video games industry

Learnings From My First Year Working in Video Games

video games industry

By Tyler Gardner

Of all the changes the pandemic brought about, working in the games industry certainly wasn’t one I saw coming. Seven months on, I am still blown away that this is an industry I get to work in, and I’m excited to share a few thoughts and things I’ve learned in that time.

1. It’s always busy!

As someone who has always followed the games industry, I’ve been somewhat mentally trained to expect that certain months of the year are hectic with games releases. And while this is certainly true, what I hadn’t expected is that every month is hectic with releases! Whether it’s working on new games, new expansions, or updates to already released titles, there really is always something to do.

2. The VARIETY

Every week brings new challenges and entirely new things to do in this industry. It’s definitely the most consistently interesting job I’ve ever had. Whether I’m tracking press coverage, writing for clients, making slides, or emailing prominent outlets, things are always changing, and it really keeps things fresh.

3. The planning and the ~secrets~

Perhaps somewhat selfishly, one of the most fun parts of this industry is learning things before they happen. There’s an excitement in seeing social media explode with hype after an announcement that I’ve been sitting on for months. It really is wild how much planning goes into every reveal, and it’s something I hardly considered before working in this space.

4. Remote work brings us together. 

As much as I love working in this industry, it wouldn’t be the same without being surrounded by amazing folks. And none of it would be possible without the ability to work remotely. There are genuinely great people I can rely on constantly, most of whom are spread miles apart. The evolution of remote work into something sustainable has been a great opportunity to have new experiences and meet people we never would be able to otherwise.

5. Video games are great. 

This probably seems obvious, but there are so many games out there from teams, large and small alike. I’ve encountered so many games while working here that I probably wouldn’t have had the time to check out otherwise and discovered some real gems. It has been a good reminder that gaming can be one of the most creative and wide ranging forms of entertainment, and seeing the games that I get to work on is a fantastic reminder of that.

These are brief thoughts, written by someone just starting his journey into this industry, and I’m sure another six months from now I’ll have more to say. It’s truly exciting to now be a decent amount of time into working in this space, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

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