Should You Work in the Video Games Industry? - The Truth 

I’ve watched a few of your videos without subscribing. It occurred to me that your down to earth chat like a friend approach was really engaging and you deserve to succeed. So I have subscribed. The point is you earned it with the quality of your content. Let’s journey dude ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I have my final interview in 3 hours that if I pass i get my first ever job working as a Technical QA analysis for a small indie company. This video has given me the confidence for the interview.

There's so many exploits in the video game industry and it comes with the territory. Especially after working a decade in the industry. The biggest concern I have is the program management culture. Many studios are starting to design the game loop, user flow, based on data and incorporate psychological triggers to keep the user coming back. Once they understand their market target audience. It's not fun anymore it becomes how much can make to pay investors, this is if you move up higher.

Also some companies, like Bungie, have built a no crunch policy and culture after learning lessons the hard way about how unhelpful it is in the long run. It is one of their best job benefits, and pretty rare in the industry and in tech overall

basically: unless youre a higherup, probably not. the overtime is excessive in a lot of companies and the pay isnt high enough to make up for it. its probably a fun job if you can keep up, but most people wont be able to. if youre an indie dev, you'll basically get underpaid, or if youre in an especially small group (like friends, or alone), not paid at all, until your group puts out a well-selling game. as an indie dev you might need to take a side-job to survive. the gaming industry is insanely rough, but if you really like it, or join a great company (Nintendo is apparently pretty against OT and for employee happiness), it could be pretty worthwhile.

Absolutely helpful. Thanks for the sharing!!! Love it !

I tried to get in the industry since I was 18 starting as a 3D designer. I got a bachelor in digital 3d design and continued with a masters degree in computer science to round off my profile and maximize my "employability" if you catch my drift. I tried to soak in as much knowledge and diverse skills as possible while simultaneously working on a portfolio. My personality kind of revolved around being a guy who wants to be a developer and part of the industry. I'm 28 now and worked for a "edutainment" VR Startup kind of doing what I wanted to do, but I never really felt good enough to actually work on titles I enjoyed playing. Looking back on all of this I don't think this career is worth the trouble anymore. If you have any doubts about this path, please don't waste your time in front of a computer for 12hours+ and don't let corporations control your self-esteem. Passion gets you a long way but it can be dangerous for you- companies know how to exploit very very well.

You just saved me a whole lot of time and money! Thanks for the detailed layout Adam! 🙏🏽

High quality video man. For real.

This Information helps big time Adam! Thank you! Even I am planning to apply for the animation program in VFS. WOuld be helpful if you could share more about your experience managing time while studying in VFS. Great content Brother!

A very helpful guide! Thank you!!!

Excellent and insightful video! Thanks Adam!

Thank you so much for sharing 🙏🏻

Great advices! Thanks

This was really insightful ❤❤❤

Thx for the help working on my degree right now in design

Wow. Comes out just in time, I just accepted a job offer this week to move to Vancouver (From Toronto!) To work at a major film studio! Just wrapping up my computer science degree this semester, your channel is honestly a stroke of luck to find!

would like to see more videos about the game industry!

Would love to see more game design content! I'm currently studying game design and looking to move Vancouver for it so seeing these videos really help me to plan and motivate myself :)

Thank you so much for your insights. I will be coming to Vanarts as an Int. student and this was hella helpful!

Great vid🖤

Thanks for the info

helpful content, thanks!

About the "you have to do more" part: I believe it is important to emphasize that you should never force yourself to put in the extra hours. You should always feel proud about every completed project. But if you struggle for a long time it's better to keep looking for something you like more.

Don't forget about us, technical artists! Just put us between the artists and programmers on your graphic haha. Great Video man! Glad to hear from more Game Devs in the industry starting out like myself.

Adam, I'm writing a post about the tech/video-game industries (specifically the challenges of developing leadership skills in fast-moving industries where most work off-site), which means I need to research them and "get into the mind of a gamer"! So I hit up RU-vid, searched "video game industry," and came across this episode. I'm not positive how I'm going to handle my post, but your Reason 5 really struck me. I'm not certain it'll factor in my post, but it has given me an angle that I hadn't otherwise had before listening to your show. So thank you very much for the time and thought that went into creating this episode. You helped me out, and I appreciate it. (BTW, if you happen to have any thoughts on developing leadership skills in your industry, I'd be interested in hearing from you-if you have the time.) Thanks!

love your videos man

Thanks!

Just now seeing this! you really gave me encouragement to actually look into gaming as a career, obviously not just playing, but CREATING! Thank you to the moon and stars my unknown friend!!!! (Edit: For spelling.)

I liked the video and will be waiting for more 🙌

More videos like this please thanks

Omgggg I'm early like super earlyyy!!! I never am for any videoooo 🤣🤣🤣❤️

I work in VFX and unpaid OT used to be an issue (still is in some places). Don't ever work unpaid OT, especially in an industry that is as lucrative as gaming. Gaming companies have high profit margains. They are selling digital assets. It is absurd for them not to pay OT. This kind of goes along with the industry trick of not paying interns because they are learning from the job. Interns at tesla can earn $40/hr, the industry is scamming you.

Damn wish I saw this on release in looking at VFS and have so many questions.

that would really help, ty

Thank you for the overview! I am in a unique scenario where I want to become an Indie developer, without needing to work a job during the learning journey or needing to be employed afterwards. Pretty much this is going to be a new hobby, and I am bouncing around the idea of formal training vs self taught. What is your personal opinion if you were in my shoes and tackling this strictly from a hobby perspective?

I'm a Senior Environment Artist in the UK and I've worked at AAA, AA, and Indie level and I have to say I've been paid way more and treated way better at Indie level than I was at the bigger companies - there is also a huge pay disparity between the UK and the US/Canada in salaries it's worth pointing out - now in a world of remote work I know a lot of friends who have switched to American companies and doubled their salaries without having to move and still being able to access British free healthcare and not having to pay $5k a month for an apartment in California!

In BC it’s mandated that IT fields pay 2x - which is nice. I am salary and get OT pay - work in the industry as well. I worked in an indie studio for 8.5 years, got a foot in the door, I’m also working in the Live Services - which doesn’t have portfolios. Definitely advise you work in the indie studios to get professional experience before moving to AAA. It’s a grind, because the games industry is so small it’s nearly impossible to make it in the AAA. Now that I’ve made it in AAA the feeling is amazing, and I’m making close to 100k with stocks options. Definitely have to grind- and most people don’t make it past 5 years in the industry.

This is such a great video! It really covers the game industry well and the way you explained it still applies today. Also I hope that the crunch hours get reduced now we have AI's coming up to speed up workflows

Thank you so much for making this video, I know it has been 2 years, but I'm curious about where you are rn when it comes to your game art career, I'm a junior game artist and I was considering studying in Canada to improve my skills and hopefully get a job there, so this video was really insightful to me.

Thank you for the awesome video. I'm a Vietnamese guy working my way toward a PR in Canada, and your videos provide me with valuable insights

Ok I thought you was just another small channel focusing in people who wanna join RU-vid. I see there’s more than that here much more great content man you deserve way more subs don’t change on us when you hit a million 😀

I'm an indie game developer and I'm just happy to develop games as a hobby. This takes care of having to compete and all of that jazz.

Adam, may I ask what was your degree in? Computer Science, Game Design? What major would you recommend to someone who wants to go into game design and development?

Hi, my plans to move to Canada are going smoothly. I'm a computer science engineer with a lot of experience in programming, but I don't have experience in developing videogames. I would like to work as a video games developer once I am there. But not a designer like you, I want to get a job as a programmer. I am currently doing an Unreal Engine 4 course. Could you please give me some advice? Thank you!

Thanks for the video! Btw do you have experience about how Producers/PMs are fitting into your scale?

Damn and I’m about to go in for MSc in game design 💔

Yeah itz a nic videos bro .. Interesting.. Also I'm gonna be a game dev... 😎😜

I really want to get into to the game industry business and I'm currently applying to colleges in Canada for a advanced game development diploma so this really helped me alot

im glad you talk about crunch time. that would be considered a key risk management in the industry would it?

Great video man! I would also like to add a few things from the Environment Artist's perspective. - If you've happened to live in a country where this industry is underdeveloped (Eastern Europe in my case), competition gets exponentially more severe. And you can't really work remotely, most companies still want you to be in the office. For example, in my city there's only one company somewhat related to the industry and competition there is roughly 19-20 people for a place. - Second point pretty much comes from the first. Salary dumping is real. Most of the time the only chance to get there and start working is ask for a salary sometimes lower than janitor's. Because how much money one wants for the job is most of the time the only difference between employees. - Competition leads to signiicant rise of skill celling. Im animating characters, doing VFX, some shaders, some blueprints, and a ton of environment-related modelling. Literally a year ago when I was applying for a job with this skillset and my portfolio, I've ended up working as a middle generalist artist. Now the same thing plus 1+ year of experience RELEVANT to the project and studio's pipeline is considered a junior position. Yeah and i still get paid roughly about 400$/month

Great video. Regarding using content you created at the studio for your portfolio, once the game is release would you be able to include that work then? Also I worked at a startup company but it wend under. Unfortunately it was really low poly models, so I don't think I can use them towards the job I want to get. I'm focusing on creating new models though. Do you think this is a good approach?

You just made portfolios sound scary AF. Can’t imagine having any energy left after fighting a computer for 10 hours specifically with programming.

Very likeable fellow.

When I get older I want to make a game system

I remember doing a assignment about how to make a portfolio but can you go anywhere online and find a website to open up a portfolio? I was just wondering for future references.

When did you start game development

Hii. I am currently in my first year of university doing bachelor’s in computer science in Canada and i really want to get into the industry as a programmer. Would you recommend i do some other diploma/degree specific to game design or just try to improve my skills on my own? Also how would you suggest for a programmer to build his/her portfolio, would a game with bad art really be able to put forward my programming skills? Or is there another method to make a programming portfolio. Loved the video tho.

over time is not a problem when your job is your hobby, you'd love to spend more time to deep dive in that... i guess so.. agree?

I just don’t know if it is worth me taking games development in college 😢

People say I have a good portfolio and yet I still can't get into the game industry. I've been trying for two years now. You're reading this from a person who graduated with best art in their bachelors program. Apparently there are around 2k graduates every year in this game design and only 14 -16% make it into the industry. That's not a lot of people. Sadly it seems there aren't a whole lot of game companies around for the amount of graduates to find jobs. Therefore, it's best to get two careers.

If I want to be a level designer or other creative work ，how well does my english speaking need to be? becase it's my second language, I have a bachelor in computer science, and I am developing a game by myself using ue4. If it is a programmer's job, it shouldnt be a problem, but I am thinking that the designer needs to express what he（she） thinks to others. This involves a lot of abstract things.

Hi Adam, just stumbled across this and found it to be super insightful. I’m a graphic designer with a love for gaming and am wondering how to make the transition and to know if it’s worth it. Thanks for sharing your experience!

see with modelling do you need to texture i cant texture but i can moddel

It's also the people you know, worked at Microsoft and a person, outside the studio, that's has no qualification in the video game industry, never worked, gets the design position cause they were friends with the head of the project. While there were hundreds of in studio talent that they could of promoted.

I’ve had an idea for a game (and multiple sequels, prequels and spinoffs) for over six years. Most of the series is planned out and written down. I want to direct and be a designer for my games. How do I start? Where do I go?

I start my degree in Oct. At age 31. I feel it's time. My wife basically was like "Nursing is shit. What do you wanna do?" Thiught about it. Can take on the debt. Game dev it is. It'll start us out at comparable pay and I worked for a place that would work us 48 hours shifts on an oil rig and fuck out pays all the time. Best thing to do is stay humble but know to stand up when needed. 80 hours really isn't much when I'm used to over working that with hard phys labor.

So would you recommend the Game Development Industry as a future?

6:09 😂😂😂😂😂

Nothing on narrative designers / writers?

Protip: Learn and practice the field you want to be in, then learn programming.

Anytime something lucrative and do-able comes along, it always has to point to those who need the opportunity the most, have the best skills even and be like .. yeah not YOU .. or you or you.. and especially not YOU.. You're then pointed towards construction jobs thru temps agencies who drop ya soon as you're aware of your exploitation.. back to the welfare wagon where they want ya.. then pay back every cent you earned plus interest .. I suck at gaming and I have more physical interests but for someone who's this is their passion, there is still a lot of black tape involved with more and more ⚠ barriers attached. It's maddening, even for someone who doesn't game (aside from an RPG playground project which you can find on my channel) I feel fire on behalf of those and for all who could thrive off this..

i would like to get into either the games or web industry matter fact i would like to get into both if i could but i do believe thats kinda impossible xD

In the US, Salary usually means no overtime.

So I have no experience with any computers, been working my whole life with customer service, thinking how can I get into a gaming company with no experience? Id love to do tours for the company , all I do is game and work. Trying to mix the 2

did doing video game design take away from your passion to actually play video games or did your intrest in playing video games stay the same

Hi

i have made 6 games in unity/unreal

Hi, could you please tell me where did you study in Canada?

In VFX industry if your on OT you get payed more, even in Vancouver… It’s interesting that game industry don’t pay OT

what about marketing/sales?

Are you working while studying at VFS?

Probably the only alternative is work in a call center doing cold outbound calls, right? Oho, now overtime doesn't sound so scary... Not advocating for unpaid overtime (that should never happen), but call centres are miserable.

Yes.. is HARD.. i a LOT more easy for example being a iOS developer with 80k-100k/year than a game developer. At least here in Europe, there is almost no work in the game industry, and the offers goes from 20k to 47k, and we are not talking about a entry position,but from a mid position with 2-3 years of experience.

👍👏

You didnt discuss gaming journalists, shoutcasters, costume designers, event planners for esports tournaments etc...

First comment! Yay

Why doesn't this have a lot views I my self want to be a gaming channel and I need to know this I don't know if I keep constantly posting will I even grow

I only work hourly

Bro can you do in 2022

What if i have very little experience with it at all actually none. But i have been playing video games for 40yrs and i always have new ideas to innovate make things that exist better and as a consumer i know what we like and hate! So idk i wanted to work in gaming my entire life but couldn't afford school they wanted you to go through high scooll 4yr more just to start 2-4yr more on gaming out of state there were far less gaming related classes back then. But im also disabled so i literally do nothing else but play games and I have ideas so like should i just keep giving them away for free? They get ignored that way. But i enjoy playing &the games i want to play don't exist. Yet.. but I shld maybe work as a designer/ consultant cuz i can't code im lil older its before my time really unless u were a PC nerd growing up u don't know much gen x. But ya idk what to do cuz i constantly have ideas. I should also be a play tester and tell the devs what players do n don't like and the best ways to entice them as well as improve qol in games everything from where a story should go to entire games to its mostly random stuff like when i play halo im like this game needs a battle royal mode in it and like in cod war zone i have so many ideas especially for wz2.0 which is a hot mess right now they really need not try re invent thr wheel here and i get ideas how to fix issues players have. I can't even make thst much$ per year so like idk cuz i just really want games to be a great as thst can be and i want to play the games in my head that don't exist and fix the ones that do. Like the quick fix in wz2 is simply replaced the loot system with the 1st wz original old style that it's been since thst was a feature that made the game way better. Really hate how it's taken a step backwards and slowed down the loot and movement as well as made a 3 circle thing that idk how2 feel about yet but they need really give us the old 1st games looting and then fix thr movement give us back thr old slide cancel since the map is so huge and it really doesn't help anything n they can just leave most of thr rest alone. But the more time i put into the game the more ideas i have to fix it and end up with too many to explain in succinct way. I have no idea where to stsrt im not trying to climb any corp ladder or compete with anyone for a job i just want to help make the changes in the world i wish to see made real. Im creative artistic and can write draw make music etc but I am mostly hobby level but wish tio idk consultant or something cuz idmost likely work with several co. I could help ea make a come back. If they make great games then ppl will throw$ at it. . Anyway idk i need a clue no idea what to do how to stsrt etc what to apply? Even or reach out idk if i can even work for $ so idk bjt i want to work in the industry not famous just known by the devs to help them out by getting in touch with the player base who all feel like me. They watch more TV than game these days and i know why. But lately it's been real hard to get hype for anything cuz of how backward gaming has gone and for good example cuz gamings gotten real stale ever since those future cod games failed no ones been innovating at all. But just look back in history olddr games did more than todays. . Look at duke nukem 3d. How many 1st in thst game? I still play it. But another example is tribes 1 2 and idk why its not a big triple a game now. But that had planet wars in an fps like halo with vehicles and before halo. It had jet packs and all kinds of innovations that we dont have today. It had miles large maps with teleportd and transport spawn vehicles that werre bases and u had capture it u could fight in the air on ground in air vehicles it was like a battlefield before bf existed. Then look up star wars battle front 3 thst was never to be. Imagine those games now with qol improvements and the modern graphics even if dumb down as long as the gameplay is great ppl will play it if u make it the players will come and they'll stream it n make it popular. Idk why we haven't seen any innovation jn anyway bjt how to make$ smh n mtxs battle season passes etc things ppl hate. But there are ways n things we do want to buy but they can't get lazy with it. the industry needs someone with honesty and integrity to tell them what we want as consumers not to feel like every games a store designed as a gsme! Anyway there's that i got lots to say but don't want to give ut all away n such a pain to type on broken device. Ugh idk where to start what to do even what position I can do so yeah idk im like lost here. N can't find the answers. I have nothing to show but also wouldn't ask for much.

Hey adam I'm a self-taught 3d artist from nigeria, it has been my dream to work in a studio, in somewhere like vancouver or montreal. what will you advice?

Do you work now also in the Gaming Industry ??

I’m so glad my high school dreams didn’t come true with the gaming world. Sounds straight up miserable.

Yup that's the problem with the games industry. If your only passion in life is games or whatever you do with that till the day that you die, then youc an remain competitive. Otherwise you're out of luck. Better switch while you're young.

this man uses maya and UE. his words are valuable.

In India big game companies pay 10-15k dollars to a programmer I wish we got a higher salary here in India 😞

I think they should start to pay OT

Can you help me get a PlayStation 5

Crunch Time! Unpaid Crunch Time!