Hello All… I am posting this message to the board in the hopes that someone here might be willing to take the time to help me (and my son) out. My son is a 6th grade student and he is currently working on a Career Search assignment. The object of the assignment is to research and interview people in his chosen career. He would like to be a computer game designer and it has been somewhat difficult for us to find people to interview. He has written up 10 questions that he is looking for answers to. I am going to post his questions here and if anyone has the time to write quick responses to all of them or even a couple and either post them here or email them to him (or both) that would be great. Thank you all for your time. You can email responses to lakashaa@home.com 1. What made you decide to become a computer programmer? 2. How did you learn to program computer games and what degree do you need to get into the programming field? 3. How old were you when you started programming games? 4. Is it really difficult to find a job in computer programming? 5. How much of your time do you spend programming your games? 6. How much money do you make a year? 7. Is it easier to work by yourself and why? 8. What things do you not like about your job and is it a really hard job? 9. Do you enjoy your job in general and what do you like best about your job? 10. Where can I find the most useful written material on computer programming? Thanks Again for your time...

quote:

---

1. What made you decide to become a computer programmer?
2. How did you learn to program computer games and what degree do you need to get into the programming field?
3. How old were you when you started programming games?
4. Is it really difficult to find a job in computer programming?
5. How much of your time do you spend programming your games?
6. How much money do you make a year?
7. Is it easier to work by yourself and why?
8. What things do you not like about your job and is it a really hard job?
9. Do you enjoy your job in general and what do you like best about your job?
10. Where can I find the most useful written material on computer programming?

---

1. I love computer and video games, so it was obvious that I wanted to make games. If you do something for work that you do not enjoy, why do it????

2. Degrees, education and such things are in the eye of the job holder. Computer Science is the way to go, and some colleges like Full Sail and DigiPen offer game programming specific classes. In this industry, expirence and talent go further than degrees.

3. I started programming when I was 12 and made games by 13, and I''m 16 now.

4. Their are different options for everybody, right now its pretty easy to get hired, if you''ve got the talent too. Or you can start your own little game development team.

5. Alot, after school (YES, NO MORE SCHOOL!!!), while I eat, then I goto bed and dream about it. But for real, I stil have time for things like sports, I play basketball on the school team, go MUNFORD HIGH COUGARS!

6. I can''t really answer that question, I''m CEO of ImagineGames, but it''s not a real company, yet... It''s based in my room and my friends rooms.

7. The industry no longer a one-man team thing, it may or may not be easier to learn the material you need to know by yourself, however, to make a game that would be commercially available, teams from 10 to 100 usually create these games. (I consider myself a one man team, I can do lots of stuff, and a little bit of everything, but I still need other people to argue with me about things..)

8. Umm, from what I hear about the industry, the only bad thing is the hours, you spend alot of time in front of a computer, but the best thing is that you are doing something you like, and that''s what keeps people going.

9. I love my job, theirs no way I would ever do anything else, I''m addicted to my job.

10. GameDev has a book section, and let me tell you, if your son gets into this, it''s no joy ride. You''ll spend anywhere from $20 to 60 or 70 dollars a book, or maybe classes are available where you live??? Plus it takes quite some time to learn C and C++, or even just one of them.

Good Luck to your son, the most important thing you can tell him is when he starts a game, not to stop making it and go on to another, finish what you start.


--Mark Drake
-ImagineGames

At 16, you have no conception of what game programming is like as a "job". For you it''s still a hobby, a passion and something that you hope will translate into a profession. I do hope that it stays that way for you, even when you become a professional and deal with all that implies. However, you aren''t quite the demographic sought by this poster. The desired individuals are in that career, not aspiring to that career.

I''m not flaming; I just think we should realize this is for a 6th grader''s assignment - school work. Other people will be interviewing lawyers, bankers, architects and the like, not hobbyists and aspiring developers. If we''re to be responsible in our replies, we ought to point this lady to better sources; I suggest she try GameDeveloper magazine or GamaSutra, not a site admittedly by amatuers for amateurs.

---
Those who can do nothing criticize; those who can, critique.

Thank you for your information we will continue to check back here over the week and weekend

quote:

---

Original post by Oluseyi

At 16, you have no conception of what game programming is like as a "job". For you it''s still a hobby, a passion and something that you hope will translate into a profession. I do hope that it stays that way for you, even when you become a professional and deal with all that implies. However, you aren''t quite the demographic sought by this poster. The desired individuals are in that career, not aspiring to that career.

I''m not flaming; I just think we should realize this is for a 6th grader''s assignment - school work. Other people will be interviewing lawyers, bankers, architects and the like, not hobbyists and aspiring developers. If we''re to be responsible in our replies, we ought to point this lady to better sources; I suggest she try GameDeveloper magazine or GamaSutra, not a site admittedly by amatuers for amateurs.

---
Those who can do nothing criticize; those who can, critique.

---

I know, I was hesitant about posting it, but you''ve also got to understand that I''m not aspiring student...

I learn things easily, catch on easily, and really good in anything logic like, math, whatever. Shoot, I''m going to be in 10th grade this comming school year and I''ll be in advanced math (Trig, and Intro to Abstract Algebra).... I know C++, a little bit of C, but not enough, and half a dozen things I could list here.

( I guess you mean by aspiring to that career as not holding down a real paid job??? )

The thing is that these "proffesionals" don''t always answer questions, I should know, wether you are a 6th grader or high schooler. I just wanted to let her know how I got started and all.

I hope that anything that I posted is some help to your son.

--Mark Drake
-ImagineGames

1. What made you decide to become a computer programmer?

well it wasn''t anything in particular that made me want to be a programer. I''ve always been the type that is always curious about how something work. when I started geting into computers that to crossed over. it started as doing it trying to figure out how they worked. eventualy after a few years of programming I started looking at geting a job in computer programming.


2. How did you learn to program computer games and what degree do you need to get into the programming field?

all self taught. athough I am now looking at going to collage to get my degree. what degree realy depends on where you want to go with it. if your going to go solo or with a group of people from the net or other than you don''t need a degree just the experence. if you want to work for a game dev house than you will need to get a degree. most places I''ve seen want a BS in eather Computer Science or Software Engineering.

3. How old were you when you started programming games?

I got my fist computer when I was 10 I started learning programming at 11 and started writing my fist game at about 12-13 or so.

4. Is it really difficult to find a job in computer programming?

programming in general its not all that hard, as long as you have a degree. when you first start(like me) getting that first job is fairly hard, but after you get some experence theres alot more places looking for you. game development its alot harder.

5. How much of your time do you spend programming your games?

well latly I haven''t had alot of time for it.(I write games in my spare time) but normaly I spend around 60hours a week or so.

6. How much money do you make a year?

from game programing not much. I haven''t ever figured it out exactly.

7. Is it easier to work by yourself and why?

I mostly work on my own, but my games are mostly small too. if you''re planing on writing large advanced game there''s no way you can do it on your own. There''s just to much todo for one person to do it by there self.

8. What things do you not like about your job and is it a really hard job?

trying to make it. I don''t have the backing thats needed to write game that can realy compete with games from large game dev houses. thats the only thing I dislike. Yes it is a vary hard job, and thats the reason that I like doing it so well. its challenging.

9. Do you enjoy your job in general and what do you like best about your job?

Yes I love my job. If I had a crystal ball to see into the future and I seen that this will never make me any money I''d still do it. I realy enjoy writing games. Its hard to say what I like the most about it, but if I have to pick something than I''d say seeing the finnished product. Watching others play it. It brings me a lot of satisfaction and pride to see people enjoying something that I''ve made.

10. Where can I find the most useful written material on computer programming?

Books & Programming Web Sites. They''res alot of good programming books out there for all levels of programmers. Its the same for the web. I use both alot. The books are great because they tend to stick to one topic and give you a very indepth look at it. The web is great because theres alot of information on a wide varity of topic. Alot of game programing the details are highly dependent on the particular project, so indepth articals on such subject are pointless.


I hope I''ve been a help to you,
The Great Milenko
aka Skyler McCurdy

Ok, I posted this once before, but maybe the thread got erased or something wierd. Well, here you go again.

Hey!! Here are my answers!

1) I played games a LOT when I was very young, and I knew very early on that I wanted to make them for a living. I had no idea how games were made though! I was only 8 or 10 at the time. My cousin soon told me that I had to program them, and that''s where it started! I found that I really loved programming and have done it ever since.

2) I learned to program from studying a book on C++. All the game programming related stuff I learned by trial and error as well as from the internet. You''d probably want to get a degree in computer science if you wanted to go into programming. You HAVE to be good at math if you want a CS degree. The other alternative would be a MIS (Management Information Systems) degree. Although its not as applicable, you can specialize in any area of computer science that you want.

3) I started programming games at about 12 I think. I made a QBasic text based game!!!

4) Its pretty tough to find a job in the industry because its a little like hollywood. Once you have your foot in the door, you won''t have a problem, but geting the door open is tough. Its easier if you know someone in the industry, or have had any experience at all.

5) Well, that depends on what point in the project the game is at. If its early in the project, I might be working on tools that artists and sound engineers will use to make art and stuff for the game. I''d say on average I spend about 5-6 hours a day actually programming. The rest is spent in meetings with design people or others so that things get coordinated well. Most of the time we work 8 hour days, but if things get rushed the hours get longer!

6) Whoa there! Kinda personal! I''m just kidding! An entry level programmer can expect to make between 45,000 to 60,000 or maybe more depending on where you work.

7) That''s a good question. Here again, it depends on what it is I''m working on. If I''m working on something small such as an image converter (a tool that converts between graphics file formats I.E. .bmp to .jpeg etc.) I''d rather work by myself. On a larger scale project, I like to working on a team. Its often very difficult to manage large projects with multiple programmers because everyone has a different style of coding.

8) I don''t like it when I have to work a 14 - 20 hour day because we''re off schedule. Thats the worst possible case though, and it doesn''t happen too often. Thats the only thing I really dislike. The job itself is very challenging, but thats part of what I love about it.

9) What I love about programming games is that every day brings a new challenge to the table. You can be programming something as dull as an image converter, but when you actually see your program do what you want, its a great feeling that''s well worth the time you spent on it. Thats part of what I love about programming in general, making something from nothing! Its a little like painting.

10) Well, this page is great. www.flipcode.com is another website with amazing information. These are the places I where learned what I know about game programming. As far as programming in general, go to your local bookstore, and buy a book on C++. I recommend "Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days" by Sams publishing. Thats what I learned form and it was very good. I still refer to it sometimes for info.


Well, I hope I helped! I work for Square/Electronic Arts L.L.C. If your son would ever like to chat with me about programming, he can feel free to drop me an e-mail at lunar880@integramn.net

quote:

---

Original post by Lakasha
1. What made you decide to become a computer programmer?
2. How did you learn to program computer games and what degree do you need to get into the programming field?
3. How old were you when you started programming games?
4. Is it really difficult to find a job in computer programming?
5. How much of your time do you spend programming your games?
6. How much money do you make a year?
7. Is it easier to work by yourself and why?
8. What things do you not like about your job and is it a really hard job?
9. Do you enjoy your job in general and what do you like best about your job?
10. Where can I find the most useful written material on computer programming?

---

1. I started coding on a C64 when I was twelve. Continued on through high school on various machines (Apples, PCs). Decided to major in C.S. in college, and programming/mathematics comes very naturally to me. From there went on to doing customer support jobs, then programming, a few years with Motorola, and now a few years with a game company.

2. My college degree helped me to obtain "regular" programming jobs. When I started with the game company, I had no specific game programming knowledge; I learned it on site. However, I was requested by the tech lead who knew me and knew how strong my coding skills were. I would say a computer science degree (and possibly a bunch of mathematics, especially linear algebra) can be a big win towards getting any programming job.

3. I started programming games just about 3 years ago, so I would have been 27 at the time.

4. Finding a job in computer programming shouldn''t be too tough; it was difficult several years ago, but the surge of the internet and the explosion of the gaming industry has made good programmers hard to find.

5. I generally work 50-60 hours a week, sometimes even up to 80 or 90 if we are in a crunch. While getting E3 demos ready, I worked a few sessions of two days straight. But generally I try to spend around 50 hours/week so I have some time at home for personal hobbies. Currently (and somewhat unfortunately), I tend to spend half of my work time helping other coders and artists, and the other half doing the work I''m supposed to do.

6. Enough to be slightly more than comfortable. Sorry, personal information that I''m not inclined to share.

7. Our office is "war room" style -- no cubicles, no personal offices, just everyone in an open room with a bunch of desks here and another bunch there. It has some benefits, such as overhearing conversations and being able to jump right in and help. The drawback is that if I simply need to just get in and code away, there are often too many interruptions. (See #5 above.)

8. It''s challenging for the mind; 3d graphics requires a solid understanding of basic mathematical concepts. The sometimes quoted stereotype -- that game coders work 20 hours a day 7 days a week -- is sometimes true. It is hard work, but can be quite rewarding when you look at the screen and say, "Hey, it''s actually a game!" The thing I dislike most is simply not having an office 4 hours out of every day where I won''t be interrupted. I also dislike working very long hours, although I do pitch in if needed. And probably there''s always the occassional hatred of some code when you''ve worked and worked on it in dozens of different ways and still doesn''t work. (That''s when I work on something else and get back to it later.

9. Yes, I enjoy the job. It''s challenging, almost never dull. I work with some great folks, and some incredible artists.

10. The best way to learn is to do. Although I never finished much when I was in 6th grade, I did a lot of tinkering with my C64. It''s a great time to start, and you don''t have to write a full 3d engine right away. In fact, start with tic-tac-toe or hangman or something very simple. Taking small steps early will prevent you from getting too frustrated too early. BASIC is a decent enough programming language for beginners, as is Pascal (although if you''re doing this on a Wintel machine, I don''t know how many Pascal compilers there are). Most game development is done in C/C++, but it can be tough to start with that (although if your son is up to a real challenge, go right ahead!).


Hopefully that helps. Of course my bias is all present in the above responses, so please consider then against others you might receive.

1. What made you decide to become a computer programmer?
A. I took one course in computer science and switched my major.

2. How did you learn to program computer games and what degree do you need to get into the programming field?
A. I learned basic programming in University, but the majority of what I know, and what I needed to know to get a job, I learned on my own. If you know your stuff and have some demo''s to show, you don''t need a degree. I''d say I got my job from my enthusiasm more than anything.

3. How old were you when you started programming games?
A. I didn''t start until I was 19. Oh! the wasted years!

4. Is it really difficult to find a job in computer programming?
A. Not sure. First place I applied to I got the job. But, I had some nice demo''s and a degree.

5. How much of your time do you spend programming your games?
A. Well, I work around 50 hours a week now that I have a job (plus some on the side). But some busy weeks I''ve put in 60+, and that was for internal deadlines. Can''t wait until beta week...

6. How much money do you make a year?
A. Let''s just say I could move to the US and program databases or something else boring and make 3 or 4 times as much as I do right now programming games in Canada, but choose not to.

7. Is it easier to work by yourself and why?
A. It''s harder to work with a team, the main reason for me being there could be whole sections of the project you don''t understand. It can be very difficult to understand other people''s code.

8. What things do you not like about your job and is it a really hard job?
A. Mostly I dislike the hours. I have lots of other hobbies I''d love to put more time into. It can be hard, but it seems to be getting easier, just from what I learned working for the last year.

9. Do you enjoy your job in general and what do you like best about your job?
A. I enjoy my job immensely. It''s extremely satisfying to look at a fairly simple looking game, and understand just how complicated everything is, and to understand it all.

10. Where can I find the most useful written material on computer programming?
A. Everybody else had pretty good advice. Here, flipcode, and a local bookstore.

First of all, does you son want to be a game programmer or a game designer? They are different jobs. Game companies are devised of programmers, artists, sound engineers, technical support, play testers and producers. There are also some other management positions. Each of those positions can be further broken down:

Designers design the game play. They may also be responsible for writing the story and script. Designing the game play involves describing exactly how everything will work and defining all the variables like character hit points, plasma cannon damage, etc.

Programmer’s can specialize in engine development, user interface, artificial intelligence, everything else or all of the above.

Most artists these days are 3D modelers and animators. Although some children’s games still use 2D animations.

Sounds engineers can specialize in music creation or general sound recording. Most do it all.

Tech support maintains all the computers. Game companies have lots of cutting edge hardware.

Play testers play the games and report bugs. They help take some of the workload off of programmers and designers. Publishers handle most of the quality assurance. Your son might want to try to get a part time play tester job while in high school.

Producers manage the project. Than maintain the schedule and communicate with the publisher.

I’m a professional game programmer so I’ll answer your questions as they relate to my job.

1. I became a computer programmer because was the most interesting major to me in college. I later became a game programmer because I thought it would be more fun than my corporate job. Furthermore, I always imagined myself eventually making games while I was in college.

2. A computer science degree is a good start. However, I know a lot of programmers including game programmers that majored in physics or engineering instead. They learned programming skills either in some of their classes or on their own. General programming books are a good place to start. After you learn the basics of programming there are also many books devoted to the unique skills needed for game programming.

3. I first started game programming in college after I learned C. I even did some very basic game programming with Pascal in high school.

4. Computer programming jobs are in excess right now. Game programming jobs are also easy to get, but some cities don’t have many game companies.

5. I spend at least 40 – 45 hours a week a work making games. It’s my full-time job.

6. In Chicago programmers will get at least 45K out of college upwards of 100K+ depending on how much experience you have even before you reach 30 years old. Game programmers sometimes make a little less or perhaps even more also depending on experience level and market demand.

7. You can’t make commercial games by yourself these days. Games are extremely complex and take a lot of people to create. It’s interesting working very closely with a large team.

8. Game programming is more technically challenging and faster paced than many corporate programming jobs. In my opinion it’s more stressful as a result. During periods of “crunch time” a lot of overtime is expected and you can’t always take vacation when you want.

9. The tradeoff is that game programming is usually more interesting than a corporate job and there is a huge feeling of satisfaction for creating something really special at the end of the day. It’s largely a matter of personal taste

10. Gamedev.net, Gamasutra, and other game programming sites are a good place to start. There are now tons of game programming books out there. Also, try to get a subscription to Game Developer magazine.