Gaming Industry in Japan?

[Spark]

you are so bantha fodder

Either that or just a total dickhead.

[tiramisuforyou]

Business level Japanese with zero tech/art skills is enough to get you a job as an Associate Producer, Localization Staff, or QA Tester at a game company.

I worked a little less than two years as an Associate Producer and I must say it was my most enjoyable and rewarding job thus far. After some hopping, I am longing to return to the game industry.

Sony was hiring for their localization department last month. Koei was recruiting associate producers at the same time.

[Lamont]

There are artist/programmers who work without a lick of Japanese skill. It really depends on the company. But I know they are slim. I know of more foreigners who are programmers with no Japanese skill who work here(I guess because programming is a language that anyone who does it can understand?). But they are all for major companies who have the $$ to have staff to support them.

It's possible to work here with no Japanese as an artist or a programmer. But you need to be really freakin good and/or shipped some titles.

And I agree on the ______ thing. It's like a goldmine... err Yen-mine. When I first got here, I did one contract job for some Koreans and they paid well.

[paulstrife88]

hello folks, I post here without opening a new thread.
I'm a 23 years old italian male currently living in Tokyo, studying in a japanese language school, i have the JLPT N2 and i'm preparing for the N1. I didn't get a degree in my country and I was thinking to apply at the HAL(東京モード学園) to study game programming. but i'm not sure if it is worth to continue living here in japan. there is somebody here who is working in the gaming industry?
I was thinking maybe it's good to go back in Europe and get a degree in computer science the UK. my japanese teacher told too "working overtime without gettin money and waiting the 社長 to finish his work before going home even if you finished".

[ttokyo]

My japanese teacher told too "working overtime without gettin money and waiting the 社長 to finish his work before going home even if you finished".

That's pretty much the situation in ANY Japanese company. She forgot to mention that you are also not expected to take all your holidays. Do yourself a favor and work for a foreign company if you want to stay in Japan.

I have studied one year at a J-University and found the level was much lower than in Europe. Not sure about HAL. If you are into IT, the most lucrative jobs would be in banking, but your English skills might need some improvement.

Check for IT jobs here as well : https://www.panachejobs.com/English/Default.aspx

[hachimaruhachi]

That's pretty much the situation in ANY Japanese company. She forgot to mention that you are also not expected to take all your holidays. Do yourself a favor and work for a foreign company if you want to stay in Japan.

I have studied one year at a J-University and found the level was much lower than in Europe. Not sure about HAL. If you are into IT, the most lucrative jobs would be in banking, but your English skills might need some improvement.

Check for IT jobs here as well : https://www.panachejobs.com/English/Default.aspx

the above reply nails it - japanese game universities are churning out pretty shoddy programmers - if you take a look at a lot of recently released japanese game credits, most programming leads are foreigners.

As for holidays, This code monkey has been forced to spend the last 2 national holidays locked in the office and the last 4 months doing 12 hr shifts, sometimes without a lunchbreak. funfunfun...

Go study programming elsewhere.

[paulstrife88]

thank you for the answer. yer surely my english need some improvements, from when i came here in japan I didn't use it at all and not being my mother tongue i started to forget.
going to a 専門学校　I think i will be tightened to an unique specialization and a graduation from a japanese 専門学校　as no value in other country.

[tintinmax]

First week i was here got offered a job for a game company for localization.
1000 yen an hour

didn't take the job

you can try to apply at gree cause they are hiring right now.
just goto the website and make an account

they pay a ton

[zenigame211]

Hey all, I am new here. Nice to meet you all.
I have couple of years of experience as a game designer and I am wondering how's the market like in Japan?
Are there any recruitment websites specialize in Multimedia jobs? (would be better if its for foreigners too) If anyone can give me the sites that would be lovely!

Thanks

[tiramisuforyou]

non-player character(s), if that's what they were aiming for.

I'm actually translating some NPC dialogue right now as I sit in my chair in an office in Akiba.

I hate excel from the marrow of my bone.

[tiramisuforyou]

A tester, and a test leader.

Testing mobile games, and smartphone websites, and stuff.

Of course:

"Language

＜Mandatory＞
English

＜Preferred＞
Japanese, Mandarin "


Which is why I bother posting this here.

[tiramisuforyou]

hello folks...programming...

Interesting and relevant article on the programmer situation in Japan

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/1...ective-part-1/

[zenigame211]

A tester, and a test leader.

Testing mobile games, and smartphone websites, and stuff.

Of course:

"Language

＜Mandatory＞
English

＜Preferred＞
Japanese, Mandarin "


Which is why I bother posting this here.

Hey there, I know Mandarin, Cantonese and English. I am an iPhone game designer. Does that fit the requirements for your company? Let me know!

Cheers!

[MisterPanda]

A little late replying but I'll add in my advice in hopes it will help others.

You didn't mention what your degree was with, but if it isn't a game related degree, you're already behind.

You're young and this is understandable, but you are setting your expectations too high. You need to ask yourself if you can even get a game job in your home country. There's no incentive for a foreign game company (anywhere, Japan, US, China) to hire a fresh college graduate when they have plenty of available candidates from their own country. You have to be able to offer them something they can't get.

I've been in the US game industry for over 5 years. When I was in Japan in 2010, I attempted to find a position with a japanese game company. I was only on a cultural studies visa and did not have work permit. I was politely turned down by many medium sized companies. I came back to the US and spent several months unemployed (dozens of game companies are closing every year in the US) before I landed another steady game job.

Working in the game industry isn't for everyone. The pay might be alright but the hours are hell. This last few weeks I've been doing 12 hour days at the office including weekends. I have friends who work and have worked for Konami Japan and they all say that it was like a living hell, with only enough time to go home and sleep. Some opt to just sleep at work. Canadian game companies aren't much better and Japan companies (never mind japanese game companies) are notorious for poor working conditions.

The best advice I can give you is to stay in Canada. Look at some of the big publishers in Montreal/Vancouver or Toronto and get an internship or job. Get MINIMUM 3 years of work experience and keep studying Japanese. Go to Japan to VISIT for a few weeks and then make a serious decision about trying to find a job there. Right now you're only romanticizing about your dream situation. You need to seriously think about your career.

Also, RE: Gameloft, as far as I can tell, the Gameloft Japan branch is mostly a business office. They handle all of the marketing/distribution and mostly fill business/sales and art positions. They don't make any games there.

Articles you can read
http://kotaku.com/5344934/want-to-wo...stry-heres-how
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/featur...pment_the_.php
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/featur...e_.php?print=1
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/featur...e_.php?print=1

[Lamont]

I would agree to get some experience in your home country. Get good and get some Japanese under your belt. As for the 12 hour days, they do come up. My first year back in 2003~2004 was like that. I had a lot of 12 hour days. But it's not supposed to be that way. Take as much ownership of your assets as possible, don't wait for the issues to come to you then decide to solve them when it's critical. This comes with experience and will only make you a better worker all around.

I've lived here for 3 years. Started applying for jobs right when I landed. Even with my skills, it was hard, had two companies interested, but my Japanese level was poor (unless the game was about buying groceries and ordering at Mos Burger). From then I studied Japanese off and on as work (Youchien teacher part-time/contracting for whoever paid enough) and family (wife and two kids) would allow. Finally I landed a job. The only kinds of people I've seen come from other countries(India/China/US) and right into a game industry job are programmers. All the artist I know of lived here for some time getting better at speaking Japanese... this is just my experience, not 100% fact.

I swear Teriyaki was one of the first Kanji I learned thanks to Mos Burger.

"Right now you're only romanticizing about your dream situation. You need to seriously think about your career."

Very true. Good luck.

[DavisXiong]

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[yoru]

So what's with web development/ web design? Is it better over there?

[wernst]

So what's with web development/ web design? Is it better over there?

NO. Low pays, hard working hours and still the websites in japan are total ____.