Ok. Full disclosure: I am a video game addict. So much so that I have never dared to play World of Warcraft because I know it would fully engulf my life. I suppose this makes me a lucid addict. Regardless, I haven’t played anything since I started my MBA at UCLA Anderson because I have just been way too busy. I’ll dare say I am even too busy for these painful withdrawal symptoms! Ironically, I discovered that Anderson is relatively well connected to the world of video gaming. Thus, I figured that, since I am such a fan, I owe it to myself to at least explore the possibility of transitioning into that sector.
I am just out of a presentation by Jeremy Miller, a video game consultant… yes, there is such a thing. According to Mr. Miller, the video game industry is relatively resistant-proof to recessions, although the hardware market seems to have already lost some steam. Video game publishers are likely to keep consolidating, but from my perspective they are still recruiting. Last week, I attended a corporate presentation from Activision, which announced that it hired all four of its marketing summer interns this year full-time. I will grant you that four is by no mean a large number, but then I never said getting a job in the video game industry was easy. By the way, both Mr. Miller and Activision gave us free games – including a "Band Hero" set – just for attending their presentations. How cool is that?
Here are a few practical facts about the industry I have gathered over the past few weeks. So far, I have seen more internship and job opportunities in brand management than in any other function. Video gaming is a very popular sector, and as such salaries can be 10-15% lower than in other industries. I was also told not to go into it just because I like video games – although it is important – but also because I have a special talent or interest in marketing, finance, etc. Although one could argue that this last piece advice applies to pretty much any line of work. I have spoken to a few video game brand managers, and it looks like fun, hard work, so I will definitely give it a shot.
–Simon
