Resources

[Thomas Valentino]

Resources

The following is a loose collection of information which we are providing solely as additional resources. GameJobs.com cannot endorse nor vouch for them, but on the whole we believe them to be credible sources for further information:

Articles / Editorial / Books: Questions and answers for a myriad of subjects related to the business.
• Game Career Guide (https://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/store.php?item_id=457&category=9&book=)
• Game Development Business & Legal Guide (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1592000428/dperry-20/102-4328399-2264938)
• Game Development and Production (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1556229518/ref=pd_sxp_elt_l1/102-4328399-2264938)
• Game Over: Press Start to Continue (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0966961706/qid=1101152750/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/102-4328399-2264938?v=glance&s=books)
• Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0735713073/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/102-4328399-2264938?v=glance&s=books&st=*)
• Salary Surveys (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/article_display.php?category=33)
• Secrets of the Game Business (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1584502827/ref=pd_luc_17_lc_a5x0/102-4328399-2264938?v=glance&s=books)
• The Ultimate History of Video Games (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0761536434/ref=pd_sim_b_1/102-4328399-2264938?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance)

Directory / Yellow Pages: Use these sites to find companies local to you or where you'd like to work.
• The Video Game Yellow Pages (http://www.vgyp.com)

General Career Development Info: Great one-stop shops for info on breaking into the business.
• Dperry.com (http://www.dperry.com/)
• IGDA - International Game Developers Association (http://www.igda.org/breakingin/resource_links.htm)

Resume References: Professional help in building a professional resume.
• Blue Sky Resumes (http://www.blueskyresumes.com/)

Recruiters / Headhunters:
• Cool Game Jobs (http://www.coolgamejobs.com/) (no affiliation)
• Game Recruiter (http://www.www,gamerecruiter.com/)
• Mary Margaret (http://www.mary-margaret.com/)
• Networking People (http://www.np-usa.com/)

Schools / Education: Interested in getting a degree in your area of expertise?
• The Art Institutes (http://www.artinstitutes.edu/) (multiple locations)
• Carnegie Mellon University (http://www.etc.cmu.edu/)
• DigiPen Institute of Technology (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Main_Page)
• Full Sail (http://www.fullsail.com/)
• Guildhall at Southern Methodist University (http://guildhall.smu.edu/) (SMU)
• ITT Technical Institute (http://www.itt-tech.edu/)
• UCLA - University of California, Los Angeles (http://www.ucla.edu/)
• University of Advancing Technology (http://www.gamedegree.com/)
• Vancouver Film School (http://www.vfs.com/)

Trade Associations:
• ESA (Entertainment Software Association) (http://www.theesa.com/)
• EMA (Entertainment Merchants Association) (http://www.theema.org/)
• IGDA (International Game Developers Association) (http://www.igda.org/)

[Hal Halpin]

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/so-you-want-to-work-in-games/71362/?biz=1


Feature: So You Want to Work in Games...

If you've ever dreamed of making games for a living, and especially if you're pursuing a career in gaming currently, you need to read this. EA, Activision, Ubisoft, SCEA and SOE all share their advice.

Posted by James Brightman on Monday, February 04, 2008


With the video game industry in the U.S. swelling to nearly $18 billion in 2007 it's hard not to pay attention to the rise of games as a medium, both from a cultural standpoint and of course from a business view. Many of you reading GameDaily BIZ are thoroughly entrenched in the industry but we also know that many of you are still relatively fresh or are just now trying to get your start.

But before you set out on your quest to become the next Shigeru Miyamoto or Will Wright, it might serve you well to get a better sense of the kinds of things the big boys of the video game business look for in potential candidates and what advice they might have for budding designers. We polled several publishers to find out. In this roundtable we have Activision (Kate Ruddon, Director, Talent Acquisition), Electronic Arts (Matthew Jeffery, Head of Global Talent Brand), Ubisoft Montreal (Suzanne Boutin, Director of Staffing), SCEA (Sally Buchanan, Senior Director Human Resources) and Sony Online Entertainment (Sheri Davenport, HR Manager).

What are the key qualities you look for in a candidate?

Ubi Montreal: This is a question I am often asked, and to put simply, we want to hire the BEST! So what does being the best mean? It means bringing people into the organization that are super talented in their field, who want to push the boundaries, and who want to become better through collaborating with other top talent. These are people who look at a problem with an open mind and find options to make the outcome even better. We hire people who strive to continuously surpass expectations, not only for the customer, but for themselves as well; for these are people who create opportunities – and that can mean different things, which include the opportunity for learning, for sharing ... etc., and even creating a new IP like Assassin's Creed.

EA: EA looks for people who are passionate to be the best at what they do. EA has been reinvigorated under the leadership of John Riccitiello and his vision has already seen EA reorganized into Labels with distinct identities and goals. This has re-energized the company and this feeds through into the people we look to hire. Key qualities we look for include people with vision who are willing to take the right risks to move the business forward; people who are creative and who always seek to innovate and improve both our products and our people every day; people who are team players who do the right thing by their colleagues; people who are willing to accept responsibility and deliver on their commitments; and most importantly people who are driven by results. These qualities are embedded in our staff and help EA pioneer in making the world's greatest interactive entertainment.

Activision: Skills are very important but even more important, is someone who is passionate about making great games. We look for the ability to work in teams, be creative, innovative and take accountability for your work; a demonstrated ability to accomplish goals and have a passion for your work; and at the end of the day, the questions become: Can the person do the job? Do they meet our criteria? And, do I want to work with this person 8 to 12 hours a day?

SCEA: The job-specific qualities that we look for varies obviously based on the particular position for which we are hiring. Generally speaking, however, we look for candidates that have proven leadership, are self-starters, highly creative, and have proven that they can successfully complete projects and tasks in a fast paced and collaborative work environment.

SOE: When looking for a new hire candidate, we want someone that not only enjoys playing video games, but who is also passionate about making them! We have several new games in development and candidates that are flexible and dedicated team players are generally the easiest to place on those teams. We are looking for candidates with a solid track record who are trying to progress their career and grow with our company. Not all positions require previous gaming experience, but if you have shipped a AAA game, we definitely want to chat with you!


(page 1 of 7)

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/so-you-want-to-work-in-games/71362/?biz=1

[Garbage Pail Kid]

That's an excellent article, Hal. Thanks for posting it. If you find anymore like that, please share them.

[Hal Halpin]

Glad you liked it.

In a blatant plug for another one of our sites, I'd also suggest that you check out GameJobs.com. You can upload your resume for free and it'll match your interests with openings. We also highlight the top jobs posted daily toward the bottom of ECA Today (our nightly newsletter).