has your personal economy begun to meltdown yet?

reply to post by SpaceMonkeys


I'm doing well. Then again, if I lose it all, I don't' lose much. My partner and I live within our means. We have made a conscious decision NOT to have a mortgage, credit cards or any other form of credit. We pay with cash. If we don't have the cash we don't buy, simples.

SpaceMonkey: My partner has worked in the gaming industry for three years. He started low on the ladder as a tester. Three years later and he has worked on some of the biggest projects in the industry. Currently he is the lead for one of the biggest games of the year. He is in the credits of several big name projects of the past year. He is doing very well, and he's only 22. His secret? He was willing to start at the bottom, worked hard and didn't have any expectations. He currently leads a team of ten people and he is always telling me how the company he works for avoids graduates. Why? Because they aren't willing to start at the bottom, have high salary expectations, and are not dependable.

I don't know what part of the UK you're in, but the southeast is the place to be if you're serious about getting into the industry.
Avoid applying with the studios directly.It is in their interest to cut costs, so they often outsource work. There are many companies that are used by the studios to do testing, artwork and even coding. My partner works for one such company and as a result he is now known to all the major studios in the area, they know him and thus should he choose to apply directly with them now, he is much more likely to get on with them.

If you don't mind working hard, for a lowish wage ( hell of a lot more then JSA though) and are dependable then there ARE jobs in the industry. It's a foot in the door. If you're interested, and in the southeast, PM me, and I will send you links and names to a few of the companies in the area. They are ALWAYS hiring.

reply to post by Merigold


I was a game tester for Gremlin Interactive in the early 90's. I wanted the music man's job but all I did was test collision detection and sprite interactions. It was Boring as hell!!!



Korg.

since i've always been austere... the extended employment/credit recession is foreign to my lifestyle...

my ROTH IRA is climbing with the general movement into gold as an asset & commodity & money

my dividend paying stocks are still growing, but at much slower pace after most companies reduced their
dividends in 2008-2009

i am still in the process of making/refining my 3 prototype units of a useful but vanity like product,
so as to present to a manufacturer, distributer for either sale or license or franchise...
Spring 2011 is my anticipated roll-out date,


i do find that all prices are creeping up fast and living frugally on $10k yr ...while still stocking
up on goods and trade items is difficult...i have ruled out stocking up on liquors, cigarettes even
#10 cans of coffees (which i don't consume) because of the costs

Cutting cable televison was on of the best decisions I made( I of course have Netflix and love it!). Also switching my cellular phone service from Sprint to Metro PCS, and bringing my lunch to work were great ideas. Just those three simple things have saved me approximately $200-220 a month. Also if anyone still has a darn house phone get rid of it! Not much use if you have a cellular phone with an unlimited minutes plan.

I'm 28. Not really feeling the pinch....because I decided years ago to always live below my means. I work in healthcare/elderly care so my job opportunities are always growing in demand.

Money has its place in the world I suppose...but a surplus amount of it complicates my life. I dont like that. I like simplicity. Money distracts me from higher purposes and my own joyful path of self-discovery. Money distractions are like MSM distractions or the Bread and Circus ploy. I would rather focus on what it truely means to be alive, human and living in these wild times. Money is just man-made bullsh*t--it's most of the reason we are in this current mess. I JUST SIT BACK & RELAX AND WATCH EVERYONE ELSE FIGHT OVER THEIR GREEN GOD!

I have never nor will ever have a credit card. I like to get most things second-hand. I do whatever I can to minimize the amount of my money going into the hands of big business- which everyone SHOULD be doing! Taking away their money means taking away their power.