My Beginning in Gaming

Hello! I'm Charles Vargo, a senior Integrated Marketing and Applied Psychology duel major at Ithaca College. For the past year and a half, I have been committed to becoming a market researcher/data analyst in the gaming industry. In that year and a half I have significantly changed, and my goals, opinions, and thoughts around the gaming industry have all significantly changed.

Over the past few months, I've been slowly growing my network here on LinkedIn, and inspired by people like Amir Satvat as well as encouraged to post my own content by the amazing likes of Bethany Rock , Nathan Lindberg , and many others, I have decided to start publishing weekly (probably not weekly) LinkedIn posts about my thoughts, opinions, and reactions to reports, news, and games in the industry. The posts will probably be one or two posts a week, maybe more, maybe less. These posts are mostly so I can organize and get my own thoughts on paper, as well as demonstrate how passionate I truly am not just for individual games, but video games and their concept as a whole.

For my first post, I thought the best place to start was some of the current opinions I have about the gaming industry, and where I am mentally and emotionally in as a college student about to take that headfirst plunge into whatever the inky darkness of the future to discover and explore whatever I can. I also have been considering starting a small YouTube channel where I talk more about individual games and my opinions on them.

First things first (ignoring the last three paragraphs), my current thoughts about the industry. To summarize in two words; terrified and excited. It feels like every other day, there is another mass layoff, another major company laying off hundreds of their employees, or even closing the doors of their gaming studios. That, as a still-in-college student with only a few internships and contract work under his name, is scary. As I enter the industry, there will be more competition for jobs than ever, less job security than I expected, and much fewer companies willing to spend money on gaming.

I have my own opinions on the future of gaming and its growth, as I'm sure everyone else does, including many who are much more experienced and wiser than me. My next post will most likely be on those ideas, and I cannot wait to get those on paper, but for now I'm getting off topic.

Back on track, aside from the terror, excitement also makes an appearance among my feelings for the future of my industry. It will be a challenge, but one that I'm looking forward to. I think Gaming is in a crucial moment right now, and it has many paths it could go as an industry, none more correct than any other. And I look forward to being even a small (but hopefully one day larger) part of that shift. It's a fascinating industry, one that is growing and developing, and has such a role in all stages of life, from childhood to retirement. I can't wait to get started, and begin my journey in Gaming

I've talked to a lot of different people over the course of my internships and network building, and I have come to a conclusion. A cousin of mine gave me the advice, "never be the smartest person in the room," which to me meant always make sure they're somewhere to grow. Make sure there's always someone around who you can strive to be. It's been a fairly influential quote on my life, and having talked to those people, I'm more than confident that gaming is an industry where that quote can be true.

Over the past year, through those discussions and experiences, I've had preconceived notions challenged and had to reconsider and change opinions and beliefs about gaming that I did not expect to have to alter. I, when I started on this path, did not expect to be passionate about the things I am passionate about, to have the beliefs or opinions I have. I love the fact that I have changed so much, and cannot wait to see what else and what more changes in me as I follow this path.

That feels like a good wrap up for my first big post. I'd like to end on some thank yous to different people who have helped me throughout the process. Firstly, I've already mentioned them but Amir Satvat , Bethany Rock , and Nathan Lindberg . I'd also love to thank Shawn Guiney , Arghavan (Argy) M. , and Joseph Puralewski for all of your advice and conversations about gaming. Heather Niemczycki and Carolyn Childs CMRS thank you both for the experiences you have and still provide. It's been and is amazing working with you both. Thank you to all the people I've worked with, had conversations with, etc. for helping me along this path, and I cannot wait to continue down this pathway. I'll post another soon, maybe sooner than next week, but like I said, I'm trying for at least once or twice a week.

Thank you for reading!