How many game designers / artists / programmers / producers / testers do you know outside your company? . And if you know them, how did you find out about them?
1. Ex-colleagues / friends: Obvious?
2. LinkedIn: Duh!
3. Gaming / Animation Summits: Great!
4. Media / Online magazines: Great!
5. Others: By now you should be able to identify the category.
I do know a lot of talents thanks to LinkedIn; however I'm definitely not aware of the content they worked for. So what's the solution? Add your projects to your profile? Well, definitely a good thing to do, but I'm here to talk about recognition by others.
Appreciation is a huge form of encouragement and I have repeated and will go on to repeat this statement because it is an universal truth.
How does our industry cope up with this recognition. We pretty much know all the founders of different gaming companies and why not, they are the reason we are here, trying to live our dream. But how many of us know the people behind the games? The ones who stay up late nights, stay back in office, work almost all weekends to meet the deadline, to ensure that the game is great!
The answer: Very few
Nowadays a lot of startup gaming companies are sprouting. Some of the founders have much lesser experience than some of the industry talents I know. And yet the founders are recognized and talked about in summits and media.
Please do not get me wrong. It would be a shame if they are not recognized for their efforts. It's not a child's play to put up a company together, come up with a successful game with minimal resources. It is a well deserved acknowledgement. Adding to that, I really hope more such companies come up and succeed as this is the only way this industry will grow. It will widen giving rise to new talents.
However, not everyone can or is interested in starting up their own firm. They like what they are doing and would want to continue. But their efforts go unnoticed. They are hardly acknowledged by the industry.
Even the ones who play a very critical role, the ones who have been a company's backbone for a longtime, the ones who delivered chain of successful games for the company. What about them? Why are they not recognized by the people they work for, the industry, by the media?
The failure of recognition might motivate them to move on to some other company and you will lose your talent. And if this some other company also fails to motivate the talent, he/she will move out of the industry. Remember the talented ones are not in need of the industry. The industry needs them!
You might be a great entrepreneur with the best qualities possible. However you need a pool of talent to attain success. No one wants to keep their firm small. Bigger profits obviously calls for an empire expansion. If you have the right employees, you are one step closer. Keep them happy, recognize their efforts, encourage them and they will bring success to you.Start from within and then explore!
R E C O G N I Z E
i hope ppl are listening to u! why dont u try freelance writing at Suite101
ReplyDeleteMany companies are reluctant to publicize their talent for fear that they will be headhunted. However, if they are looking after their employees properly -- doing the things necessary to earn their employees' loyalty -- they will not be tempted to leave. See my column "Employees Leaving? Deal With It!" for more on this subject.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.designersnotebook.com/Columns/086_Employees_Leaving/086_employees_leaving.htm
Do not work for any company that forbids you to publicize yourself (as long as you don't reveal trade secrets). Years ago Sierra On-Line was notorious for forbidding its employees to attend the Game Developers' Conference, even at their own cost. Professional growth and development, on your own time and at your own expense, is every employee's right.
Write a blog. Set up a professional web site with your portfolio and CV. Write articles (there are web sites begging for content if you don't insist on being paid). Give talks at events. Introduce yourself to anyone and everyone.
Yea...that happens in animation too..
ReplyDelete@Kappu: I will check it out :)
ReplyDelete@Ernest Adams: Indeed and your article discusses such logical points. Excellent read! It's unfortunate that some don't get it.
@Karthik: Ya, after-all its a close knit field...
Purnima,
ReplyDeleteI hv been developing a 3D Game last 3 Yrs. I want to send details , so, pls. send ur personal email id.
see some screen shots at
http://2d3dgamedeveloper.blogspot.com/
Hi Arup, there is an email button right beneath my blogger profile. You can email me there :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWho said "talent" is not recognized in corporate?? "buttering" is a great talent & is universally recognized....just take those entrepreneurs, managers and bosses for a drink....first they will speak of talent, hard work, honesty etc etc....after 3-4 pegs they will admit about the importance of the one & only universal talent..."buttering"....how they used it....and how they want others to use it!! All other talents are of no use....believe it or not!!
ReplyDeleteHeh... yeah... yet another true story for a lot of cases. I had expressed my concern about it in my personal blog in a comic strip format...
ReplyDeletehttp://confessionsofaconfusedfreak.blogspot.com/2009/05/comic-1-process.html
Links to two other can be found there itself ;)
Very well written. You are the voice of many unrecognized talent out there.
ReplyDeleteProud of ya!
If i were your boss, you would have got a 100% raise!
Not cause i like you(i do,don't get me wrong)
but cause i like your work.
Thanks Coretta... That def was a generous comment.. hehe :)
ReplyDeleteIn India, the companies have yet not realized the concept of the open market as far as the management of talent is concerned. There are no clear policies inside the company for recognition of talent and providing people with opportunities to perform.
ReplyDeleteHence most managers suppress talent and the talent in employees either dries up or the employee hops to another company. Lucky are those who land up in the right company where their talent has chances to meet opportunity, and hence there is chance of grooming, learning and developing a long term career.
Well said Sagar! True words indeed!
ReplyDeletehmmm. I agree its sad. I've seen it personally. How the dumbest of all dumb people can be the king only if they know the art of buttering! duh! Its sad.
ReplyDeletePS: How you doing Purni? BTW I got a call from a gaming company, but it was pure project management profile with no exposure to game development :(. So had to decline. Anyway, you keep up the good work!!
Love & Light,
Rohit
Hey Rohit!
ReplyDeleteYup, the same sh** everywhere!
Anyways, I've been good!! What about you?
And great news although project management, a gaming was involved... This maynot have worked... but maybe something else will work out in the future. Good luck! and keep your spirits high!!