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How do you leave the games industry?

  • I'm a 12 year veteran of the games industry, entering it with a strong technical degree (not in programming) and acting as a Producer.  I've found in recent years as I approach middle age that this industry is just not for me anymore.  What have others done to progress in their careers when they feel beaten and battered from the abuse they've received at the hands of no training, terrible managers, failed projects, constant layoffs and overall disappointment at entering an industry that takes cruel advantage of their employees and beats all passion out of them?  I have had nothing but heartache and feel I wasted my degree and talent/experience in an industry that values none of that, and is becoming increasingly populated by two types of people.  Executive level MBAs with no interest in games, and the working poor stiffs put in insane hours with a prayer of keeping their jobs?  This is utterly insane and I'm shocked the industry hasn't unionized.

  • Answer:

    In general, there is one straightforward path to moving out of an industry: get the same job that you have now, in a new field. In your case, strong Producer skills are sought after by several adjacent industries; web production and tv/film are the most obvious fields where your skills would translate with no retraining. Do you have a new industry in mind that you would like to work? Let's say it's green energy as an example. Identify technology companies in the green energy sector, then look for Producer or Project Manager roles. Once you have established yourself in the industry, you can move into other roles that might be more interesting for you over the long term.

Jamie Beckland at Quora Visit the source

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It sounds like you have a passion for games, and are beat down by the structure of the company you are at. What about moving from one sub-section of the games industry and moving into another? Surely 12 years of experience as a producer in the games industry would be valuable to some of the small and more passionate indie game publishers and studios out there.

Michael Mindes

You have to take stock in what you feel are your passions and your professional skills. "Game Industry" is an all-encompassing term yet this business has niches and pockets that will appeal to professionals with a variety of personal and career goals. It's difficult working for people and organizations that don't share your passion and offer little in career growth. Instead of leaving the industry outright some folks have decided to join small teams and independent start-ups that are professional as well as "passion" fits. Funding these small endeavors has become relatively easier compared to 12 years ago which is right around the time I started. Finally, don't underestimate the ability of employees to affect change from within their organization. Progressive employers realize that engaged employees are productive employees. In a field that is driven by technical and creative talent, engagement becomes the backbone of a successful product.

Carlo Delallana

You have to find passion in something else. Clearly you enjoy working in the games industry, or you wouldn't have stuck with it for 12 years, despite your ample list of grievances. Yet it sounds more like you'd prefer the industry to somehow magically fix itself than leave. Think about what else you might like to do with your skills. Some people take pleasure in giving back to society, others aim for making lots of money, while others seek a job which is intellectually challenging. Set aside the glitter of the entertainment industry for some other muse.

Tony Ventrice

You could try changing to a job that demands the same skills set you have but in other industry. If you still feel passion for making games, why not going Indie?

Pablo Ruiz

- Find a company where you feel valued, can learn and grow. Usually bigger companies, or more structured companies.  Amazon Studios (http://games.amazon.com/), Microsoft Studios (http://www.microsoft-careers.com/go/Microsoft-Games-Studios-Jobs/44366/) may be Blizzard (not sure abt it) 2. Stay in gaming industry but change the domain a bit. Go platform. Xbox LIVE, PSN, Valve. Game developers are subset of customers for this platforms, and you, experienced being one of the customer could bring significant value to the table. or go to tangential entertainment segments. Movies, Music, CGI, animations (disney/pixar etc)

Shailesh Shah

I know how you feel Brian.  I made the same move, just a little earlier.  At the end of they day, the owner or shareholder is the one calling the shots.  To them, the games industry is just a vector for making money as all businesses are.  So unless you can create your own studio and culture to go along with it, you will be at the whims of your employer.  As such, you can always seek out new employers, but there are very few in the industry that don't fall into your observation.  This is also my experience, although I am sure there are some out there.   From a business point of view, video gaming is great because so many kids out of school are passionate about it (work long hours) and the competition for game designers is high (low pay for skilled workers).    The only way to be truly free from the ROI thinker signing your paycheck it to become him.

John Blackman

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