Hi guys! I have a problem. I really, really, REALLY want to work in the gaming industry. It has always been my dream to develop a game. I just got one problem: I don''t know what job I could take. Programming is my passion but graphics programming is a horror to me, network programming is absolutely boring and utility programming doesn''t have much to do with the game. And i don''t know anything about AI. And those are the only fields of programming in the gaming business I know of. Testing games is annoying, so I don''t want to do that. And I have no artistic skills what so ever, so I can''t be a graphics designer or modeller or level designer or musician. So what could I do??? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanx in advance... ----------------------------- "Mr Sandman bring me a dream"

It seams that you want to make games but you don''t know how to do anything... I think you could be a great BOSS then.

heh heh !!!

Well, I would love to be a designer, but nobody starts off as a designer. Or only when you have extremely good ideas and my ideas are good, but not very innovative and they won''t be multi-million sellers.

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"Mr Sandman bring me a dream"

there is always sound programming and logical things that isn''t connected to either AI or graphics, and it needs a menu and a intro, the plot might be needed in some way, DB or whatever.
There is a lot that is just plain old programming ....

THAT''S exactly what I want to do. The whole logical stuff. Implementing the rules, doing the menu systems, plot programming... you know, just programming.
But when I look at job offerings they all ask for AI programmers, network programmers, graphics programming... Nobody asks for just a programmer. Or did I just look at the wrong job offerings?

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"Mr Sandman bring me a dream"

Hi

I need to know something about beta testing games, can someone with info please email me at fortune.soldier@ntlworld.com
Thx a load

Look at gamasutra.com for jobs or at vsearch.com

If I understand it right you are interested in becoming an alround programmer and not a programmer specialized in a specific field, like network, audio, videocards, utility etc.
I agree that it can be very boring. But look below for a surprice.

Game designer is difficult. They ask to may years of experience.
But making the basic story of a game is not easy. And also this can be a specialized job. The designer at EA sport, only designs sport games. But it's reallly possible that he only designs for a specific sport game, like Fifa.

There are designers specizialed in RPG, Strategy, Edutainment, etc. So that is the same problem unfortunately.

Artist is also a specialized job nowadays. Texture artist, concept artist, animator character, modeler, etc. But still there are just like for the programmer enough alround jobs.


I think that are possibilities for you to become and alround programmer, there are enough jobs for at gamasutra.

Game Programmer:

Working with the Technical Director, who is in charge of the overall technical effort for a multi-platform game, the Game Programmer leads the implementation of a 3D action game on a next-generation console (PS2, Gamecube or Xbox). The Game Programmer is responsible for the platform-specific software architecture, for integrating all code modules on the platform and for creating the build process. He or she is also accountable for low-level assembly language profiling and optimization, as well as trouble-shooting problem areas in the game architecture.

Game Programmer:

Keywords: game programming, software engineering, C/C++, DirectX, Direct3D, Windows API, real-time, 3D rendering, animation, optimization techniques, physics

Reporting to the Manager of Game Development you would:
· Create and maintain C++ code as part of a small team continuing the development of popular location-based entertainment attractions
· Working closely with graphic artists and other production team members to make product improvements
· Possible assignments would include implementing new game play features, incorporating new media, and usability testing
· Participate in the design and implementation of a game engine for use by multiple game titles
· Testing and debugging of own code routines and ensuring proper functionality within larger project


The Gameplay Programmer:

The Gameplay Programmer position calls for programming of scripted gameplay events using our custom 'C' like programming language. The perfect applicant is very, very comfortable programming highly efficient C game code and has experience coding powerful scripted rules for gameplay inside a state-of-the-art 3D engine.










Edited by - spikey on April 20, 2001 5:21:59 PM

in my opinion, if you want to get in the game publishing industry you have to be an all around programmer and have some special sweet spot if you are going to program part of a game. Or, you could be a 3d modeller and design models and such for the game. Yet, you could be a level designer like someone said earlier. And, you can be an artist coming with conception art and ideas for how the game should look greatly influencing what the game''s outlook will be like. Sounds to me though that you have no special talent, so I dont see what you would do. You could be director, but if you havent wanted to program a complete game or anything of the sorts I dont see why anyone would ever want to hire you. Storywriter maybe?