What it’s like to work in the game industry
1 Comment The title is loaded. I can not pretend to know what it is like for everyone in the industry, and I won’t even attempt to give an exhaustive depictions of even my own personal experiences. Trust me you wouldn’t be reading this post now if I had titled it “A rough overview of generally what it’s like to work in the game industry”.
The short answer
GOOD
The long answer
The experience of being in the Peace Corps is commonly described as “The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love”. I hate that they have dibs on the line because, besides being a great quote, it captures a good bit of the heart of working in the game industry. If you work in the game industry you probably love games and most of the people that you work with do too.
The other people often end up being the best part –Warning– The money will probably never end up being the best part. Not to say that everyone in the industry lives with their parents, just don’t expect golden toilets. Most people in the industry make enough to support themselves, and even their families, just trust me, you’ll be richer in friendship than wealth…unless you’re a complete prick (In which case you’ll probably end up in charge of a game studio and swimming in cash and–if there’s a God–cutting yourself every night as you drink yourself into unconsciousness wondering what is wrong with everyone else that makes them not like you).
Yeah the goods of being in the game industry = Going to work everyday with people you like, working on something that you love.
The con of being in the game industry = More money would be nice.
So that’s the lovey-dovey perspective on the industry, don’t get me wrong, it’s not all Kumbaya and s’mores but it passes the “Office Space” Test. If I had a butt-load of money and I didn’t need to work…God help me I’d still get up and drive through L.A. traffic to show up every morning.
This was going to be the part where I say that I wouldn’t actually show up every morning if I was suddenly rich, but I can’t. I’m scared to death to admit it, but I would show up every morning…it beats the hell out of daytime TV.
Game Corner?
4 Comments Moe asked me if I’d like to post here on the BadPopcorn blog, to talk about random game industry stuff. Maybe I should have said no.
Well it’s too late now, I said “I’d love to” or something similar and now I will have to live with the repercussions of my reckless words. I’m starting small though.
There is this odd thing that can happen when participating in team activities, where one person on the team is more burden than benefit, like an obsolete laptop computer, they’re heavy, slow, loud and only rarely useful (and even then only for short periods of time). When we play Halo3 at the BadPopcorn office that laptop is me.
So really, what can the guy with the most deaths and least kills say to the rest of the team? “Uh Sorry I suck guys”? Even if it is sincere, it isn’t going to make the sucking stop, the sucking will continue. I do not have an “A-Game” that I have been not bringing, that can be brought now that I have realized my suck-ocity. To paraphrase Descartes, I suck therefore I am.
So what can the guy that drags the team down do?
Well I could stop playing, but screw that, the game is fun even when I come in last…unerringly, completely, utterly last. As discussed earlier an apology just doesn’t seem right unless I intend to do something to lessen the chances of similar wronging in the future. I’m afraid I cannot promise that.
Leaving only one option, a simple and heartfelt admission of wrongdoing and regret…
So yeah, Moe. That rocket in your back when you were trying to splatter Ben on the Mongoose?
My Bad
Burning Crusade Mocks Me
1 Comment The box has been sitting on my desk for a few days. I want to play this game, and I want to run far far away.
In honor of the console launch Weekend
Comments Off I know it’s shallow to mention this right after the excessive force post but I fear it was launch day.
So PS3 has 3 robberies at gunpoint, one near riot, a stampede, and a BB-gun drive by resulting in a total of one shooting, one stabbing, one dislocated jaw and no small number of welts.
Now IF the vast majority of those people wanted the systems to use them it would be different, but most admit to buying them to re-sell them. Turns out that videogames do cause violence…just not among gamers.
Plus, if the following video is to be believed, the Wii is a far superior system.
E3 – The Circus That No-one Knows We Need
1 Comment E 3 the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the yearly video game expo is now officially all but dead.
I am not very good at telling stories, well not at making them interesting anyway, so I’ll point you to Kotaku and Penny Arcade for the backstory…please return for my commentary when you are caught up on the events.
I work in the video game industry and believe me when I tell you that working E3 is, more often than not, Hell. Not only is working the show like russian roulette without the courtesty of a reward, but preparations for the show are at least two months of planning meetings and blueprints and telecons and everything else that people got into the game industry to get away from.
In addition let me assure you that everything you have heard about the costs of having a booth at E3 is wrong. It is more expensive than you have heard, I have an aquaintance who’s first responsibility in the game industry was to handle a Multi-million dollar check for simply the insurance for the booth at the show. And yes, game companies do give up on accomplishing anything productive during the days surrounding E3. So including the time lost to the show, and all of the time used preparing for the show, then the cost of the booth and attendants it is common for regular publishers to be putting in the neighborhood of 20 Million into their E3 showing. That’s just 3 days.
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Here’s the rub…I say it’s worth it.
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Most of us in the industry look at E3 as a circus, it is craziness and chaos and other non-comforting “C”-words.
 E3 is also the only time of the year that the main-stream media looks at our industry/hobby and has something positive to say. Every year when E3 comes around the “Real” media turns it’s all powerful eye on the indusrty we all give our time to, and they say how important and powerful the industry is…they will occasionally imply that games are “cool”.
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Without E3 the only time the evening news mentions video games is to tell you about how the most recent youth-related killing is tenuously connected to gaming.
For three days a year games are cool and influential…I don’t think any price is too high for that return. And I fear that once we’ve lost it, it will be too late to get it back.
E3: The Lost Badge
Comments Off Adam West made an appearance at E3 this year to promote the Family Guy game. We, BadPopcorn attendees, got photos taken along with signed glossies and badges.
Unfortunately, Nathan’s badge was lost/stolen on the last day somewhere by the Webzen booth. 
Anyone find it? We’d like the memorabilia back.
PS – Shout out to Paul of Ageia, who’s also a big fan of Mr. West. I hope your own Nathan likes his autographed picture.
Old School Gaming
2 Comments O M G
It lists every old DOS game I have ever known, and then some. Many are available for download. To my geek and nerd friends, Go Forth and Download!
I, for one, will be hooked on this:
Video Games are Turning the Nation’s Young People into…Voters?
1 Comment Of course, when speaking of Political matters, “Young People” can range anywhere from 18 to 40, but that doesn’t mean that the lawmakers are out of touch…does it?
The Entertainment Software Association, has created the Video Game Voters Network. The point of the V.G.V.N. is, of course to inspire legislators to think twice before backing legislation that has-at least so far-been unfailingly stricken down as unconstitutional. The plan is that the threat of gamers that are mobilized, motivated, and prepared to vote in defense of their past-time will convince legislators that the easy “Family Values” votes they get for being Anti-Gamers Rights, might not seem so easy when they realize that Gamers Rights might actually be some of the values of the modern family.
In my opinion it is a beautiful dream. That’s whay I’m linking, to do my part. If you enjoy video games…or your first amendment rights it might be worth heading over and signing up.
Sorry for getting up on that Soap Box like that but sometimes the only way to keep from being stepped on, is to stand up.
Did you know that the Government does not regulate access to or the sale of movies, books or cable TV?
Neither did I. Apparently those systems are totally voluntary too…must be due to that pesky Constitution.
The PS3 and BrokeBack
Comments Off I assure you that the title of this post will be made abuntantly clear shortly…
I’m afraid I should preface this post with some backstory…but I won’t, I’ll just fill you in as I go. It should work out just fine.
I and most of my friends pay sorta close attention to the game industry, and we were discussing the possible price point of the PS3. I mentioned the bit I just linked to and voiced the arguments for a near $1000 price point. My good friend and former roomie Adam said that this was ridiculous, that his heroes at SONY were too smart and had penises much too large to charge that much…well that’s what I heard at least, but the point is he called for a bet.
He’s $500 or less, I’m $700+…and while I was away from the conversation getting some more Mongolian BBQ, he brings in a third. The third is our buddy Mark who calls $600.
It was at this time that the terms were decided…
How do I explain this?
We’re all a little bit homophobic. We’re not hateful or reightous about it, it’s just that we were raised in Orange County…in the 80’s. It’s kinda like house-cats and water…they don’t have anything against water…they just avoid being…you’know…in it. That didn’t come out right…
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Anyway. The terms of the bet are this: The two losers of the bet have to watch the BrokeBack Mountain…together…in their boxers.
Yup.
Shortly after this I remembered the cardinal rule of gambling “Dont bet if you can’t afford to lose”, I also remembered why I rarely gamble…I have a gift for losing wagers, it would appear that I am doubly blessed in this case huh?
BTW, the later the PS3 is released the more likely that I lose as the components will drop in price…We might have to document the results of this wager and post highlights.
Hexic Cheating
Comments Off There’s a report about people cheating the Hexic leaderboards. It confirms my suspicions of a top 10 player with only 2 black pearls (with a 4 million+ point score).
I played a bunch of timed games last week (trying to get my final acheivement 100+ games, still far away), and zero games during the two weeks before. I’ve dropped way down in rank, I wonder how many of the new “top” players really did earn their scores. Congrats if you did, but I say @#$% the @#$wipes that didn’t.
The report also mentions that the Xbox Live Team reset the leaderboards. I haven’t confirmed it since I actually don’t own a 360. I’ll have to make some time to swing by Aaron’s place to see.
Either way, I think I’m through with that game as soon as I get that final acheivement. Too much of my time was spent playing the game, as if it were a drug and I were an addict.