As someone with 5 years experience in the industry, this article is spot on the money for everything I experienced.
It's a huge problem, both by discriminating against people unwilling or unable to put in ridiculous hours, and by driving away those talented women and men who are finally becoming experienced experts when they become so burned out they have to leave the industry.
I worked in games for 5 years. I no longer do. I had a lot of good times but I'll never work for a mainstream games company again.
I'm a software engineering student about to start an internship(Paid, 4 months) at a major game studio.
I am considering applying for a job once I complete the internship if everything goes well.
I would like to see if the studio where I will work has a decent workflow. If not I would be willing to tough it out as a generalist programmer while trying to apply to other jobs that interest me in another industry. The idea is to have decently impressive job on my resume and to have fun at work.
For some perspective: I had a good 5 years, I had a lot of fun, and I don't regret it. Whilst I will complain strongly about a lot of the things wrong in the industry, the truth is that I made a good wage (compared to most of my non software-developer friends), got to do some cool stuff, and had a good time doing it. For the most part, the industry is getting better and it's not near the level it used to be.
If you go into it with your eyes open and don't let yourself get pushed around, consciously or otherwise, you'll do Ok. Just get in the habit of working sensible hours and in sensible ways, and if you get taken to task for it, stand up for yourself and explain why it's important that everyone works in a sustainable manner. Good managers (and they do exist) will understand.
I'm a long-time generalist with what you would call broad experience. I've flirted with overwork, burnout, and social gaming, though not all at the same time.
My perspective is that who you're working with and how you're working is a lot more important for day-to-day happiness and job satisfaction than the specifics of what you're working on.
Keep in mind that your job might look bad in your resume. Given the bad rep gaming companies have, only people that are inexperienced/not that good, or clueless go to the industry.
I know you have to start your career somewhere, but keep that in mind.
Uh, as a developer of 13 years who has never been in the gaming industry... I question your generalization. I have never seen or heard of anyone saying game programmers are inferior or clueless in my professional career. Granted, I work in Boston, so things may be different here, but it's really not a characterization I at all recognize.
Yeah, I wouldn't look at someone with big-game-studio experience as an inferior, just perhaps a little naive and might need a little calibration as to what a sustainable work pace actually looks like.
Gaming companies have a rep for being a bad place to work that nevertheless attract top-notch talent. I've been programming for a living for since 1997, and this is the first time I've heard someone say that game hackers are "not that good or clueless".
It's a huge problem, both by discriminating against people unwilling or unable to put in ridiculous hours, and by driving away those talented women and men who are finally becoming experienced experts when they become so burned out they have to leave the industry.
I worked in games for 5 years. I no longer do. I had a lot of good times but I'll never work for a mainstream games company again.