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Entry Level Positions - Do they exist?

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Anonymous

Hello all,

I'm new to the forums and come with a pretty simple question...

Are there entry-level positions in game development/design?

I recently saw that Hasbro is hiring an Asst. Game Designer, but the qualifications include 5+ years in game/content design. My question is, how does one get that experience? Is the only way to create a game or help create one, then try to sell it to a company?

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

-Bryan

Anonymous
Entry Level Positions - Do they exist?

Yes, there are entry level positions, but it seems they are few and far between -- at least, the positions available as seen by the general public.

I was fortunate enough to land one such entry level position for WizKids several years ago, when I was hired to develop MLB SportsClix. After their purchase by Topps and a round of downsizing, I found myself looking for a position with another game publisher, and had trouble finding another similar position.

Recently, Fantasy Flight Games interviewed for an entry level game design position, as well. But since the game industry is still relatively small, I suspect a great many of these positions are filled either through direct contacts from a company or by word of mouth/networking within the industry.

From my experience, entry level game design positions pay relatively low (between the position I held and several others I applied for, the salaries were in the $20-25,000 range). And with an established developer, you may find such a position is geared primarily at working on existing products or to develop ideas already under consideration -- so the opportunity to introduce your own game concepts may be limited.

Each opportunity is different, as each company has a different number of employees, a different focus or design philosophy, etc.

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