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Geek Culture / A job as a professional creator

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TDP Enterprises
19
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Joined: 28th Mar 2005
Location: on or in front of my computer
Posted: 12th Sep 2005 04:09
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I personally want to be a producer because that is where the money is and i enjoy the business side of the vidoe game industry. But ideally, i'd want to be both which is rare in bigger companies.

“A lot of people approach risk as if it’s the enemy when it’s really fortune’s accomplice” - Sting“
.......S-S-D-D.......
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Megaton Cat
21
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Joined: 24th Aug 2003
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 12th Sep 2005 04:39
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None of you guys are thinking realisticlly. "I wanna be the lead game designer at a large company! I wanna produce! I wanna be my own boss!" It takes time to climb the ladder, and none of you are gona start being head of a mega popular game company when you graduate from school. Reminds me of my friend kinda, because when I asked him what he plans to do after uni, he mumbled something about "Mayor...".


The future is here, and I can't afford it.
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Jeku
Moderator
21
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Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 12th Sep 2005 04:57
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I want to work at Infinite Games as an A.I. programmer on a next-gen console title--- hey wait, I already do!

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TKF15H
21
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Joined: 20th Jul 2003
Location: Rio de Janeiro
Posted: 12th Sep 2005 05:34
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Quote: "IMO I'd choose a small developer group, where each individual counts as an invaluable talent. A big company might look at their programmers as simply disposable."

being invaluable has it's downsides. I work at a company where I'm the only programmer... it's NOT good. All the coding has to be done by me, and consequently, all the faults get thrown over to me too. Even if it's the final user that did something tremendously stupid. "Should have made the program more intuitive", they say. "Should have made it harder to mess up like this". Yadda yadda yadda. DIE STUPID USER!!!!
Also, the day I get sick, the techs at the company will probably have nothing to do but maintain scanners (clean, swap broken parts) as I'm the only guy who does any coding.
Working in a large team has a point: Distribute the load.

WarBasic Scripting engine for DarkBasicPro
DC emulator code size: 14.3MB, 553,214 lines
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BearCDPOLD
21
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Joined: 16th Oct 2003
Location: AZ,USA
Posted: 12th Sep 2005 06:03
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I'd probably start as a grunt as some corporation, would prefer Ubisoft over MS, EA, Activision, or any of those guys. Then the ideal smaller company would be Bungie. Call me a fanboy but they're the big game developer celebrities. It would also be cool to work for Retro or Silicon Knights. Eventually it would be nice to do the entrepreneur thing, but I frankly don't see many people immediately starting with that and being successful, you need some experience beforehand. You also need to get some respect for your skills, when you're the boss you can pay people to do the unfun things, and you can focus on what your interests are. You may not be able to do that until you're 50-something, but hey it's a goal. What would I do in games? Innovation in sound and storytelling - taking a part in taking games to the next level where each aspect of the game: art, sound, plot, dialogue, even the gameplay representing sophisticated themes and concepts.

I like TKF15H's point though, many programmers=better. Not an obscene amount, but that one man coder scenario doesn't sound fun.


I'm going to eat you!
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Phaelax
DBPro Master
21
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Joined: 16th Apr 2003
Location: Metropia
Posted: 12th Sep 2005 06:23
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Quote: "IMO I'd choose a small developer group, where each individual counts as an invaluable talent. A big company might look at their programmers as simply disposable. "


I would've liked to work with Looking Glass Studios, a small garage company is nice. But then again, I don't wanna eat ramen noodles my whole life. So gimme a big company. Microsoft, or Ensemble, Studios would be nice.

Your signature has been erased by a mod because it's larger than 600x120...
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Jeku
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Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 12th Sep 2005 08:32
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Quote: "Working in a large team has a point: Distribute the load."


I hear ya. Being the sole AI programmer on this new game has its disadvantages. For one thing, you can't pass the buck when the AI racer drives head first into the side of the mountain and doesn't turn around. Or if the racer is winning the race then all of a sudden, for no reason, begins to slow down to a complete stop. Right in the middle of the race.

I could rant on all day about the complexities of AI

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Tinkergirl
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Joined: 1st Jul 2003
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 12th Sep 2005 08:48 Edited at: 12th Sep 2005 08:59
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Quote: "I could rant on all day about the complexities of AI "


I'm sure you could! I've just recently had the pleasure of experiencing another teams AI system - and it's amazing how the other half lives.

I've already got in to the industry though - the hardest part. Now, it's just learning everything I can, meeting and impressing the right people, and being good.

As for being indispensible as a coder - bad idea. What if you take ill? It's great for developing a 'martyr' syndrome, or holding your company by the short and curlies, but it's bad for a project. I heard about one guy who named all his variables by the alphabet. I.e. the first one was 'a' then 'b' then 'c' etc. When he ran out, it would be capitals, 'A', 'B' etc. Still not enough, he'd start using 'aa', 'ab', 'ac' etc. Only he magically remembered what they all were.
No-one had a hope in hell of understanding his code. As soon as they did - they fired him for being an idiot. A clever idiot, but crazy solo-programmers do not, by definition, work well in a team.

Comments and easy to understand code will serve you well when job hunting, as I'm sure others will tell you.

[edit] Jeku: That's a nice jet on the website, not as keen on the jeep though
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Torrey
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Joined: 20th Aug 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posted: 12th Sep 2005 12:09
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I'd pick Konami! They make some wonderful games that look like they're a blast to create. An alternative is TGC like some people chose above. I could help those guys out a lot with the experience I've gained in programming.

The best audio plugin for DarkBASIC Pro!
Plays Ogg Vorbis,MP3,FLAC,uncompressed WAV,AIFF,MOD,S3M,XM,and IT files.
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TDP Enterprises
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Joined: 28th Mar 2005
Location: on or in front of my computer
Posted: 12th Sep 2005 23:59
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Quote: "None of you guys are thinking realisticlly"


I was talking semi-dream job, i would be lucky to be the guy who orders "hot coffee" for the team and gets the paper

“A lot of people approach risk as if it’s the enemy when it’s really fortune’s accomplice” - Sting“
.......S-S-D-D.......
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Jimmy
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Joined: 20th Aug 2003
Location: Back in the USA
Posted: 13th Sep 2005 00:07
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Google

I've already been contracted to work in their new console department. Don't tell anyone.


Bloggy hoggy doggy
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Megaton Cat
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Joined: 24th Aug 2003
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 13th Sep 2005 00:35
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Programmers have no connection with the outside world, therfore have no need for the paper.

And "hot coffee" is just how they refer to Vodka in the industry.


The future is here, and I can't afford it.
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TDP Enterprises
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Joined: 28th Mar 2005
Location: on or in front of my computer
Posted: 13th Sep 2005 00:45
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Quote: "team"

Quote: "Programmers have no connection with the outside world"
I did say team, which some of them do, if not USA Today, i ll pick em up a copy of Playboy.

“A lot of people approach risk as if it’s the enemy when it’s really fortune’s accomplice” - Sting“
.......S-S-D-D.......
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