I want to work in the video game industry- How do I get started? Where should I go to school? What classes do I take? Top
While we cannot advise you on what school to attend or which classes to take, we do encourage you to actually go to school...I know-it's a drag. Most of our artists have BFA's and our programmers have Computer Science or Engineering degrees. Your school's academic advisors would be the best place to start for suggestions on programs. While in college or specialized Game school, another great way to gain real work experience is to have an internship. What better way to get "hands on" experience that you can put on your resume, than by having an internship or two to fill in with!
 
Another avenue to look to for starting out is our QA Testing Department. The hours are rough, but you get to see how the game works and how everyone works together to create the game. It's a great opportunity to see the inner workings of the studio.
 
Do you offer internships? Top
Currently, Insomniac Games only offers summer internships to full-time students enrolled at a college, university, or specialized Game school. Internships for the Summer of 2008 are available in Art, Animation, Design, and Programming. Please check out the Interns section for further information and dates for material submissions.
What should I have on my demo reel? How long should the reel be? Top
For your submissions, we recommend only putting your best work on your reel or link. While we appreciate your talent growing and maturing over time, we only want to see your most impressive work. Your reel should give us examples of your abilities and style, but not be your complete body of work. A shorter, more concise reel is always appreciated.
Why does insomniac only accept web links to on-line demo reels and portfolios? Top
We prefer to have links to URL's due to the amount of paper, plastic, and postage it takes to receive and store a reel here. Since we are making strides to be a "greener" company, the idea of all of those packages and plastic elements being used bothers us. We would llike to decrease our carbon footprint, and ask that our candidates do likewise. It is really a green response, as well as a space saving initiative that we are working on, and appreciate your help with it. Thanks!
How long until I get a response? Should I reapply after a certain amount of time? How long do you keep my submission? Top
While we would like to respond to every candidate individually, it is just not possible. Once you have submitted your information and resume in our Applicant System, you should receive an auto-generated response. If your skill set is a match for one of our open positions, Insomniac Games will contact you directly. There is no need to submit multiple times. All submissions are looked at and evaluated.
Do you hire a student straight out of school? Top
We do! We do! We are looking for talent, not just years of experience. So, even though you have only been tinkering with games in your down time, if you have the talent and drive, we do want to hear from you. We encourage students to finish their education and contact us when it is time to start paying back their student loans!
Can I QA test from home? Top
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the Quality Assurance process, and the fact that you would be testing some products before they are released to the public, testing needs to be done on-site. However, we do occassionally hire for these positions, so keep an eye out for QA Tester openings.
Should I work with a recruiter? Top
Really, here at Insomniac Games we see no advantage to working with a recruiter, as we are happy to have direct contact with our candidates. We find that it actually saves time and speeds up the process. If you are submitted to us through an agency, you will go through the same review process as any other applicant.
Having progression problems in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time? Top
1. Valkyrie battle crash bug:
 
The problem seems to be that the player is getting shot and dying at the moment the boss is defeated, or while the Valkyrie ship is still blowing up. This is causing the freeze. Most people are able to replay the fight and get through this hang-up after a few tries, but if the player still can't pass it there is a patch coming soon that will fix the problem.
 
We will give an update via our Twitter feed (twitter.com/insomniacgames) and on InsomniacGames.com as soon as the patch is available.
 
 
2. Challenge Mode save bug:
 
This bug occurs if the player backs out of the auto-save which appears when initiating Challenge Mode. It can happen one of two ways:
 
1) The player selects "Go back in time…" instead of "Enter Challenge Mode" after beating the game. If the player goes back in time, and then selects Challenge Mode from the pause menu, a Save game screen will pop up. If the player backs out of this screen by pressing the Circle Button before the save completes, the save file will be corrupted. The player will launch into Challenge Mode, but will find certain doors or paths won’t open, leaving them stuck.
 
2) The player selects “Enter Challenge Mode” after the credits and backs out of the auto-save by pressing the Circle Button before it completes.
 
We have a patch on the way that will prevent this from happening to future users. For folks that have already hit the bug, we’ll give instructions on how to restart your Challenge mode playthrough.
 
We will give an update via our Twitter feed (twitter.com/insomniacgames) and on InsomniacGames.com as soon as the patch is available.
 
 
3. Good Samaritan Trophy bug:
 
If the player acquires the RYNO V from the Smuggler before finishing all of the Smuggler side-missions, the Smuggler will sometimes disappear, making it impossible to finish his quests. The patch will auto-complete any quests the player missed once you equip the RYNO V – unlocking the trophy.
 
*This is not to be confused with the Good Samaritan Skill Point which is unlocked by finishing all of the Space Quests in the Korthos sector.
 
If you are experiencing problems besides those listed above, please visit our forums or send an email to info@insomniacgames.com.