The Games Game

Options Analysis (December 2007)

Dear Tom,

I've been wanting to work in games since I was a kid playing Resident Evil. Now I'm ready to make the plunge. I've been thinking about my options, and here's how I see the pros and cons of each.

1. Start my own game designing company.
The pros: (1) Some friends of mine are also interested in working in games, and they're hot on this idea. So I'd have no problems on the people side. (2) We don't have to worry about some publisher trying to tell us what to do, since we're our own bosses.
The cons: (1) I don't have any funding, but I'm over 18, old enough to apply for a loan. (2) None of us have done anything like this before, but we're all enthusiastic and quick learners.

2. Get a telecommuting job for an existing game company.
The pros: (1) I don't have to move; I can stay right here in North Dakota. (2) The whole world of games is open to me in this option - it doesn't matter where the game company is, it could even be in another country.
The cons: (1) I'm not sure how to apply for this type of job, or what game companies hire people on this basis. (2) I'm thinking maybe a college degree might possibly be required to get hired, and I don't have one.

3. Move to the coast and get a job at a game company.
The pros: (1) Having a job at a game company seems like a good way to start, if I want to start my own company later. (2) I could learn and get paid at the same time. (3) I'd be surrounded by lots of people who make games every day.
The cons: (1) I can't afford to move unless somebody hires me first and covers my expenses. (2) The college degree thing again. Option 1 is seeming like the most likely path.

Looking for your analysis of my options. And maybe I missed some. Thanks in advance.

Graduate, Class of '07

Dear Grad,

Option 3 is your best choice, but you won't be able to do it for at least four years. You haven't been to college yet, so you have to do that. If money's the issue, go to the cheapest college you can find in your area - community college is perfectly fine.

In your spare time, work at developing mods and demos for your portfolio. You'll also want to work, at least summer jobs. Save up your money so you can move after graduation. The coast isn't the only place where game companies abound. You have a few years before you have to decide where to move to.

Option 2 is not realistic. Check back with me in five or six years - the world may have changed by then, and you might have a college degree and a portfolio by then. This option really only works for extremely experienced and specialized people.

As for option 1, well, it's probably going to be ten years, at a minimum, before you can get serious about forming your own company. First, you need to get a college degree, then an MBA, then a game job. If you ever go to a bank to get a loan, you're going to have to be prepared to pony up at least 25% of the startup capital. And, the biggest failings of new studios is that they are full of creative developer folks, but don't have anyone that actually knows how to run a company.

Hope this helps!