ABSTRACT
Founding and running a game business is one of the riskiest endeavors in entrepreneurship, and one of the most rewarding. To mitigate the risks, this chapter introduces best practices in a variety of areas, including how to raise money, hire people (including the management and motivation of employees and executive), and plan for predictable future industry trends such as new platforms and technology. Throughout the chapter, we continuously consider the primary question, “Is this what you really want to do with your life?” In this chapter, we explore the basic question that everyone working in the game industry has to deal with: how to get a job in games. We will discuss the steps to getting a job in the game industry, including where the job boards are, what other resources exist to find jobs in gaming, what types of jobs are in the industry, and what qualifications you need. Beyond these relatively easy and factual elements, what process should someone take if they are seriously considering a career in games, and how is that different for students and mid-career professionals? Many game companies fail because they are filled with creative people that do not know how to properly manage the publisher, vendor relationships, and their own teams. This chapter discusses key managerial concepts important to any business endeavor, with a focus on the game industry. It covers the most common mistakes as well as best industry practices. Examples of missteps include incentivizing A while hoping for B, and giving people responsibility for something without giving them the authority to actually perform.
