[quote name='dbgamer' timestamp='1309874163' post='4831348']I was planning on sending out around 200-300 resumes before I move to Austin

There aren't that many companies in Austin. It makes no sense whatsoever to send resumes to Maryland and New York and Florida and Washington and Oregon just before moving to Texas.
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[color="#000000"][font="arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif"]I apologize. Let me rephrase. [/font]
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Until January 2012, I am in Arkansas. The idea was to send out several resumes a few weeks before I'm free to move & get a game related programming job somewhere. if I get a job right off the bat, great! But if not, I want to make sure that I can survive wherever I move. [/font][size=2]If there's no companies willing to hire a non-local developer, then I'm just going to move where there is game development, get a regular job, and apply there again in 6 months.
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Austin, TX is my first choice. Austin is 10 hours away from home. This is convenient because relocation cost is relatively cheap and cost of living isn't so different from where I live now. Austin also has more game companies in a 600 mile radius from where I live. According to GameDevMap, it's approximately 50.[/font]
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But say if I were to move to San Francisco, that's going to be a really large risk since the cost to relocate is expensive as well as cost of living. But if it means a guaranteed game related job, I'm sure I can get the additional funding (parents, fiancée, etc.)


So that's the current plan. If anyone has suggestions over what I should do differently, I will gladly hear them out.

I understand that you don't accept the truth of the Location Location Location rule.
I also understand that it's a huge risk to move without having a job offer first. But that's what I did, and that's what you have to do.
It's remotely possible that you might get a job offer, but it's very possible that spamming your target city with applications can hurt your chances of being hired once you arrive there.
Before moving, it's recommended that you have several months living cost saved up. If you don't have that much yet, don't move until you do.

I do accept the truth of the Location X3 rule, or at least my understanding of it. I live in a cold spot & I am going to need to be in a warm spot to get a job. I am very willing to relocate.

I wanted to send out several resumes before I can move because it seems like a relatively low-risk way to maximize my options, not to mention the several people I've read say to do it on these forums. I know you said that I might spam my target city, so perhaps it's best to send out resumes to the remote possibilities & wait to move before sending them to the target city.

That being said, Austin is having an IGDA party this saturday & I plan on attending. I will ask about the environment there. If it sounds full of opportunity, I'll probably move there. Otherwise, I'll most likely consider something hotter. If I have to wait a few more months to do so, so be it. I'll do what it takes.

Again, I really appreciate your advice Mr. Sloper. Thank you.

In my opinion, you're doing an experiment that has low odds of success.

I think he was sending them to non-Austin companies with the plan to move to Austin and apply to Austin companies while there. Sure it has low odds of success, but not applying anywhere has even lower odds of success.

If my understanding is correct it looks like he has his bases pretty well covered.

[quote name='Tom Sloper' timestamp='1309929349' post='4831640']
In my opinion, you're doing an experiment that has low odds of success.

I think he was sending them to non-Austin companies with the plan to move to Austin and apply to Austin companies while there. Sure it has low odds of success, but not applying anywhere has even lower odds of success.

If my understanding is correct it looks like he has his bases pretty well covered.
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'way2lazy2care's got it. I don't think I've been explaining it well enough, but that's definitely the premise of what I'm going to do.

Ya know, Tom gives a ton of great advice, but the location issue isn't always such a big deal. Growing companies (such as those in the social games space) are eager to pull in talent, regardless of where they're currently living, for good candidates. I'm with my second company now, which I'll hopefully being staying with for quite some time, and both of the companies relocated me from a different state or city. The first company was a small growing 3rd party Nintendo developer and my current company is a large social games company. Are well known, established studios likely to relocate a new kid in the industry? Maybe, maybe not. There are plenty that will, though.

The only exceptions to Location, Location, Location is:
a) Having an inside connection/reference who'll get you the job
b) Having the exact expertise (usually backed up by an amazing product e.g. you developed Angry Birds) that the company just must have

Sounds like you had at least b).

Without either one though... Tom is right... good luck!