Thursday, June 19, 2008
Game Industry Skill Crisis Its Own Fault
GamesIndustry.biz has posted an article about how the majority of "game development" programs offered by schools are leaving students ill-equipped to deal with the actual requirements of a game development career.
Industry Skills Message Hits Mainstream News
According to Matthew Jeffries, Head of European recruiting for EA, "If you look at the gaming degrees, a lot of them have been put together quite hastily and don't prepare graduates for a career in the industry... So the problem is that game degrees are almost like the latest fashion accessory - all the universities are running to set them up, but the students aren't being prepared in terms of the skill sets they have."
David "Elite" Braben complains that there is a lack of candidates with degrees in math, physics, and computer science.
Putting on my crusty ol' semi-disgruntled veteran cap, I've got my own comments to add about this "crisis" of skills in incoming recruits.
First of all, the games business isn't competitive in the job market. I don't know about science and math, but computer science graduates can easily make 15% more working outside of the games business. So you can work in a boring 9-5ish job (with some crunch, acknowledged) cranking out C# code for ASP.NET pages with plenty of time to play games and raise a family, or you can be paid $10,000 a year LESS to work in an industry with quality-of-life issues that make it sound like a sweatshop. But you get to make games.
That's a choice that is only interesting to real die-hard gamers for whom the coolness factor (and the lack of a dress code or early-morning hours) outweighs the hard hours and poor compensation. On the other hand, a "game design" degree is hard to leverage into anything outside of this industry.
Secondly - I'm not sure that technical degrees are great indicators of success in the game development field. Yes, I think programmers need to have a solid grasp of trigonometry and basic physics as well as programming concepts. But is having someone with a PhD in Physics on the team going to make or break a game? Unlikely.
The approach from the publishers and upper management these days is to make game development an assembly line widget factory anyway. Meanwhile, middle-management tends to rely upon heroics by team members, which is probably where the desire for more heroicly-inclined workers comes from. There's a fundamental disconnect in how the process is supposed to work, and more skilled workers aren't going to make that big of a difference cranking out the latest Third-Person Shooter Clone With a Movie License.
Finally - and most importantly - the "churn rate" in game studios and big publishers is a far, far bigger problem than finding better fresh-faced, eager-beaver recruits who have huge technical skills and a love of games that surpasses their instinct for survival and propagation. These companies are complaining about having to provide additional trading to new employees, but then they burn these guys out within 2-5 years and discard them with all the emotional attachment associated with tossing a used Kleenex.
The retention rates in the games industry are improving, I think, but they still suck. And a part of me wonders if the improved retention rate isn't coming from these game degrees that leave graduates trapped in the games biz.
Labels: Biz, Mainstream Games
- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 10:44 AM (Permalink)
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I had an option to go after a game development degree, but opted for Software Engineering instead. Game development is something I do for fun, and working for a game development company sounds far too controlled to find any satisfaction with the process. I find fun in programming itself, so I I opted for a generic programming degree.
I would have felt differently many years ago when Might and Magic and Gold Box games were coming out, but anymore, unless I landed a gig developing for handhelds I don't think I would enjoy the games I worked on.
I would have felt differently many years ago when Might and Magic and Gold Box games were coming out, but anymore, unless I landed a gig developing for handhelds I don't think I would enjoy the games I worked on.
Coding is fun :) I saw "Game" courses when I started my degree but didn't go for them. Computer Science, apart from the more boring bits, has been good enough to me.
It's interesting - there is a limited amount of "accredited" game courses, so once more accredited with the requirements set by skillset, will these people stop complaining? I don't think they will - all the outlined reasons you put forward are pretty much it, and no course content will make up for lower wages and poor QoL. I hope it improves to be honest :)
It's interesting - there is a limited amount of "accredited" game courses, so once more accredited with the requirements set by skillset, will these people stop complaining? I don't think they will - all the outlined reasons you put forward are pretty much it, and no course content will make up for lower wages and poor QoL. I hope it improves to be honest :)
Of course they're complaining about these degrees, they need a new crop of fresh, naive, highly skilled college graduates every 2 to 3 years. Who else would put up with the horrible process management, seeing only towards next weeks goals, and working long hours for low pay?
# posted by 
: June 20, 2008 12:51 AM
: June 20, 2008 12:51 AM
I spent many years working in the computer game industry. Regularly working 60-90 hour weeks. Then I saw sense, I moved into making banking software (there is a lot of cross-over, need to high-speed, low latency software). The move netted me $80,000 dollars more a year, and a sensible working week.
How can anyone with a wife and family really stay in a business which allows no time for family, and pays far less than any other sector?
How can anyone with a wife and family really stay in a business which allows no time for family, and pays far less than any other sector?
# posted by : June 20, 2008 1:18 AM
: June 20, 2008 1:18 AM
Gaming companies will either conform to traditional CS degree job market pay and time or they will have to ship or translate all the games coming from japan.
Of course the game industry sucks right now. Unrealistic expectations of publishers combined with the total naivety of recent graduates in game design majors spells disaster for the industry's labor base. I started off doing a game design major at my college, but it was very easy and I didn't learn much. I added in a Computer Science degree since I had many of the computer science courses under my belt already, so I'm now double majoring, and I could not be happier with the decision. Looking back, I didn't really get much from my first major, although I will graduate with it. Computer Science at a good school will harden you up for the real world.
Exactly how "little" does a game developer make per year? It may be low for someone with a degree in programming, but it's better than having crap-tastic jobs after college?
I worked in a deli after college for a while, doing computer work on the side. I tried for a gig at Ubisoft in Montreal not too long ago, and got pretty far just on my experience, but opted for a more mundane IT job in Vermont, which pays decently, but I could be making more in MTL/Boston/NYC probably even Philly!
I worked in a deli after college for a while, doing computer work on the side. I tried for a gig at Ubisoft in Montreal not too long ago, and got pretty far just on my experience, but opted for a more mundane IT job in Vermont, which pays decently, but I could be making more in MTL/Boston/NYC probably even Philly!
If game development was available when I was in college (15 years ago) I probably would have taken it. I really wanted to make games when I was a kid.
Fortunatly, it was not, so I took up computer science. I realized what I wanted to do as a kid (make games!) wasn't the same as what video game programmers do today, it's pretty much what designers do, sort of. I can't imagine working on some small part of Madden Football AI would be enjoyable, so I got a normal 9-5 job.
If EA really wants better game programmers, why don't THEY make a school. They've got the money and the stauts to do so. Simply start training people to be the kind of employee you need. It would probably be profitable on two fronts..they would create better entry level employees, and they could make money by selling the training eventually.
Fortunatly, it was not, so I took up computer science. I realized what I wanted to do as a kid (make games!) wasn't the same as what video game programmers do today, it's pretty much what designers do, sort of. I can't imagine working on some small part of Madden Football AI would be enjoyable, so I got a normal 9-5 job.
If EA really wants better game programmers, why don't THEY make a school. They've got the money and the stauts to do so. Simply start training people to be the kind of employee you need. It would probably be profitable on two fronts..they would create better entry level employees, and they could make money by selling the training eventually.
I guess most programming grunt work will be done soon in North Korea (like Disney's outsourcing of hand-drawn animation).
Most of the the design will stay but even part of these are already being shifted to Eastern European countries, Russia etc.
Most of the the design will stay but even part of these are already being shifted to Eastern European countries, Russia etc.
# posted by : June 20, 2008 9:18 AM
: June 20, 2008 9:18 AM
It's not all that bad. Granted, it IS mostly that bad, but you can find an oasis here and there in the industry.
I've considered bailing on the games industry several times (been working in it since 1987), but my latest gig is great. No long hours, good pay, and I get to work on what I want. I'm in the casual games branch of the games industry now, where the lead tends to be the one-and-only programmer on a title--to some degree, at least. I actually work on the underlying technology rather than the titles (even less overtime that way), but I prefer that role. I've been lead on enough games.
Is there crunch time? Yes, it still does exist--but it's not NEARLY as bad.
If anyone's looking for a good place to work, you can find my contact information on the bottom of my blog's front page (http://realmensch.blogspot.com). Granted we tend to only hire folks who are pretty good, so don't bother unless you a) have experience and are just sick of your current position, or b) have proven that you can do something by writing a cool game demo.
I've considered bailing on the games industry several times (been working in it since 1987), but my latest gig is great. No long hours, good pay, and I get to work on what I want. I'm in the casual games branch of the games industry now, where the lead tends to be the one-and-only programmer on a title--to some degree, at least. I actually work on the underlying technology rather than the titles (even less overtime that way), but I prefer that role. I've been lead on enough games.
Is there crunch time? Yes, it still does exist--but it's not NEARLY as bad.
If anyone's looking for a good place to work, you can find my contact information on the bottom of my blog's front page (http://realmensch.blogspot.com). Granted we tend to only hire folks who are pretty good, so don't bother unless you a) have experience and are just sick of your current position, or b) have proven that you can do something by writing a cool game demo.
SUICIDE!
Burn out in gaming is common. So are actual SUICIDES at work (parking area in my case). Speaking of suicides at gaming companies try TWO within one year at one software office. Yup TWO. The game company is the one that brought you "You Don't Know Jack!" (I entirely wrote the first version that shipped called "You Bet Your Head!" at Berkeley Systems)... but back to my story... a very short time before I started my project two coders killed themselves, one by suffocation. The suffocation was rumored to be auto-eroticism to take away the harsh fact that it was the second burn out suicide death in one year. That company had amazing perks and work was 90 hour weeks. Yeah I loved every minute of it, but most of my mass market successes in the last 20 years are not games. I had my fill of games. No suicide for me. Alas, no sleep either though, 86 hours weeks still after all these decades.
Burn out in gaming is common. So are actual SUICIDES at work (parking area in my case). Speaking of suicides at gaming companies try TWO within one year at one software office. Yup TWO. The game company is the one that brought you "You Don't Know Jack!" (I entirely wrote the first version that shipped called "You Bet Your Head!" at Berkeley Systems)... but back to my story... a very short time before I started my project two coders killed themselves, one by suffocation. The suffocation was rumored to be auto-eroticism to take away the harsh fact that it was the second burn out suicide death in one year. That company had amazing perks and work was 90 hour weeks. Yeah I loved every minute of it, but most of my mass market successes in the last 20 years are not games. I had my fill of games. No suicide for me. Alas, no sleep either though, 86 hours weeks still after all these decades.
# posted by : June 20, 2008 1:01 PM
: June 20, 2008 1:01 PM
I'm in college now, and a future in game design was in my mind when I applied, but I've largely abandoned the idea. I've heard too many horror stories about the hours. Even when the pay is good, the hours aren't acceptable -- I like money, but I like my free time better, and every hour worked over the standard weekly 40 is basically overtime IMO. I don't have a family, don't want one, and I'm not a big spender, so I'll gladly take half-pay to work two-thirds of the hours in a more laid-back industry.
I love designing games, but toying with unique ideas and fun concepts on the side is IMO a better idea than churning out crap for one big publisher or another.
I love designing games, but toying with unique ideas and fun concepts on the side is IMO a better idea than churning out crap for one big publisher or another.
Exactly how "little" does a game developer make per year? It may be low for someone with a degree in programming, but it's better than having crap-tastic jobs after college?
I don't know about crap-tastic jobs in other fields. I know my wife's secondary and special-ed dual major netted her about the lowest paying job that requires a college degree.
But I wanted to keep things apples-to-apples, so much as possible. And for programmers, you can check the GamaSutra wage survey, but it has typically been about 10% to 15% less in the games business. Once upon a time, the low pay was offset by stock options and a stake in royalties. But that era is almost entirely gone.
I don't know about crap-tastic jobs in other fields. I know my wife's secondary and special-ed dual major netted her about the lowest paying job that requires a college degree.
But I wanted to keep things apples-to-apples, so much as possible. And for programmers, you can check the GamaSutra wage survey, but it has typically been about 10% to 15% less in the games business. Once upon a time, the low pay was offset by stock options and a stake in royalties. But that era is almost entirely gone.
I miss the days when the "game industry" was some guys in their garage/spare room/etc hacking together games on their 8 bit computers.
Back then they would take some chances and put out some truly amazing stuff (as well as some crap). I'm sure the ability to take chances was really a freeing experience.
The worst thing to happen to the Game Industry was that it became an industry. Corporations and all.
Thank God for small indie developers. I don't play many games these days but when I really want to try something new these are the people who will get my hard earned cash.
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Back then they would take some chances and put out some truly amazing stuff (as well as some crap). I'm sure the ability to take chances was really a freeing experience.
The worst thing to happen to the Game Industry was that it became an industry. Corporations and all.
Thank God for small indie developers. I don't play many games these days but when I really want to try something new these are the people who will get my hard earned cash.
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