My beard is still very young, for it shall grow with my programming.

Moving to the lounge.

It is also the issue of people that you see are going to be the senior members of a studio, as the younger ones are more likely to be stuck as code monkeys. It only takes a few senior members to keep cracking the whips over heads back at the office, so it is easy to let one go for a few hours to do events.

Here is the little inconvenient truth:

It takes 10 years of full-time activity in one field to achieve something at minimum. Or somewhere in the order of 10-20,000 hours.

There is a handful of truly exceptional people that clock this time by the age of 25. Majority of real *real* world however is just that - old 40-year olds.

There's also Methuselahs that are 50, and some that are 60. Can you imagine that? Some are even older.

The world's dirty secret in the age of youth is that, despite what the media and other hype conveys, 18-yo college dropout *never* becomes the captain of the Enterprise. Exception of course proves the fact.

The whole young world lifestyle comes directly from their paycheck. To get the most exposed people, to give them blogs, twitters, facebooks, internet fame, etc.... All that allows companies to offer these perks in exchange for lower salary. And while this does seem to celebrate their success, it's just an illusion.

After a few years, most smarten up and realize that things don't work that way, and to achieve something worthy reporting (not self-promotion in itself), it takes a long time.

Quote: so they will continiue the food chain when these old 45 year old developers retire

So, in 20-30 years?

There will be new ones. But those will be 45 as well.

And people who gain recognition and fame do not work jobs, they live their passion, and do what they love and are good at. Retirement has frequently little meaning to them. Do you think such people look at the clock, and punch out at 5:00pm?

This applies to all areas of life and all careers, software or not. It simply takes that much time.

Obligatory link.

Quote: Original post by Antheus
Here is the little inconvenient truth:

It takes 10 years of full-time activity in one field to achieve something at minimum. Or somewhere in the order of 10-20,000 hours.

...

It simply takes that much time.

I think you forgot to post the supposedly correct attribution to Norvig: Teach programming in ten years (and ofc other linked content from there), though your text sounds like you did the research yourself :D

Quote: Original post by Anddos
nearly every interview i see with a game developer, they look about 40 , how come you never see young ones always old with beard or tash, i can understand the old you are the better developer you are as you have more years ahead but isnt it a good idea to have young ones start now so they will continiue the food chain when these old 45 year old developers retire?

"Our life after 30 is a struggle between growing experience and degradation of brain cells" (c) Stanislav Lem
Are you ready to fight? [smile]

Quote: Original post by phresnel


I think you forgot to post the supposedly correct attribution to Norvig: Teach programming in ten years (and ofc other linked content from there), though your text sounds like you did the research yourself :D

Yes, it's based on that, but I didn't have the link handy.

Obviously someone hasn't read the Requirements on most game development jobs. Yup, requires a beard. College graduate? Who cares. Beard? You're in.

The real reason the senior guys all have beards is because our priorities do not include spending hours every week staring at ourselves in the bathroom mirror trying to alter our appearance to be that of little boys. People who do that tend to get into sales and merketing by the time they're experienced enough to be management level. Same goes for women and makeup: hardcore she-geeks tend to eschew the facepaint.

When you're in an interview situation you tend to encounter those with decision-making authority. The younger, beardless, crowd tend to be slaving over a hot monitor coping with the crunch.