Negotiating an Offer

Levers of a contract offer
An offer will typically have several levers which you can alter to sweeten a deal. Typically a contract will include a ste wage as well as a housing stipend but here are just several of the many more terms you may choose to negotiate:

• Hourly compensation
• Housing
• Travel support (plane tickets, gas money)
• Professional development (GDC tickets)
• Time commitment (alternative working hours, vacation time)
• I always try to talk 12 week internships down to 10 or even 8 weeks so I can spend more time making indie games for my company.
• Benefits (healthcare, dental)
• Title (change of title)

My Offers
Zynga (software engineer, intern):
Offered: $32/hr with a $1500 after-tax housing stipend
Accepted: offer unaltered

Tilting Point (game design, intern):
Offered: $11.25/hr
Countered: $20/hr with a monthly $1200 after-tax housing stipend
Accepted: $14.75/hr

NCsoft (software engineer, intern):
Offered: $30/hr
Accepted: offer unaltered

Facebook (software engineer, intern):
Offered: $8,000 monthly stipend with company provided housing 
Accepted: initial offer unaltered 

Hangar 13 (software engineer, intern):
Offered: $25/hr with company provided housing and a two-way flight
Accepted: $25/hr with a housing stipend and a one-way flight

Sony Santa Monica (gameplay engineer, intern):
Offered: $30.25/hr with a sign-on bonus of $5500 (pre-tax) to cover housing and relocation
Countered: the above but with a GDC pass
Accepted: initial offer unaltered

Manticore Games
Offered: $30.00/hour
Countered: $30.00/hour with $2,000 after-tax housing
Accepted: $32.00/hour, round-trip flights, lunches catered

Epic Games, Fortnite
Offered: $30/hr, round-trip flights, Housing covered, Catered Lunches
Accepted: initial offer unaltered