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3D Artist Instructor
Are you a vetern 3D Artist who wants to pass on your knowledge and passion to younger artists? Singapore Digipan is the place for you!

Graphics Engineer
Bring cutting edge user interface experiences to future Motorola devices!

Game Programming Assistant or Associate Professor
Champlain College is looking for a team-oriented, engaged faculty to join its Software Technology Department.

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Champlain College in beautiful Burlington, VT, with great academia benefits!

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Robot Entertainment is looking for an experienced, multi-talented game developer to contribute to the entire life cycle of creating and supporting our computer gaming entertainment products.

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Meet MM and Robin

Playing for a Living

(by Mary-Margaret Walker)

Mary-Margaret WalkerMy husband and I listened to the original BBC broadcast of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy while driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco for GDC 2010.  It was a great day for a drive and while we listened to Arthur Dent make his way through the Universe with Ford Prefect and his towel, I found myself doing my own mental traveling through the history of GDC.

When I first started attending GDC it was still in Santa Clara.  I had just moved to San Francisco, was working for The 3DO Company and had blessedly been welcomed into a group of game industry “old timers” who had started the conference and made some of the first mass appeal games.  The industry and the conference were both firmly established but were by no means mainstream.  The entire conference still culminated in a dinner with choice of dead bird, dead cow or dead vegetable.  The last event held in Santa Clara was marked by a wonderful and long lunch with Dani Bunten Berry and meeting Alex St. John who has long since been at different times, a friend, business partner and client.

Fill the gap

Be the donut hole

Robin McShaffryI overheard a veteran head of a large developer studio say last night that the one person he is going to hire is the person that fills the “screaming desperate need” he has right now – he has a hole that needs filling yesterday. He is NOT going to hire the candidate with potential and no actual experience. Potential doesn’t show him that the new hire is a lock to solve his problem. Only actual experience in the skill he needs is going to satisfy.  Actual experience can be gained either through professional employment or through independent work – but it must be actual, demonstrable work. Not a class. Not a theory. Do the work and show it. Be the donut hole.

Furthermore, he addressed the conundrum of needing experience to get a job to get experience. Basically, he said “Don’t be lazy. Go get it.” If a candidate really wants a job, he or she is going to do whatever it takes. If you want to code shaders but do not have HLSL experience, you can learn it and apply the knowledge to a personal project that will blow away the competition. If you want to animate for the leading CG house, your reel must be that quality when you walk in the door.  Class work isn’t enough. The key is independent initiative, passion and hard work.

A friend of mine had a t-shirt with the message “Go in your studio and make art.” I always think of that shirt when talking to developers or students. If making interactive entertainment is your passion, you have to go grab it. You have to do the work it takes. You have to fill that gap and be the donut hole.

what's new

This Week

3 weeks to go until the Women in Games 2010 conference
March 25-26, 2010. Women in Games presents the 2010 conference in Bradford, UK.

Why attend LA Games Conference
April 29, 2010. Three great reasons to attend this year's event.

Three important things to know about layoffs
Sheri Rubin points you in the direction of your next position with these simple steps.

Videogames on a cusp, opportunity knocks!
Stephen Peacock gives his take on the growth spurt happening right now in the industry.

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Talk on the street...

"Even my friends that are not in the game industry could benefit from the level of professionalism and general great attitudes of Robin and Mary-Margaret."

 

Brian K. Davis

 

 

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Mary-Margaret Network works with a diverse clientele in the game, mobile, web, multimedia, IT, TV and film industries. We successfully fill positions in every department at all levels, including production, engineering, design, art, marketing, sales, operations and executive management.