AuthorTopic: Pixelartist salary?  (Read 28918 times)

Offline big brother

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Re: Pixelartist salary?

Reply #30 on: October 06, 2006, 04:53:35 pm
I knew someone who's working at Gameloft, NYC, but I wonder if she's still there...

If it's Chia you're thinking of, she quit.

Offline Frychiko

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Re: Pixelartist salary?

Reply #31 on: October 07, 2006, 01:45:22 pm
Yep, I was thinking of her. That's good news!
Congratulation this story is happy end. Thank you. - Ghost & Goblins

Offline AlexHW

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Re: Pixelartist salary?

Reply #32 on: October 07, 2006, 05:48:02 pm
That's good news!
just curious, but why is that good news. I almost went there but decided not, so i'm wondering the possible reason why she quit.

Offline big brother

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Re: Pixelartist salary?

Reply #33 on: October 07, 2006, 06:33:40 pm
Working there crushes your soul.

Feedback consists of either 'yes' or 'no', hence a total lack of art direction. A former coworker artist made over 30 portraits in almost as many styles and in the end they told him to take photos from Google image search, shrink them, and index them.

With another project, they changed their minds about the graphical style (despite the fact they picked the first one) when the project was a month or so away from beta. They had a coworker redo all the sprites and animations (250+ animations), then changed their minds AGAIN afterwards. They justified it by saying they couldn't get a sense of the style with only a few mockups; they needed to see the entire game in a style.

Everyone starting at GL is treated like they're entry level, regardless of their past experience. They had one of the designers from Everquest, but ignored all his ideas and put him on an "adult" puzzle game instead (he left soon after). When they hired Christian Robert (Flashback, Cruise for a Corpse), the manager told me he would probably be promoted to a senior artist position in a few years. (He already has over 15 years experience).

They laid off a programmer who worked on DOOM III, only to realize their mistake a week later. They tried to get him back, but it was too late.

Alex, the senior artist you talked to quit mere months afterwards. :)

Offline AlexHW

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Re: Pixelartist salary?

Reply #34 on: October 07, 2006, 09:08:47 pm
wow, that's crazy..
sounds like they make alot of odd decisions.
mobile phone games seem so messed up, and those types of things were what worried me when i was deciding whether to go or not. guess i made a good decision.
Companies should focus more on making their employees feel good.. if they feel good, they'll produce good stuff, but the people in charge need to trust the employees to do this and not be walking over them all the time.

Offline miascugh

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Re: Pixelartist salary?

Reply #35 on: October 09, 2006, 06:24:02 pm
Companies should focus more on making their employees feel good.. if they feel good, they'll produce good stuff, but the people in charge need to trust the employees to do this and not be walking over them all the time.

Those in charge should be people who have a passion for making games, not making money... Oh, we're being realistic here :)

Offline big brother

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Re: Pixelartist salary?

Reply #36 on: October 09, 2006, 07:05:12 pm
They're not really about either.

It's like a baby, who needs to be fed, and maybe gets fed, but it's not like he's striving towards the food as a goal. You can't really deconstruct the behavior rationally. :)

Offline Indigo

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Re: Pixelartist salary?

Reply #37 on: November 23, 2006, 06:04:19 am
wow, I was just about to set up an interview in new york with gameloft.....now i'm having second thoughts

Offline Blick

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Re: Pixelartist salary?

Reply #38 on: November 23, 2006, 07:54:28 am
I feel so out of the loop since I've never heard of Gameloft. Probably because I don't do art (or anything, currently) professionally. I wonder how they stay afloat with so many decisions that seem so time consuming and self sabotaging.

Offline baccaman21

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Re: Pixelartist salary?

Reply #39 on: November 24, 2006, 12:17:32 pm
"As a hobby or an aside I think it's fun, but as a means of living, it's just not worth it IMO."

I whole-heartedly disagree. I make a very comfortable living and it only took me a few years of freelancing to get there. Are the odds against you? Sure. But I say if your heart's in it, go for it. Don't settle for a job without going after what you love, first.

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