11 réponses à ce sujet

[Spanishax]

Hello, I'm relatively new to the forums, and I just want to say that this social network should be the new Facebook! 

So, I was planning to work for BioWare one day, after college, but I'm having trouble deciding on which school to go to; I'm currently in grade 12. Part of my question is: Is there any college that BioWare prefers to get it's employees from? But more importantly, where would be the best place to get education on animation - preferably character animation - and modelling. I am naturally adept at 3D animation, and have been since the beginning of high-school, but I do enjoy modelling high-poly objects, as well. I use 3ds Max 2011, UDK , or Mudbox 2011 almost everyday, and I love it!   
Anyway, based on these characteristics and preferences, is there anyone who could help me decide on a good video game design school in Canada? I'll worry about the cost of the courses at a later date. Any and all messages from BioWare employees will be treated as holy...

If there is a better place on these forums for this topic, please let me know. As I said, I am new.  Thanks!

[Stanley Woo]

1. Please read Rom Sloper's advice columns at Sloperama.
2. Re-read those advice columns.
3. Please return and ask better, more specific questions. For example, there is no "farm team" for videogame developers where people are "called up" from.

We get these kinds of threads all the time, and very few of these "aspiring developers" ever return to ask more specific questions or provide updates. This tells me that very few of them have the drive, dedication, or the knowledge necessary to actually work in the industry. Most are just dreaming of "making videogames" and have no idea of just what that entails.
4. Don't place all your bets on just one studio.
5. No one ever got hired by posting their qualifications or resume in a discussion forum. Most studios will have a Jobs page that lays out the process for applications and lists the positions currently available.

[Stanley Woo]

Please come back after checking out Sloperama. i'd be happy to discuss this further with any interested persons.

[Stanley Woo]

Discussion of Origin is happening in other threads, so please take your discussion there. If you wish to work for BioWare or EA, please visit our jobs pages to see if we have a position you would like to apply for. Attitudes like "As a customer, I disagree with a corporate decision and I want to be hired by the company to make things more to my liking," which sounds like what you are trying to say, is likely the wrong way to go about getting hired anywhere. Sorry.

[Stanley Woo]

nerdage wrote...
Not my thread but I have a question if I may:

As a programmer, how important is a demo program in an application, or rather in what way is it important? How much is it likely to be run by the interviewer, or would they be more interested in seeing the code than actually seeing it run?

It depends on the employer's needs, of course, and how thorough they need to be. as far as I know (which admittedly isn't very far, as I am not in programming), BioWare asks for and looks at code samples. I'm sure our programming directors wouldn't say no to a working program, but there's a lot more to our programmer interview process than just the code submission. For the code submission, they'll be looking at things like functionality, clarity, formatting, and how you approached different problems.

There will also be interviews, some kind of written exam, and probably other secret things that they haven't told anyone outside the department. but to answer your question more directly, they would probably be more interested in seeing the code than running the program.

Ideally I'll make the same game either way, I've been designing it on and off for more than a year after all, I'm just curious if the game itself will go any way to helping me get a job or if it'll just be for the benefit of the half dozen people who might play it.

Remember that a lot of game development isn't about making something perfect, it's about making something that's "good enough to ship." Don't get so hung up on "realizing your vision" perfectly that you won't even complete the project, because releasing the project (or, in your case, presenting the finished assignment) is always the priority. Why do you think so many people complain "why does this game have bugs in it?"

[Stanley Woo]

Hellbound555 wrote...

Does bioware have a giant snack room like Valve does?

No, but our office is made entirely of candy. Is that close?

[Stanley Woo]

Sedman211 wrote...

I'm currently in college for Software Engineering, and I want to work for Bioware. Hopefully they don't shut me down after I get out, lol. What types of people would the company look for?

As with any employer, we would be looking for the best people with the skills and experience we're looking for and who would be a good fit within the company culture. Perhaps you should check out Tom Sloper's SLoperama advice columns as I suggested earlier on in this thread.

[Stanley Woo]

TehVGG wrote...

A lot of the discussion here seems to be stemming from people with experience in code development and problem solving. While I am familiar with C/C++ and Java (as I have to be for my CS AP courses), I never enjoyed coding. I have however always loved environment design, [inappropriate comments removed]

To what extent do your level designers (not the concept artists or technical directors) need to use code? What programs are the games like DA and ME designed on?

Really, TehVGG? You want to get into the industry and you make an admission like that? In a developer forum? Sorry, man, but with that kind of cavalier attitude towards legal issues, I'm not really interested in telling you anything about what software we use.

[Stanley Woo]

I'm always surprised when people say such things in a forum like this, to a developer, when they're looking for a job in the industry. Sure, no HR Manager or Recruiter is hanging out on the forums looking for potential hires, but it's not like your behaviour on a developer's forum is never going to come up in conversation.

Yes, game development is the dream job for a lot of people. You're making videogames, for Pete's sake! You're part of the team that makes the kind of games you played, enjoyed, wore out, beat, couldn't beat, shared with friends and family, and saved your money to pick up! that's pretty awesome! But look at it from the other side. Game development is a job like any other. There's a whole lot of work involved, a lot of late nights and long meetings and more paperwork than you'd expect. You're collaborating with dozens of people across many departments, putting this giant multi-million-dollar project together over the course of 2-3 years. Yes, you can have fun, but it's still a job with bosses and deadlines and millions upon millions of gamers will be scrutinizing your work and coming to post their rants and raves in forums just like this one when the game is released.

If you can't handle that, if you're not up to that challenge, you should probably find something else to do until you're ready.

[Stanley Woo]

FemaleMageFan wrote...

Sedman211 wrote...

I personally can't imagine the challenges and work ahead of me but regardless, I will not stop my efforts until the day I work for a video game company as richly filled with ideas and development as this one. I don't say this to sound like a fanboy, but it's true.

i don't think you sound like a fanboy. You are just doing what you are passionate about and that is awesome

I agree with FemaleMageFan. There is nothing wrong with dedication, passion, and having goals. You just need to ensure that the goals are realistic and/or the effort you put into learning and perfecting your art is commensurate with the size of that goal. The bigger the goal, the harder you have to work to reach it.

I think you'll find that many game development studios are full of creativity and passion and love of games. Don't think that it's something unique to BioWare.

[Stanley Woo]

tommyp_33 wrote...

directed towards Mr. Woo

i am very interested in the gaming business. think it would be perfect for me. all i need are the skills to actually start. i was looking at different schools and i found pixel blue college here in edmonton. it seems like a great school to get my education at, but i was wondering what you personally think about it.

What I think about a particular school has absolutely no bearing on your career. It's your money, you are doing the research to find a school that's right for you, and you will be doing all the work. You shouldn't care a whit what I or anyone else think, if you truly believe that this is how you want to achieve your goals. As I have always said, there is no one true/real/best way to get into the industry.

should i choose a more credible school? do they teach the right things? is there a school out there that would look better on a resume?

I don't know. You're the one doing the research into your career. Did you read the advice coluns at Sloperama? He's written several advice columns on finding schools and programs.

[Stanley Woo]

Megaton_Hope wrote...
do have a question. If I have an idea for a game, and I'm willing to put in the effort to write one of these "game design documents" in support of my idea for this game, is there some kind of channel through which I might submit that to Bioware? I know there's no chute to drop it in with a money pile right next to it, but I have been kicking one around lately that I think has potential.

Yes. You would get a job in the game development industry, either as a member of a dev team or as an indie develeoper, work for a number of years to get some credits under your belt, and then, one day, after you've worked a few years, you would apply to BioWare as a designer of some kind. Once established there, you would pitch your GDD.

Basically, if you want your game idea to get made, you either have to do it yourself or work long enough in the industry to get people to take you seriously.

If you haven't already written a game design document, then you shouldn't even be asking the question, because you haven't actually done any of the work yet.