"Marc Mencher delivers a book full of timely and relevant information for
anyone interested in learning more about our dynamic industry."
--Will Wright, Legendary Game Designer, Co-founder of EA / Maxis and the man behind SimCity and The Sims Series.
"This book is a great resource for distilling the vital statistics in a complex industry. A great read for job seekers and fans alike."
-- Paul Steed, 3D Animator / Modeler for the Quake Game Series and author of Modeling a Character in Max and Animating Real-Time Game Characters.
"Whether you're interested in game programming, design, art, or production this book offers up the inside scoop on what goes into creating your favorite games."
-- Marc Saltzman, Author of Game Design Secrets of The Sages and CNN Technology Contributor.
Quite frankly, it was feared that any creative juices would be allbut sucked out of you by the time you earned your "establishment"degree. Many industry pioneers equated having formal training with being"assimilated by the Borg." In those days, gamers were the unruly ones,people who did not quite fit the norm. Hands-on game development experience, oran ability to demonstrate your creativity, was the only qualifying factor forgetting a job. Today, these are still very important qualities, but as gameshave grown more complex, and as game development budgets have ballooned to themultimillion-dollar range, game professionals are more formally trained and,certainly, better respected. In short, the unruly ones have grown up.
AUTHOR NOTE
"We're not just geeks in dark basements wearing weird clothesanymore. We're geeks in dark basements wearing weird clothes and makingmoney doing it!"
- Marc
The inspiration for this book came from the thousands of emails I receiveasking the same daunting question: "How do I get a gig in the gameindustry?" I wish I possessed a single simple, and magical, answer; alas, Ido not. However, based on my years of developing the careers of some of theindustry's brightest stars, what I do possess are proven job-gettingtechniques. If you take these techniques seriously, and apply themappropriately, you will not only land that game job, but you will also be placedfirmly on a career development track that will take you to the height of youraspirations.
Through my recruiting firm, GameRecruiter.com, I have placed thousands ofpeople in game industry jobs. I have witnessed the astonishing growth of thisindustry as it has grown, in both size and stature. I've also witnessed theincreasing number of people wanting to work in it. If you are one of thosepeople—or maybe you're an industry veteran in need of a career"refresher"—this is the book for you.
In this book, you'll learn the various types of game jobs available inthe industry, what the game companies are looking for, and how you can get thejob you want. It is my sincere hope that when you finish this book, and if youapply the principles found in it, you should be well on your way to a successfulcareer.
Throughout your job search, try to remember that YOUR thoughts about YOURcareer and life direction will create YOUR destiny, so be careful about what youthink. In short, stay focused and positive! And, remember, my virtual door atmarc@GameRecruiter.com is always open should you need additional advice ordirection.
Good Luck and Get in the Game! Marc Mencher
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