The Video Game Industry and Body Modification? (1 Viewer)

If anyone in 2k or someone knowledgeable about this could answer this for me, this would be much appreciated. We all have heard how tough it is to get a job if you have forms of body modifications (piercings, tattoos, stretched earlobes, etc.) I have also heard that the video game industry is pretty lenient on appearance-related issues in regards to finding a job designing and programming games.

I am a person with a notable amount of body mods, and have been interested in game design ever since I was a toddler (no joke). Just how strict are you guys on the matter of this? Would you care if a modified person worked at your studio, as long as they did their job right?

I want as much input on this as I can get. Users and admins, this means you.

I'd imagine its just like any other professional work environment. It's one thing to have tattoos or piercings, but so long as they don't directly impact your ability to function or serve as a distraction to others then you're fine. It's definitely not the same as a job in finance or wall street, where you need to look extremely clean cut and "normal."

That said, there's a LOT of work you'd need to do before getting a job. College, portfolio, internships, etc. If your resume/interview is good enough then they'd probably look past all of that.

IT has nothing to do with it.Worked for a trucking company where I had to remove my earring. Men were not allowed to wear any jewelry beyond a wedding ring. Would not hire people with tattoos that could be seen outside a polo shirt and shorts.Worked for another company that their handbook actually said "there is to be no male/female discussions on anything non-work related". To wit I joked..."So gay sex in the bathroom is fine?" (Which that didn't violate their harassment rules...which it addressed nothing with same-sex. The owner's last name rhymed with Ostrich.)Where I work now, the IT guy looks like Amish mafia and has a tattoo on his shoulder of a naked spreadeagle woman. The tattoo has some of the best detail I've ever seen...as far as, you know...the work involved.

I have no experience with the video game industry. This is my own wild speculation.

Videogames have become big business. And big business means big companies. And that means HR and consistency and a push for employee conformity. Beards and tattoos are one thing. But "body modification" -- which I'm assuming means hula hoop earlobes and surgical deformations or etc. -- won't win a person any favors during the interviewing phase with a big business mindset.

Of course, as Morgan says, quality of work and additionally who you know are of primary importance.