Still unfathomable to me that GDC almost cancelled this packed talk. #1reasontobe might fuel my entire next year of wanting to remain in this industry.
Iris Zhang
6,020 posts
Iris Zhang
@_nyanbun_
- I debated sharing but I feel more folks could benefit from this experience: I took a 1:1 call from a bright eyed college student who really wanted to break into games and I could just tell the more I spoke the more the light faded from their eyes.
- Passed 4 years at Rito last week. Still can’t believe they haven’t fixed this typo
- It’s been 7 months and some final days of nail biting over the leaks but I finally get to share with the world what I’ve been working on with the Champs team: the edgy double sword sad boi Yone!
- Replying to @_nyanbun_There was so much of past me I saw. Games were the thing they turned to when everything else in life went wrong. I had to ask, “Are you okay with that being taken from you? When the sole source of your joy and motivation becomes the source of burn out and stress?”
- Replying to @_nyanbun_I’m all for not sugarcoating reality but I wanted to offer more compassion and empathy. In that moment I came off bitter and a little callous. A sign I need to take a step back from these 1:1 interactions, for my own sake as well as those of who are still aspiring.
- Replying to @_nyanbun_I don’t ever want to gate keep. Cynicism is a form of gatekeeping. I remember being pummeled with it when I made the decision to join my last company. I *can* balance talking about the realities while still being encouraging and supportive of dreams.
- If you ever need evidence that you should always treat students & aspiring devs w kindness: 5 years ago a Riot software engineer wouldn’t converse w me at GDC. Today I saw his name looking at onboarding docs I wrote for LoL.
- I attended a coworker’s retirement party recently and I’m still not over how emotionally cathartic it was. Someone actually made it at AAA games studio. They didn’t burnout, quit the industry, or get laid off or have the studio shut down
- Replying to @RiotswimbananasThanks for sharing your perspective Mel. The debates over sports smell suspiciously like nothing burgers designed to manufacture fake outrage and cover outright transphobia
- Now that Zeri has been zooming around the Rift for a bit, let’s talk tech! (I was not her primary engineer, I only worked on a small part of it so apologies in advance if I don’t capture it completely)
- Hi, period reminder that we’re practically always hiring on League for many positions, some of which could (!!) be entry level. I’d like to build a more diverse pipeline. If you’re looking for that big break into game dev, please reach out.
