Expectation vs. Reality
Let's get down to brass tax, video games are quite entertaining and because of that some people would make the assumption that going into the development of video games would bring an extra set of magnitude to the table. You'd also be entering the industry which has been around for a good 40 or more years at this point and this industry has developed into
one that is far bigger than the movie and tv industry combined allowing for maximum money making. In 2013 it was estimated that the worldwide video game revenue was (in USD), $93 Billion, and could hardly be given the blame for assuming those who made video games are rolling in piles of money too.
However, the reality of the game industry is that it isn't easy to obtain a job within after graduation and there are approximately 16 other people going for the same job that you will be going for in the UK. There are of course different companies abroad such as LucasArts and Ubisoft. Take for example Grand Theft Auto 5 () developed by Rockstar North, within 24 hours of the release of that game it generated more than $800 Million in sales worldwide and you can't expect to end up in a position with a company like this after graduation from education unless you are extremely lucky or specialised in a particular field. Furthermore, if you plan on spending money like that on a fancy home, you can expect that sort of life to be short-lived as companies usually only hire on a project to project basis and according to Mark Wherette of Clever Beans, "You haven't been in the games industry until you've been made redundant."
Now, In an ideal world with the game industry and its solid infrastructure and ease of communication means that everyone knows everyone. You shouldn't be discouraged since game design is one of the most fulfilling jobs in the world as it reminds you that millions of people may interact with your work. Level designers are the most abundant in the games industry and also the most flexible as Designers don't rely on Artists or Programmers to make games.
To Conclude this article. You shouldn't reserve yourself or lose hope of not finding a place in the industry, but instead, find work in a smaller development team, start small and apply to everywhere and hope you get interviewed.
REFERENCES:
Yang, Desiree. (2016). Expectations vs. Reality - Being a Game Developer in Singapore. Available: http://community.jobscentral.com.sg/articles/expectations-vs-reality-being-game-developer-singapore. Last accessed 27/02/2018.
Graft, Kris. (2016). The realities of being a game designer in a big studio like BioWare. Available: https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/281853/The_realities_of_being_a_game_designer_in_a_big_studio_like_BioWare.php. Last accessed 27/02/2018.
