The importance of networking within the game development industry

What is networking?

Networking is the process of sharing information with others. In a professional sense networking is about sharing information relating to your profession with others who also work in that field. In the game development industry this information will typically revolve around completed projects, career status, career history, and proposed future projects.

Why is networking important in the games development industry

Networking is important as it allows you to form contacts, which is an essential element to being successful in the games development industry.

Furthermore, networking allows you to:

Meet new people

Networking is a great way to meet new people who are interested in your projects. The people you meet through networking are often likeminded people who share a common interest with you. This can lead to meeting people who you might want to undertake a collaborative project within the future. Its also important to talk to others in the industry as they can help to talk through ideas with you and give feedback on and current projects that you are working on.

Scope out current trends

Networking is essential for getting a lay of the land when it comes to current trends. It is important to keep on top of current projects and social media posts in order to see what is currently popular. This can be important as you may want to include elements in your project which adhere to current trends, or you may want to avoid current trends in order to prevent your project from becoming part of an oversaturated market.

Find employment

Networking is a common method for finding employment in the game development

industry. Job opportunities are often posted on social media in order to raise awareness about the opening. Networking is especially important for those who are undertaking freelance contract work, since they will need to be continually scouting out new contract opportunities.

Gain professional confidence

Networking with others allows for the development of professional confidence. Talking with others and being able to view their profiles and portfolios allows for an understanding of the general standards and expectations for professional presentation in the game development industry.

Gain clarity

Creating and updating a networking profile allows you to practice the refinement of your personal statement and project summaries. This is especially important since it allows for the development of a clear, brief, explanation for what you do, this is helpful for summarising your work in interviews.

Stay in the loop

Networking allows you to find out about relevant events or opportunities. In the game development industry these events are often in the form of contests which allow you to showcase current projects, such as GameJams. However, there may also be relevant training opportunities and conferences. In recent years many events have been held online over Zoom, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. One benefit of online events is that they are globally accessible and usually free to attend, this has widened the range of events which are available. Be sure to follow pages and groups which host relevant events, even if they are out with your area in case online attendance is an option.

How to get started with networking

First, you’ll need to select a networking platform. Popular choices for online networking platforms are social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), Discord, and Linkedin (here is my Linkedin). I would recommend having more than one networking account but not so many that you cannot actively maintain them.

Tips for online networking:

• Ensure that all photographs are kept professional and that your personal statement gives a brief summary of your professional interests and current career.

• Avoid oversharing content which is not relevant to your professional interests.

• Add people that you have worked with so that they can keep up to date with your most recent projects.

• Try to be active in the community – join groups and pages which are related to the game development industry.

General networking tips and tricks

• Be polite and keep a professional mindset when networking – this shows that you will be someone who is easy to work with and who is respectful to your co-workers.

• Make sure you have a professional email address – your email address should be something basic like your name and should not be something that you would be embarrassed to share with others.

• Create business cards – whether you’re working as a freelancer, an independent developer, or as an employee of a company, it’s a good idea to carry business cards which showcase your work. These should be designed with professionality in mind and may relate to your independent company or to a specific project. Make sure to include a web address for your online portfolio.

• Remember to post regularly on social media – it has been suggested that around 5 to 10 posts per week is the most effective way to post on social media. Be sure to provide community engagement, such as polls or questions, and actively reply to comments on your page.

• Remember to update your blog – updating your blog can be a great way of keeping your online portfolio updated when there have not been any significant developments to your projects.