- Best. Magazine. Ever. -
So, remember in
last Friday's post how I said I used to have a browser-based game called Elinon? Well, apparently that qualified me as a member of the gaming industry and also somehow scored me a free subscription to
Game Developer magazine. Awesome? You bet it's awesome.
Know what else is awesome? This magazine. (It would be more awesome if I were being paid for this endorsement, but I doubt that's gonna happen ever. I guess I'll live with the free subscription.)
Did you know that programmers in the video game industry who have some college credit but have no degree make more money (on average) than those with a doctoral degree? I didn't either, but then I read the April 2009 edition of Game Developer! (Let this be a lesson to all of you: drop out of school now. [Not really. Just don't spend so long getting degrees that you forget to actually start a career.])
In addition to cool stuff like a yearly salary survey, they also have articles on stuff like new software suites, coding tips and tricks learned by the professionals on such-and-such high budget blockbuster game, sound design, art design, level design.... well, you get the picture. Basically, anything that at all involves the gaming industry (including news like changes in laws) is fair game for this magazine. Lately, there have been a lot of articles about mobile gaming (you know, like on phones and stuff, not on a Gameboy), which is an area of the gaming industry that's still in the early if-you-get-in-now-you-can-be-rich-in-ten-years phase.
My favorite part of each issue is the postmortem, though. Looking at the April 2009 edition, there are six full pages of stuff straight from the people who were responsible for making
THQ and
Volition's
Saint's Row 2. What went right, what went wrong, what they learned, what they'd do different, what they'll do again... I think I'm gonna read this article again as soon as I finish this post, actually.
The Web site also offers source code from past editions of the magazine, as well as research information (both of which are free).
So, what about cost? Well, like I said, mine's free. (God loves me.) Unless you get a random offer out of nowhere like I did, though, you're going to have to pay.
If you want a year's subscription (well, 11 issues) of printed magazines mailed to you, it's $49.95. I really wouldn't suggest this (even though I get the printed ones). If you go with a digital subscription, it's $29.95 for a year (do the math), and you also get a digital copy of their Game Career Guide and access to their online library of back issues.
You can click here for subscription information.
If this post seemed like one big advertisement... I wish. Anyway, this is a great magazine, and I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the game development industry.
Wednesday is another game development-related Web site.
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