_DarthBob_

As an ex game developer at EA, Criterion and a few others, I just want to say that what you've done getting a game together to releasable quality is amazing but beware that working in games for someone else is a completely different experience.

I had a website business on the side through school and Uni (this is back in 98) I was hand coding DHTML and javascript to make Web pages come to life with with dynamic animations and little games. I loved games not websites though and wanted to work on triple A games. So I joined a games company without thinking I was giving anything up and I was suddenly faced with the realities of working for someone.

It's just implementing other people's ideas for the most part. I was given the choice to either design or code (not many get the choice), I chose code and its like in that moment my ideas were worth less than some first year intern just because they had a job title. If you're really passionate about making good games, having to implement other people's bad ideas can be quite soul wrenching. I earned less working every day of the week and weekends, than I did when I worked 2 nights a week doing websites. I had Christmas booked 6 month in advance to go see my parents, the game hadn't shipped yet. I offered to work remotely. I made sure my handover was up to scratch, etc. but I was kicked out of the team when I came back. I had one boss take credit for all my work and leave me with no reward after working my ass off.

If you've got a chance to make your own games company, do it. Don't go working for someone else if you can help it at all. Hire an experienced game developer as soon as you can. So you can learn from them. Always hire people that know more than you about something important.

I own an AI company now after many years to course correct and I couldn't be happier but really be careful what you choose. I did learn so much from working with great people, so make sure you get some of them around you either way. Good luck!

No worries, if you want to reach out about anything just drop me a PM : )

I got a CS degree, had wanted to make games since I was a kid. Moved to the UK volunteered at a video conference in London networked my ass off and managed to land a job as a video game designer at £18k pa.

I really wanted to be a coder and had a lot of down time as a designer, so I made a sick demo with the help of the guys there when I couldn't figure something out. Managed to land a job at a top games company. Years later I was a lead on £48k, the company was bought by EA and I had been part of creating several #1 best sellers. The average salary was £24k for coders and we had the pick of amazing applicants.

I moved to banking and graduates were making £48k. I started on £60k, within a year of starting they almost tripled my salary from when I left games.

In my experience video game coders on average are the most talented and the least rewarded. As long as your financial dreams are modest