Summary of the "How to Break Into the Game Industry" conference

Here are a number of thoughts and experiences from the How to Break Into the Game Industry. My apologies for taking time to get these out, but I was busy with a film shoot this weekend. Check out my acting blog to read about that.

To recap, I was motivated to go to this thing kind of last minute for 3 reasons:

• I manage technical folks, and this conference gave me a chance to look at developers in a different vertical market, see what their needs are, and (hopefully) gave me ideas on to how to make my own folks more successful (and happier).
• I'm a voice and film actor, so I want to do voice work, green screen, MoCap, character reference, and related work for video games and animation-- and this was a venue to meet more folks for that.
• If I were to move from my current financial services job to gaming, these would be the kind of folks I would manage. I should get to know them.

All of the sessions were moderated by Tamir Nadav, a Full Sail grad and Associate Programmer at KingsIsle Entertainment. And (from a brief discussion when I told him thanks for his part in all of this), he seemed a passionate, pleasant guy.

Session 1: "Industry Overview"

Panelists: Rodney Gibbs (Executive Studio Director, Amaze Entertainment Austin); Rich Vogel (Former Director of Development, Sony Online Entertainment); and Mark Kreitler (Edge of Reality Software).

This was an interesting, if not ground-breaking discussion of the industry as a whole. While treading the "growing budgets, raised expectations" routes, the panelists also did a good job breaking out the shifting demographics and work mentality of the industry, the different markets, how off-shoring plays out in the interactive entertainment space, and PC gaming trends (FPS, MMOs, and casual games).

I was a bit surprised that statements made about casual games and independent games were not up-to-the-minute, though, admittedly, up-to-the-minute means the launch of the Xbox 360 in November of last year to today, where Xbox Live Arcade has given a distribution platform and sales channel for independent games (like Wik: Fable of Souls), and unheard of casual games trial-to-conversion ratio (35% on the Xbox 360, versus 2-6% on the PC). But they just might have been short on time.

All of the panelists were good, and I was impressed with Vogel's forthrightness about hiring and managing, and his administrative practicality. Vogel arguably started the Sony Austin Development Studio, and I met him just before he left, and didn't have his new contact info. So, it was good to get that, and (even better), to have a discussion with him about how "managing software is managing software" -- whether it's managing game development and hosting or managing BigHugeCorp's Financial Services development and hosting. Him saying it carried some weight for me, and was encouraging.

Session 2: "Getting in on the Ground Floor"

Speakers: Evan A. Bell (Senior Game Programmer, Edge of Reality Software); Michael Daubert (Studio Director, The Animation Farm); Adam Hunter (Sony Online Entertainment); Damion Shubert (Zen of Design); and Quoc Tran (Associate Producer, NCSoft)

How do get in on the ground floor?

Simpy, get in at the ground floor. And work your tail off. For peanuts.

Maybe not quite that bleak, but not far removed. I was, however, impressed with the specific stories of "Stick-with-it-ness" -- Daubert sending 300-400 demo reels out of college, working for years for a company, then starting his own studio. Hunter's lack of ego and honesty about the need (and his personal struggle) in pounding the pavement and taking it financially in the teeth to get the gig in the industry of which you want to be a part.

The panel wasn't that well directed, because it was a little too big, and audience (rather than Tamir's) questions largely drove the discussion.

Kind of unsettling in this and the previous panel was an implicit (and sometimes explicit) endorsement of not getting a college degree -- "your reel, your talent, will get you in the door." Though they did acknowledge a degree (2- or 4-year) is good for showing someone can commit to and finish something, the idea kept coming up that you don't need that piece of paper.

This really bothers me, because I know guys in the tech sector that went this route -- got jobs and didn't finish their degrees -- and years later, with kids to support and the company turning its back on them and passing them up for raises or promotions "because they don't have a degree", they're juggling job and family and getting a bachelors. Seemed a little irresponsible of the first two panels, but the third panel said the degree was important.

I touched base with Daubert after the panel, and he let me know my constant barrage of postcards is keeping me at the top of The Animation Farm's potential talent list.

Session 3: "Applying Transferable Skill Sets"

Speakers: Craig Fryar (Online Alchemy); Mike McShaffrey (Studio Director, BreakAway Games, Austin); and Brett Butler (Public Games)

For me, this was the most interesting and entertaining panel, though it strayed from the topic.

The speakers were mature, ireverant, and confident in what they had to say. They came down to brass tacks on interviewing, non-technical opportunities, networking, and the importance of passion and knowing what you want -- and what it may cost you.

Afterwards, I had a good brief chat with Butler about Public Games, said "thank you for your leadership advice" to Fryar, and got good, positive feedback on the physical presentation of my voice demo disc from McShaffrey.

Scuttlebutt:

• Edge of Reality Software is working on an unannounced next-gen title (the one for which I auditioned).
• Online Alchemy is working on a "realy interesting concept for an MMO, not like anything you've seen before", according to Fryar.
• McShaffrey said they're working on "triple-A titles for next-gen consoles", but "can't announce anything."
• I overheard a developer from TimeGate Studios say the company is working on an unannounced title, and when I looked at their website, I noticed they haven't updated it since last march, when they announced they were going to use the Unreal Engine 3.
• Daubert said The Animation Farm will be unveiling something new on the website next month.
• Quoc Tran is an Associate Producer at NCSoft for "two unannounced games".
• Rich Vogel will be announcing their new company and MMO this summer. I actually have what I think is the name of his new company, but since I may not supposed to have it, I won't spill it here.

Overall, a very worthwhile conference, and I did bail before the resume-writing workshop.

I've got a lot more notes and to-dos for myself from the conference, but I won't (further) bore you with that.