It might seem odd to claim that now is a good time to enter the games industry. And that would be correct; it’s probably the worst time to try and find a job in the games industry. I’m facing this situation myself, and the advice I’ve received is to look elsewhere for now. The industry won’t be the same on the other side of this. However, inspired by my favourite eternal optimist, Simon Sinek, I wanted to share some reasons why it could still be a good time to enter the industry. If you’re looking for your first job or approaching the end of your studies fearful of entering such a turbulent industry, these reasons may provide a source of hope and perspective.
Building Resistance:
When times are tough it’s likely you’ll get more rejections before you land your first gig. Your CV will go through more iterations, your pitch deck will need to be tailored to more publishers, revised for angel investors and updated for seed investors. You’ll interview with more people, improving your critical thinking and social skills. Maybe you’ll write some articles or do a podcast or start a YouTube channel to gain a following. If you do any of these things just to get your foot in the door you’ll have a unique experience that your fair weather colleagues won’t. By necessity the work you do will be better than someone getting their first gig with less work. So when you do start you’ll be starting stronger. Kickbacks are common in the games industry so it’s advantageous to get used to it and thrive in it.
2. Long-Term Advantage:
If you’re lucky enough to land your first gig in the games industry this year. You’ll have longer to establish yourself than the people behind you that joined in an upturn. If there are layoffs it’s usually last in first out so starting now may pay off the next time we go through this again. If any colleagues do get laid off in the future, I want you to know It’s an honour to help and support those going through tough times. We game devs are a generous bunch most of the time and it feels great when we can be of help to others. As layoffs happen often in the industry we’ve all been through tough times and so we all share that collective grief. That comradery is something I’ve not found in other industries I’ve worked in.
3. Thriving in turbulent times:
Some studios somehow thrive in turbulent times. We have to remember that hundreds of games come out every year regardless of job security. When a team is thriving, magic happens. Nothing can stop them, not even an uncertain industry. To give an example, here are some games that came out in 2009 the year after the 2008 financial crash. Batman: Arkham Asylum, Assassin’s Creed II, Uncharted 2, Borderlands, Machinarium. They didn’t just survive, they thrived, and you can too. While 35% of 3000 surveyed GDC goers had been affected by layoffs last year, the rest hadn’t. That’s still a lot of studios surviving and putting out titles. If you join the industry this year and find you love it despite the uncertainty, then it’s the best place for you. Putting it off would be a mistake.
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