Jobs

The_Warder · Post by **The_Warder** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 2:48 pm

What do any of you currently do for work or want to do.

Im thinking of going into the navy seals.

Massalinie · Post by **Massalinie** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 2:57 pm

I wanna make computer games

Thats partially why im here.

Silvone Elestahr · Post by **Silvone Elestahr** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:10 pm

Teach history at a university and become a writer.

Zalzidrax · Post by **Zalzidrax** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:15 pm

I plan to be a research physicist. Until I get tired of it... then I'll probably either become a high school physics teacher or a professor, whichever I feel like.

Dexter · Post by **Dexter** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:15 pm

Now I'm a chef (that's right, got it through apprenticeship) at a resturant I have been working at since my 14th birthday. For a long time I thought I would make that into my career, but I decided that I didn't want to have to work into my 50s and 60s at a job where I had to run around all day, exposing myself to fire and boiling liquids and dead animals.
I am finishing up my third year of college in a five year program to be an art teacher. However, in my writing about art class, my professor told me that I am one of the best writers in the university, so I am going to send out a portfolio at the end of the semester to different publications to see if I can get a job as an editor or something swanky like that.

Eraser · Post by **Eraser** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:29 pm

Like massie, hoping to be a game developer in the future, from working here and elsewhere I find it enjoyable and stimulating. with the current job outlook, I don't know if i will go into computer science as a major though.

I too am a pretty good writer, I was thinking about writing and publishing an informational book, but I prefer writing fiction. I've done a few really fantastic stories over the years.

Arthmodeus · Post by **Arthmodeus** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:31 pm

Dexter, you are a supreme artist and an excellent writer; why don't you make comics?

When I grow up, I want to attend the University of Michigan and get a Bachelor's Degree.

After that, I want to either work for Bethesda Softworks, or own a bookstore. Either one is fine with me.

Vegor · Post by **Vegor** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:35 pm

I hope to be able to live of my band. I have no desire of becoming famous and I'm 100% sure that'll never happen but perhaps by doing a lot of small gigs I'll be able to live from that. I don't count on that though , probably going to college next year and do history. After that, I don't know, I live day by day and don't plan ahead too much.

Game developer also attracts me a lot, but I think it'll always stay a hobby for me as I don't really have the patience to do it all the time. Then again, I can't think of any job I will enjoy doing all the time.

Negrodomous · Post by **Negrodomous** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:36 pm

Nothing now... but if i can ever graduate I want to get a job in software development

Eraser · Post by **Eraser** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:45 pm

go to india and you'll have no trouble

Dexter · Post by **Dexter** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:47 pm

Arthmodeus wrote:Dexter, you are a supreme artist and an excellent writer; why don't you make comics?

I don't want one of my passions to be my job. That is the reason I never persued any sort of musical career. Once it becomes your job, you are obligated to do it, and that takes away from some of the fun.
Same thing goes with drawing. Having deadlines and stuff for comic books would wear on me. I prefer drawing when the inspiration hits me, but not on any sort of schedule.
Teaching art requires me to actually produce a very small amount of art, mostly just do ten minute demonstrations for the students. Plus I can fudge supply orders and get myself all the free materials I want to do my own work. The prospect of unlimited canvas and paints is too good to pass up

Lady Nerevar · Post by **Lady Nerevar** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:47 pm

iether a archeologist or a grafics desiner for games. both have a equal chanse though...

im so pathetic...i havent figured out what i wana do yet!

Dexter · Post by **Dexter** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:48 pm

Big deal, I know people in their 20s who have no idea what they want to do. Most people enter college with no clue what career they want to persue.

Stumpytheguar · Post by **Stumpytheguar** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 6:41 pm

Massalinie wrote:I wanna make computer games
Thats partially why im here.

Me too! You going for the logic, the art, or the stories though?

Most video game designers these days have a degree in film-making as well as the technological aspects...

I'm going for the programming part myself, as it seems esoteric enough that anyone half-decent at it can get a job fairly fast.

Arcadea · Post by **Arcadea** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 7:28 pm

I took a year and devoted it towards Management and Marketing, I write short stories part time (remember I original wrote for BOT when it first started.) I currently am going to college for Computer Information Systems:programming.

Lord Elias · Post by **Lord Elias** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:39 am

Nah...I already know what I'm gona do.Economy colege...

Graff · Post by **Graff** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 4:02 am

I'm aiming in two directions at the moment, either to gain a degree in English, and perhaps teach or work in journalism. The second path is law, a subject that really interests me, though whether I can afford to train in law is another matter.

Baalzebub · Post by **Baalzebub** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:32 am

even tough my grades suck i want to become a game developer but its not many places to get such a job in norway i`m afraid.

Stalker · Post by **Stalker** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:45 am

I want to be a programmer. Preferably developing games

Darnoc · Post by **Darnoc** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:49 am

I was a student at the Gymnasium, but right now I'm unemployed, so I made myself independent and now I give private English lessons. But I'm also trying to publish my novel. It is my main goal to become an independent writer of Fantasy and Sciencefiction.

Theo · Post by **Theo** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:27 am

Everyone here wants to develop computer games, or to be a proffesional writer or an artist.
I fully understand that, after all people here are supposed to have some creative ambitions, but my expactations are more realistic.

I want to be the most distinguished and acknowledged uber philosoper and religious thinker of 21st century.

Well, high school teacher will do for some time. I also considered the option of being a missionaire priest (Jezuit preferablly), but you know - that celibate...

Darnoc · Post by **Darnoc** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:49 am

Everyone here wants to develop computer games, or to be a proffesional writer or an artist.
I fully understand that, after all people here are supposed to have some creative ambitions, but my expactations are more realistic.

Yes, I fully agree. There is a huge difference between dream and reality. Most persons who try to be a writer fail. Either because of lack of talent, lack of ambition or because the market crushs them.

I do have talent, inherited from my father who is a professional writer himself (published his first book and writes now on the third in the series) and I began to write already as a kid. Most who want to become a writer never finish anything at all. I wrote a novel, even tough I haven't found a publisher yet. So I have overcome two obstacles: talent and ambition. Now I have to overcome the greatest obstacle of all, this is the market. And that is a really hard case, especially for experimental writers like myself. Most publishers won't risk to publish the kind of novels I write, it is too risky for them.

But I have still hope to overcome the market. In time, perhaps. I just mustn't give up.

I think what I have said about writing can be applied to other creative dream-jobs like painting or game-developing.

I want to be the most distinguished and acknowledged uber philosoper and religious thinker of 21st century.

So, we do have something in common, hehe. That would be the highest of all my goals.

andreas of austevoll · Fri Apr 15, 2005 9:03 am

I most want to be a millionaire but I think I must work to be it and I really don`t know what I will work with

Post by **ko2fan** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 11:05 am

I'm a video game developer and a server administrator.

Both jobs could pay better, both jobs involve long hours (no overtime paid) and are hard work. Anyone who thinks that by making video games you get to play games all day will be very much mistaken.

--
garfield

Eraser · Post by **Eraser** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:36 pm

Weren't you a publisher?

I for sure know its not playing games all day, being able to work with original ideas and creativity is what I want to go into games for.

Vernon · Post by **Vernon** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:58 pm

I have just reached my antipenultimate year of study in a combined Architecture and Physics program at university - I intend to have a career in acoustics; specialising in numerous areas including algorithms for virtual spaces, which will form the core of my PhD if I get to do one. I don't really want to go into the games industry at all. If I did work in the gaming industry then ideally it would be for progressive little companies like Looking Glass Studios, Troika or Junction Point. Developers that still have artistic control is where it's at. I guess publisher pressure is the reason why two of the above companies have already been shut down. But I digress.

The_Warder · Post by **The_Warder** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 1:56 am

Ya im alittle scranny right now but I am tough and I feel that I can do it anyone here thinking of joining the service at all. I mean the army made americas army so they might have openings for people.

Sload · Post by **Sload** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 2:13 am

I don't know what I want to do for a living, but before I die I will:
~Not join the military
~See the end to even considering a law against gay marriage
~Plant a rose on every grave in Arlington
~Be on Oprah
~Teach at a school of some kind somewhere
~Work for Three Rings (I love ya Cleaver!)
~See my name in print
~See the Morrowind Province completed by us

As proof that I can do this, I was chosen most likely to change the world. Unfortunately, I have also been told I'm the smartest kid at the school, so it's probably just a lack of competition.

The_Writing_Wraith · Post by **The_Writing_Wraith** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 2:14 am

Geologist or programmer as a profession, though neither of these are certain.

I also intend to pursue writing as a hobby/suppliment for income. (Let's be realistic, most writers have day jobs.)

Post by **ko2fan** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 7:07 am

Eraser wrote:Weren't you a publisher?

I for sure know its not playing games all day, being able to work with original ideas and creativity is what I want to go into games for.

I have worked for 4 different developers and a publisher.

You wont be working with original ideas or creativity. You will be doing a set task given to you. If you get into games as a programmer, at first it will be probably working on tools, and then as you progress you will get more responsibility, and may well work on something a little more interesting, such as lip syncing characters or writing sound effects. If its as an artist then you will generally start off just texturing minor things, and as you progress move up to perhaps modelling objects. If you start as a level designer, then you'll be very lucky, and have already proven your skills, so will sometimes get straight to designing levels, or parts of levels. The only other way of starting is in QA where you will test games, which sounds fun, except you dont get to decide what games in what genres, and you have to test them over and over again, sometimes playing the same part of a game perhaps 1000 times.

Publishers 99 times out of 100 will dictate what is going to be made, and the designer has to come up with a game based on their requirement (if they havent already got the design already). Smaller developers tend to port to SKUs that the original developer dont cover, and bigger developers tend to be owned by the publisher. If you are lucky you may get somewhere where they can do their own games, but generally unless your the designer you will get no say in the game anyway.

I don't mean to be pessimistic but the end result is usually that the game you are working on has been cancelled, or released unfinished, some people would not believe the amount of games that never even see the light of day, some for good reason of course.

If you are lucky enough that your game does get released and is good, then its probably the most proud thing you could possibly achieve, even if all you did was a very small part of it. Which is sad really, since a lot of people dont see games a worthwhile thing to do, they see it as having no benefit to humanity at all, and you will get strangers at parties who bitch at you for making violent games for kids (even tho theyre rated M or AO).

Anyway, sorry for the rant, but its too often I see people desperate to get into the games industry without really knowing what its like there, which is what companies such as EA take advantage of to be able to work everyone like slaves knowing theres a million more people desperate to work for them whenever they burn out their current staff.

Good things are happening though, the whole World of Warcraft team at Blizzard recently left to go work for NCSoft, which proves that if you treat staff like shit, they wont always take it, lucky for them NCSoft was willing to offer them better. Its not the first time either, the original Diablo team all left Blizzard to start up flagship studios a while back.

--
garfield

Stalker · Post by **Stalker** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 8:38 am

To play games all the time you need to be a beta-tester - not developer. Developer's job is much more "fun". While I haven't made a single game yet I have a small experience in programming and can tell that for sure.

Kasan Moor · Post by **Kasan Moor** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 10:34 am

That was most interesting Garfield. I would like to develop games, and I want all the information I can get.

I am thinking of maybe doing the PR side of games. Can you say wich job (programmer, artist etc.) is needed most?

Massalinie · Post by **Massalinie** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 10:42 am

I think that devlopping games would be fun, even if most of them don't ever get released. It really the only things I've ever enjoyed doing. Thanx for that bit of info Garfield.

sirwootalot123 · Post by **sirwootalot123** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 11:22 am

Game Developing is the number one thing on my mind, but if not that I'd like to do photography/journalism, acting, psychology, politics, or movie effects (CGI, props, ETC).

Post by **ko2fan** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 12:42 pm

Kasan Moor wrote:That was most interesting Garfield. I would like to develop games, and I want all the information I can get.

I am thinking of maybe doing the PR side of games. Can you say wich job (programmer, artist etc.) is needed most?

Well at the moment artists are in more demand, although most developers are looking for experienced ones. Theres been a huge influx of experienced developers looking for jobs recently, with many developers having gone bust (66% of developers in the UK went bust from 1999-2004. source: MCV). Many more have gone bust in the US and UK since then. It's thought that with next gen games, staff sizes will need to double, so there should be a lot of vacancies coming up, and lots more developers going bust.

If you are interested in making fun original games, you should look at doing it as a hobby, and check out www.indiegamer.com

Remember that games programming is very poorly paid compared to software programming. What most people do is work as a software developer and create games as a hobby outside of work.

If you are still interested in becoming a professional programmer, then I suggest you first get a degree in CS or engineering, and then get together a game demo to send to developers to show your talent, usually the demo does not need to be a full game, but must excel in the area you wish to specialise in. Graphics and Network programming seem the most popular at the moment, with most beginners all wanting to create their own MMORPG (never gonna happen btw).

First thing is knowing what language to start with, I would recommend starting with Python, and google for PyGame. Very easy to get started, and free.. but you will eventually want to learn the standard for games programming which at the moment is C++. Most also learn DirectX or OpenGL to go along with it, especially if they wish to become a graphics programmer. Most start with devc ( www.bloodshed.net ) and then move onto Visual C++ when they have the money. If you are serious, I am a regular on www.gamedev.net and you can get advice on the forums, and some of the articles aren't too bad. Gamasutra is probably a better place for articles.

For artists, its a lot more difficult, you will need to know photoshop, possibly Maya and 3dsmax. These packages are very expensive, but can be obtained as a student for very cheap with academic pricing. To start with, Blender and Paint Shop Pro may be a better option.

For QA, basically a monkey could do the job, so all you need to prove is that you have a passion for games. Strangely though, QA is the best route to Project Management, which some developers are trying to get away from, it also explains why so many Producers are so crap (no training, no skills). Some developers see being an external beta tester previously as a plus, some dont care, since as an external beta tester you are so far removed from the development process that it cant possibly put you ahead of any other candidate.

Remember whilst it might be cool to make games even if they dont get released, that if the game you're working on gets cancelled you are most likely looking at needing to get a new job. The games industry isn't exactly well known for its job security, even EA lay off people regularly.

Read www.GamesIndustry.biz and www.mcvuk.com for more information.

--
garfield

Colostriph · Post by **Colostriph** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 12:46 pm

Bio-Engineer (clonage, I believe in it) or interactive software developer (games).

Vernon · Post by **Vernon** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 12:49 pm

Colostriph wrote:clonage

It is so nice to see you back, Colostriph.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/Vernon_Gedanken/Emoticons/disgust.gif[/img]

viKING · Post by **viKING** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 1:03 pm

photograph, journalist or police... Not quite sure though...

isn't Uldar a Photogreph/artist?

Kasan Moor · Post by **Kasan Moor** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 1:16 pm

Thank you very much Garfield! You happen to know something about Public Relations too? Could you PM that info to me? Or post it here, if the admins ands mods don't have problems with it.

I have tried modelling and texturing and I have tried coding. Also I have made maps for a few games. I like coding alot, but I think I like mapping the most. You gave me a lot of stuff to think about. I recently saw a article, it appears that we have our first game developing college in Holland! I'll try to gather more info about it, maybe I'll do that after highschool. If I succesfully pass this year, I'll have one year left before I go to college.

Sload · Post by **Sload** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 1:31 pm

Vernon wrote:
Colostriph wrote:clonage
It is so nice to see you back, Colostriph.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/Vernon_Gedanken/Emoticons/disgust.gif[/img]

Don't be mean to him, I am his clone afterall.