I was wondering based on the location in which you live, I seem to keep finding most of the game developing industry is located in California, Texas, & Washington. Does that indeed mean you must live in these areas to persue the job of game development? coder requires 0xf00d before continue().
Killer Eagle Software

I guess it does, it is much easier to go for an interview by walkign there rather than having to drive 2 days, or taking a plane..

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However, if you can demonstrate talent, some companies will fly you out there. That happened to me twice. Didn't get the job, but hey, it's something.

Put together some demos in CD, type up a cover letter and a resume, and send it registered overnight, requiring a signature on receipt. It gets their attention.

I did this back in '98, don't know if it would still apply today. Of course, moving is easier if you live nearby, too.

A word of caution, though. With driving time to the airport, flying, a transfer, and driving from the airport to the interview, it was about 10 straight hours of travel time, straight into the interview. Sometimes, that will happen, so eat your Wheaties.


[edited by - Waverider on June 2, 2003 9:39:20 PM]

quote: Original post by DevLiquidKnight
I was wondering based on the location in which you live, I seem to keep finding most of the game developing industry is located in California, Texas, & Washington. Does that indeed mean you must live in these areas to persue the job of game development?

coder requires 0xf00d before continue().

Killer Eagle Software

It was absolutely critical in my screenwriting career. Though they say you can write anywhere, you can''t develop those critical social relationships that turn into business if you aren''t there where the action is. I think this is also true in game development also, however, there are more orgs like IDGA with local chapters that may alleviate this to a degree.

But one method of success that works in hollywood that surely must also work in gamedev (opinions either way welcome), is that you know your ability, and your style of work. Matching who you are and what you do best to a company that does similar work like yours, and that can benefit the most because you are invested on levels an all around/any game/any code/anywhere type of employee may not be.

It''s not only selling your skills but fitting the talent to the type of job that one company or another likes to do. I cannot think but that being able to access these people personally because of local proximity cannot reveal this kind of information sooner, and more personally.

It''s about relationships and the right fit. That''s the ticket.

Another thing that worked for me that may be different from the approach other people may use, is that when I moved to Hollywood (literally) all people ever knew about me was a crystal clear, same words, same pitch, every time description of who I was, what I did and what I was after.

Now, I repeated this methodology for eight years with everyone I met or knew, everywhere I went. It created a no suprises perception for me in the community, it locked in perceptions of worth or contribution when people considered hiring a writer for a project under dev (the old hire the right person for the job mindset), in that I was hired for sci fi but not romance or comedy, and, best of all, whenever I met someone who knew exactly who I was and exactly what I did, I was able to one minute market in context of the current project I was working on, how the previous project I had been on worked out, and bit by bit I was able to build value upon value (show business is a marathon, but any entertainment success I think is really also) to the point where people no longer said things like, "Oh hey, there''s Arthur the sci-fi action adventure screenwriter, he''s a great guy", instead, they would say, "Oh hey, there''s arthur the sci fi action-adventure screenwriter and he''s working on this amazing story he told me last time we talked."

Presto, somebody is marketing you instead of you having to sell yourself, they are abreast of your progress and variety in work, they are creating an opportunity for another person to come over and introduce themself, increasing your network of people who are pre-qualified about your products and services (this is what a lot of unsuccessful artist''s forget, you have to focus on the product as well as the process), and you get people talking about you enough, so that when somebody does need something along the lines of what you do, you are high in the top of mind awareness.

This is a long and disciplined process, but the people who are successful know that success is a system. You have to make one that works for you, and interfaces with the type of business you are in.

HTH and good luck,
Adventuredesign