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Working For Big Publishers

Name:	Jeff Tunnell
Date Posted:	Jun 09, 2008
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Blog post

Two years ago I wrote this article about what it is like to work for big publishers after the original "EA Spouse" article hit the news. With the recent follow up on Gamasutra, I thought I would pull it out of the dust bin and publish it.

The article is here: www.makeitbigingames.com/blog/?p=60 Here are some quotes from the article. Head on over to read it, and test out my shiny new Disqus comment system. Join the fun.

Quote:

...My advice is, no matter how desperate you are to get into the games business, don't go to work for a company teetering on the brink of collapse...

...Churn is a code word which means to fire the bottom performing 10% of your employees every year and replace them with a new, promising group of wide eyed recruits that will not have chips on their shoulders, and are willing to play into the "work them like dogs until they break" business model...

...Add in stretching for an overpriced home, and soon, the need for this steady stream of large income is an addictive process and cannot be easily escaped. If you ever want to Indie or start your own company, you must resist this temptation. You do not want to become a "share cropper" for the rest of your life...

-Jeff Tunnell, Game Maker
www.makeitbigingames.com

Recent Blog Posts

List:	06/13/08 - The "Better Assholes" Clause 06/09/08 - Working For Big Publishers 06/02/08 - First Day Of The Rest Of My Life 05/29/08 - Make It Big In Games Call For Help 05/15/08 - An Itch That Can't Be Scratched 12/20/07 - Blog O Fix 10/09/07 - Acquisition Fun! 09/14/07 - Design Journals Rule

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Julian R (Jun 09, 2008 at 23:07 GMT)

Good article Jeff. Makes alot of sense, In the big world you are just a number. Keep something fairly small, profitable and you'll go far.

Kevin McLaughlin (Jun 10, 2008 at 00:10 GMT)

Nice to see you blogging again, Jeff - always worth reading. =)

Stephen Jolly (Jun 10, 2008 at 02:16 GMT)

Jeff you have a lot of good advice for us young Jedi's.
Thank you very much!

eb (Jun 10, 2008 at 12:03 GMT)

I was hoping that 60 minutes would pick up that story.

David Montgomery-Blake (Jun 10, 2008 at 15:00 GMT)

An extremely great blog, as always! Now if we would only act on what we're learning!

Mike Rowley (Jun 11, 2008 at 23:31 GMT)

Exelent blog Josh.

Anton Bursch (Jun 12, 2008 at 09:24 GMT)

this is all so true.

i wouldn't trade my job at a small stable indie studio for a job anywhere else. the dream dies in the big studios as far as i can see. dog eat dog out there. indie game studios are where it is at. just takes a long time and a lot of work to make it. but you can do it. just not alone. and not overnight. and not without sacrifices. it's either worth it or it's not. but you only get one try at this life. what are you going to remember before you die? all the hours you put in for someone else? or the time you spent doing what you wanted to do.

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