Gamedev Market Saturated ?

There is a constant need for skilled and experienced developers. How great the demand is varies from location to location and also depends on what field of development you are actually refering to.

Hi

Thanks for the reply, I was kinda vague, well I will most likely have to begin as a junior game developer, in exactly what nice(sp) field I am not sure. 3d game programming ?

Basically I am just wanting to know if the market in the US is saturated. Is it worth my while applying for a job in the US as a game developer if possible. ( if so, I will broaden my studies )

I am a proffesional C++ developer, but I am not a proffesional game developer. But if there is a huge demand for game developers, then my questions have been answered :)

What I've heard over and over from people in charge of hiring is that they are inundated with resumes but still tend to have difficulty finding people skilled and experienced enough to hire. It's an industry that sees a fairly high turnover rate.

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Original post by Deux Hi Thanks for the reply, I was kinda vague, well I will most likely have to begin as a junior game developer, in exactly what nice(sp) field I am not sure. 3d game programming ?

Most US game companies wont go through the visa/work permit process for an overseas employee unless they have extensive industry experience. There are far too many entry/jnr applicants already resident in the US.

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Original post by DeuxI am a proffesional C++ developer, but I am not a proffesional game developer. But if there is a huge demand for game developers, then my questions have been answered :)

Then the next quextion is why do you want to change industries ? Salary is not the reason since the games programming pays less than database programming. Well, if you became technical director, then youd earn really very much, but thats like 8 or more yrs of experience in games industry in lead position (+many more requirements) and who knows how much would you earn if you were in similar position in database programming...

very good question, I love games programming :) I dont love db programming et al.

I dont mind being paid less ( in a perfect world ). However, I understand the argument, so then maybe I should just keep as a hobby ?

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Original post by Obscure Quote: Original post by Deux Hi Thanks for the reply, I was kinda vague, well I will most likely have to begin as a junior game developer, in exactly what nice(sp) field I am not sure. 3d game programming ? Most US game companies wont go through the visa/work permit process for an overseas employee unless they have extensive industry experience. There are far too many entry/jnr applicants already resident in the US.

Thanks Dan, I think this has pretty much answered my overall question. I will stick to my daily job and career, as this seems to be the most realistic solution.

There are game companies all over the world. Why not start one in South Africa?

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Original post by JohnBolton There are game companies all over the world. Why not start one in South Africa?

That may be an option :)

From my experience almost *every* market is saturated these days. I don't know if it's an index of a crappy economy or something else but generally if you consider opening a business or picking a profession, every market is saturated. Even markets that traditionally show more demand than supply like real estate and (surprisingly) healthcare are saturated. I guess this is more of a rant than a concrete response to your question, though [smile]

Ideally I'd love to eventually work a 3 or 4 day week. If I was still in 'regular' programming at that point It'd be cool to 'work' full time the other day or two, ideally in a group of 3-5 similar people. One thing that makes me want to stay non-games right now is that I have a major project underway, when I was a game programmer for a living I had zero desire to work on it in my spare time but now It's different enough from my day job to seem appealing again! When I finish it in 1-3 years(!) I'd like to return to games as a living, I think.