Want to join the game industry? Get an internship.

‘Nough said.

Don’t bother trying to get a programmer, producer, or even a Q/A job when you have nothing industry related on your resume. Go out and apply for any internship positions at local video game developers. They’re constantly looking for additional help, especially when it’s cheap. Ideally aim for a company that has over 100 employees, at least when they’re located in California, because it is a law that they must pay anyone who works for the company – including interns!

Internships are also a great way to realize what real job you want in the company/industry. If you play your cards right you could end up with a job at the company that you interned at in only a few months. It’s the easiest way to break into the industry because you are not required to really have skills in anything. That’s the point of an internship it’s for you to learn and gain experience. Never ask about salary unless it is brought up during the interview or on the first day of work.

You are worthless to this company until you show them you can actually do work at a fast pace. Even if you don’t want to work on developing games directly there are plenty of other jobs that a game developer needs – HR, financing, IT, etc. At many studios you will be working with some of the brightest minds in any industry. Come to your job with an open mind and a ready to learn attitude and you’ll do great! 

Xbox 360 price cut this Holiday season?

This has been a recently debated issue and I must say no. The price will not be lowered until at least mid-2007. The 360 is in no threat of the PS3, I say PS3 and not Wii because Microsoft is more so competing against Sony and not Nintendo.

The PS3 will only have a couple million units to the market this Holiday. When the stores are out of them the consumers will buy the 360. The PS3 will be out of stock at least until February, just like Microsoft was with the 360. The PS3 may even have a longer drought than the 360 because it’s a more complex machine.

The next reason is that Microsoft needs the Games Division to turn a profit. Now that the production costs of the 360 are decreasing, as more units come into supply, Microsoft may just be able to sell enough software to out-weigh the hardware cost.

Another reason is price value. You look at the 360 and see $399 for the high-end while the PS3 is $499 for the high-end, the consumer will question why when the games look exactly the same! The first wave of PS3 games will look very similar to the graphic quality of the 360 games. It won’t be years until there’s an actual difference here. The consumer will think that they get more bang for their buck.

With their saved $100 they’ll be able to spend it on a much larger library with more variety than the few PS3 launch titles.

It’s next holiday that Microsoft needs to “worry” about the 360’s price. Microsoft will most likely act in response to any price cut that Sony makes. Microsoft has the advantage and it’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

Of course we don’t have to even get into why Nintendo’s Wii will outsell the 360 and the PS3 over the long haul.

Businesses that aren’t looking to the future

Netflix and Gamefly

Both are good companies. Both are worthless companies.

In the near future you will not have to rent movies or games on disks, so what will these two companies do? Offer downloadable titles? But how will they compete amongst the giants who will offer similar services? Amazon, Apple, Sony, etc.

Both Netflix and Gamefly will become worthless but nostalgic nonetheless. This is the company model that you want to avoid. Why would you ever think about short-term!?

Would we have Amazon, XM Radio, Microsoft, etc if they all thought about the short-term? No, I don’t think so…

Sound and Music

They are the most emersive elements in the game. That is why they are so important. Sound effects and music are able to bring a player into your world and make them stay. 

Also music is one of the best ways to advertise! If you have a great tune people will get it stuck in their heads and think about it whether that be humming or whistling. Eventually someone will ask them what tune that is. Just look at the Mario theme, if you start to whistle it around your friends they’ll start to join in. 

Instant Gratification

Truly the only job in this industry where you receive instant gratification is Public Relations/Marketing. You get to setup the parties, spread word of mouth, deal with the sales of your game, etc. In comparison to the other jobs this one is much more fast paced. The only problem is that once the game has been released, after a while you’re not needed anymore unless there’s a new project being released soon. So job stability is definitely that that high. Your in the department that the company cuts from first. :(Â