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For once my blog update won't be about art (kind of)!
I'm currently under a (pretty nice) situation where I'm choosing where to intern over the summer. I've always wanted to work in the games industry, and after a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck I've gotten offers from various companies.
At the top of my list sits Blizzard Entertainment and Activision. For a little logistical background, I live about 20~30 mins from Activision and 1+ hrs away from Blizzard. Hourly pay isn't an issue with either internship, and both positions are production positions. I'm currently a junior in college, so my ideal plan would be to intern at one of these companies and transition into a fulltime job at one post graduation.
Now I realize that since this is TL.net, Blizzard will likely have more support. However, my senior year I have the good fortune of being a part time student due to the amount of credits I came in with. Since Activision is much closer, I might be able to intern there part-time. With Blizzard, this is impossible due to distance.
To summarize: Acitivision offers more accomodating logistics (closer, maybe part time during the year), but Blizzard is...Blizzard.
My question to you, TL, is what you guys think of both companies. They're both huge names in the gaming industry, and I'm thrilled to have the opportunities and the luxury of choosing extended to me. I have to decide soon though, and I've already thought long and hard about it. Some outside input from you guys would be great!
Thanks!
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work for the parent. it gives you broader options to work either at the parent company after graduation, or one of its subsidiaries. working for the subsidiary doesnt translate as well going up or sideways (you are more specialized, if that is even possible).
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As an ex-employee of Activision, I have to say.... PICK BLIZZARD!!!
Especially if you want to transition into some sort of creative role in the games industry. You will NOT be able to do so at Activision (or any publisher). You will be pidgeon-holed into a very limited skill-set, and be responsible for some really shitty decisions that come down from above...
In the games industry, you are always better off (no matter what you want to end up doing) picking working at a developer over a publisher. Always, always, always.
Good luck!
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Go with Activision. It has a more diverse portfolio of projects that you will find interesting, and they have a ton of wealth. However, if you are a hardcore Blizzard fan, go there if you are willing to commit an hour of driving each day-it's a lot, trust me.
On April 12 2012 09:58 KSKaleido wrote:
As an ex-employee of Activision, I have to say.... PICK BLIZZARD!!!
Especially if you want to transition into some sort of creative role in the games industry. You will NOT be able to do so at Activision (or any publisher). You will be pidgeon-holed into a very limited skill-set, and be responsible for some really shitty decisions that come down from above...
In the games industry, you are always better off (no matter what you want to end up doing) picking working at a developer over a publisher. Always, always, always.
Good luck!
TAKE THIS GUYS ADVICE! Testimonials are very important, and as such, go to Blizzard.
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I would pick blizzard, but I have a sever hatred of Activision for many reasons so yeah >>.
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I would only recommend to work in the games industry if I hated you.
I don't hate you.
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On April 12 2012 10:04 Thaniri wrote:
I would only recommend to work in the games industry if I hated you.
I don't hate you.
What this guy says is pertinent. When you join up, you will have to spend many, many hours playing games in pre-alpha. Games that have the same level all over again and are buggy as all heck. You will report these bugs. You will give input on the game. No one will listen, and whatever protests you make will fall on deaf ears.
You will not be allowed to exercise creativity until you work for a long time in a company, no matter your qualifications or expertise.
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Oh, relax, guys. It's not so bad.
Especially not if you get to work at a company that has creative control over their IP, like Blizzard does. It can be very fun, and very rewarding to be a part of a project that all the developers are excited about and pour their hearts and souls into making it the best they can...
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Game Developers reportedly work double overtime when a project is close to deadline
with no pay.
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You probably shouldn't talk unless you've actually worked in the industry IMO...
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On April 12 2012 10:38 KSKaleido wrote:
You probably shouldn't talk unless you've actually worked in the industry IMO...
I've met interns who worked at big-name companies, ones that were at PAX. I told them that I wanted to go into the industry, and they gave me a whole lecture, which I paraphrased.
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Where these interns working in QA? The repetitive bug testing and long hours are synonomous with QA, which is not what my internship would be.
Thanks for all the feedback so far guys 
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Working in QA really sucks, for obvious reasons.
Working on the programming side of game development also really sucks, and you should take the time to read up on it before you make a decision. Activision isn't as notoriously bad as EA games, but nevertheless you should be prepared to be treated like shit by management.
That being said, working as an intern has the great advantage of giving you good exposure to the environment and letting you talk to other people working there before you're forced to make a real commitment; maybe in the particular department/division/specialization that you're looking at it's a great job and the exception that proves the rule.
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I'm going to say Blizzard, I feel that Activision will sour you on the industry. Blizzard may just make you love it more. But that's just my feelings based upon my hatred for activision and my love for blizzard. i dont think the extra travel time to work will be that big a deal if you are enjoying your work more. Heading home from a good day of work and getting there an hour later will feel better than having a bad day at work and getting home an hour earlier.
But then again I have no experience with either. It will really depend on the department and the team within the company. There are probably teams within each company that have it better than others and teams within the companies that are better to work for. I am currently Interning at RIM, and i feel that the fact that my team is cool really helps
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On April 12 2012 10:38 KSKaleido wrote:
You probably shouldn't talk unless you've actually worked in the industry IMO...
I talk to CS graduates/students, because that's what I want to do when I get in to university. 3 of them worked at video game companies, and say that they work overtime with no pay, have limited creativity and a lot of stress.
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Where are you going to college, if you are comfortable saying?
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if torte lini is saying blizz then you gotta go for sure : )
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On April 12 2012 11:24 QuothTheRaven wrote:
Working in QA really sucks, for obvious reasons.
I'm currently working as a temp in QA with a printer company, and i gotta say, unless you really enjoy repetitive tasks, don't sign up for QA work
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Blizzard. I worked there. Activision is a shithole publisher. DON'T GO THERE! All your dreams and wishes what to learn and what to do will be demolished once you start working for a publisher as an intern. It's basically being a haircutter and do your intern there. In the beginning you dream of cutting hair. In reality you make coffees. Clean the floor full of hair and in general do things nobody else wants to. Got it? I think, yes 
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Oh.. and.. another advice. Don't count in to much chances to actually get the spot at Blizzard. If the application requieres some idea or something that reflects your creativity. DO NOT COPY. Try to create something new It doesn't necessary need to look or feel good. Creativity is Blizzards BIGGEST advantage. Also.. be open-minded. Don't put yourself into a box. Try to show a multi functional person of yours. Willing to learn NEW stuff.
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Working at blizzard would be a dream for many people. Seeing as you mentioned you wanted to transition into one of the companies out of college, I would disregard how long it takes to commute now, and focus more on which one you would rather work for in the future. You'll really only have to suffer the commute this summer, since if you worked at blizzard after college you'd probably move closer.
Activision might seem like a more tempting offer right now based of current logistics, but in the future if you would rather be working for Blizzard, I would suggest sacrificing a little now for that opportunity later.
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On April 12 2012 10:29 Thaniri wrote:
Game Developers reportedly work double overtime when a project is close to deadline
with no pay.
This is true regardless of what vein of development work. Corporate software developers have it tougher when deadlines are close. I was literally at the office close to 24/7 for a whole month. (If I did get to go home it'd be at an ungodly hour like 4 AM, and I'd just shower up to freshen myself and head back to work by 9 AM)
To stay on topic, I'd pick the actual developer over the publisher. So go for Blizzard
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Work wherever you feel you'll enjoy/learn more. Which, to me, sounds like Blizzard.
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This blogpost is super old, but I thought I'd give an update on my decision and why I picked Activision, and my experiences there thus far.
So yes, I ended up choosing Activision. I'm a huge Blizzard fan, but various circumstances such as housing and distance, along with general job duties, made me choose Activision.
Activision is located in Santa Monica vs. Irvine. I go to school in downtown at USC, and I figured if I did well during the summer, I could work part time at Activision (this is impossible for Blizzard, since Irvine is 1.5 hours away by car from downtown LA). Lo and behold, at the end of summer, they ended me an offer to continue part-time during the school year. As a college senior, this was a great opportunity for me to smoothly transition into a fulltime job after graduation, while still keeping me a competitive candidate on the gaming job market.
There's a lot of hate for Activision out there. Employees inside the company know about this, but most of them still love their jobs. I worked in the Call of Duty production team, and there's a great culture of responsibility and performance that I really enjoy. The company also treats its employees well-- there's health fairs, free fruits and veggies in the break room, free soda, food, all-expense paid company parties, and lots of free swag. The management genuinely cares about their employees, and you can feel it all the way down to the intern level.
To address the issue of the gaming industry being terrible to work in: Yes, there are crunch times the month before a title ships that we work 12 hour+ days and weekends, but the company pays for meals and everything + overtime and comp days. Engineers do work very hard, but they're well compensated. That's not to say the industry is all glory and riches though. You will get a better salary and better working hours at a non-gaming company doing the same job. The gaming industry essentially pays you partially in "happiness equity", which basically means you really have to love games to make it worthwhile. You also can't just love one game or company; it's an overall passion for the industry (since when that one game or company is gone, what are you gonna do?).
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Thanks for the update. I find it rather interesting that there's such a difference in your experience compared to others such as KSKaleido. Do you have any ideas why that's the case?
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Ah nice update.
While I am one of those activision haters, that's more because they keep making the same cod every year. I wish they would at least try to create a new game with a new idea or something rather then cloning cod with small differences every other year.
Either way I bet it is a good experience that aside seeing how they work.
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On January 05 2013 09:41 Slithe wrote:
Thanks for the update. I find it rather interesting that there's such a difference in your experience compared to others such as KSKaleido. Do you have any ideas why that's the case?
I think our experiences differed because of two reasons (these are just guesses from KSKaleido's responses about creativity)
1. I've heard in the past Activision didn't treat its employees as well as they do now. Within the last couple of years the company has made great strides to put employees first. Maybe KSKaleido worked at Activision during no-so-great times.
2. Vested interest in a certain game. I'm not a big CoD fan at all (i hadn't play a CoD game in 6 years before coming to Activision). I came to Activision to work and learn how games are made at the AAA scale. What really interests me is watching games develop and come together. However, if I were someone who was a huge CoD fan, I can understand that I'd be frustrated that my opinions weren't changing the overall design of the game (the lead designers and such make those calls, not the entry-level guys).
I really think that there are 2 type of people who join the industry: those that love the games industry, and those that love the game(s). The latter tends to leave the industry when they realize that they can't influence design decisions from an entry-level position (though these type of people are also responsible for the new indie game wave, which I love). The first kind of people that like the industry overall tend to stay. Projects come and go; I could be working on a non-CoD title after my current job wraps up, but I'd be happy with that as long as the game is something that has quality behind it. If I was a die-hard CoD fan, I'd probably be upset at being taken off CoD, and would leave. People who stay in the industry are flexible and are enthusiastic about any project that has promise behind it. My boss for example worked at Squaresoft, then the Spiderman games, then WWE, then CoD.
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TLADT24920 Posts
Thanks for the update. Glad to know that things worked out for the best
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EPT
