Arch Viz to Gaming-Any experiences

[mahorela]

Thinking about life after Archi viz as per my conversations and previous threads about lighting etc. Anyone have any experience with getting into gaming from arch viz, obviously we arent the greatest character animators going around but surely we have some advantage when creating environments, dont we? Anyone with advice or observations about this would be much appreciated. Anyone been hired to help create cut scenes for gaming?

[Wilko]

Be a conceptual artist.

 

Best bet is probably environmental concept artist, I'd figure.

[Dan J]

Researched this a few years ago as I was considering the gaming route. Unless you're extremely talented, under 30 and have been designing/building/scripting/programming games since you were in high school and willing to work very long hours for little pay until you prove your worth - FORGET ABOUT IT!

 

The gaming world is sooo over saturated with very talented & young people that it is difficult to get in.

 

You wouldn't like the lower level of detail and all the constrants of the game production environment.

 

There have been loads of threads on this and other similar topics you could search to find them and get more insights from others.

 

What other life would you want after ArchViz anyway?

[Justin Hunt]

Tend to agree, not worth the sacrifice. The gaming industry isnt a glamorous as it thinks it is. Just look at how EA was sued by the wives of some of the workers because they never got to see their better halves. Long hours, no pay.

 

JHV

[Nic H]

We have a few guys at our office that have migrated to and from the gaming industry as modellers and animators and for them, the pay was marginally better, and the conditions similiar, in Australia anyway.

 

There are more contract / part time jobs in Gaming due to the cyclical nature of big game projects. The people we employ for Arch vis are generally permanent full time.

 

Gaming is definately an area id be interested in getting into, there is the same ratio of unskilled drones vs people more creatively inclined in any industry. It comes down to wether you are a technician or artist basically.

[notamondayfan]

ive also been looking at it seriously, and as ive got my final year at uni coming up i might aim my projects more towards the gaming side.

 

ull need a kick ass portfolio to get any sort of job with the top firms, and maybe a degree to do with gaming or virtual reality.

 

the main concern is the high amount of hours. we had a lecture by a modeler for rockstar, and he'd jus finished GTA3. he worked solid for about 3 months, 7 days a week, 10+hrs a day. then they gave him 2 months off and a massive bonus, so it worked out cool for him in the end!

[notamondayfan]

u should check out http://www.conceptart.org and http://www.cgsociety.com too.

[Clausbang]

Hi

 

We've had several modellers migrate from the gaming area to arch viz for the stability of things.

 

But then again 90% of our work is interactive real-time scenes, so they are using a lot skills and tricks they've picked up in the gaming area.

 

/Claus