Mike Jungbluth is a game developer who has worked on, among other things, Lord of the Rings: War in the North and Singularity. He also talks eloquently about the harrowing life of a game developer, never knowing how long your currect contract will hold out:

“Is this how it’s always going to be? Is this just our reality, having to move every couple of years? We are finally moving back close to home and I don’t want to have to do this again.”

I don’t want to have to do this again either. I am done moving. I want to set up roots and buy a home. I want to stop living by my Layoff Handbook and not have to look over my shoulder all the time. I want to live in an area that I really want to call home, and not just a “safe zone” city filled with a lot of studios so that I can have options.  I just want to work really hard and will this all into reality. Honestly, that is all I CAN do. But that still only leads to reactionary solutions for the majority of game devs. And if that is all we have, then the answer I will have to give my wife is, “Yes, this IS how it is always going to be.” And that is an answer I don’t think anyone is looking forward to.

It’s always fascinating to hear the inside story of other industries, even if they merely confirm my, ahem, dim view of the so-called meritocracy of a free market economy. The comment section features some interesting discussion from other insiders as well.