Hmm...where to start...

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    • Hmm...where to start...

      Hey, I'm new here. I really want to know where to start to get a video game job. I just got the book from the library (2nd edition though) and I've been reading up on it. I've created little projects that are all 2D in Game Maker, a software which makes it simple to create games, but now I want to know the big code. I am in middle school, going to High next year, and want to know courses and stuff to help get a job later in life.

      My dream job was to work for Nintendo (that's a long shot in this economy anyway, right?) but I want help to know other great corps to work and mainly where to start. Thanx! :)
      WishMakers ~ Has made 2D platform games...needs help with 3D. Mike's book should help!
    • Well first off I want to say welcome to the programming and gaming developement world, I am not working in the industry yet but am at school for video game's, but here is my two cents.

      You need to discover what direction you want to go, really with video games there are so many branches, more generally programmers and artists, but there are much more specific fields, I would say figure out whether you like coding, or creating artwork more first.

      In the proramming field there is anything from programming engines, game logic, scripting, or like Rez from the book Game Coding Complete 4, who (and correct me if I am wrong) does solely artificial intelligence and management of an AI team.

      In the art field there is anything from 3D modeling, texture creation, skinning, rigging, sound effect or music creation, motion capture etc.

      It is a huge field and depending on where you are from it is rapidly growing, I believe the US is steadily growing each year, and here in Canada it is skyrocketing. Most people will tell you to start small and work your way up, if you do (after finishing high school of course) get a job offer, take it, but also don't be afraid to apply at Nintendo, even if you don't get a job there right away it may happen if you make connections there and an opening comes up, but be sure that you have a job to keep you off of the street which is definitely more important than working at your dream job.

      As for courses in high school, if you want to be an artist, make sure you take art and really listen, even high school art class can be inspiring, I am a programmer but also was born an artist and that always bleeds through even with my love of code, I can't tell you how much Art, and even music classes could have added to my life if I had payed attention and applied myself.

      If you want to be a programmer, study hard with math, logic, triggonometry, calculus, and even science class, some may disagree about science but understanding your computer, software, and the technology that created it really does help.

      It is a very long road, which is not to discourage you, I have been programming in the C++ language (one of the more common languages) for 8 years, and every day I improve and learn something new, but getting here was definitely hard and took alot of focus, now I am in school specifically for Video Game Design and Developement and things are just clicking now, all the years of math, programming, science, and a pile of books are all coming together now into a bigger picture. Oh yeah, did I mention books? yeah read those, read alot of them.
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    • Originally posted by mholley519
      ...like Rez from the book Game Coding Complete 4, who (and correct me if I am wrong) does solely artificial intelligence and management of an AI team.

      Correct, I'm the Lead AI Programmer on The Sims at EA/Maxis. As a lead, I'm also involved in the hiring process. I do give interviews, review resumes & portfolios, etc. I generally look for three things.

      The first is passion. For a gameplay position, I want someone who understands games and is passionate about making games, which is not the same thing as being passionate about playing games. Playing games and making games are two very different things.

      The second is someone who is smart. I give the candidate questions about data structures and algorithms, ask leading questions, and usually have them puzzle out a few programming problems on the white board. I want to see the candidate fail so that I can watch how they handle this failure. If they get fed up and frustrated, I don't want them on my team. I've been in this industry as an engineer for about 7 years now and Mike has been in for even longer. We both probably fail on a daily basis. Game programming is freakin' HARD.

      Someone who is smart is someone who can puzzle through something, even if they don't know the answer. It's someone who thinks about the consequences of a code change and seeks to truly understand the problem before just hacking something out.

      The third thing I look for is someone who can get things done. I've met plenty of programmers who basically spend their lives rewriting the same thing over and over because they found some new technique they think is better. Architecture is really important in a game, but what's more important is that you ship the game. I need a programmer who can actually execute on a design or architecture, even if it's not perfect. I generally test for this by looking at their history. Did they complete a project? What did they do on the project? Can I play any demos? How long did it take? What would they change?

      If you have someone who's smart but can't get anything done, you have someone who takes too long to produce code. If you have someone who gets things done but isn't smart and doesn't think about what they're doing, their code will just have to be rewritten in the first place. And finally, if I don't find someone who's passionate, it's likely that asking them to crunch will turn into a fight. No one likes to crunch, but it's a reality in any creative or highly professional field (ask a doctor in his residency if he's ever put in long hours).

      Now, for specific stuff you can do right now, I would generally agree with mholley. Study math and programming (kids get programming classes in high school now, right?) and that'll give you a leg up. In college, go for Computer Science or a reputable game school. Here in the US, I have a friend who teaches at DigiPen and says that the graduates are top notch. Incidentally, he also works at Nintendo. Don't say it's not possible to work there, anything is possible. Hell, I never thought I'd be the Lead AI Programmer for one of the best selling franchises of all time.

      Hope that helps. :)

      -Rez
    • Originally posted by mholley519
      It is a huge field and depending on where you are from it is rapidly growing, I believe the US is steadily growing each year, and here in Canada it is skyrocketing.


      If I remember correctly you're in Ontario where the government is giving some massive tax cuts to the gaming industry :P Rockstar here in Vancouver just closed to move to Toronto, and Radical got shut down by Activision, so it's not all upwards, but it does sound like Ontario/Quebec are booming!

      James
    • That's how the games industry works. It's very volatile with companies being created and others dying every year.

      -Rez
    • Thanx to you guys so much! I think I finally have an idea of where to start. Without your help, I would have no clue on the industry. :)
      WishMakers ~ Has made 2D platform games...needs help with 3D. Mike's book should help!
    • ...But wait! There's more! Thanks to Rez and the people who helped, but I've also been looking at gaming companies' websites, and they mostly agree with DigiPen school. That's really far away from where I am and I want your opinions. What school has a good representation in the field. I've seen that DigiPen has a stellar repitation, but what schools do you guys think is good for the field?
      -Wish
      WishMakers ~ Has made 2D platform games...needs help with 3D. Mike's book should help!
    • Where are you located?
      PC - Custom Built
      CPU: 3rd Gen. Intel i7 3770 3.4Ghz
      GPU: ATI Radeon HD 7959 3GB
      RAM: 16GB

      Laptop - Alienware M17x
      CPU: 3rd Gen. Intel i7 - Ivy Bridge
      GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M - 2GB GDDR5
      RAM: 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 @ 1600mhz
    • Honestly? I don't really look at education much when I'm reviewing a resume. It's just another bullet point to me. The stuff I really want to see is what the candidate has done. I want to download a demo they put together and play it. Then I want to ask them questions about that demo, see the code, and watch them solve hard computer science and software architecture problems.

      So, with that in mind, my suggestion would be to find a school that lets you do that. DigiPen is a great school. I worked with a guy on The Sims Medieval that came from DigiPen and he was great.

      The most important thing to remember is that a degree is not a magic ticket to a job, especially in this industry. It's all about how you use the time you're given.

      -Rez
    • I think one of the best schools around for game development is SMU Guildhall. They have an amazing hiring record - but they are a master's program, so you'll want a 4-year degree in your pocket first.
      Mr.Mike
      Author, Programmer, Brewer, Patriot