Entering the industry?

[ItsASquid]

So I realise this is a totally "where did that come from?" question, but I need some advice for ASAP.

I was recently diagnosed with an upper-airway problem after years of discrediting an anxiety diagnosis. Due to the fact my breathing is going to keep me out of my old dream career, and indeed from doing normal, everyday activities, I want to go into my original love; video games! Years ago I was put off because I was told the industry would "develop too fast for someone like me." In other words, I'm not very smart and couldn't keep up. However now we have a market for more simple stuff, and this, I've been told, is a career that can cater for people with less mobility like me, and has a wide variety of work areas. My concerns are as follows:

- QA or something else? I can't afford another degree course and can't get the funding for it.
- Working from home? I seriously cannot commute across distances with my breathing as it is.
- I'm a UK citizen, and I can't think of any major companies who would take someone on.
- I've made a pair of Gamemaker games (one on my own and one with a friend who is already hired by a UK studio!) and started to look at Unreal Engine once before. What else can I do?
- I have no artistic talent - do I stand a chance?!

Can I please ask for advice from anyone in the game's industry on how to get started in pursuing this? I have lots of ideas for games, concepts and designs, and while I can't draw, I can think of good music. I also LOVE finding glitches in games - they're so fun to mess with over and over again. Thank you!

 

[NekoTony]

I am currently designing items for a upcoming remake of a MMO (ik not a video game) that died in 2009. I personally like to say that a college degree would help you get a job (Since i'm a teen i don't have one). Since you don't have any artistic abilities (As said on OP) i would suggest working in Development (Coding the game), Marketing (Advertisement, profit, etc), or even work on the creative side of the game (Provide the ideas for the game). I also heard that people get paid to test out new videos games ^-^.

 

[LeifEriksson]

So I realise this is a totally "where did that come from?" question, but I need some advice for ASAP.

I was recently diagnosed with an upper-airway problem after years of discrediting an anxiety diagnosis. Due to the fact my breathing is going to keep me out of my old dream career, and indeed from doing normal, everyday activities, I want to go into my original love; video games! Years ago I was put off because I was told the industry would "develop too fast for someone like me." In other words, I'm not very smart and couldn't keep up. However now we have a market for more simple stuff, and this, I've been told, is a career that can cater for people with less mobility like me, and has a wide variety of work areas. My concerns are as follows:

- QA or something else? I can't afford another degree course and can't get the funding for it.
- Working from home? I seriously cannot commute across distances with my breathing as it is.
- I'm a UK citizen, and I can't think of any major companies who would take someone on.
- I've made a pair of Gamemaker games (one on my own and one with a friend who is already hired by a UK studio!) and started to look at Unreal Engine once before. What else can I do?
- I have no artistic talent - do I stand a chance?!

Can I please ask for advice from anyone in the game's industry on how to get started in pursuing this? I have lots of ideas for games, concepts and designs, and while I can't draw, I can think of good music. I also LOVE finding glitches in games - they're so fun to mess with over and over again. Thank you!

Hmmm, if you can do music, I think people would be pretty quick to hire you if it's any good. Do you have anything I could listen to?

 

[finalark]

- I've made a pair of Gamemaker games (one on my own and one with a friend who is already hired by a UK studio!) and started to look at Unreal Engine once before. What else can I do?
- I have no artistic talent - do I stand a chance?!

I also LOVE finding glitches in games - they're so fun to mess with over and over again. Thank you!

It's okay if you're not artistically inclined. It looks to me like you have a knack for the tech side of things and you might manage to find a cozy career as a code monkey if you have the time and money for a degree. Or if you have the time and will to learn it yourself create a portfolio to present yourself with.

I am currently designing items for a upcoming remake of a MMO (ik not a video game) that died in 2009.

Since when the hell are MMOs not video games?

 

[ItsASquid]

Hmmm, if you can do music, I think people would be pretty quick to hire you if it's any good. Do you have anything I could listen to?

Not yet I'm afraid. I'm watching videos about FruityLoops program but I can't afford the full software yet. The only thing I've ever actually made music on myself is WarioWare DIY (XD). One of my friends has come to me to music-based help though. I used the same game to help him come up with music for his own indie game.

It's okay if you're not artistically inclined. It looks to me like you have a knack for the tech side of things and you might manage to find a cozy career as a code monkey if you have the time and money for a degree. Or if you have the time and will to learn it yourself create a portfolio to present yourself with.

It looks as though I'm a dab hand at level design and making the initial design documentation. I breezed through that after a sudden visit from the inspiration gods (per se). In short, I had a dream about a game concept, and spent the majority of today getting the ideas together. Question. Is a game made in Gamemaker Studios likely to be held in regard?

The ideas are basically all things I know I could do, either at my current skill level or with a little more training. They're also all possible to play on mobile devices and I could make initial concepts without actually needing full artwork until the last minute;


- You Are Humanity. A top-down survival stealth game where you have a particularly vulnerable lead character in a wake of zombies. A cross between Metal Gear, Resident Evil and The Legend of Zelda. Scenarios include navigating huge hordes, escaping a giant threat, "dungeons" and cool-down search and find areas. (CURRENT CONCEPT I AM WORKING WITH)

- High Treason. A top-down adventure where you steer a pirate ship. Heavily inspired by a forgotten Playstation gem, Overboard, and a touch of Assassin's Creed Black Flag.

- Ant Marathon. Riding the wake of Slither.io's success, another top-down game. A cartoon racer with minimalist graphics to support massive online multiplayer. This will likely be the easiest project to make once I learn the basics of mascot racing game coding.

- Albatross Heights. I came up with this idea years ago, and while it's the most complex in terms of level design, I can't wait to try and make it once I learn how! It's a golf platformer hybrid in side-on 2D. Hit the ball along crazy-golf esque courses, but make sure you can reach where you send it!

 

[NekoTony]

It's okay if you're not artistically inclined. It looks to me like you have a knack for the tech side of things and you might manage to find a cozy career as a code monkey if you have the time and money for a degree. Or if you have the time and will to learn it yourself create a portfolio to present yourself with.



Since when the hell are MMOs not video games?

It's not a video game cuz it's consider as an online game since it's online.

 

[finalark]

It's not a video game cuz it's consider as an online game since it's online.

That's like saying Magic isn't a table top game because it uses cards.

 

[NekoTony]

That's like saying Magic isn't a table top game because it uses cards.

Plus I was referring THAT MMO not MMO in general