XB3002 GAMES FUTURES #11: AAA Cover Letter and Company Analysis

This post and the next will be dedicated to the Cover Letters and Company Analysis documents we've had to write for this module. I won't be posting my CV on here, as it contains a lot of personal information that I'm not comfortable with sharing on a blog.

Anywho, first up, we have the Cover Letter and Company Analysis for Valve Corporation

Cover Letter

Valve Corporation,

Bellevue, WA 98009

Dear Valve Corporation,

I am writing to apply for the position of Artist that has been advertised on your company website.

I am an aspiring artist who specialises in 2D art for characters and environments. However, I am also proficient as a 3D artist, with a working knowledge of 3D packages such as Autodesk 3DS Max. I recently completed a 3-year Honours Degree in games design at Futureworks in Manchester, and it was over the course of my studies that I developed the aforementioned skills, which I have showcased in the attached portfolio.

I have been known to be both flexible and adaptable in my work, capable of using and experimenting with a variety of different styles and methods to generate and present ideas in both 2D and 3D. I have also had experience working in a team on occasion, and based on those events I would say that I can collaborate well with others. I will admit that I currently do not have much experience within the industry itself, but despite that, I always strive to produce high quality work, regardless of the task and the tools at hand.

Gaming has long been a passion of mine, and I would love the opportunity to have a career within that industry, particularly as part of a company as talented and well-loved as your own. I have already had the pleasure of experiencing a number of Valve’s award-winning titles, including Half-Life 2, Portal and Left 4 Dead. I am confident that my skills and enthusiasm will be an asset to your company and I am excited about the opportunity to work for you.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application and portfolio. I look forward to meeting you in person and discussing my suitability for the role in an interview.

Yours sincerely,

Sean Gannon

Company Analysis Document

Valve Corporation is a AAA video-game developer and publisher based in Bellevue, Washington. Founded in 1996 by former Microsoft employees Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington, they are perhaps best known as the creators of the Half-Life games, the first of which was released as the company’s debut product in 1998. 

Since then, they have personally developed around 5 other individual game series during their 17 years in business, a list that includes the Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Counter Strike franchises. The company prides itself on its unique work environment, which dismisses traditional managerial roles in favour of a flat organisational structure that promotes self-management and cooperation amongst peers. They are also noted for the support they give to their games’ modding communities, particularly the Counter Strike, Left 4 Dead and Day of Defeat series. In fact, many of their releases began as third-party mods that Valve then purchased and developed into full games.

Valve is also famous for their online platform, Steam, which provides users with digital distribution and community features. At present, the service offers nearly 2,000 games from various independent studios, and though it’s always-online requirement effectively makes it a form of digital rights management, the company has managed to build up an enormous amount of goodwill from its 6 million users thanks to frequent sales with massive discounts