[Articles] Game Careers Basics & Reflections on Building Three Scripting Languages

[yaustar]

Two articles today (I am posting them as I find them)

Game Careers: The Basics - A little insight on what it takes to get a job in the industry.
http://www.gamecareerguide.com/featu...he_.php?page=1

Reflections on Building Three Scripting Languages - Behind the scenes of scripting languages and uses.
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20...wilcox_pfv.htm

[slicer4ever]

i enjoyed both articles and rly enjoyed the first over the second more nothing ot disagree or agree about here so thanks for the articles yauster

[Garak]

Ok, ok,

I read the first article "Game Careers: The Basics". Seriously, they may as well call that article "Any Career: The Basics". I mean look at the list they write called "What It Takes". You have to be a self started, know how to solve a problem, wiling to learn new skills... Nearly every job description ever written by man covers those same generic things. Weather you are working at 7-11 or for a mom and pop software application group, they will want the same qualities. Try getting even a minimum wage job by responding "Eh, I don't have much motivation, so you're probably going to have to hold my hand and wipe my buttox for me every day.".

And the part about explaining to the employer why you chose thier company? That is BS. If you are trying to get into the game industry, you'll send you resume to every company you can. Even the ones you've never heard of. When your at the entry level, no one asks "Why did you chose us". They already know why, because you need a job. If they do ask, you just give the generic "your company is better than the rest bla bla bla".

The only relevant part to that article was the stuff about having a portfilio and a demo real. Read that sentance and at least you get something out of it that is remotly specific to the game industry.

Garak

[MiG]

Originally Posted by yaustar

Two articles today (I am posting them as I find them)

Game Careers: The Basics - A little insight on what it takes to get a job in the industry.
http://www.gamecareerguide.com/featu...he_.php?page=1

Reflections on Building Three Scripting Languages - Behind the scenes of scripting languages and uses.
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20...wilcox_pfv.htm

I liked the games design one..

I thought hard about getting into games design, but then i decided not too.. just a few things threw me off.

[yaustar]

Originally Posted by Garak

And the part about explaining to the employer why you chose thier company? That is BS. If you are trying to get into the game industry, you'll send you resume to every company you can. Even the ones you've never heard of. When your at the entry level, no one asks "Why did you chose us". They already know why, because you need a job. If they do ask, you just give the generic "your company is better than the rest bla bla bla".

I disagree with this. The reason they ask is because they DON'T want someone is going to come and go within a year or two. Even though a lot of applicants will say BS just to get a job, but it at least gives some idea of how 'commited' they are to stay at the company. Every company I got interviewed by asked this question in one form or another.

Quite a few years ago, I took some students to visit Shinny (the creators of Earthworm Jim) and we asked one of their lead programmers, "How important is a degree?" He held up his hand and touched his forefinger to his thumb, making a zero. "We throw resumes in the trash. If you don't send us a demo game that shows what you can do, we don't care where you went to school."

Personally I find this misleading, this isn't the same for all companies. Some won't even get past the HR department unless there is a degree on the resume.

[HaxxBlaster]

Thanks a lot, very interesting.
I read them both. I liked the first one more than the second one.
I remember when people made scripting languages written in JAVA for the online game RuneScape, mainly for cheating, macro.

[Garak]

If you have several years of experience and could get a job based on that experience at a varity of businesses, the question of "Why did you choose our company?" is valid.

If you are just out of school, and looking to get your foot in the door of the video game software industry (which the aformentioned article is about), no one would ask you that question. In fact, that question is pretty rare in any field to newcomers. They are more likly to ask "How did you hear about us?" or "Where would you like to be in 5 years?".

That question gives a pretty good indication of how long the potential employee plans to stay with a given company, as oppoed to the open ended "We are so full of ourselves we think you chose us and us alone out of all other companies in the universe, so what is it you like about the prospect of working here so much?" Only a noob could mess up the answer to that question.

Garak

[yaustar]

Originally Posted by Garak

If you are just out of school, and looking to get your foot in the door of the video game software industry (which the aformentioned article is about), no one would ask you that question. In fact, that question is pretty rare in any field to newcomers. They are more likly to ask "How did you hear about us?" or "Where would you like to be in 5 years?".

They will and they have. Every graduate in my year has been asked that in one form or another. "How did you hear about us?" gets more rarely asked in my experience. The games industry is so small, that all the major developers are so well known that this question is redudent most of the time which is why the question "Why do you want to work for us?" gets asked instead. (Yes, the games industry does have one hell of an ego).

The first companies that graduates apply to will usually be their favoured ones and gives them a chance to show their passion to the company or at least show that you cared enough to research the company beforehand.

"Where would you like to be in 5 years?" gets asked a lot though.

[dracule]

I was contemplating this, and if i do go into a CS career, i think it will be w/ non-gaming since i feel that is were a lot of the money is at.

[slicer4ever]

game design is not something about money it's mostly for passion in my opinion

[Bronx]

Originally Posted by slicer4ever

game design is not something about money it's mostly for passion in my opinion

Wow, you're not very "aware" (to put it nicely) of what a real game development team consists of...

Without game designers there would be no games. They're paid the big bucks (in relative terms to the average occupation)! Though, you better be passionate about it

[slicer4ever]

hence y i said in my opinion

[yaustar]

Originally Posted by dracule

I was contemplating this, and if i do go into a CS career, i think it will be w/ non-gaming since i feel that is were a lot of the money is at.

That is where the many is at, but will you feel satisfied with the job. Is it what you truely wan't to do? If so, then fine go for it.

Read this set of blog entries:
http://forums.qj.net/f-psp-developme...ob-104103.html