<story><title>In the Videogame Industry, Hiring People Is a Last Resort</title><url>https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-a-75-billion-business-is-getting-out-of-the-hiring-game-1491838235</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>BeetleB</author><text>&amp;gt;The guy poured his heart and soul into the project and was vested way beyond a paycheck, yet he was literally replaced like a cog the minute a spreadsheet called for it.&lt;p&gt;This is one reason why &amp;quot;follow your passion&amp;quot; is a bad career strategy.&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#x27;s not unique to this industry. Look at all the folks who get PhDs and waste their 30&amp;#x27;s doing low paid postdocs ($50K is higher end).</text></item><item><author>alxmdev</author><text>A while back I was chatting with an engineer who worked on the network code and infrastructure for a popular simulation game. After all the heavy lifting was done, he and others were promptly fired and replaced by contractors. The guy poured his heart and soul into the project and was vested way beyond a paycheck, yet he was literally replaced like a cog the minute a spreadsheet called for it. So much for wanting talented and loyal employees. It must be too easy to forget that all these business decisions affect real human beings, not empty automatons.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>EthanHeilman</author><text>The problem with the above story is that the engineer lost all connection to the project. It would be like allowing an artist to finish a painting 90% and then firing the artist and giving the painting to someone else. It is heartbreaking to hear. Those are years of someones life.&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; Look at all the folks who get PhDs and waste their 30&amp;#x27;s doing low paid postdocs ($50K is higher end).&lt;p&gt;Research is different. You are certainly losing out on income, however in my experience you have an immense amount of ownership and autonomy over the project. If you get the boot you can take your project with you. You can publish your code as free software or open source and your papers on open access pre-print services. Academic researchers are often far less alienated from their labor than video game engineers.&lt;p&gt;Consider two orthogonal vectors: one is income earned and the other is your accomplishments. Ideally you want to maximize both, but failing that different people express different priorities over which one to maximize in a career.</text></comment>
<story><title>In the Videogame Industry, Hiring People Is a Last Resort</title><url>https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-a-75-billion-business-is-getting-out-of-the-hiring-game-1491838235</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>BeetleB</author><text>&amp;gt;The guy poured his heart and soul into the project and was vested way beyond a paycheck, yet he was literally replaced like a cog the minute a spreadsheet called for it.&lt;p&gt;This is one reason why &amp;quot;follow your passion&amp;quot; is a bad career strategy.&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#x27;s not unique to this industry. Look at all the folks who get PhDs and waste their 30&amp;#x27;s doing low paid postdocs ($50K is higher end).</text></item><item><author>alxmdev</author><text>A while back I was chatting with an engineer who worked on the network code and infrastructure for a popular simulation game. After all the heavy lifting was done, he and others were promptly fired and replaced by contractors. The guy poured his heart and soul into the project and was vested way beyond a paycheck, yet he was literally replaced like a cog the minute a spreadsheet called for it. So much for wanting talented and loyal employees. It must be too easy to forget that all these business decisions affect real human beings, not empty automatons.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>specialist</author><text>Passion is fine. Whatever works for you.&lt;p&gt;I&amp;#x27;d advise against making someone else rich, at your own expense.&lt;p&gt;Been there, been done like that.</text></comment>