Re: [Algorithms] Game Developer Salary

[Jonathan W. <jw...@bi...>]

on 9/11/00 8:46 AM, Stephen J Baker at sj...@li... wrote:

> Honestly, I could tell one of these stories for every six months I've
> lived here in Sunny Texas.

My favourite is when I when I buy something via mail order over the phone
and _always_ (without fail) get the salesman/woman (usually the latter) who
"has always wanted to visit England" or "has a friend who just got back from
England". There must be something about my accent that makes people want to
discuss their vacation plans  over the phone with me.

> Well, you can negotiate more holiday (I did) - and I'm earning
> probably 2x what I could in UK for similar cost of living.

Same here, although I'm not in the games industry so can't comment on the
salary ratios there. I'd say cost of living here in Austin, TX is a lot less
than back home as well.
 
>> Sounds very much like slave trade to me.
> 
> In some respects, it is.  You certainly don't have *freedom* for
> the period while you are waiting for the INS department to process
> your GreenCard paperwork

Luckily for me my wife is American and I'm not working under some kind of
indentured servitude. Friends of mine who have worked under other visas have
really rough times. In fact one person I know worked for free for a period
(this was a person with a Masters in CompSci and some industry experience)
just to get sponsorship.

    Jon.