For decades gaming has been the programmer equivalent of the waiter-actor/waitress-actress in Hollywood trying for their big break.
The competitiveness and desire to work there is what drives these insane working conditions.
The big difference is this: If you have the skills to work in the gaming industry, you also have the skills to work in another software industry that will compensate you appropriately.
Nobody needs to work 100 hours a week on salary for at a AAA studio who will discard you.
The key message is this:
AAA productions are losing touch with their audiences and spending unholy amounts of money on garbage games. (this is accelerating just like Hollywood).
Unlike the poor actor/actress who has to suck Spacey/Wienstein's dick, YOU have options. Go work a boring 9-5 webapp job with benefits and then hack on a game with a few passionate friends with a vision of something AWESOME.
The Internet levels the playing field for us. Minecraft is an excellent example of this.
The competitiveness and desire to work there is what drives these insane working conditions.
The big difference is this: If you have the skills to work in the gaming industry, you also have the skills to work in another software industry that will compensate you appropriately.
Nobody needs to work 100 hours a week on salary for at a AAA studio who will discard you.
The key message is this:
AAA productions are losing touch with their audiences and spending unholy amounts of money on garbage games. (this is accelerating just like Hollywood).
Unlike the poor actor/actress who has to suck Spacey/Wienstein's dick, YOU have options. Go work a boring 9-5 webapp job with benefits and then hack on a game with a few passionate friends with a vision of something AWESOME.
The Internet levels the playing field for us. Minecraft is an excellent example of this.