HO MY GOOD!!!! I just talk with EA SPORTS!!

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    • HO MY GOD!!!! I just talk with EA SPORTS!!

      Believe it! I just talked with EA Sports Tiburon. I got a email form them this morning stating that they like my back ground. Well, I thought It was a mass emailings, but what the heck. I sent them my resume. All the job opportunities were drying out in Denver for me.

      I just finished a quick (1hour) phone interview/screening. And they like my background and personality. The position I interviewed for was software engineering. They liked my amateur game development but they were interested more in my firmware/embedded systems development. I am going to the next process of taking their tests and questionnaires.

      It shows you that you do not need a degree in game development. Just you have the passion software development and a good background in C++.

      The post was edited 4 times, last by EnriqueH73 ().

    • Well, what can I say? Congrats!
      But I wish I could agree with your statement about just needing to have the passion and background in C++. I have pretty much given up pursuing a game industry job (at least for now). As long as I don't have to give it up as a hobby, I am just fine :D

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Rofar ().

    • RE: HO MY GOD!!!! I just talk with EA SPORTS!!

      Well, It seems that I did not get this job. It's been 2 months since I completed there first written test. I am thinking the code they have me write was not efficient enough. I do not even think is efficient.

      One of the questions is to write optimized C code that will convert 16 base number to its equivalent 10 base number, with out using C libraries. This is what I came up with:

      C Source Code

      1. #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
      2. #include <config.h>
      3. #endif
      5. #include <stdio.h>
      6. #include <stdlib.h>
      8. #define MAX_PLACE_VALUE 9
      10. int main(int argc, char *argv[])
      11. {
      12. int i;
      13. long int pvalue[MAX_PLACE_VALUE];
      14. char string_input[10];
      15. int string_l=0;
      16. long int value=0;
      17. int hexs[1025];
      18. memset(hexs,100,1025);
      19. hexs['0']=0;
      20. hexs['1']=1;
      21. hexs['2']=2;
      22. hexs['3']=3;
      23. hexs['4']=4;
      24. hexs['5']=5;
      25. hexs['6']=6;
      26. hexs['7']=7;
      27. hexs['8']=8;
      28. hexs['9']=9;
      29. hexs['A']=10; hexs['a']=10;
      30. hexs['B']=11; hexs['b']=11;
      31. hexs['C']=12; hexs['c']=12;
      32. hexs['D']=13; hexs['d']=13;
      33. hexs['E']=14; hexs['e']=14;
      34. hexs['F']=15; hexs['f']=15;
      36. pvalue[0]=0;
      37. pvalue[1]=1;
      38. pvalue[2]=16;
      39. pvalue[3]=256;
      40. pvalue[4]=4096;
      41. pvalue[5]=65536;
      42. pvalue[6]=1048576;
      43. pvalue[7]=16777216;
      44. pvalue[8]=268435456;
      46. printf("convert HEX to DEC\nQ/q to quit\n\n\n");
      47. while(1)
      48. {
      49. printf("Enter Hex:");
      50. gets(string_input);
      51. string_l = strlen(string_input);
      53. if(string_l=>MAX_PLACE_VALUE)
      54. {
      55. printf("Maximum Place Value Reached, max=%d\n",MAX_PLACE_VALUE);
      56. break;
      57. }
      59. for(i=1;i<=string_l; i++)
      60. {
      62. if(hexs[string_input[string_l-i]] < 16)
      63. {
      64. value+=hexs[string_input[string_l-i]] * pvalue[i];
      65. }
      66. else
      67. {
      68. if ((string_input[string_l-i]=='Q') ||
      69. (string_input[string_l-i]=='q') )
      70. {
      71. printf("Quitting!\n");
      72. return EXIT_SUCCESS;
      73. }
      74. else
      75. {
      76. printf("%c: is not a hex value\n",string_input[string_l-i]);
      77. return EXIT_FAILURE;
      78. }
      79. }
      80. }
      81. printf("\nDec value: %ld\n\n",value);
      82. value=0;
      83. }
      84. }
      Display All



      I know I could have done a better job in commenting in my code. The thing I do like the code I wrote is you still have to loop through the place values. But I am using index memory. I have no other idea how to code this problem in an optimized manner.

      I might lose this job do my inexperience in optimized code. I have not written optimized code for a long time. My first professional position I started writing optimized code, but was told not to. The other engineers had a hard time understanding my code. I have to go back and study how to write optimize code.

    • Not necessarily optimized but here's a (simplified) stab at it:

      C Source Code

      1. #include <stdio.h>
      2. #include <string.h>
      4. int main()
      5. {
      6. const char LIMIT = 10;
      8. char string_input[LIMIT];
      9. int pow16[LIMIT];
      10. int acc = 0;
      12. pow16[0] = 1;
      13. for (int j = 1; j < LIMIT; j++)
      14. {
      15. pow16[j] = pow16[j - 1] * 16;
      16. }
      18. printf("Enter Hex: ");
      19. gets(string_input); // Bad coder. :) Never use this in production code.
      21. for (int i = strlen(string_input) - 1, j = 0; i >= 0; i--, j++)
      22. {
      23. if ((string_input[i] >= '0') && (string_input[i] <= '9'))
      24. {
      25. acc += (string_input[i] - '0') * pow16[j];
      26. }
      27. else if ((string_input[i] >= 'a') && (string_input[i] <= 'f'))
      28. {
      29. acc += (string_input[i] - 'a' + 10) * pow16[j];
      30. }
      31. else if ((string_input[i] >= 'A') && (string_input[i] <= 'F'))
      32. {
      33. acc += (string_input[i] - 'A' + 10) * pow16[j];
      34. }
      35. else
      36. {
      37. printf("\nBad input.\n\n");
      38. return 1;
      39. }
      40. }
      42. printf("\nDec value: %ld\n\n", acc);
      44. return 0;
      45. }
      Display All

    • I was wondiering how this turned out for you. It was interesting, about a week after I saw your post here I got a call from my sister. She got a call from EA Tiburon as well. So she was participating in the same tests and stuff you were at about the same time. She made it pretty far into the interview process (was brought on site for face to face interviews and such) but in the end, she did not make the cut.

    • Gaming companies seem to have a lot of hoops to jump through. I had a programming test, an essay on how I think my experience would apply to the job requirements, a 2 hour phone interview, a four or five hour in-person interview with a total of five people (there were only nine total in the office), and then they talked to most of the references I gave them. A week after all that I got the offer. The whole process took over a month.

      Enrique, have you called them? Can't hurt....

      -Rez

    • Originally posted by rezination
      Enrique, have you called them? Can't hurt....

      -Rez


      Yes I have, last month. I do not think I've called them this month. I guess it would be ok. .. let me call the EA recruiter right now. He was a great person to talk with.

      ..
      ..
      ..

      OK, I left him a message. It's been since November last time I talked with them. Just last week, Intel has contacted me about a position they are trying to fill. I'm waiting to hear back from them also..

      You know, this sucks.. I've been talking with high profile companies but no call backs.. I'm still hanging in there.

    • by the way:

      Source Code

      1. unsigned int hex2dec( char const* number )
      2. {
      3. unsigned int value = 0;
      5. while( char ch = *number++ )
      6. {
      7. value *= 16;
      9. if( '0' <= ch && ch <= '9' )
      10. {
      11. value += (ch - '0');
      12. }
      13. else if( 'A' <= ch && ch <= 'F' )
      14. {
      15. value += ch - 'A' + 10;
      16. }
      17. else if('a' <= ch && ch <= 'f' )
      18. {
      19. value += ch - 'a' + 10;
      20. }
      21. }
      23. return value;
      24. }
      Display All

    • Xavier, I know what you mean.

      I worked at Maxis as a QA Engineer right after the EA take-over. While it was a great experience, there were definately a lot of very painful moments. A lot of the cool aspects of working in the gaming industry are there, but many of them were overshadowed by the corporate machine that loomed constantly overhead. Keep in mind that this was before Maxis was fully assimilated. The Producers were all EA people, but the engineers and QA staff (i.e., the people I had the most contact with) were all Maxis people. They were a joy to work with. Microprose was almost exactly the same, although the Hasbro Army wasn't as prevelent there.

      I currently work at Super-Ego Games. I'm sitting in an office with 8 other people, and there are about 15 more in our New York office, give or take half a dozen contract writers and voice talent. That's all there is to this company. It has all the elements I love about the gaming industry and none of the elements I hate. Unless something horrible happens, I don't really see myself ever leaving.

      -Rez

    • This might be a really stupid question, but were you able to write that code on a computer with access to a compiler? Because at my university, for tests we are required to hand write our code. I'm hoping that's not a standard or anything, because man, is that a pain.

      Plus, I'd had to miss a job opportunity just because they couldn't read my handwriting. :P

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Jonny ().

    • There were two programming tests here. The first was before the interview and was done in a Word file, thus allowing me to use my own compiler. The programming test during the interview was hand written and all done while they were watching.

      I'm sure there is a standard. ;)

      -Rez

    • If you're nervous about writing code, you should probably change your major. ;)

      At this company, it was pretty laid back. They really just wanted to see if my thinking was correct, not if I was syntatically accurate. For example, I was asked to write an algorithm that prints every node in a tree. They just wanted to see if I approached the problem iteratively or recursively. In fact, if I recall, one of the criteria was to use printf(), requiring me to remember STL's string::c_str() function. I think I accidentally wrote cstr(), but I still got it right because my approach was iterative.

      It all depends on the company. Maybe I got lucky. I have heard horror stories of interviews where the candidate was asked "how would you write malloc()?". Eek! Another good one was a test one of our new hires had gotten from a previous company that had graphics questions for palettized video modes! Anyone remember mode 0x13 (320x200x256)?

      -Rez

    • Haha, well, I guess I'll have to give my major some consideration. :P

      I've been programming for a while, but I'm not very confident in my skills yet. Sometimes it takes me a while to figure something out, and my brain tends to freeze when it's under pressure and when I think I'm being judged. If it was laid back then that's good, at least that would ease my anxiety a bit. But more to the point, my code often goes through multiple revisions before I'm satisfied with it, which makes handwriting code a bit of a challenge for me.

      As for the questions, I believe I would know how to answer the hex to to decimal one (I'm sure EA would ask more complicated questions too), printing all the nodes in a tree I could do, but I don't know if I could do it iteratively (I would use a stack... does that count?), There's no way in hell I would know how to write malloc! And I'd definately need to brush up my knowledge on palletized video modes... ?(

      The reason why I've taken up such an interest on this is because someday I'm hoping I'll be able to work in the game industry. But I often wonder whether or not my ability as programmer is on par with the standards of the industry. So I like to hear about these sorts of things.

      Anyways, thanks for taking the time to answer my silly questions!

      The post was edited 3 times, last by Jonny ().

    • Originally posted by Jonny
      But more to the point, my code often goes through multiple revisions before I'm satisfied with it, which makes handwriting code a bit of a challenge for me.

      That's true of every programmer I know.


      printing all the nodes in a tree I could do, but I don't know if I could do it iteratively (I would use a stack... does that count?)

      They didn't tell me to do it iteratively, they just said "write a function that prints out all the nodes in this tree using printf()". They wanted to see if my first instinct was to do it iteratively or recursively. In games, your trees can get to be absurdly huge. Recursing through such vast trees can risk blowing your stack (something we succeeded in doing on the PS3 with some of our deeper XML trees ;) ). That's why it's almost always better to do it iteratively if you can't guarantee that it'll stay small.


      There's no way in hell I would know how to write malloc!

      Me neither... the correct answer there is "I wouldn't". You would only ever want to rewrite malloc() if you were working on hardcore low level device drivers or something. In a game, you don't. However, you do write a memory manager which typically new's (or malloc()'s) up a huge block and then manages it, dishing it out as needed.


      And I'd definately need to brush up my knowledge on palletized video modes... ?(

      No you don't.... palletized modes aren't really used in commercial games anymore. That test was ancient, even though he had taken it only a month before. I only mentioned that question to show you how big of a range there is depending on the company. I might be able to show you our test if you're interested, but I'd have to ask The Powers That Be first and make sure there isn't some weird NDA violation. Let me know if that would be helpful.


      The reason why I've taken up such an interest on this is because someday I'm hoping I'll be able to work in the game industry. But I often wonder whether or not my ability as programmer is on par with the standards of the industry. So I like to hear about these sorts of things.

      I've been working in the industry as a programmer for a year and a half and I often wonder the same thing. It's a very challenging field. My last job was dealing with back-end database systems. I basically lived in a world of Perl and SQL. I made considerably more and was even offered an extra 10k to stay when I gave my two weeks. Here, the work is much harder, I work twice the hours, and the deadlines are stricter. The stress factor is pretty high. But I wouldn't trade one second of this anything else in the world. You could offer to double my salary and I still wouldn't leave. There's no feeling in the world like helping make the kind of game you yourself would love to play. All the long hours, arguments with producers, designers telling you that they changed their mind forcing you to rewrite the minimap again (ugh!) is all worth it.

      My one piece of advice: If this is your dream, follow it. Let nothing stand in your way, not even your own feelings of inadequacy. Trust me, no matter how prepared you think you are, you will be humbled by someone you work with. The smartest people I have ever met are here. And some of the craziest (often they're the same person).

      And feel free to ask anything you like. Questions are always welcome! Just be wary of Kain.... I don't trust anyone who carries a glowing sword everywhere he goes....

      -Rez

    • Sorry to pop up an old thread, but i think some of the things said here are important, and i would like to add this:

      Even thou i'm less than junior on C++ (i code C#, so some concepts i can grasp, but fluent+proper code and knowledge of libraries is beyond my reach right now) i was offered a position on a gaming company (small company, lithuain and argentina only, but hey...it's the first step).

      Unfortunately, i had to reject due to salary issues...i have bills to pay and they offered me awesome money for a junior, but not enough to keep me off the streets (damm credit cards). It was a dagger in the heart, i tell you...

      Anyway, what i aimed to say was:

      1) I almost had a heart attack when i first did a quick review of the questions (and they where basic questions). After a second read...answers started to pop out of my brain. So don't panic, and if you don't know an answer right away, keep going to eliminate the easy ones
      2) Allways double check your answers (for the easy questions), they can be tricky.
      3) If you think you could answer a hard question quickly...stop, and answer it thoroughly...2 well answered questions are worth more than 4 with errors.
      4) Last but not least...be honest. If you don't know the answer, don't guess...don't risk a ridiculous error...just be honest. Say "I can't imagine how to do that right now, but i could do it with some research" or some like that. That way you keep it straight with them, and let them know you're not afraid to get some dirt in your hands in order to solve the problem.


      Hope this contributes.

      PD: I'm from Argentina, and job interviews are exactly the same. And i'm guessing anywhere in the world they are exactly the same.