IS IT WORTH IT?

January, 2007

NOTE: these articles are primarily aimed at aspiring game designers, but many of the concepts described herein also apply to those who aspire to other types of jobs in the game industry.

Two things I have to say about "Is It Worth It" questions:
1. "Worth" is subjective. Only YOU can determine whether something is "worth it" to YOU. More about that below.
2. Quite often, someone asks an "Is It Worth It" question because he's lazy - because he wants to avoid putting in the effort to learn something or do something that might be necessary in order to get where he allegedly wants to go. If he doesn't want to put in that effort, maybe he's fooling himself. Maybe he doesn't really want to go to that place - maybe he'd prefer an easier and more fun outcome instead.

Because of the above two factors, I don't have a lot of patience for "Is It Worth It" questions. In the past two days, I've been asked an "Is It Worth It" question numerous times on the Sloperama Game Design bulletin board. Rather than write an entire article to belabor what to me is obvious, let me instead repost those "Is It Worth It" questions, along with the answers I wrote. If you still have an "Is It Worth It" question of any kind after reading the snotty answers I gave these guys, and you really want to ask it of me, you know what to do!

>From: Josh J - josh.tj♦[EMAIL PROVIDER DELETED]
>Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 1:50 AM
>Subject: Game Testing...How applicable is it for me?
>I've been an avid PC gamer for quite some time (since the days of Amiga 500 gaming!)...The most joy I get out of gaming is pushing the game to it's limits by finding errors, exploits, bugs, etc. I love the problem solving aspect of pushing content in directions it wasn't intended to go. I've always wanted to pursue game testing, however I live across the other side of the world; in New Zealand to be precise.
>In Blizzards infamous World of Warcraft I managed to pull off what I thought was some pretty amazing stuff, with over 300,000 views of my reasonably exploitative content-pushing solo videos ( http://warcraftmovies.com/[COMPLETE URL DELETED] ) I thought I would be a good game tester, but I wasn't even able to garnish a public beta invite for Blizzard's Burning Crusade expansion, which left me rather dismayed, with both Blizzard and my prospects in the industry.
>I'm quite analytical, my spelling and grammar is of a decent level, I'm very proficient in computers in general, but it sounds like game testing is a relatively low-level job. It seems to me that simply getting such a menial job overseas would be reasonably silly for someone like me who resides so far away from game developers. I was wondering about your thoughts on it?
>Is it worth my time to seek this type of job? Do these jobs provide any security, despite the low-level pay? And do you think it's possible to be hired from overseas with no job experience in the industry?
>I've always been curious about the industry, but location is a big problem.
>Thanks for your time, and thank you for providing such insightful information on your website.
>-Josh

Hello Josh, you wrote:

I've been an avid PC gamer for quite some time (since the days of Amiga 500 gaming!)
Which tells me you are not a college kid (like the one below) or a high school kid (like the one above). It really helps me when you give me all the information requested above.

I live ... in New Zealand
OK, I'll keep that in mind as I read and reply to the remainder of your email.

I managed to pull off ... some pretty amazing stuff, ... but I wasn't even able to garnish a public beta invite for Blizzard's Burning Crusade expansion, which left me rather dismayed...
Forgive me for saying that you're sounding like a bit of a whiner. In this world, we cannot expect to receive that which we wish to receive. To put it differently, wishes should not become demands or expectations. Sorry for saying that, but that's my philosophy (and this is my site).

it sounds like game testing is a relatively low-level job.
Yes. It is.

It seems to me that simply getting such a menial job overseas would be reasonably silly for someone like me who resides so far away from game developers.
So let me get this straight. You're contemplating relocating to another country, just to get a job as a game tester? I don't know how far Australia is, or what the work permit requirements are for New Zealanders in Australia - and I don't want to know! (I only mention Australia because it's the nearest game dev country to yours.)

Is it worth my time to seek this type of job?
Please read what I just wrote to Matt Birken, below. I think I'm going to have to write a new "Is It Worth It" FAQ!

Do these jobs provide any security
No. Did you read FAQs 5 and 17? Did I neglect to mention this aspect?

do you think it's possible to be hired from overseas with no job experience in the industry?
Read FAQ 50 (in addition to the two FAQs I just mentioned above).

location is a big problem.
Yes. Read FAQs 24, 27, and 64.

Thanks
You are welcome! (^_^)

Tom Sloper (トム·スローパー)
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 16, 2007

From: "matt birken" = birkenm1983♥yahoo.com
To: "Tom Sloper"
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 7:52 PM
Subject: Re: Game Industry Q+A
> another question and thanks for the prompt response
> is the GDC worth paying the money i live in florida
> and the trip is quite lenghty. Does this conference
> really help out and should i bring work with me or
> refer to a website?

Hi Matt, you wrote:

is the GDC worth paying the money
"Worth" is subjective. Show a new gadget to two guys, and one of them say "wow, that is so worth it!" And the other will say, "it costs HOW much??!! Are you kiddin' me??!!" BTW, have you considered volunteering at the conference?

Does this conference
> really help out
That depends on what you want to accomplish and how you plan to make use of your time at the conference. See FAQ 54.

should i bring work with me
Sorry, you lost me.

or refer to a website?
Still lost...!

Tom Sloper (トム·スローパー)
Los Angeles, California, USA
Martin Luther King Day, 2007

From: "matt birken" birkenm1983♣yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 10:07 AM
Subject: GAME ART q&a
> Sorry let me clarify
> is the career pavillion worth my time. My school's
> department chair says yes and to stay the whole week
> and do the whole party hop from hotel to hotel with
> some guys and maybe you will meet someone. Mainly is
> it worth spending the money to go to the career
> pavillion? Work i meant like a demo reel of sorts.
> Thanks again!

Hello Matt, you wrote:

is the [GDC] career pavillion worth my time.
You didn't understand what I said last time. Let me repeat my previous reply, using slightly different words.
IT DEPENDS. One guy will go to the GDC career booths and come away saying "that was SO worth it!" Another guy will come away saying "that was such a waste of my stinking time!"
I have no idea which of those two guys is you.

My school's
> department chair says yes and to stay the whole week
> and do the whole party hop from hotel to hotel with
> some guys and maybe you will meet someone.
Then WHY are you disrespecting him by asking me, a total stranger, if what he advised you was correct? You haven't read many of my FAQs, have you? You need to read FAQs 6, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, and 57. Don't ask me anything else until after you have read (and comprehended) them all.

it worth spending the money to go to the career
> pavillion?
You totally ignored what I answered you yesterday.
I already told you "worth" is subjective.
I suggested a way that you can reduce the cost, by volunteering. That way you don't have to pay any conference fees (you only have to pay travel costs).
Not only that, but your department chair is not ONLY suggesting that you visit the career booths at GDC. He is also recommending that you schmooze like all get-out the whole time you are at GDC. He is suggesting that you become a go-getter. You're sounding like quite the opposite. Nobody's going to hand you a job at GDC. You'd go there to network and show your face, impress people with the earnestness and passion that is, um, whatever your name is.

Work i meant like a demo reel of sorts.
Yeah, well, you're going to have to rephrase that as a complete question. You're expecting me to go back and re-read what you'd said before, add on this new information, and figure out your question. You're expecting me to work harder at giving you an answer than you work at asking a question.

Tom Sloper (トム·スローパー)
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 16, 2007

From: "matt birken" birkenm1983♠yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 10:12 AM
Subject: game design
> Hey i read your faq just after sending the e-mail so
> you can disreguard it if you want

... Oh. Yeah. Okay. [Sigh!]
Tom Sloper (トム·スローパー)
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 16, 2007

In Summation:

Wow, I sounded really snotty to those guys, didn't I. Sorry, guys! But there's still a valuable point raised in those posts. And that is this:

Whether or not a course of action is "worth it" is a purely personal matter. "Worth" is subjective. I cannot tell you whether anything is "worth it" to YOU. Only YOU can figure that out. Having trouble making a decision? FAQ 70 discusses in great detail how to make important life decisions by means of a decision grid. By using a decision grid, you can figure out for yourself whether a particular course of action is "worth it" TO YOU. Please don't ask strangers to tell you whether or not something is "worth it." They can only tell you their own opinion, which may not be in the least applicable to you. YOU ARE UNIQUE. Even if you collect 20 opinions to determine what the "majority" thinks, that is not particularly useful information. YOU may well find that a non-majority-choice course of action is more "worth it" to YOU.

And I certainly hope you aren't asking an "is it worth it" question out of laziness. "Is it worth it to learn how to use modding tools?" "Is it worth it to get a degree?" That sort of "is it worth it" question is asked in hopes that the asker doesn't have to work to get where he allegedly wants to go.

Got a question or comment about this article? Email your comments to - you'll get a response on the Sloperama Game Design bulletin board.

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