Lots of interesting points made. Good feedback.

Yes the idea does kind of have a snobbish factor. It's not really the intent to be something snobbish; moreso to be something where a hardcore, focused, serious crowd can gather without alot of offbeat distractions.

What particular features would be of interest to you in a premium member only community site besides the private forums?

I'm curious if people would pay membership fees to belong to premium game forums. Only allowing members serious enough to pay might create higher quality, more focused forums for the particular topics the forums cover. Just an idea I wanna get feedback on. Do you think people would want this? Is it something you personally would be interested in? Comments?

Gaming is big business. Real heroes are the leaders who refuse to sacrifice fun for efficiency.

I want my games to be made by truly passionate gamers who take naps in the afternoon and spend most of their days lost in fantasy land. I don't want my games churned out by militant, disciplined, sunlight deprived, efficiency maximizing, slave-driven development teams.

I want my games made by people who waste time at work. I want my games made by people who spend half their day at work actually working and the other half playing games.

I want my games made by people and teams that cost twice as much in the budget because they waste so much time screwing off.

Gaming is big business. The industry's growth will slow when fun dies. I hope that doesn't happen in my lifetime.

Ok yes gold farming is certainly a business idea related to gaming. lol.

I'm personally not thinking along the gold farming lines, but don't let me stiffle anyone's brainstorming.

Sure. I'd be happy to chat about ideas privately too. PM me anytime.

Here's another idea. Internet gaming related shows are popping up, of course. How about an internet streaming show dedicated to live gameplay. 24 hours a day action could be focused on a player adventuring and battling through the game. Sort of like the GameSpot 4 hour live gameplay marathon done on Lord of the Rings Online, but 24 /7 style.

Yes of course, for established firms and business models you get an entry level job and climb the corporate ladder. What I'm looking for in this thread are ideas for creative new business concepts that can bring something new to the game.

Let me give you another example to get you guys thinking. You could open a LAN gaming center for adults only that served alcoholic drinks. Most LAN centers are for kids. As much as we love our young fellow gamers, maybe some adult gamers would enjoy a classy place to mingle and game for adults only.

Personally I'm thinking more along the lines of new and creative ways to be involved in the industry, not just developing another game.

Like what sort of new services do gamers want? Gaming social networking sites are popping up. More gaming related internet shows like Epileptic gamine and Total MMO are popping up. What are some other business ideas a person could bring into the mix?

What about an unofficial fansite for a game where criticism and hard debate was encouraged rather than discouraged? A place where players could really share thier views without worrying about the developer looking over their shoulder.

I can understand you not wanting to share some of your very personal ideas on a public forum.

Originally posted by montin
I'm not to sure where your coming from. Are you looking for work as a coder, designer, artist etc etc? There are lots of different tasks involved in creating and running an online game. As for the type of experience you listed, well it's worth nothing unless you want to be a games tester. However the problem with that is too many people are willing to do it for free. If however your looking to actually work on the game, for example as a coder. Then you need to create something of your own thats decent. You can then show a possible employer what you can do. Maybe if you could give some indication of some real skills (what was you degree in) then it would be possible to give some real advice or ideas.

Montin, I've been involved in community management activity in the industry in a hobby capacity for over ten years. That's more than enough related experience to be considered for an entry level formal community management position. My post isn't about this, however. My post is about thinking of new and interesting ideas on how a gamer like you or me could bring something to the industry in an entreprenuership spirit.

My personal gaming taste is of a wide variety of genres, traditional and possible (new ideas).

My post is about what are some interesting, creative ideas for how someone can get involved in the gaming industry as an entreprenuer. Such as better fansites? Gaming related video shows? Suggest some ideas.

My fellow gamers,

I'm 35 years old. I've been gaming for years; many, many years. I recently went back to school to finish a bachelor's degree and now I'm job hunting again. Like I've tried before, I'm making an attempt to find work in gaming industry community management since it's what I've been doing as a hobby for almost ten years since Ultima Online. I'm facing the same responses I've faced for years on end. They are seeking someone with a little more formal experience in the field.

I've been managing fansites, participating in beta programs, leading guilds, and playing MMOs for over ten years and they don't consider this even 'a little bit of experience'. Now, this post isn't about bitching over the less than stellar perception skills of gaming industry hiring managers. This post is about entrepreneurship. If developers aren't going to let me play in their reindeer games, I wonder what sort of business I could operate myself related to the industry. I want your ideas. I'm an entrepreneur type and I'm always brainstorming new ideas. Brainstorm with me.

And it's not about just trying to figure out how to make money off this growing industry to exploit it with no personal interest. It's about wanting to do something for a living that is related to what I know and enjoy. And it's not just about me loving to play games. It's about wanting to be a part of an industry that delivers fun to others and enjoying the process myself.

Share with me your creative ideas.

Mispost

I'm just a big gaming nut telling people about my cool site. There is never a well done link site made for games.