Customer Reviews

Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I thought this book was going to be for people who aren't yet actually -in- the game industry, but all of the sample resumes are for people with tons and tons of experience. The first one is for a Producer who has already produced 32 successful games! How is that supposed to help me write my resume?

But the book starts with a list of programming languages used, and tells you why each one is important! So who is that for? Because these people with 10 or 15 or 32 games to their credit already must know all that stuff.

I'm not sure I believe very much of what this guy says. He says that you should never use the mail to send your resume because it shows you are technically illiterate, but then he tells you to stick post it notes to your resume, and not to use brightly colored paper -- well, how do I stick a post-it note to my emailed resume?

And is it possible that any hiring manager would really be influenced by a post-it note on the resume saying "I'm the person you're looking for!", or even worse, a telegram (a telegram?) after the interview, saying "I really want this job!" I'm not in the game industry, but in my industry, that kind of thing would mark you as a flake.

Of course, the telegram doesn't -say- that, it -states- that, because this guy writes pretty badly, and thinks that everything has to be -stated- instead of just -said-, like that makes it more important.

But how the book is written isn't important, I just wanted the information, and he pretty much just ignores people in my situation, trying to move into games from another industry.

I can't figure out who this book is supposed to be for. It sure isn't "all things to all people", but it isn't for people like me, either.

I will say that this book definitely has a lot of useful information for those people (like me) who are still in the process of obtaining an education and/or training. Additionally, there is a lot of useful information for people who have been in the game industry for a few years. My main problems with the book concern the numerous grammatical errors and redundant statements. I know this doesn't chiefly concern the content of the book; however, it is just kind of frustrating that at least 3 times I remember reading subsequent paragraphs that started with the same sentence or idea. It literally looks like he made two versions of the same paragraph and forgot to take the other one out! Additionally, as others have said, his job seeking tactics seem exceedingly aggressive in my opinion. Now he obviously has more experience than me. I just feel that some of the advice is over the top. I will give him credit though for forcing me to realize the opportunities available when you really really work at self-promotion. I have no problem recommending this book to others, but if you are a grammar freak like me you may have to take some deep breaths and relax before diving into it :)

I read his book and started networking and marketing myself. 6 months later through a contact I got through networking I got a job as a Content Manager for a AAA game company.

It's all who you know and how well you can network to get there. The game developers are a small tight-knit group who rely on other people's referrals.

Marc's tips got me started creating a database of game developers and keeping touch with those contacts. I also redid my resume according to his advice and it really stood out.

I did other things on the side: Create modifications for existing games (Unreal, Half-Life), reworked my demo reel (also using advice from Marc's book), and worked as an intern for a 3-D design company. But this book was the glue that held all those parts together.

This is a great book and well worth the money. My current position can testify to that.

This book is an excellent overview of the game industry. It goes into some detail regarding the different positions and the rolls people play within a game company; programmers, producers, artists and some of the specialties within each category. Marc takes the time to explain the basic skill sets that are expected of a candidate and suggests a few ways of making yourself stand out from the crowd.

It contains a good deal of practical advise for the beginner who wants to break into the industry and certainly does it's best to dispel some of the myths that surround it (you will not be playing games all day at work!). He also has some good refreshers for those of us who have been around for a while that we all need to be reminded of on occasion (Network!).

This book is not a magic bullet, but nothing could be... but it sure give some good suggestions on how to aim.

Sure I learned a lot of random information while reading this book, that's most of what I learned random information. The author's proposals for how to get a job in the industry are to a high extent unnecessary. For example his methods on how to get noticed are to "network!" as he keeps repeating. Apperently he grew up around his mom's recruiting business and loved to ritualisticaly speak in public. So from his knowledge of public speaking he dictates that you should give all new people you meet in the industry a 1 minute blurb establishing both your credibility and past knowledge.
In my opinion that's not the right way to go. Who talks for a straight minute following the first few seconds of meeting someone?
It just seems to be like in many parts of the book he was just making up for lack of things to write about. I don't want to over-criticize this guy because the book did provide me with at least a dip into the pool of information of what it actually means to be in the industry; however small and stretched out that dip might have been. In my opinion this book should be 400 pages long instead of 280 for all of the information it claims to cover. Although much of this could have been averted if the the author were actually a good writer. I found myself getting lost after reading for longer than half an hour. The writing isn't up to par to be honest.

I've always dreamed of getting into the game industry but have always had lingering doubts about what it takes to break into this industry. Get Into The Game not only sheds light into the secretive inner workings of the game industry, but teaches how to nail down those elusive interviews. Regardless of what type of work I may end up doing, the techniques in this book dealing with networking oneself to the available job market will be a great help. Throughout all the independent research I've done, I have never come across articles or books that actually deal with landing a job, only the requirements for such jobs. For a change, there is a definite running theme in the book which (ironically enough) deals with getting an actual job in the game industry. Topics include; the pros' and cons' of using recruiting groups versus marketing yourself independently, the development of an effective demo reel, the do's and don'ts of interviews, and how to stay employed once hired.

Be warned all you readers not serious about working in this industry... this book may not be for you. It doesn't paint any pretty pictures about making video games, its not all fun and games. It's full of stories about meeting deadlines and dealing with 100 hour work weeks during `crunch time.' Also mentioned is the emerging trend of underpaid, over worked, programmers. If you are expecting to read about how much fun one can look forward in this career, well, get ready for a shock. However, the book points out very clearly that it is one of the most rewarding jobs out there.

This book gets a definitive 5 stars. There has been books dealing with video game history, but to my knowledge, this is the first book dealing with the inner workings of the industry. As a college student looking for answers about the video game industry, I found this book to be a great help in shaping my studies to come.

Thanks Marc!

Ok, first off. If you want to get in to the games industry then buy this book. If you dont then you are just cheating yourself. I have learnt more from this book than all the other design books conbined. While most books seem reasonably happy to bombard you with complicated and confusing infomation, this book presents every topic very clear and concise. It takes you through all the areas of game development with great detail yet acknowledges that you are new to a lot of things and does its very best to give you a good understanding. Before reading this book I was very unclear on a lot of industry related infomation. But not now thanks to Marc Mencher acting as my personal tutor page after page. Finally I have a structured plan on how I am going to break in to the industry. Before reading Get In The Game I really had no idea of how I was going to get in to my dream job. Now however I have a great understanding of what I have to learn and everything I need to do. I now have a great degree of confidence and with Marc Mencher's advice I have began networking. I really can not think of anything negative to say about this book. Ok, so the resume section could of been a little better executed but it was there to teach you how to put together a good resume and thats what its done. On top of all that it has a very useful resource catalogue. Please for your own benefit buy this book. It will really help you. I cannot thank Marc enough for putting together this fantastic book.

This book explains in detail the inner workings of the video game industry. I have found it to be a great resource and very informative. Not only will it teach you how everything works behind the scenes, it will also give you some pretty good advice on how to get into the industry.

The first chapter is a bit weak (about the history of the game industry), but it is easy to overlook (you can find thorough histories of the industry in several places on the internet). That's why I gave only 4 stars though. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in getting a job in the game industry. This book is filled with valuable information.

I am a graduate advisor at Westwood College and I really enjoyed this book. Marc really knows what he is talking about and I have started recommending the book to students here at school who are looking for some guidance. While I agree with another reviewer, the resumes are all based on people with experience, if you actually read the whole book, Marc states that he does not recruit for new students or encourage them to use a recruiter. This book is designed for students and people who are looking to stay competitive in the dynamic gaming industry. Saying that Marc is just a head-hunter and doesn't know what he is talking about is also wrong, all you have to do is read his bio and the book. Well done Marc, thanks for taking the time to put this together!

I've been in the industry for ten years and I still learned things from this book. It has simple, surface truths and also deeper, specific suggestions that you might never come up with on your own.

I'm constantly asked by folks, "How do I get a job in the games industry" and this is a great answer to that. It won't get them the job, but it answers the question far better than I can in an email or over a beer. And it has some great references in the back to help someone find even more sources of information.

I've also enjoyed giving this book to the sons and daughters of friends -- high school aged kids who don't know what they want to do in life but like video games. It doesn't hurt to get them started thinking about their career.

Hope this helps.