I've done some coding here and there in the games industry.
What have you done coding in? It's just part of my College course is C++ and Event Driven Programming and I'm awful at it lol, so I'm going to snap a possible chance here...
What have you done coding in? It's just part of my College course is C++ and Event Driven Programming and I'm awful at it lol, so I'm going to snap a possible chance here...
Do you have any tips?:)
For the last 22 years (14 profesionaly), it's mostly been C/C++ and assembler on a variety of CPU's as well as quite a few shading languages.
The only real general tip I can give is; if you want to be a good programmer, it's something you have to do every day, and it's something that you have to enjoy.
I think it helps if you have an end goal. A private project to work on, along with coursework.
My main motivation when I was 14 was that I looked at games on my Master System and asked myself "how do they do that?". That was my goal...to learn how to make video games.
Anyone want to get me a job / fun pastime I spend too much time gaming I feel guilty ! If there was something productive to do with it!
A few studios allow work experience in the QA depts... that's testing, basically... It's not as much fun as most people expect but it's an "in on the bottom rung of the ladder" type of job
i dont need money for it just something fun ! recognition as a female gamer that doesn't involve cooking mama or being a "sexy" gamer which I am not !
Games are meant for people to play and have fun. If you enjoy spending your free time playing them, then there's nothing to feel guilty about.
However, if you really want to get involved in the industry, then there are tonnes of way to do that. There's actual development, Q&A, Localisation, Project Management, marketing and quite a few more.
i dont need money for it just something fun ! recognition as a female gamer that doesn't involve cooking mama or being a "sexy" gamer which I am not !
So, again, you could ask for some free time/work experience doing QA stuff... apart from that I guess it depends on your skills... Check out IGDA, see if there's a local chapter, go along and get involved. It's a starting point, at least... (though IGDA isn't as well supported over here as it used to be...)
i dont need money for it just something fun ! recognition as a female gamer that doesn't involve cooking mama or being a "sexy" gamer which I am not !
I agree with the other two. If you want to get into the industry, it doesn't have to be for free, there might be games companies near you that might have QA jobs going. Our QA dept tends to be used as an entry into all parts of the company other than programming, mainly due to its highly technical nature.
I used be on the network/ITsupport side of quite a large games company for 6 years.
Great industry to work for but non stop hard work and not 9 to 5 hours. But you do get the rewards.
They only employ the best so as mentioned before you do have to love what you do and love doing it in your spare time too really, dont expect to be trained up in the job.
I got to go to E3, map a mountain for a snowboarding game and "popped" over to New York.
I agree though QA is probably the easiest way in without any particular skills, but be prepared for midnight deadlines!
If I won the lottery I would open an independent game shop with tournaments and stuff. like a games workshop thing so it opens later in the evening and attracts more young people
If I won the lottery I would open an independent game shop with tournaments and stuff. like a games workshop thing so it opens later in the evening and attracts more young people
I've seen a fair few of these open, and unfortunately close, across the country. Even helped a few out with events and things. The one that lasted longest (think it's gone now, unfortunatley) was a place in Farnham, Surrey, called GamesPod. Ideally placed as it had ZERO competition in the town, no GAME nor HMV just a Woolies, Smiths and Argos, and it was a busy place with a uni etc. He had a multiplayer games room set-up for hiring out plus tournaments and did a good trade on new and used stuff. It was my shop of choice when I was based down there.
Guy who ran it had a nightmare time getting stock from the publishers, though, as he wasn't handling the numbers compared to the bigger stores. Worked his backside off. Top bloke.
The only real general tip I can give is; if you want to be a good programmer, it's something you have to do every day, and it's something that you have to enjoy.
This is the best advice for new programmers, absolutely spot on.
My advice is to not confuse a love of gaming for a love of game programming though. I've also worked as a programmer in the gaming industry and it's far less glamorous than you might think . Also it's an industry that's notorious for low salaries (compared to other jobs in the industry) and long hours. That's a generalisation as some companies are great to work for, they are just the exception not the rule.
I eventually moved into business application development. It's better paid, better conditions but no-one really goes "wow" about my job
I've seen a fair few of these open, and unfortunately close, across the country. Even helped a few out with events and things. The one that lasted longest (think it's gone now, unfortunatley) was a place in Farnham, Surrey, called GamesPod. Ideally placed as it had ZERO competition in the town, no GAME nor HMV just a Woolies, Smiths and Argos, and it was a busy place with a uni etc. He had a multiplayer games room set-up for hiring out plus tournaments and did a good trade on new and used stuff. It was my shop of choice when I was based down there.
Guy who ran it had a nightmare time getting stock from the publishers, though, as he wasn't handling the numbers compared to the bigger stores. Worked his backside off. Top bloke.
That's why id have to win the lottery because I'd make a loss but it would b fun and I wan a job but don't need one.
Comments
Wait, don't you work in the games industry
What have you done coding in? It's just part of my College course is C++ and Event Driven Programming and I'm awful at it lol, so I'm going to snap a possible chance here...
Do you have any tips?:)
For the last 22 years (14 profesionaly), it's mostly been C/C++ and assembler on a variety of CPU's as well as quite a few shading languages.
The only real general tip I can give is; if you want to be a good programmer, it's something you have to do every day, and it's something that you have to enjoy.
I think it helps if you have an end goal. A private project to work on, along with coursework.
My main motivation when I was 14 was that I looked at games on my Master System and asked myself "how do they do that?". That was my goal...to learn how to make video games.
A few studios allow work experience in the QA depts... that's testing, basically... It's not as much fun as most people expect but it's an "in on the bottom rung of the ladder" type of job
Games are meant for people to play and have fun. If you enjoy spending your free time playing them, then there's nothing to feel guilty about.
However, if you really want to get involved in the industry, then there are tonnes of way to do that. There's actual development, Q&A, Localisation, Project Management, marketing and quite a few more.
So, again, you could ask for some free time/work experience doing QA stuff... apart from that I guess it depends on your skills... Check out IGDA, see if there's a local chapter, go along and get involved. It's a starting point, at least... (though IGDA isn't as well supported over here as it used to be...)
I agree with the other two. If you want to get into the industry, it doesn't have to be for free, there might be games companies near you that might have QA jobs going. Our QA dept tends to be used as an entry into all parts of the company other than programming, mainly due to its highly technical nature.
Great industry to work for but non stop hard work and not 9 to 5 hours. But you do get the rewards.
They only employ the best so as mentioned before you do have to love what you do and love doing it in your spare time too really, dont expect to be trained up in the job.
I got to go to E3, map a mountain for a snowboarding game and "popped" over to New York.
I agree though QA is probably the easiest way in without any particular skills, but be prepared for midnight deadlines!
3am more like
I used to work in Future Zone, Electronics Boutique, GAME and Gamestation.
Which years were you there? I was there 1998 - 2000. Before it went all corporate. Best job i've ever had!:D
I've seen a fair few of these open, and unfortunately close, across the country. Even helped a few out with events and things. The one that lasted longest (think it's gone now, unfortunatley) was a place in Farnham, Surrey, called GamesPod. Ideally placed as it had ZERO competition in the town, no GAME nor HMV just a Woolies, Smiths and Argos, and it was a busy place with a uni etc. He had a multiplayer games room set-up for hiring out plus tournaments and did a good trade on new and used stuff. It was my shop of choice when I was based down there.
Guy who ran it had a nightmare time getting stock from the publishers, though, as he wasn't handling the numbers compared to the bigger stores. Worked his backside off. Top bloke.
This is the best advice for new programmers, absolutely spot on.
My advice is to not confuse a love of gaming for a love of game programming though. I've also worked as a programmer in the gaming industry and it's far less glamorous than you might think . Also it's an industry that's notorious for low salaries (compared to other jobs in the industry) and long hours. That's a generalisation as some companies are great to work for, they are just the exception not the rule.
I eventually moved into business application development. It's better paid, better conditions but no-one really goes "wow" about my job
I left just before the SNES came out