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Of course you can stop being exploited as a game developer by leaving the games industry---but why should people be forced to change their career in order to av

Of course you can stop being exploited as a game developer by leaving the games industry---but why should people be forced to change their career in order to avoid exploitation?

ctdonath 7y ago
They are welcome to jump in independently, produce their own games, and compete with the rest. They will then learn the realities of "GET IT DONE", that those whining at management about >40hr work weeks get trounced by those viewing projects as "24/7 with bio breaks". It's not about whether you have a right to follow a chosen career. It's about that chosen career being chosen by many more people than the market can support, the competition being ferocious, and the reality that those wanting to get it right get run over by those getting it DONE.
magduf 7y ago
There's only so many jobs available in a career field. If there's far more people clamoring to take those jobs than positions available, why should employers bother to pay them more than a pittance? The employer who pays extremely well will be uncompetitive compared to the other employers. If employees don't like this, they should stop trying to get these terribly-compensated jobs, and go to other industries. There is a shortage of qualified developers in other industries. Salaries are very high, working conditions are generally good, so why do these masochists insist on "pursuing their passion" in the games field where this isn't the case? I'm sorry, I have no sympathy. It's not like these people don't have options. This is seriously a "first world problem" here. The big problem is that too many people seem to think that people have some kind of "right" to a career. They don't. As a society, people should have the right to a decent job and livelihood, I will agree. However, no one has the right to do their dream job, and get paid a fortune for doing it! Careers are subject to the laws of supply and demand like anything else, and games are not something vital to society where the government has any business stepping in with regulation to keep things running smoothly, as it does with things like electric utilities, infrastructure, education, or aviation safety.
bubblewrap 7y ago
Because nobody is entitled to a job. Nobody should be forced to give you money. If they don't need your services, why should they? I guess game development is more like wanting to be an artist. What if I want to make a living making paintings? Should people/society be forced to buy my paintings? I don't think so. It's my job to convince people to buy my paintings, and if I fail, too bad. Back to selling fries.
Tiktaalik 7y ago
It is also worth noting that many of the skills in the games industry are highly specialized to the games industry. Games is kind of like a 'galapagos island' to its own. Most games developers won't know any language other than C++, won't know anything about the web, won't know anything about databases, etc....
- crazy1van 7y ago
  C++ is consistently one of the most popular programming languages [0]. Large-project, high-performance C++ programming that a game developer likely possesses is probably one of the most broadly portable programming skills a person could have. [0] https://www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index/cplusplus/ https://www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index/cplusplus/
sigstoat 7y ago
> but why should people be forced to change their career in order to avoid exploitation? "change their career"? come on, it isn't as though they're being asked to become coal miners or journalists. just go compete for some of the jobs doing scientific visualization software, or take some other high paying software job.
tathougies 7y ago
> but why should people be forced to change their career in order to avoid exploitation? You've got to be kidding, right?
grigjd3 7y ago
Don't know why someone is entitled to a particular career. Change can be hard but I certainly wasn't ever promised an easy life.

Of course you can stop being exploited as a game developer by leaving the games industry---but why should people be forced to change their career in order to avoid exploitation?

ctdonath 7y ago

They are welcome to jump in independently, produce their own games, and compete with the rest. They will then learn the realities of "GET IT DONE", that those whining at management about >40hr work weeks get trounced by those viewing projects as "24/7 with bio breaks". It's not about whether you have a right to follow a chosen career. It's about that chosen career being chosen by many more people than the market can support, the competition being ferocious, and the reality that those wanting to get it right get run over by those getting it DONE.

magduf 7y ago

There's only so many jobs available in a career field. If there's far more people clamoring to take those jobs than positions available, why should employers bother to pay them more than a pittance? The employer who pays extremely well will be uncompetitive compared to the other employers. If employees don't like this, they should stop trying to get these terribly-compensated jobs, and go to other industries. There is a shortage of qualified developers in other industries. Salaries are very high, working conditions are generally good, so why do these masochists insist on "pursuing their passion" in the games field where this isn't the case? I'm sorry, I have no sympathy. It's not like these people don't have options. This is seriously a "first world problem" here. The big problem is that too many people seem to think that people have some kind of "right" to a career. They don't. As a society, people should have the right to a decent job and livelihood, I will agree. However, no one has the right to do their dream job, and get paid a fortune for doing it! Careers are subject to the laws of supply and demand like anything else, and games are not something vital to society where the government has any business stepping in with regulation to keep things running smoothly, as it does with things like electric utilities, infrastructure, education, or aviation safety.

bubblewrap 7y ago

Because nobody is entitled to a job. Nobody should be forced to give you money. If they don't need your services, why should they? I guess game development is more like wanting to be an artist. What if I want to make a living making paintings? Should people/society be forced to buy my paintings? I don't think so. It's my job to convince people to buy my paintings, and if I fail, too bad. Back to selling fries.

Tiktaalik 7y ago

It is also worth noting that many of the skills in the games industry are highly specialized to the games industry. Games is kind of like a 'galapagos island' to its own. Most games developers won't know any language other than C++, won't know anything about the web, won't know anything about databases, etc....

crazy1van 7y ago
C++ is consistently one of the most popular programming languages [0]. Large-project, high-performance C++ programming that a game developer likely possesses is probably one of the most broadly portable programming skills a person could have. [0] https://www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index/cplusplus/ https://www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index/cplusplus/

sigstoat 7y ago

> but why should people be forced to change their career in order to avoid exploitation? "change their career"? come on, it isn't as though they're being asked to become coal miners or journalists. just go compete for some of the jobs doing scientific visualization software, or take some other high paying software job.

tathougies 7y ago

> but why should people be forced to change their career in order to avoid exploitation? You've got to be kidding, right?

grigjd3 7y ago

Don't know why someone is entitled to a particular career. Change can be hard but I certainly wasn't ever promised an easy life.