Thoughts on Working in the Video Game Industry

Before working in the video game industry, I always thought it would be a lot of fun. Now that I have been working here since around 2006, I can confirm it is a lot of fun, but it also has some unique challenges. Anyone wishing to have a career in the video game industry should be well aware of these challenges.

It has always been difficult to break into the video game industry and I didn't think that was very fair. Now I know why though. There is a lot of turnover here and so the high barrier to entry serves as a form of job security to those already in the industry. Without it, job security wouldn't exist. We have had a lot of people leave our division only to return after a year or so. This is because games fail or are not successful enough for a sequel. At that point, the game studio tries to absorb some of the team into another group, but more often than not, lets the whole team go. Everyone scrambles around to the various companies in the industry looking for a new project. Often that means going back to a previous employer.

Over the past month, we have had a fair number of former coworkers return. It is good to see friends come back even if they are now in different departments. This is a stark contrast to working at companies like Oracle where people stick around for decades. So if you want to join the video game industry because you think it means job security, I would rethink your decision. If you want to join because you tire of projects easily and don't mind jumping from one to another, then this is the industry for you.