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How can I get into the video game industry without a programming background?

By admin On March 8, 2010 Under Video Game
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How can I get into the video game industry without a programming background?

I’m looking for a career. I’ve been playing video games all my life, I still have my Atari 2600 from when I was still an infant.

I am currently a chef, food is wonderful and all and it is a career but all of my days I can find the most passion in video games.

Being a tester is great and all, but the measly pay isn’t going to pay the bills. I’ve tried writing reviews for games but I can’t seem to. I’m pretty good at video games, but I’m not the best, and wouldn’t make a top spot in competitions (I’ve tried). I’ve also tried programming and I couldn’t take the monotony, it wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t easy, but sitting down for hours wasn’t something I could take.

So do senior testers make more? Is there some other position I haven’t thought of?

Thanks in advance,
Zanduar

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2 comments - add yours
cadelarge

March 8, 2010

With your experience, passion and obvious affinity for interacting with people versus machines, I would say see if you can nail down a sales or marketing position with a game manufacturer or retailer. In this case, you will sell your game knowledge and passion and offer to learn the marketing and sales stuff which is doable. You gotta inventory your transferable skills.

Search job boards and gaming company career sites for openings to see what the qualifications are. Also, work your network for people who know people who work in gaming companies as the best way to get a job is through personal referral.

Good luck and happy new year!

Paraclete Performance

emucompboy

March 8, 2010

1. As a designer/entrepreneur. You’ll get financing and start your own company. You hire talented people to make your game visions. You sell your games to another publisher.
2. As a graphic artist. These days, you’ll want 3D modeling and 3d model animation. You could get by making “textures” for the models others make.
3. As a musician/sound artist. You’ll compose scores for games, play them on a MIDI instrument, and process them using tools for whatever particular platform you’re working with (the lead engineer will help you with this).
4. You’ve already mentioned being a tester. Well. The hours are lousy, and the programmers will hate you sometimes.
5. You’ve mentioned you don’t want to do the programming, so you won’t want to be a programmer or an engineer.

The one position for which you’re undeniably qualified is…
chef.
Microsoft has a large campus in Redmond Washington, with a large cafeteria (I got to eat there). Go get ‘em!