How hard is it to work at rockstar games?

[Overkilled]

I just started computer science properly, I'm still learning the basics of python atm. I know its about 10 years away but lets say it all goes to plan I get into one of the top 10 uni's in the UK (hopefully Lancaster) finish uni and start looking for a job will companies like rockstar games for example be looking for people with previous experience? I hear the hours are extremely stressful and many find they dont really have a life outside of.rockstar, apparently they underpay and mistreat employees there too?

[Aytex]

every company has the possibilities of mistreating their workers you never know for sure 

[Nineshadow]

One word : experience.

[themaniac]

why work for someone when you can work for yourself

[Overkilled]

why work for someone when you can work for yourself

it's not actually possible to make and publish a pc/console game individually

[themaniac]

it's not actually possible to make and publish a pc/console game individually

well thats what i plan on doing

[Overkilled]

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Rockstar-Games-Reviews-E20887_P2.htm

[CaptainPebbleDash]

Only you know yourself what you truly want. If you get to the point of where your working for Rockstar and you do get mistreated then I'm sure you've got enough respect for yourself to do something about it.

 

Just think about what happens in the future nearer to the time. Nothing wrong with planning but don't fixate so much on the little details, just strive to achieve and with enough ambition I'm sure you'll do fine.

[ThatOneGuyThatFlew]

You'll need years of experience for even some small indie companies to hire you

[ICantThinkOfAnyGoodName]

well thats what i plan on doing

Most of the time when people try that they aren't actually able to actually earn enough money to not need a job.

[Sauron]

Sorry for bursting your bubble here, but "working at rockstar" doesn't mean you get to design the next gta. You'd get technical programming tasks just like anywhere else, and you'll have no say in what you need to accomplish, just on the how (and you better be quick about it). You wouldn't get to say, "uhm, I don't like this mechanic, let's do it differently!" because that's the way you get fired. Unless you worked for a small company like, say, id software (which is owned by bethesda but is still allowed to do their own thing for the most part) game development would be extremely impersonal. You might just as well work for any other software house.

 

And yes, to be hired in a large company like that with such specific overall goals you'd need years of previous experience - assuming they're even hiring.

[themaniac]

Most of the time when people try that they aren't actually able to actually earn enough money to not need a job.

thats why i want to start and get a reputation soon, but cant right now because unreal engine is not compatible with my laptop and ,y dad wont let me take the dell he just bought that will end up just being put in the basement not to be used, and i plan on getting a job

[pjm0925]

Sorry for bursting your bubble here, but "working at rockstar" doesn't mean you get to design the next gta. You'd get technical programming tasks just like anywhere else, and you'll have no say in what you need to accomplish, just on the how (and you better be quick about it). You wouldn't get to say, "uhm, I don't like this mechanic, let's do it differently!" because that's the way you get fired. Unless you worked for a small company like, say, id software (which is owned by bethesda but is still allowed to do their own thing for the most part) game development would be extremely impersonal. You might just as well work for any other software house.

 

And yes, to be hired in a large company like that with such specific overall goals you'd need years of previous experience - assuming they're even hiring.

 

I'd agree with this from what I heard.  I think I read an interview a long time ago with someone who designed the footprints left by a player character in some game.  Days of working on footprints, and nothing else.  Actually made working at a dev studio sound really shitty.  I'm sure you have to make the mechanics in line with what the lead designer has specified, there will be no room for individual flair.

 

But the good news is we have tools like Unity where we can do things on our own.  I'd suggest learning as much as you can starting there and move on as you learn.  Put together a portfolio of cool stuff you've created/designed that you can show people.  Find other like minded people and form a dev group with them.  In the long run I bet you'd get more personal satisfaction out of that then the guy did designing the footprints.

[Guest]

it's not actually possible to make and publish a pc/console game individually

So what are indie games then?

[NJHourigan]

ooooo year 10, I just got my results from my computing gcse. But yeah you're probably not going to end up working for them

[Guest]

ooooo year 10, I just got my results from my computing gcse. But yeah you're probably not going to end up working for them

 

Why not? 

 

Not with that attitude he won't 

[NJHourigan]

Why not? 

 

Not with that attitude he won't 

because chances are he isn't even going to actually end up wanting to work for them still, by time he's been to uni and everything, and then if he does still want to do it, like everybody has been saying it's still going to  be really, really tough. Like I'm all for him trying but... 

[Sauron]

it's not actually possible to make and publish a pc/console game individually

 

you can publish whatever you want whenever you want for pc. of course nothing guarantees it will get on steam, but you can publish it on your own website if you so desire. To publish on a console you'd need microsoft/sony/nintendo's approval.

[Overkilled]

you can publish whatever you want whenever you want for pc. of course nothing guarantees it will get on steam, but you can publish it on your own website if you so desire. To publish on a console you'd need microsoft/sony/nintendo's approval.

In my previous post I mentioned console, sure you can make a game or app but the chances that it'll sell multimillions of copies over 3 platforms is almost impossible if your a indie developer, if your a company like EA, Activision, Ubisoft or Rockstar its a different story

[roastduck]

it's not actually possible to make and publish a pc/console game individually

But it's more than possible to make a popular game with a group of buddies in uni. FTL was made by 4 guys. Flappy Bird was made by one guy.

[Overkilled]

But it's more than possible to make a popular game with a group of buddies in uni. FTL was made by 4 guys. Flappy Bird was made by one guy.

obviously on a mobile platform the chance of individual success is way higher imo, if you've good a really great unique idea and some decent knowledge in making android/ios games then chances are you'll be quite successful, its more complicated than that making state of the art games like Forza 6 for example

[Sauron]

if your a company like EA, Activision, Ubisoft or Rockstar its a different story

 

sure, but what comes out of those companies is not an individual work but the result of hundreds of small, impersonal contributions. Only the lead designer has some real power on what sort of game gets made

[Nexxus]

well thats what i plan on doing

Oh to be 15 again...

[themaniac]

Oh to be 15 again...

what do you mean?

[NJHourigan]

what do you mean?

wait and see