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APRIL 2004
Q:
We're in the final
stages of signing a contract with a publisher but we are
small company and we want to make sure that we will be
paid on time. How does a company like ours find out this
information?
This is a very big issue with a lot of developers right
now. The best thing you can do is a lot of research.
1) Ask for references from your publisher, but also look
through their website and contact as many of the
developers that they have worked with as possible. Your
publisher will usually give you references to the
companies they have the best reputation with so you need
to work a little on your own. Find out if the publisher
has been prompt with all payments, if there have been
any problems, and if their royalty statements have been
on time and accurate.
2) I also highly recommend requesting a report from Dunn
and Bradstreet for companies based in the US. This is a
wonderful resource for you on your first experience with
a publisher.
3) Find out as much as you can about the principles of
the company. Who did they work for in the past? What
experiences have other developers had with the
individuals? Did the company recently change names? If
so, make sure you research the work done under their
previous name or brand.
Keep in mind that you should never ignore what you hear
from your fellow developers, even if this deal is the
only one on the table at the moment you would be better
off not signing it than moving forward only to not be
paid and deal with the legal headaches.
Q: Jay, I am
really interested in writing storylines for video games,
but how would I make my storyline a reality? I'm not
really interested in anything else but writing. Are
there jobs out there in the industry solely for writers?
A: There are jobs in the industry for
you. When Half-Life came to market several years
ago, the push for quality writing in games (outside of
adventures) began in earnest. These jobs will be few and
far between though as, unlike programmers and artists,
only one or two writers will be needed per team. As
these positions will most likely be available on the
larger teams you may want to look towards freelance work
to get a good start.
Q: I am an art
student who is beginning to look into careers in game
development. It's been suggested to shorten it to
"Chris" instead of Christine to have a better chance of
getting an interview, but people have disagreed with
that suggestion, too. I figured it would be better to
ask someone in the industry for their opinion on the
subject before beginning to look for work. I'd really
appreciate any advice you would have in regards to this.
-- Christine
A (Courtesy Melanie):
I have never heard such ridiculous advice. Although
still a minority in game dev, there is a growing number
of women in the business and many hiring managers who
really appreciate diversity in the work place. When
looking for a position in game development, you will be
judged on your demo reel, not whether you are a man or a
woman.
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