RPGs and Adventure games, around the age of 10 or 11, I began to replay some of the games of my younger days just for fun. Enter Chrono Trigger. The first time I played Trigger, I loved it for the combat, the action, and the fact that Chrono looked like Goku. But this second time around, it was different; I began to notice all the social commentary, religious aspects, political statements, and philosophies instilled into Chrono Trigger. Ever since, I've been analyzing game plots, where they're rooted, and where they stand.

I've always been very opinionated, philosophically rooted, and not a bad writer to boot. I've been giving programming a shot, and although I'm pretty good at math, it's just too....linear for my train of thought. So how else do I get into the gaming industry if not by way of programming? Well, I recently read an article on Kazushime Nojima, and then it hit me: Scenario writer. I could create the worlds I wanted to create, add the philosophies and political statements I wanted to add, and fight back against the things I hate most about this world and its citizens; I could create a new generation of thinkers through a beautiful yet entertaining mass-media.

Recently, I've been getting into writing plots heavily; one has developed to the point that it has been suggested to me countless times by many to get the work copywritten before I let anyone read it, which is the process I am now going through. I've got great ideas, sure, but where do I go with them?

I'm now 14, and am going to be a Freshman this year; so now to the ACTUAL question: From here on out, how should I gear myself towards getting myself into the gaming industry as a scenario writer? What high school/college courses should I take, how do I get my name out there, are there people who look at this stuff, even at such a young age? This is my dream and has been so forever. Thus, I am willing to do anything to chase it, and achieve it undoubtedly. Any other advice from you guys would be much appreciated!

Sorry for this abnormally large post, but I think you guys had to know a bit more about me before giving me advice; I know, it's a departure from the usual goofball CTFan, but it had to be a bit more serious; it's the emotion the time called for.

Thanks for reading,
Josh, aka CTFan

vb_master · Post by **vb_master** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 4:32 pm

Take programmig courses and go to DigiPen.

Post by **Triton** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 4:43 pm

ive always been interested in getting into the writing/concept side of gaming, i have no talent for programing or modeling or skining but im good at coming up with an interesting story line plot devices and whatnot and i love inventing weapons/vehicles from micro to macro( from a single object to almost an entire society)i just like making stuff up, im a daydreamer for sure but i have lots of cool ideas.i also love drawing but i need to work on that, in my opinion im not very good (my friends disagree) im a lot like you but i hate the mass media news broadcasting networks. i say go for it, if you think your stuff is good and people agree get it copyrighted and send it to game companies that you think would be interested (avoid places like EA and the other real big name guys tho)

Post by **CronoTriggerfan** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 5:14 pm

Triton wrote:im a lot like you but i hate the mass media news broadcasting networks. i say go for it, if you think your stuff is good and people agree get it copyrighted and send it to game companies that you think would be interested (avoid places like EA and the other real big name guys tho)

Me and you both! Indie games all the way. As for the mass media news broadcasting.....don't get me started on the so-called "mass media". Appealing to the masses? I THINK NOT!!!

CTFan

Klefmung · Post by **Klefmung** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 5:38 pm

CTFan, I am in the exact same position as you to the number. I could copy and paste that into a new topic and it would be me. Right down to the martial arts. I am looking at going to Georgia Tech, third best tech school in the nation, in state for me. Good luck on your goals. I hope for the best in your life.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 5:51 pm

If you really want to try to get into the area of video game programming you could always come join those of us at The Blackbox Project forum. I would agree with VB_Master, you have to get at the very least an understanding of how programming works, and a course will be far better then just reading a book.

Post by **marshallh** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:01 pm

Getting in the games industry? Not likely soon. Everybody and their cousin started up game companies and started churning out generic platformers/first person shooters, and eventually the innovation started to decline. It's quite similar to the dot-com boom and bust. We have already seen the boom, and now we will begin to see the majority of the industry collapse upon itself.
Game sales are slowing heavily, people are complaining about the dearth of original games, and sick of the same rehashed FPS/whatever genre.

The bubble will burst soon, if it has not started already. I predict lots of companies will either be abosrbed or more likely, go bankrupt. Probably, only the most original studios, as well as the giants, will survive, and the giant companies (like EA) will have to try new things to get sales.

Right now, you're screwed if you're looking for a game programming job, even if you have a decent background. Many companies like to hire freshly graduated, aspiring programmers who have their youthful years to burn. They work them long, hard hours with poor pay, and it's generally not a good deal. There are a lot of articles about this.

However, once the shakeout finishes, companies will be careful who they hire, and small companies may have a chance of being successful once again.

I see XBL and the indie dev market for the Wii springboarding this. By the time you get out of college with a degree, I'd guess the industry will have rebuilt somewhat and you will probably be able to get a good spot.

This is not concrete future-telling, this is an educated prediction, and as such, it's probably wrong in parts. But I think you generally understand the way things are going.

A web site you may want to read is Tom Sloper's guide to getting started in the game industry. Granted, he started decades ago with a different situation, but it's still good wisdom and information.
http://www.sloperama.com/advice.html

Marshall

cowsgoquack101 · Post by **cowsgoquack101** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:01 pm

I hear ya man. I like to listen to Glenn Beck, watch CNN, Bllomberg info(stocks), Michael Savage, and good Ol Bill!

I am pretty litterate, and I like to read. I don't play many sports but I do like golf. I can't program or code, skin, and I'm not that great at math.

I personally wanted to get into the gaming industry when I was 9, when I got a GB Color and a NES (although at 9 I didn't know what I was doing). I want to either be a free lance journalsit or write for a gaming magazine (i.e. OXM, Nintendo Power, PSM).

teraflop122 · Post by **teraflop122** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:14 pm

Wow, marshallh, what a grim and despressing view of the gaming industry

You do realize that this would be the second boom and bust to occur, the first boom and bust taking place during the days of Atari consoles? As such, we could just as easily assume that video games follow a cycle of growth and decline similar to the American economy, and we could logically conclude that this is a healthy and necessary cycle to maintain.

Anyway, CTFan, getting a job in the game industry, but not as a programmer, doesn't call for a clear-cut selection of classes. Sure, you really do need to take some programming classes, but aside from that you need to start a portfolio. A portfolio can be either physical or electronic. You take everything major you've done or contributed to and place it into your portfolio.

You'll need to fill your portfolio with things that will impress your future employers. Examples would be major essays, a history of contribution to the school newspaper, any original game code you write, your best artwork, all your scenario writting, and other things of that nature.

When you get out of college and approach gaming companies, you need to be able to whip out your portfolio and dazzle them with- not Just school grades and classes taken- but masses of creative and interesting 'Stuff' you've done on your own and with friends or groups.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:24 pm

Well if the bubble does burst, guess what, the indestry will start anew. Much like it did in the early '80s. We all know the great crash that nearlly wiped out video games, but as long as there are people will a freash idea and ambition to succesed. I personly think that if the indestry does fail, indy will still survive. Just look at the Dreamcast, that thing's been dead for about 5 years, but there are still people that program games for it and game on it.

Jimmy · Post by **Jimmy** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:30 pm

After you get your scenario writings copyrighted, make a portfolio of your completed works and show them to companies. The video game industry doesn't give a crap about colleges and stuff, they're interested in how you can get them more money, so if you just show them your talent, that should be good.

I want to be a video game programmer (did you know that lead programmers can get 125k+ a year?!), and I hope to work for a company like Square Enix USA (thought that's highly unlikely).

I hope to make my own company someday, but that won't be until I have experience with other companies. I've been wanting to be a video game programmer since I played Final Fantasy VII when I was in 4th grade. I was 9 then, so that's been about 8 years that I've been strongly wanting to pursue a video game career. I have a college picked out that I'll probably be attending within two years. It's called the Art Institute of Portland.

CTFan, if you're looking for a good college, check that place out. Portland is the most amazing city I've ever been too, and if you're looking for a college, I'm sure you could find what you're looking for there.

http://www.artinstitutes.edu/portland/

If you request information, I think they send you a little card so you can check exactly what packets you want sent to you. And I've been to the college, and it's really amazing, and they turn out very talented students.

Post by **CronoTriggerfan** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:54 pm

Thanks for the advice, guys! And catch me if I'm wrong, but all the scenario writers for games I've gotten in touch with have made it seem like scenario writing is a completely separate entitiy from programming, which I think is correct; one is coding, the other is writing the story.

And I know that, by some people's standards, my goal is not practical; but there's gotta be crazies out there like me willing to try!

I think what I ultimately want to do is be a writer, and hope that writing takes me into the video game industry; right now, I write specifically for RPGs, and I hope that if I put my work out there, someone will notice. The main question I have now is HOW I get my work out there. Are there conventions or contacts for this kind of thing?

CTFan

Jimmy · Post by **Jimmy** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:57 pm

Just send your portfolios to companies that want to hire.

sam · Post by **sam** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 11:58 pm

Yes, because companies just hire people with low credentials.

Post by **CronoTriggerfan** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 12:01 am

sam wrote:Yes, because companies just hire people with low credentials.

Exactly. I don't think just mailing off scripts to random companies is practical, it would piss them off more than anything; there's got to be other ways of getting my name out there. Any ideas?

CTFan

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Getting into the industry......Video Games, that is!

Getting into the industry......Video Games, that is!

Re: Getting into the industry......Video Games, that is!