Well, I've been crazy busy these last few weeks! I just spent about 2 week in iterator hell trying to rework some code and I can tell ya I'm not all that fond of the C++ implementation of iterators! It seems like no 2 iterators want to talk to each other.
If you've been reading my blog, then you just about know my life story by now! Thanks for taking the time. On a related not I also wrote an article for GameCareerGuide.com on how I broke into the gaming industry. Take a look at http://gamecareerguide.com/features/578/no_more_it_for_me_how_one_tech_.php. Don't know how long it will be there.
So, now that you know more about me that you ever cared to, how would you like to know about my son, Stephen. He is also a game programmer and know works for Other Ocean Interactive in Charlottetown, PEI, Canada. I won't go into too much detail (he'll be writing his own blog soon, I'm sure), but his tale is interesting as well.
About 5 years ago I remember Stephen coming to me and telling me he wanted to make a living off of video games. He had a magazine article that discussed the three main careers at the time (art, programming, and QA). I thought that was a great idea. As programmer, I knew he would be making a pretty good salary, and it was a perfect match for his love of gaming.
At the time he was still completing high school, so we begain checking into colleges. Previously, Stephen had checked out Full Sail Real World education in Florida because he was interested in their music program (Stephen is a drummer). Now, we started looking into their Game Development program.
Full Sail seemed like the dream school to attend for this field. They offered a Bachelor's degree in 2 years and were totally focused on game development. Of course, the cost is beyond beyond!
I would like to say, for potential students out there, that the jury is still out on degrees from game technical schools. In a way companies are still a little leary of such schools because it it unclear whether the education you receive is on par with a four-year college. Most of the research I have done indicates that a traditional Computer Science degree with some emphasis on game theory is still the baseline requirement.
The one thing schools like Full Sail do offer is that you come out of the program having written at lest a couple of projects. You also come out of a school like Full Sail with a "game career" work ethic, e.g. work until you drop or drop-out!
So we chose Full Sail because I wanted to go into debt for the rest of my life, er, I mean because I thought that it was the best fit for Stephen's goals. Also, I liked the fact that the program resulted in a B.S. Degree, not just a certificate. My advise would be to steer clear of programs that don't offer an actual Bachelor's program In just about every industry, tech school certifications are almost meaningless (but not totally...anything is better than nothing).
Anyway, just before he went to Full Sail, Stephen and I had a chance to go to E3 (what I refer to as "the real" E3). I was mesmerized. I'm not kidding when I say that E3 changed my life! I remember thinking, "I have got to get into this!" An here I am.
One more life lesson. Getting the degree isn't any guarantee of getting a job. Although some people get jobs right out of school, it is more common that it will take some time. It took until April before Stephen found the right match. After many interviews, tests, and "Thank you for your interest" letters, he finally got a job offer. In fact, it was 1 week after I had accepted my job offer. It was a happy day at the Madsen family! (I wonder if there are any other Father/Son game programmers out there?)
If you are trying to break in to the game industry as either a student or otherwise, it will take perseverance, hard work, and a tough skin, but my advice is to keep moving toward the goal!
Where to from here?
So, enough about me already! From here out I'm going to try to write about my experience as a game programmer rather than my experience getting here. Maybe I can share some useful tips and trick along the way. Feel free to come along for the ride. :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Just read your story on gamecareerguide.com. Congrats on a successful career switch! Curious why, during your self education period, didn't you write/post any games? You know, create something to use as a reference which people can see? Doesn't have to be fancy but maybe you'd've been the guy that wrote Scrabulous? :-)
Many of the game books that I read involved creating small game projects, and I did do that. However, I didn't every polish one enough to have something to post. The main reason is just that it was hard to find the time since I was already working 12 hours a day running my consulting business! I do agree that anyone who is serious should make this a high priority. I think I was on the brink of doing that and then I got my job offer! Robert
Hello Mr. Madsen! I've just read your article on GCG and I just wanted to say thank you! Your history have inspired me. I am a 29-year-old Brazillian developer, with only 10 years of experience, not even half of yours, but then you shed some light into my hopes of breaking into the industry! Thanks again! -Alvaron Cavalcanti.
Thanks for the great feedback. I'm glad my story has helped inspire you. Hang in there as you pursue your goals. Contact me any time. Robert
Hi Robert, what an inspiring story! I have been in the I.T industry since '87, but have taken time off here and there to have children. I'm now a stay at home mum to our fourth! I'm 2 years away from my youngest going to school so I'm preparing for my return to work. Not all that keen on the I.T industry I left (database development for mostly government clients) I wanted to move to an industry which uses my love of art & design. So I thought 3D animation. I lot of the research I've done so far is centering on the gaming industry, and I'm torn between choosing the programming stream or the art/design stream! But thanks for your inspiration. At 38 years of age I was beginning to think that this old dog couldn't learn any new tricks!
Thanks for the great comments. It's great to hear that you are considering your next step and it's good that you are planning ahead. Since I don't have a lick or artistic ability, choosing the technical side was no problem for me. Plus, I really love programming. If you are both artistic and technical, wow! Of course, the basic advice would be to choose the one you really love most and pursue it. Having a good understanding of both of those worlds will definitely be a bonus, but you are correct that you should choose one to focus on and dive in.
I can really relate to the family/career balance issue. My wife wasn't really able to pursue her professional goals until our kids were teenagers. Now she has a degree and is doing what she loves, and that didn't all materialize until she was in her forties.
The great thing is that, in our culture we really have a chance to start new ventures whether that is school or career, and have a reasonably good chance at being successful at it. Good luck in your pursuits and keep in touch!
Robert
Hi Robert! Great story and nice blog. I also checked out your profile on LinkedIn because I thought your name was familiar. I noted that you were in Bakersfield at Cal State and then worked at Contel.
My wife and I (Katherine) were in Bakersfield from 84-87, and she worked at Contel during that time (Admin Asst). I wonder if she might have known you then.
Anyway, I might be hallucinating, but thought your name sounded familiar.
Keep up the great work and congrats on the Father/Son Programming team! : )
Dennis
Post a Comment