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Break Into The Game Industry: How to Get A Job Making Video Games

Average customer rating:

Must Have for Everyone Interested in Game Design
excellent resource - slightly misleading title
For true neophytes, primary, high schoolers, college applicants. Not experienced hobbyists or graduates
If only I had this book when I was starting out
NOT what i thought it would be....

Break Into The Game Industry: How to Get A Job Making Video Games
Ernest Adams
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0072226609

Book Description

Find out from an industry veteran exactly what you need to do to become a game designer, tester, artist, producer, programmer, writer, soundtrack composer, videographer, or sales/marketing professional. You’ll get full-spectrum coverage of positions available within the game industry as well as details on how a game is created--from start to finish--and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Must Have for Everyone Interested in Game Design.......2007-05-24

This book is a perfect edition for anyone who wants to know how a game industry works, inside and out. Between talking about game design docs in depth, going through each job and what you need for it, and the indexes in the back that give you links to get you on your way, I reccommend it to everyone who wants to be in the business.

excellent resource - slightly misleading title.......2007-04-25

This book is an excellent resource for those looking to learn about the business of making video games. Ernest Adams succeeds in becoming your trusted mentor. By the time you have finished reading this you will feel as if you can just drop by his cubicle and fire off a bunch of new questions and listen to some more war stories. The title is a bit misleading as the actual "how-to-get-a-job-in-the-industry" content is withheld until near the end. When finally delivered it seems a bit thin. Get the book anyway because the war stories, inside info, and comprehensive overviews of the numerous roles within the industry make it completely worthwhile.

For true neophytes, primary, high schoolers, college applicants. Not experienced hobbyists or graduates.......2006-02-02

My quick review of Break Into the Game Industry - How to get a job making video games by Ernest Adams.

This book is a very light read and aimed specifically at real neophytes who enjoy games and are giving a passing thought at doing something in games for a living without much knowledge of the industry. If you've grown up with the industry and are doing the indie or trying to break in thing, this isn't for you. Book can be pretty much read in one night, and for a lot of people there's a lot you can skim.

However, I would recommend this book VERY STRONGLY as a purchase for high school or even primary school children researching this as a possible career path. It pretty much covers a lot of things you need to get started *early*. Don't wait till you hit "working age" to start like I did. It's the only book out there that really targets kids and not working professionals trying to get in. It spends an entire chapter (and more) on how you should plan your education, what to look for, courses that will help etc. This stuff is good stuff, not the usual BS from "How to choose a college" guides.

There is also a very good summary of publishing contracts in there, that might be unfamiliar territory for a lot of people. Even though it wasn't new to me, I'm still photocopying it for something I can refer to if anything as a very good summary reference (I borrowed the book ).

Some of the best stuff is at the end in the appendices. There are huge lists of game companies and schools for anybody that is looking to apply at either. Book mentions that they are available at gamasutra as well but it doesn't hurt to have a hard copy. There is also the IGDA curriculum framework in there too, something which I wish my current school would have spent more time taking to heart instead of just looking at buzzwords.

Bottom line is, this is still a loaner for the most part. If you've been highly specialised in one area, this book can help catch you up from a more generalist perspective. There are some great war stories in there as well, but I can't recommend buying the book just for them. For anyone at primary school level, or looking at college this book should merit serious consideration as a purchase.

If only I had this book when I was starting out.......2004-02-28

Video Game design is a highly demanding, tireless, thankless, competative, ruthless, cuthroat profession, whose sucess stories wade in the sea of design hopefuls crushed by the neverending relentless expectations of this occupation. For those still interested, keep reading.
If you think you are ready to give this a shot, then buy this book. While nothing will prepare you for video game design like your first week of work, ( so called " Hell Week" in the industry) Adams begins to lay the foundation for the tough road ahead. If only this book had been around before, for instance when I was a gopher over at EA Sports in the early 1990's, the heyday of NHL hockey and FIFA Soccer, the so called glory days when maverick designers created their own rules, coded at the seat of their pants and got paid the big bucks. I saw it all, saw the craziness, saw the mayhem, and then saw it get even worse. I would have been better off with this book, and so would anyone.

In the past decade, things have changed. Its a travesty that there has been a "brain drain" from the video game design sector in the past couple of years. We need the best and the brightest to design the future placaters of the masses. Now they are no longer interested in the field because of the crazy hacks that have taken over, rescinded the protocol and the bucked the accountability. Buy this book now.

NOT what i thought it would be...........2003-11-02

I am an experienced computer professional, who decided to change professions, which also makes me a recent graduate of a 3D animation school(i graduated at the top of my class). I purchased this book based on mary-margaret.com's(supposedly one of the best game recruiters) recomendation AND based on the other reviews listed for this book. I really thought this book would be informative. I was WRONG. This book was a huge WASTE of money. And I am not sure that the other reviews listed for this book are even from REAL buyers... I definately do not share their opinion.

This book was basically a waste of money, because it only gives you general information that most people already know. For example on page 189 the section "How to find a Job" starts. The first paragraph is a "its not what you know, its WHO you know." section. How is that supposed to help recent graduates or professionals changing professions?

In short, this book is NOT for professionals or graduates. It might be useful to high school students, who need might need to learn how to focus their career goals towards an game career... but even then i am not sure how it would help when they get to the position of actually trying to get the job.

TOTALLY DISSATISFIED, and WISH I could get my money back! This was a highway robbery at its best.

Break Into The Game Industry: How to Get A Job Making Video Games
Average customer rating:
Break Into The Game Industry: How to Get A Job Making Video Games
Ernest Adams
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG6AT0

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