RPGDX > Forums > General Discussion > Who plans on becoming a professional?

supergoat · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2004 8:02 am Post subject:

Basically, publishers are the most successful and evasive rapists on earth, and think that if they say that your intellectual property is theirs enough times, it'll magically become true. Furthermore, certain publishers (Hasbro caused a stink about this a while ago) tend to try and claim ownership of genres and plot lines similar to your game. Your game involves flying around in space and blowing up rocks? You're ripping off Asteroids unless you pay the licensing fee to use the idea we bought from Atari!

I usually sign nondisclosure on my commercial art to just avoid the red tape altogether, but keep a postmarked envelope containing the original sketches to my own records in case anyone tries to poke my poopy. With games it's much more complicated, and with sheer code it's damn near impossible to claim what's yours.

DarkDread · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2004 10:33 am Post subject:

Yeah, that's very much it right there... but that's only half of it. Let's not forget, publishers will seldom publish your works, and let you keep the rights to your IP at the same time... no, they'd much rather buy it outright form you, then exploit it to their heart's content.

Of course, this is only really true with startup, and indie developers... so, one rule of advice is, make a name for yourself before you sign any publishing contract. You'll have more weight to push around this way when--and belive me, you will--you need it.

Mind you, it's not all bad, heh... I'm simply pointing out scenarios that everyone should be ready for, so they know how to handle them. Personally, if some publisher offered me big money for my IP, I'd be walking away happily, to the bank... and letting them rape the ideas to their heart's content... I'm really agreeable that way. ;)
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Adam · Mage Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Posts: 416 Location: Australia

Everyone pretends they woudn't sell out and bag anyone who does. Mr Dred, your honesty knows no bounds :P
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valderman · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2004 12:47 pm Post subject:

LeoDraco · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2004 3:19 pm Post subject:

Sirocco · Mage Joined: 01 Jun 2002 Posts: 345

Rainer Deyke · Demon Hunter Joined: 05 Jun 2002 Posts: 672

Money is useful to keep you from starving. I wish I had money.

Being an employee sucks. Getting money for making games rocks. I plan on doing the latter while avoiding the former.

XMark · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2004 11:20 pm Post subject:

Still, it sounds better than working on the grill at McDonalds. *sigh* the grease burns on my arm will never leave me.
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Ninkazu · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2004 2:09 am Post subject:

Oh well... I guess I can always program out of college, then if I seriously DO hate my job, I'll open a Buke Kenjutsu dojo and live my life as a sword master.

Mandrake · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2004 3:50 am Post subject:

heh sirocco, those problems all of them, I had before and have had recently. And yet, I still enjoy it more than the menail labor I've worked before (construction, grocery store clerk, janitor, etc).
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grenideer · Wandering Minstrel Joined: 28 May 2002 Posts: 149

As far as IP and stuff goes ... I mean, working in video games professionally is not all about making your dream game that will be really cool. It's totally about being on a team and programming a game that you likely had no creative say over. The whole point is that you gotta pay your dues, just like any job, and if you're good then maybe cool stuff can happen for you. So the question is,... do you like programming? Cause even if it's slightly menial, it keeps your mind sharp (and doesn't leave you bored out of your mind), challenges you, and is rewarding when successful. And maybe you get lucky one day and work on a cool game. And then work on a cool team that makes cool games. And so on.
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Ninkazu · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:11 pm Post subject:

Ok, before I rip my eyes out, what does IP mean?

DrunkenCoder · Demon Hunter Joined: 29 May 2002 Posts: 559

Ok, now im getting seriously worried for myself. Ever since I first started playing around with debug and tasm 6-7years ago I've always had the dream to one day become a professional game developer. I now have my BS degree and reading some complementary courses to broaden myself a bit.

Over the summer I worked as a programmer for a quite big company maintaining engine monitoring tools, and as much I love coding I hated it. I had to vade thorugh some 50k lines of totaly insanse C++ written by 4diffrent programmers with differing coding styles and no documentation. Really flipping burgers seemed like an attractive option at the time.

And still I can't help but to dream about doing professional gamedev even though the horror storries from that field never stop pouring in. Im starting to think that Im insane, is it really worth it??

It just seems like getting into the industry is quite impossible and when you do get in the position you get is the code equavialent of sever diving.

Would anyone of you already or former professional take a few minutes to help us dumbasses with some hints on what to foucs on to at least get our feet thourh the probverbal door?
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DrunkenCoder · Demon Hunter Joined: 29 May 2002 Posts: 559

Noadi · Pretty, Pretty Fairy Princess Joined: 06 Dec 2002 Posts: 5

Well I'm not a programmer (I can program but I'm not very good at it so I never plan to do it for a living) I'm an artist and designer. So I guess from reading what programmers have posted that getting into the game industry as a programmer probably isn't that fun but it probably isn't fun to work as a programmer regardless of whether it's games or financial software being written because a lot of it is boring routine stuff.

However I'm an artist so I can be given any task that requires art and enjoy it even if the subject of what I'm drawing isn't that exciting or interesting because the process of drawing or pixeling or modeling is very enjoyable to me regardless of the final product. I'm not saying I don't care about the final product and I'd enjoy drawing an action scene more than a bowl of fruit, but either way I wouldn't dislike what I was doing just like some things more if that makes sense.

As for IP rights, yeah that can be hell to deal with but compared to say working in a restaurant kitchen (which I've done) or even my current job as a substitute teacher it's a whole lot better.
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