Aspiring Game Programmer Seeks Expert Advice

I am an 18 year old high school senior and a college sophomore¹. I am
seeking advice and insight that would lead me in the proper direction for a
career in game programming. Specifically, I an expert in the field who could
help me determine just what a company would be looking for when hiring an
entry level game programmer. I have read numerous websites and articles and
have searched through various Usenet forums (including this one), but all
the information I find is too general. I really need an expert inside the
industry that I can talk to one-on-one and get some real valuable insight.

I am currently working toward a year degree in Video Game Programming¹,
which I will complete by the end of 2004. This degree includes courses for
Game Theory, C++, Java, 3DS Max, Photoshop, and Flash. Additionally I am
doing what I can to personally further my knowledge of C++ as much as I can,
as I understand this is the language of choice in the industry.

I respectfully request that if you can offer such advice, please e-mail me
at td1@sssnet.com with information on the best way, time, etc. to contact
you, or offer a suggestion on someone else I could contact that might be
helpful.

Sincerely,
Josh Szepietowski

¹ http://www.ohiou.edu/admissions/pseop.html -
http://www.starkstate.edu -
http://www.starkstate.edu/ACADEMICS/..._videogame.htm

"Josh Szepietowski" <td1@sssnet.com> wrote in message news:<vlo326j6mq9f7a@corp.supernews.com>...
>...
> career in game programming. Specifically, I an expert in the field who could
> help me determine just what a company would be looking for when hiring an
> entry level game programmer. I have read numerous websites and articles and
> have searched through various Usenet forums (including this one), but all
> the information I find is too general. I really need an expert inside the
> industry that I can talk to one-on-one and get some real valuable insight.

What specifically do you want to know? Ask some specific questions,
get some specific answers.

> I am currently working toward a year degree in Video Game Programming¹,
> which I will complete by the end of 2004. This degree includes courses for
> Game Theory, C++, Java, 3DS Max, Photoshop, and Flash. Additionally I am
> doing what I can to personally further my knowledge of C++ as much as I can,
> as I understand this is the language of choice in the industry.

I don't know how much you can learn in 1 year, most of this stuff
takes years to learn. Personally, I just learned the languages in
college, but learned the useful stuff on the job. In my experience, on
the job experience was more valuable than classroom stuff. Most of the
teachers were just learning the stuff they were trying to teach!

But stick with the C++ stuff--it'll be the most valuable to you in the
long run. It's the most widely-used language in the industry today.

> I respectfully request that if you can offer such advice, please e-mail me
> at td1@sssnet.com with information on the best way, time, etc. to contact
> you, or offer a suggestion on someone else I could contact that might be
> helpful.

Keep it on the newsgroup, buddy! Other people might want the info
too.

"Josh Szepietowski" <td1@sssnet.com> wrote in message
>
> I am currently working toward a year degree in Video Game
> Programming¹, which I will complete by the end of 2004. This degree
> includes courses for Game Theory, C++, Java, 3DS Max, Photoshop,
> and Flash.
>
If you are working towards a qualification in video games, then I would
imagine that your college would offer you far better advice than I can.

What a games studio will be looking for is three things, knowledge of C++,
knowledge of 3d maths, and most importantly a love of programming.

The problem is that a nice-looking 3d game is maybe too much for you to
write. However you can develop your skill in C++ and show that you are
serious about programming by writing 2d games. If you can make up your own
games then so much the better, but if not don't sniff at something like
Tetris.

In article <vlo326j6mq9f7a@corp.supernews.com>,
"Josh Szepietowski" <td1@sssnet.com> wrote:

> I am an 18 year old high school senior and a college sophomore¹. I am
> seeking advice and insight that would lead me in the proper direction for a
> career in game programming.

Memorize this web site:

<http://www.sloperama.com/advice.html>

--
Please take off your shoes before arriving at my in-box.
I will not, no matter how "good" the deal, patronise any business which sends
unsolicited commercial e-mail or that advertises in discussion newsgroups.

From: "Josh Szepietowski" <td1@sssnet.com>
>
>I am
>seeking advice and insight that would lead me in the proper direction for a
>career in game programming. Specifically, ...
>...just what a company would be looking for when hiring an
>entry level game programmer.
>
>I am currently working toward a year degree in Video Game Programming1,
>which I will complete by the end of 2004.

You're a sophomore now, as well as a junior in high school, you say? So how
many years will you have been in college by the time you get this degree?
(You just said it was "a year degree" - perhaps you missed the number key
between "a" and "year".) Employers want to know that their candidates
possess knowledge and skill, as I'm sure you know - but they also want to
know that their candidates are hard-working and have the
stick-to-it-ive-ness (I'm looking for a shorter word for that - I used
"gumption" once and that started a huge newsgroup row) to see a long project
through to the end. A four-year degree is highly desirable, in an
employer's eyes.

You're 18 now, so you'll be just 20 when you graduate? Perhaps you ought to
look into grad school as well. If two candidates, one 20 and one 22, both
with equal degrees and attributes, were to apply, I imagine that an employer
would lean towards the 22-year-old, on the basis that the older more
seasoned candidate would be better able to fit in with the rest of the team
(I know I'm treading dangerous ground here - trying to find a better way to
say - "hire the more life-seasoned one, the one with the better attitude").
There's a big difference between a 20-year-old and a 22-year-old, is what
I'm fumbling around with here. If two 22-year-olds show up for an interview,
one has a 4-year degree and one has had 2 years of grad school beyond the
4-year degree, and all else is equal, then the one with the more education
looks more impressive. There, I think I got through that one...

>... please e-mail me

But you are asking us to ignore the way usenet works! We have public
discussions here. We like our public format. This isn't a bulletin board
where you pin up a note and walk away, never to check back.

G'luck there, young man! - Tom

Thanks for the advice Tom. I have read Sloperama inside and out- A lot of
good info there.

> You're a sophomore now, as well as a junior in high school, you say? So
how
> many years will you have been in college by the time you get this degree?
> (You just said it was "a year degree" - perhaps you missed the number key
> between "a" and "year".) Employers want to know that their candidates

Yes, a little typo.. Too bad I can't edit my messages (or can I? A bit
new to Usenet). The degree is a 2 year degree. I am making use of a program
in Ohio (possibly in other states as well) that allows me to attend college
while in high school. Credits I earn count torward high school until I
graduate, and after I graduate the credits would count as normal college
hours. State paid too, it is a really wonderful program.

> You're 18 now, so you'll be just 20 when you graduate?
Assuming all goes as planned I will be 19 when I graduate with the 2
year degree at the end of the 2004 fall semester.

> look into grad school as well. If two candidates, one 20 and one 22, both
> with equal degrees and attributes, were to apply, I imagine that an
employer
> would lean towards the 22-year-old, on the basis that the older more
> seasoned candidate would be better able to fit in with the rest of the
team
> (I know I'm treading dangerous ground here - trying to find a better way
to
> say - "hire the more life-seasoned one, the one with the better
attitude").
> There's a big difference between a 20-year-old and a 22-year-old, is what
> I'm fumbling around with here. If two 22-year-olds show up for an
interview,
> one has a 4-year degree and one has had 2 years of grad school beyond the
> 4-year degree, and all else is equal, then the one with the more education
> looks more impressive. There, I think I got through that one...
I am aware there will be barriers with my age. I am hoping I will be
able to make an impressive demo tape. My goal is to get hired due to my
skill and dedication. But I am not sure exactly what 'they' are looking for.
Hence I post

> >... please e-mail me
>
> But you are asking us to ignore the way usenet works! We have public
> discussions here. We like our public format. This isn't a bulletin board
> where you pin up a note and walk away, never to check back.
Heh sorry. I did not really have any intention of circumventing the
community discussion format. Since this point is the most critiqued part of
my post I guess I screwed up there . I TAKE IT BACK! Just looking for good
advice.

> G'luck there, young man! - Tom
>

Thanks - Josh

> > I am currently working toward a year degree in Video Game
> > Programming¹, which I will complete by the end of 2004. This degree
> > includes courses for Game Theory, C++, Java, 3DS Max, Photoshop,
> > and Flash.
> >
> If you are working towards a qualification in video games, then I would
> imagine that your college would offer you far better advice than I can.
>
> What a games studio will be looking for is three things, knowledge of C++,
> knowledge of 3d maths, and most importantly a love of programming.
>
> The problem is that a nice-looking 3d game is maybe too much for you to
> write. However you can develop your skill in C++ and show that you are
> serious about programming by writing 2d games. If you can make up your own
> games then so much the better, but if not don't sniff at something like
> Tetris.

Writing a nice-looking 3d game is above my skill-level at the moment, but I
still have a year to learn . Would something of this sort be impressive to
potential employers? Such a project would be quite and undertaking for me,
but would it really be worth it? It is not that I am lazy- it sounds like a
real great challenge and perhaps a lot of fun. It is just that I want to try
and focus my time (while I still have it) into exactly what will land me
work

As far as demo-games are concerned it seems like it might be difficult to
really show programming prowess with them? After all- I am not a great 3D
artist and the best engine in the world can still look ugly with 'programmer
art'. Also AI is something that is of interest to me.. it seems like it
might be difficult to quickly show skill with AI programming in a demo game.
Also there is the issue of how can you prove it is your own code your
displaying? I suppose send the source code, but how many employers will
spend the time to not only install and play a demo game- but to check out
the source code in-depth enough to see how well your coding really is.

Were I an artist it seems like how to create a compelling demo-reel is more
straitforward.

Thanks for the reply
-Josh

"Josh Szepietowski" <td1@sssnet.com> wrote in message
news:vlplnk6d78ik97@corp.supernews.com...
> Thanks for the advice Tom. I have read Sloperama inside and out- A lot of
> good info there.
>
> > You're a sophomore now, as well as a junior in high school, you say? So
> how
> > many years will you have been in college by the time you get this
degree?
> > (You just said it was "a year degree" - perhaps you missed the number
key
> > between "a" and "year".) Employers want to know that their candidates
>
> Yes, a little typo.. Too bad I can't edit my messages (or can I? A bit
> new to Usenet). The degree is a 2 year degree. I am making use of a
program
> in Ohio (possibly in other states as well) that allows me to attend
college
> while in high school. Credits I earn count torward high school until I
> graduate, and after I graduate the credits would count as normal college
> hours. State paid too, it is a really wonderful program.

Are you 100% sure about that. Getting through school as quickly as possible
isn't what prospective employers are looking for. If I saw your CV with that
on it, I'd start questioning what you actually learned in so few years,
whilst at school!

For the time being, if you really want to impress a job interview - go find
yourself an OSS game, help it out. Not only will you learn loads (even if
its 'how not to do a game'), but you will come to interview saying - 'I like
programming games so much, I'll even do it for free, as a hobby'. That kind
of enthusiasm (ie the kind that is actually put into practise) will count
for way more than your degree. Easily.

From: "Andy Bolstridge" <nowhere@nowhere.com>
>
>Getting through school as quickly as possible
>isn't what prospective employers are looking for. If I saw your CV with
that
>on it, I'd start questioning what you actually learned in so few years,
>whilst at school!

Precisely! It's "Stupid Wannabe Trick" #3, with a taste of #8 thrown in.
(The Stupid Wannabe Tricks are listed on my site, see sig. Lesson 24.)

>For the time being, if you really want to impress a job interview - go find
>yourself an OSS game, help it out. Not only will you learn loads (even if
>its 'how not to do a game'), but you will come to interview saying - 'I
like
>programming games so much, I'll even do it for free, as a hobby'. That kind
>of enthusiasm (ie the kind that is actually put into practise) will count
>for way more than your degree. Easily.

Well said, Andy. Very much in accord with what I wrote in Lesson 30E.

Heed Andy's words, Josh!

Tom


--

Tom Sloper - Game Designer, Producer, Consultant, Author, Speaker.
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"Making Games Fun, And Getting Them Done."
http://www.sloperama.com/business.html.
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about the game of mah-jongg. http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq.html

> For the time being, if you really want to impress a job interview - go
find
> yourself an OSS game, help it out.

What is an OSS game? Open-Source-Setting?