I quit gamedevelopment

That\'s right. This summer I applied to many gamedevelopment studios for a modeler job. On 3rd of August I got a
non paid internship at Streamline Studios in the Netherlands. It was meant as a trial for hire contract.

This week I had been offered no contract for hire but an extension of that internship (with a possibility to contract). I gracefully declined.

These 3 months of working as a 3D modeler on one of their Xbox360 games have been a great experience, but also one that was very taxing.

Don\'t get me wrong ; Streamline is a great studio with great ppl, but I learnt more about both myself and the games industry in general. At this point I came to the conclusion that I do not wish to be there any longer. Like I said : It was a great experience, I learned alot but imho i had to make to huge a sacrifice to keep it up.

50 hours per week was the bare minimum. That\'s still pretty doable, even if it\'s unpaid. The tough weeks were the crunchtime weeks. I\'d often find myself working until 22:15 or even 23:00 pm three times per week to meet the rigid deadlines on 3D models.

So, I learnt alot and I am thankfull to Streamline for it but I chose to not have such a lifestyle. I will register as freelancer and make use of my own software licenses.

I hope this sheds some realistic light onto what it takes to create the games we play.

Would you have stayed if you were being paid?

[MPTheory]

Im sure it would have helped.  Offering a person an extended intern is fugged up. I dont think its right, bleeding newcomers of their talent is messed up. Unfortunately, Im sure it will keep happening for a very,,, very long time.

[Paul2]

wow, 50 hours per week is like 7 hours per day if you include the weekends too...you people sure are workaholic.  Reading that, I was thinking, you guys need some days off to rest your mind...

Originally posted by Paul2
wow, 50 hours per week is like 7 hours per day if you include the weekends too...you people sure are workaholic.  Reading that, I was thinking, you guys need some days off to rest your mind...

Sorry but ;

official workdays are from 10:00 am 19:00 pm , 5 days per week.

Of course, gameprojects are bound to deadlines.

In reality this meant being at the office at 9:35. Actually working at 9:45 - 10:00 am until 13:00 lunch break which was 30 to 45 minutes on average. Then work again, shutting down 3Ds Max at 20:05. That would be a \'normal\' swift day.

Overhours are unpaid, so if I saw that a deadline would be tight I would work overhours. Those were the 22:00 pm days.

So a normal week would be 5 x 10 hours. A busy week 2 x 10 hours and 3 x 12 hours.

The programmers actually do more hours than artists do, in crunchtime weeks. In such weeks ppl were requested to work on weekends as welll. Interns were not obliged to do so, though.

Anyway, money is and will never be my main argument.

A solid contract offer, that is what i was after. Then I experienced, first hand those crunchtime hours and all those factors combined led to my decision to not opt for such a career / lifestyle.

There are some very great and gifted ppl working in the games industry. But imho, they do sacrifice alot of their life for that kind of work.

At 27, I decided i want to enjoy offtime life a bit more before i turn 30.

[Paul2]

Yeah, expanding your horizon is the best thing to do.

[Living-In-Clip]

What did you expect? It is common knowledge that game development is a taxing industry and one that takes its tow on the workers. I foget the stat\'s , but there was a survey done on the rate of divorce with people who work in the industry and guess what - it was extremely high. Doing it for free just means free labor and even more reason to work you to death.

I\'m sorry to hear your dream was crushed, but I don\'t think you had a realistic view of your dream to begin with.

 / workin\' 69 hours this week..Paid.

Dude, you make me look like some 16 y o kid whose boydream just got crushed.

Get real. I knew of the industry before. Yes I read EA\'s scandal beforehand.

There\'s such a thing as actually \'trying\' something. Experiencing something anyway becuz there is ambition in ppl regardless of known hurdles.

There were many interns besides me. They all gave up early. I was the only who completed the internship. It\'s all about the expression of a certain path.

But at least, I\'ve experienced it now and i know now by experience i do not whish to choose for such a career which features such hours as common thing.

Congrats on your paid 69

Personally,  I wouldn\'t choose that one either.

[Titan]

Dude, sorry to hear about your job but hey, I hope you have a lot of fun with the freelancing. I\'m sure whatever path you choose, you\'ll do well.

Yeah, stories like yours are all too common. Makes me worry about pursuing a job in the industry.

Also makes me glad I have the job I have now.

Good luck in your future endeavors guy.


Thats some good spelling I know.

[Living-In-Clip]

If you read about the industry and knew the hours  - then why bother? You obviously don\'t want to work a lot of hours, something that industry requires, so all you done was wasted time for free.

Either way - I wasn\'t trying to be harsh. Just saying, that if you can\'t pull the long hours you are not made for the industry.

well one thing this industry needs is passion, but 50 hours a week is rediculous. I totally support your decision knotter.

[Living-In-Clip]

I do agree 50 hours is a lot. I on the average, work 34.5 hours a week. I just happen to be pulling a lot of overtime here lately and it does suck.

50 hours would be a luxury for me...

You know people in places like Italy and France think we are absolutly retarded for working that much.


I agree!