RI.P. game developers

[DaedalRogue]

For SupCom - I ran the test lab, helped design aspects of the campaign experience, and did the usability testing for the new UI and interface. Actually some of the stuff like the side screen scrolling I didn't want implemented, I wanted to force the users to grow accustomed to the zoom and stop the scrolling around business that everything else used and I found worthless.

On Forged Alliance, I was moved from test to production, I organized all game dialog, managed the map design team and the campaign designers. I had a large role in scripting new lines with the writer to fit things that made the characters feel more real. Most of the difficulty in the normal and hard settings were based off my gameplay results. So in the campaign you're somewhat playing against an AI designed to make me feel entertained. The map design and campaign teams were amazing to work with. Had long discussions with the lead designer, a very intelligent fellow, and plenty of work done with the writer, another insightful individual. The Associate Producer on the project sat next to me and we gained a strong working friendship.

Really I did more than that, as the company is independent they don't have the funds to pay for specialists in every job. Got to wear many hats, got to learn many skills and wouldn't trade the work I did there for anything.

[Ghiest]

Really I did more than that, as the company is independent they don't have the funds to pay for specialists in every job. Got to wear many hats, got to learn many skills and wouldn't trade the work I did there for anything.

I hear you on that one mate, I do about 6 different titled jobs but my paygrade is of a grunt who does most of the leg work, it's what you have to do to maintain a job in the industry at the moment.  Allot of the major software houses are recruiting youngsters out of university and dumping the experienced (read : more expensive) people on the street.  EA had a bad rep for doing this for the last 10 years but we are finding that allot more companies are doing it now, this is good for the people coming out of university ... well, in the way good they find a job, but bad that they are almost forced to work for little pay for as much as 60 hours a week + crunch time  with little or no over time benefits.

[Punisher1]

So what do you make a year in a rounded figure?

[Ghiest]

Average pay for the art and tech art department is around £38,000 a year, I get a bit more because I've taken on allot more work, but don't you know it's rude to ask someone how much they get paid in the uk .  But it really does depend on experience on how much you can look to get payed, and also varies wildly across the globe (for example in the UK the average wage is £14,500).