Working-For-Hire in Videogames - Can you? Should you?

Game Development is tough, and many teams will get to the point where they need to look beyond their initial game project to find some different path to survive. Many consider if 'Service Work' is the way to go - taking on game development work from clients in (and out of) the game industry that will pay the bills and keep the lights on.

Few who venture down this path first consider the implications on their team, and how they may need to evolve as a business to succeed in this very different end of the business. Noah Decter-Jackson has tread this path - from starting up Complex Games as an indie studio working on its own game, to pivoting to Work-For-Hire through several very different stages of the game industry, to pivoting back to independent game development and launching a successful title - Noah has faced the many trials and tribulations of building a successful "Work-for-Hire" game development studio.

In this talk, Noah will tackle the challenges of Service Work in Game Development, what you should consider, and whether or not it's the path for you.

As Co-Founder, Studio Head & Game Director of Complex Games Inc. (Manitoba's first videogame development company), Noah has worked to push forward the industry in this province for the past 23 years. After initially bootstrapping a small team with $0 dollars, he grew Complex into a successful work-for-hire studio employing nearly 50 people. Having also recently seen massive success with the launch of their own game title Noah has had experience with both sides of the business, and is eager to help demystify how the service industry works.

Host or Publisher New Media Manitoba