Moving forward
I am a great believer in the Bible, that is, the Game Design Document. Although the urge as a programmer is to get coding as soon as possible, I know the benefit of a good design document from experience. Without it, your ideas get fuzzy and you end up doing a lot of programming that is wasted on fleeting ideas.
So, my first step was to start creating a game document. I found that completing the design document helped me turn my fuzzy ideas into a set of concrete specifications.
The accomplishment of getting that first page of the game design document inspired me. Now there was something concrete to show for my game idea. The more I wrote the more progress I saw. This is another benefit of creating a design document first: instant gratification.
Once I finished the game design document, I had a solid reference to use to begin programming. I’m the kind of programmer that tends to work in spurts. One weekend a spurt happened and I created the first prototype for the game.
The more I accomplished, the more I was invested, the more I was motivated.
Alternate reality
I don’t want to give you the idea that this has been easy and that I have achieved all of my goals. The reality of survival has side-tracked me several times. It’s too easy to spend all of my time on projects that actually make money.
Being independent is the world’s most complex balancing act. If you aren’t careful, you’ll find yourself back in the place where you are doing everyone else’s projects but not your own. Once you start down that path, it’s easy to get detoured from your game. If you find yourself detoured, get back to the main road!
I’m not suggesting that anyone be irresponsible. I understand that human nature (and sometimes survival) means going for the money first. However, with discipline and planning, I have always been able to get the game project back on track while I survive.
Going public
One final word. Just last month I had another spurt and created a web page for my new studio. I immediately sent word to all of my friends, family, and colleagues to check it out.
Twitter. Facebook. The whole deal.
Frankly, I was scared to death.
Going public meant that this was more than just a dream or idle fancy. Now everyone that is important to me knows that I am trying to make it as an indie. Some of them probably think I’m crazy. Others will understand and respect my decision. But the fact is, the word is out and I’m really not good at failure. Now, more than ever, I am motivated to succeed because, in a way, I am accountable to those who are rooting for my success.
If you’re unemployed and wondering what happened to your game development career, I hope this article inspires you to do something more. Even if you already took that job programming for an accounting firm, you can still make a way to do what you love—make games. Make your own game.
Independent by default. For me, it’s either this or boring. I now work just as many hours as when I was employed, if not more. The sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction that I am still doing what I love more than compensates for the extra time.
3:00 A.M. Tired, crazy, happy!
Robert Madsen
Showing posts with label game programming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label game programming. Show all posts
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, April 8, 2010
What School Is Best For Me??
I am proud to announce that I can finally reveal the game that I have been working on for the last six months: Dark Void Zero. Released in January for the Nintendo DSi, my focus was on the iPhone and PC versions that will be released on April 12. Be sure to pick this one up. It was great fun to program and even more fun to play!
Now for this week's subject. I receive a lot of questions about what kind of school or program I would recommend for students seeking to get into the game industry. There are basically three paths that you can follow in this regard:
1. Standard four-year colleges
Most four-year colleges offer standard degrees that are applicable to game development. The obvious example is a Computer Science degree if you want to be a game programmer. Many four year colleges are also starting to offer concentrations or specializations related to game development.
A four year degree from a standard college is still the preferred degree by most companies because these programs are based on accredited, standardized programs of study. Even better, attending a college in your home state will cost you significantly less that any other educational option.
2. Technical colleges
Technical colleges are intended to provide pratical education on a specific subject in a short amount of time. The rise in popularity of game related careers has inspired many of these colleges to offer game related programs.
The jury is still out on the usefulness of technical degress since they aren't generally regarded as highly as a standard, four-year degree. The main advantage of a technical college is that the program is focused and can generally be completed in two years or less. However, you will probably pay more to go to a technical college than a four-year institution.
3. Specialty colleges
You can think of specialty colleges as super-technical colleges. A few of these have made a name for themselves (DigiPen and Full Sail come to mind) as premier colleges in the field of game development. They offer stringent, focused programs of study with an emphasis on the student completing a "real world" game-related project by graduation.
Like technical colleges, a degree from a specialty college may still hold a certain stigma when compared to a traiditional four-year degree. Critics of such colleges question how much students can really learn in these hyper-accelerated programs. Proponents argue that this kind of time-pressure mimics the real-world of game development and prepares the student for the work environment. Specialty schools are also typically the most expensive choice
So which type of college is right for you?
The quick answer is that you should attend the type ofcollege that you can afford and that meets your learning style and situation.
If money is the major consideration, then try to find a four-year college in your own state that offers a traditional degree that meets your goals. If you can find a program that also offers a concentration or specializaton in game development, then that's even better.
However, different people have different learning styles, and some people just can't fathom spending four years to earn a degree. The general education required to achieve a traditional degree is sometimes perceived as wasted time that could be spent learning their true love: game development. For such people, a specialty school might be the answer, especially if that school offers a standard degree. For example, students who graduate from Full Sail's game development program do so with an accredited four-year degree. "General ed" courses such as history and psychology are custom designed to be relevant to games, making even them easier to swallow!
Finally, let's say you already have a full-time job and/or family that makes it impossible for you to attend a full-time college or specialty school. In this situation, a technical program might be the ticket. Most techncial colleges adapt their program to working students, often including large, online components that can be completed according to the student's schedule.
Remember: for most employer's the real question isn't where you went to school but what you know. I have personally worked with programmers from all three types of schools. In every situation, the programmers had excellent skills. When it boils down to it, it is the student more than the school that may determine the effectiveness of the education. You literally get out of your eduacation what you are willing to put into it.
There is one more important point to make on this issue: Not all game design courses are created equal! Some programs try to provide a general course of study that touches on all aspects of game development: design, art, and programing. Others focus on one aspect of game development such as design, art, or programing. Contrary to the scenario presented by some advertisements, most careers in the game industry are specialized. This means that you should specialize to. Before you enroll in any program, you should know which area you want to specialize in, and then chose a program that focusses on that area.
That's it for this post. In my next post I will go into detail about one specialty college that I am intimately familiar with! Come back next time to see why!
Robert
P.S.
The Princeton Review just completed a report on the top fifty game design schools. You can read their report at http://www.princetonreview.com/top-fifty-undergraduate-game-design.aspx.
Now for this week's subject. I receive a lot of questions about what kind of school or program I would recommend for students seeking to get into the game industry. There are basically three paths that you can follow in this regard:
1. Standard four-year colleges
Most four-year colleges offer standard degrees that are applicable to game development. The obvious example is a Computer Science degree if you want to be a game programmer. Many four year colleges are also starting to offer concentrations or specializations related to game development.
A four year degree from a standard college is still the preferred degree by most companies because these programs are based on accredited, standardized programs of study. Even better, attending a college in your home state will cost you significantly less that any other educational option.
2. Technical colleges
Technical colleges are intended to provide pratical education on a specific subject in a short amount of time. The rise in popularity of game related careers has inspired many of these colleges to offer game related programs.
The jury is still out on the usefulness of technical degress since they aren't generally regarded as highly as a standard, four-year degree. The main advantage of a technical college is that the program is focused and can generally be completed in two years or less. However, you will probably pay more to go to a technical college than a four-year institution.
3. Specialty colleges
You can think of specialty colleges as super-technical colleges. A few of these have made a name for themselves (DigiPen and Full Sail come to mind) as premier colleges in the field of game development. They offer stringent, focused programs of study with an emphasis on the student completing a "real world" game-related project by graduation.
Like technical colleges, a degree from a specialty college may still hold a certain stigma when compared to a traiditional four-year degree. Critics of such colleges question how much students can really learn in these hyper-accelerated programs. Proponents argue that this kind of time-pressure mimics the real-world of game development and prepares the student for the work environment. Specialty schools are also typically the most expensive choice
So which type of college is right for you?
The quick answer is that you should attend the type ofcollege that you can afford and that meets your learning style and situation.
If money is the major consideration, then try to find a four-year college in your own state that offers a traditional degree that meets your goals. If you can find a program that also offers a concentration or specializaton in game development, then that's even better.
However, different people have different learning styles, and some people just can't fathom spending four years to earn a degree. The general education required to achieve a traditional degree is sometimes perceived as wasted time that could be spent learning their true love: game development. For such people, a specialty school might be the answer, especially if that school offers a standard degree. For example, students who graduate from Full Sail's game development program do so with an accredited four-year degree. "General ed" courses such as history and psychology are custom designed to be relevant to games, making even them easier to swallow!
Finally, let's say you already have a full-time job and/or family that makes it impossible for you to attend a full-time college or specialty school. In this situation, a technical program might be the ticket. Most techncial colleges adapt their program to working students, often including large, online components that can be completed according to the student's schedule.
Remember: for most employer's the real question isn't where you went to school but what you know. I have personally worked with programmers from all three types of schools. In every situation, the programmers had excellent skills. When it boils down to it, it is the student more than the school that may determine the effectiveness of the education. You literally get out of your eduacation what you are willing to put into it.
There is one more important point to make on this issue: Not all game design courses are created equal! Some programs try to provide a general course of study that touches on all aspects of game development: design, art, and programing. Others focus on one aspect of game development such as design, art, or programing. Contrary to the scenario presented by some advertisements, most careers in the game industry are specialized. This means that you should specialize to. Before you enroll in any program, you should know which area you want to specialize in, and then chose a program that focusses on that area.
That's it for this post. In my next post I will go into detail about one specialty college that I am intimately familiar with! Come back next time to see why!
Robert
P.S.
The Princeton Review just completed a report on the top fifty game design schools. You can read their report at http://www.princetonreview.com/top-fifty-undergraduate-game-design.aspx.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Still glad to be here....
I think I have set some kind of world record. Since being laid off in January, I have applied for almost 300 jobs. From those, I received about 20 followup calls, phone interviews, and programming tests. I have had only 2 face-to-face interviews. The result: 0 jobs.
This should really be no big surprise. According to some reports, over 5000 people were laid off in the game industry alone in 2008. There were 10,000 layoffs from Microsoft alone. The result is that the job market for both game programming and general IT has been flooded with job seekers. Employers have pretty much had the ability to hand-pick each position from tens, if not hundreds, of applicants.
This knowledge made it a little easier to accept 300 rejections, but I have to admit I was feeling pretty discouraged. In less that 1 year my game programming career seemed to be over! I figured this was another world record: world's shortest game career.
Of the 300 positions, about 75 were for general programming positions in IT. As much as I wanted to stay in the game industry, I needed a job even worse. So, I figured I would have to go back into the world of business programming.
One thing that surprised me is that I did not receive a single inquiry regarding any of the general programming jobs I had applied for. All of the followup I received was for game-related jobs. I expected it to be the other way around. As it turns out, being a game programmer apparently has the advantage of being a specialty. There are far more general programmers out there to fill IT positions, which probably explains why I didn't get a single bite for any of those jobs.
However, game programming is a specialized field, and this means that there are fewer game programmers out there to fill those jobs. So, even though I kept getting turned down, at least I was getting interviews!
Robert
This should really be no big surprise. According to some reports, over 5000 people were laid off in the game industry alone in 2008. There were 10,000 layoffs from Microsoft alone. The result is that the job market for both game programming and general IT has been flooded with job seekers. Employers have pretty much had the ability to hand-pick each position from tens, if not hundreds, of applicants.
This knowledge made it a little easier to accept 300 rejections, but I have to admit I was feeling pretty discouraged. In less that 1 year my game programming career seemed to be over! I figured this was another world record: world's shortest game career.
Of the 300 positions, about 75 were for general programming positions in IT. As much as I wanted to stay in the game industry, I needed a job even worse. So, I figured I would have to go back into the world of business programming.
One thing that surprised me is that I did not receive a single inquiry regarding any of the general programming jobs I had applied for. All of the followup I received was for game-related jobs. I expected it to be the other way around. As it turns out, being a game programmer apparently has the advantage of being a specialty. There are far more general programmers out there to fill IT positions, which probably explains why I didn't get a single bite for any of those jobs.
However, game programming is a specialized field, and this means that there are fewer game programmers out there to fill those jobs. So, even though I kept getting turned down, at least I was getting interviews!
Robert
Monday, February 2, 2009
Fear, Trembling, and Harsh Reality
If you've followed the news in the game industry for any time, then you already know it's a volatile industry. Studios open and close at the the drop of a hat. People get hire to meet the needs of the current project then get let go when the project is complete. And then there is the spectre of outsourcing--the job that gets outsourced could be yours. In short, if you are serious about making a living in the game industry, you had better be prepared for a little excitement, and I! not talking about the good kind!
I'm going through an exciting time right now. The studio I have been working for has laid off over 50% of their workforce in the last year, I survived the first wave of layoffs back in July, but in January the remaining production staff was let go. So, just less than one year after breaking in to the game industry, I find myself broken out.
The reality if the game industry is this: if a studio can't make a profit, they will cease to exist. Unfortunately, the easiest way for any company to cut costs is to cut employees.
Although no industry is "layoff" proof, the games industry carries a much higher risk. Part of the reason is the nature of a game project. A game may only needs a few people in the beginning, but this may grow to 20, 50, ire even hundreds of employees when in full production. When the game is done, the company may find itself with a glut of employees and no work to do. This scenario is a human resource nightmare. Most studios try to have multiple projects in the works and then try to schedule those projects so the low time in one project corresponds with the high time of another, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.
Another tool used by many companies use to cope with the variable nature of game projects is outsourcing. This may range from subcontracting with a local art studio to create some assets to contracting with a team of programmers in another country. If a company can get the same quality of work for less cost, then who can blame them? Sure there are a lot of pros and cons to outsourcing, but it often boils down to the bottom line.
Several factors combined that led to the layoffs at my last studio: changes in the casual games market, a slow economy, poor holiday sales, and access to lower-cost labor oversees. Even the big companies such as Microsoft and EA have announced layoffs. The bottom line is that no one in the industry is immune.
There are some steps you can take to prepare yourself should for the worst. The key is to always be prepared to quickly find that next job:
It's also a good idea to have a plan for how you might survive a few months between jobs. Examples include:
I'm not saying - did all if these things, but I did most of them. I'm a little anxious about finding my next job, but I'm not devastated and I have some resources in the meantime.
One more thing: be flexible. If you're not prepared to move across the country a few times during your career, the game industry might not be the right choice for you.
Wish me luck!
I'm going through an exciting time right now. The studio I have been working for has laid off over 50% of their workforce in the last year, I survived the first wave of layoffs back in July, but in January the remaining production staff was let go. So, just less than one year after breaking in to the game industry, I find myself broken out.
The reality if the game industry is this: if a studio can't make a profit, they will cease to exist. Unfortunately, the easiest way for any company to cut costs is to cut employees.
Although no industry is "layoff" proof, the games industry carries a much higher risk. Part of the reason is the nature of a game project. A game may only needs a few people in the beginning, but this may grow to 20, 50, ire even hundreds of employees when in full production. When the game is done, the company may find itself with a glut of employees and no work to do. This scenario is a human resource nightmare. Most studios try to have multiple projects in the works and then try to schedule those projects so the low time in one project corresponds with the high time of another, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.
Another tool used by many companies use to cope with the variable nature of game projects is outsourcing. This may range from subcontracting with a local art studio to create some assets to contracting with a team of programmers in another country. If a company can get the same quality of work for less cost, then who can blame them? Sure there are a lot of pros and cons to outsourcing, but it often boils down to the bottom line.
Several factors combined that led to the layoffs at my last studio: changes in the casual games market, a slow economy, poor holiday sales, and access to lower-cost labor oversees. Even the big companies such as Microsoft and EA have announced layoffs. The bottom line is that no one in the industry is immune.
There are some steps you can take to prepare yourself should for the worst. The key is to always be prepared to quickly find that next job:
- Keep networking. You should keep track of every single person you meet while you are employed. People move around a lot in the game industry, and your present coworkers might be the one who helps you find your next job.
- Get active on LinkedIn or other such networks.
- Don't burn your bridges. Prior employers are an excellent resource when you find yourself without a job (as long as you didn't shaft them on your way out the door).
- Keep your portfolio current. The day you get fired isn't the best time to decide to gather samples of your work.
- Keep your website and other professional profiles current.
- Keep up with the latest technologies changes in your profession.
It's also a good idea to have a plan for how you might survive a few months between jobs. Examples include:
- Always have some money saved or invested that you can gain immediate access to.
- Avoid long-term commitments such as leases and large loans as much as possible.
- You might consider getting job-loss insurance on loans you do have if it is available. Such coverage could pay off your debt if you lose your job.
- In the United States, make sure you file your unemployment claim on your last day of work.
I'm not saying - did all if these things, but I did most of them. I'm a little anxious about finding my next job, but I'm not devastated and I have some resources in the meantime.
One more thing: be flexible. If you're not prepared to move across the country a few times during your career, the game industry might not be the right choice for you.
Wish me luck!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Post-mortem of a Casual Game
My last post dealt with the issues involved in creating a sequel. The project I was working on was a casual game targeted for both retail and downloadable sales. Although the development time for such games is much shorter that that of AAA titles, the process involved is very similar.
As promised in my last installment, this post will focus on some of the things that hindered the development of my last project. If you have read post-mortems of any games, you will recognize many of these problems since then tend to recur in project after project. You know the saying..."The best laid plans of mice and men..."
So, here goes:
Staffing Issues
The game industry is always a roller-coaster ride when it comes to staffing. There are many factors that can affect staffing including layoffs and reassignment to other projects. Midway through my project, the production team was cut in half. Unfortunately, the deadline for the project could not be moved, so this meant that those who were left on the team were going to have a lot of work ahead of them.
Scheduling Issues
The initial schedule was created by one producer, and then assigned to another. Since different people have different methods, this resulted in the entire project schedule being re-written midway through the project. It was several weeks before we even knew where we stood and what it was going to take to complete the project on schedule.
Design Bottleneck
Unfortunately, the same cutbacks that affected the production team also affected the design team. There was now only one designer, and he was up to his neck working on other projects. Many design decisions were made by the development team, only to be later overridden by the designer when he finally had time to focus on our project. This resulted was time spent on work that either had to be re-done or never even ended up in the game.
Feature Creep
In light of the above problems, it seems like the obvious choice would be to cut features. Alas! Instead, features were added. It was felt that these features were critical in giving the game an edge in a very competitive market. This insured even more overtime for an already taxed development team.
Unmovable Deadline
Like many games, this project was slated for Christmas release. The need to get the product out for the Christmas season was critical, so this deadline could not be changed. To make matters worse, one of the distributers decided they needed the game 2 weeks ahead of our original schedule, effectively cutting two full weeks off of an already tight schedule.
Lack of QA
The QA department had minimal staffing due to the above mentioned cutbacks. This meant that everyone at the company became QA. Although we all did a heroic job, there simply was not enough time and resources to properly test every aspect of the game.
The End Result
No game goes out the door without any bugs. My last project was no exception. We knew we were releasing a product that would have problems, but at the end of the day we all knew that we had done the best possible job we could do under the circumstances. Luckily, there was time after the release to continue fixing bugs and patches were released. However, no one likes to buy a game with obvious bugs, and this definitely did not look good on the company. Regardless of the problems, I was proud to be a part of this project. I can honestly say that everyone involved gave 200%. We were amazed that we could complete the project as well as we did, given all of the difficulties we had.
Next post: Fear, trembling, and harsh reality.
As promised in my last installment, this post will focus on some of the things that hindered the development of my last project. If you have read post-mortems of any games, you will recognize many of these problems since then tend to recur in project after project. You know the saying..."The best laid plans of mice and men..."
So, here goes:
Staffing Issues
The game industry is always a roller-coaster ride when it comes to staffing. There are many factors that can affect staffing including layoffs and reassignment to other projects. Midway through my project, the production team was cut in half. Unfortunately, the deadline for the project could not be moved, so this meant that those who were left on the team were going to have a lot of work ahead of them.
Scheduling Issues
The initial schedule was created by one producer, and then assigned to another. Since different people have different methods, this resulted in the entire project schedule being re-written midway through the project. It was several weeks before we even knew where we stood and what it was going to take to complete the project on schedule.
Design Bottleneck
Unfortunately, the same cutbacks that affected the production team also affected the design team. There was now only one designer, and he was up to his neck working on other projects. Many design decisions were made by the development team, only to be later overridden by the designer when he finally had time to focus on our project. This resulted was time spent on work that either had to be re-done or never even ended up in the game.
Feature Creep
In light of the above problems, it seems like the obvious choice would be to cut features. Alas! Instead, features were added. It was felt that these features were critical in giving the game an edge in a very competitive market. This insured even more overtime for an already taxed development team.
Unmovable Deadline
Like many games, this project was slated for Christmas release. The need to get the product out for the Christmas season was critical, so this deadline could not be changed. To make matters worse, one of the distributers decided they needed the game 2 weeks ahead of our original schedule, effectively cutting two full weeks off of an already tight schedule.
Lack of QA
The QA department had minimal staffing due to the above mentioned cutbacks. This meant that everyone at the company became QA. Although we all did a heroic job, there simply was not enough time and resources to properly test every aspect of the game.
The End Result
No game goes out the door without any bugs. My last project was no exception. We knew we were releasing a product that would have problems, but at the end of the day we all knew that we had done the best possible job we could do under the circumstances. Luckily, there was time after the release to continue fixing bugs and patches were released. However, no one likes to buy a game with obvious bugs, and this definitely did not look good on the company. Regardless of the problems, I was proud to be a part of this project. I can honestly say that everyone involved gave 200%. We were amazed that we could complete the project as well as we did, given all of the difficulties we had.
Next post: Fear, trembling, and harsh reality.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
To Infinity and Beyond
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. :)
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. :)
Monday, May 12, 2008
The View From Here
Well, I am now officially starting my fourth week as a game programmer and I have finally taken time to start my developer blog! I think my story of how I got here is sufficiently interesting, so this is the topic of my first entry.
I have been programming since 1979. Yes, I'm that old. I got my start in computing in a mainframe shop and have been variously employed in computers ever since. I taught myself Basic on a PDP 11/34 computer back in the day and have since programmed in Cobol (ech!), Fortran, C, C+, C++, Visual Basic, Java, Python, and a few other variants of those. My core languages are Visual Basic and C++.
For the last 15 years I had been self-employed. As a consultant, I sold myself to whoever would pay for my coding pleasure. That meant I got to do a lot of database design, school projects, and other stuff that was real interesting. Really.
Although I enjoyed my 29 year tenure as an application programmer, the time comes when an old programmer looks back on his life and asks, "What have I really accomplished?" In fact, I asked this about 5 years ago and the answer was that I had helped a lot of people but still didn't do what I loved...what originally got me interested in programming in the first place...that's right: games.
Games in 1979 were great! We had advent, trek and my all-time favorite tripe (if anyone knows where to find tripe let me know). I realized that I could create my own worlds!
So, here I am in 2008 and I'm finally doing it. I studied game programming on my own for the last 5 years. Attending E3 in 2004 was a life-changing event for me...I just had to get into game programming. But could and old-dog learn new tricks? Even if he did, would anyone care? (If a programmer falls in a forest and no one is around....you get it...)
My big break came when I responded to an job opening from a mysterious company who said they would actually like to hire someone who wanted to cross-over from IT into game programming. I sent the resume and held my breath (well, I did eventually start breathing again), and then went on writing those other programs. Then one day I got a phone call...
Robert
I have been programming since 1979. Yes, I'm that old. I got my start in computing in a mainframe shop and have been variously employed in computers ever since. I taught myself Basic on a PDP 11/34 computer back in the day and have since programmed in Cobol (ech!), Fortran, C, C+, C++, Visual Basic, Java, Python, and a few other variants of those. My core languages are Visual Basic and C++.
For the last 15 years I had been self-employed. As a consultant, I sold myself to whoever would pay for my coding pleasure. That meant I got to do a lot of database design, school projects, and other stuff that was real interesting. Really.
Although I enjoyed my 29 year tenure as an application programmer, the time comes when an old programmer looks back on his life and asks, "What have I really accomplished?" In fact, I asked this about 5 years ago and the answer was that I had helped a lot of people but still didn't do what I loved...what originally got me interested in programming in the first place...that's right: games.
Games in 1979 were great! We had advent, trek and my all-time favorite tripe (if anyone knows where to find tripe let me know). I realized that I could create my own worlds!
So, here I am in 2008 and I'm finally doing it. I studied game programming on my own for the last 5 years. Attending E3 in 2004 was a life-changing event for me...I just had to get into game programming. But could and old-dog learn new tricks? Even if he did, would anyone care? (If a programmer falls in a forest and no one is around....you get it...)
My big break came when I responded to an job opening from a mysterious company who said they would actually like to hire someone who wanted to cross-over from IT into game programming. I sent the resume and held my breath (well, I did eventually start breathing again), and then went on writing those other programs. Then one day I got a phone call...
Robert
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