63 réponses à ce sujet

[Spanishax]

Skellimancer wrote...

Can we skip the work and just get paid?

Actually, I would very much LOVE animating - it's just in my blood, I suppose. 

[Gatt9]

Stanley Woo wrote...

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.

You know what amazed me as I graduated with a CS degree not so long ago?  The first CS course was the most frequently taken,  and dropped,  class at my very very large college.

One of my friends was T/Aing the course,  I asked him what was going on.  His response?

"All these kids took a Java class or HTML class in highschool,  they get here and think they're all going to go make video games as a career.  Then they find out that it's a ton of math,  algorithms,  and not Super Mario or WoW,  and we never see them again"

Seems about right.  In my 4 years,  I saw at least a dozen "Video game teams" pop up and then disappear in a couple of months.

[Nerdage]

Stanley Woo wrote...

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

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?

Aside from checking there aren't any obvious bugs, testing the program seems more like assessing my design than programming which, while still good to know, seems like a secondary priority for a programmer, rather than something an application might hinge on.

I ask because the final coursework on the programming course I'm on is to make a "proper" game, the idea being that we have something presentable to show right out the door, and while I've been getting all excited about making my perfect game (a bit optimistic, perhaps), reading #12 on sloperama I don't know if the interviewer will take a copy of the program and test it to exhaustion or just run it a bit during the interview then focus on the code.

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.

Modifié par nerdage, 16 janvier 2012 - 05:17 .

[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?"

[Homebound]

Does bioware have a giant snack room like Valve does?

[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?

[LPPrince]

See, game development is no joke. I've never had any desire to enter the field, I'm perfectly fine as a gamer, but I respect game devs all the same. People think because they sit on their butts they aren't working hard.

What people fail to realize, is they're working hard using the brain-

an underrated and hugely forgotten asset.

I would love to go to Bioware HQ and see you guys work your magic. Well, less crunching numbers and more SWORDS MAGIC AND SPLOSHUNS, and a nice sandwich to compliment me on the way.

I've already been invited-only problem was the invitation was under the condition I was already in the area. DAMNED INTELLIGENT GAME DEVELOPERS, RAWR.

I'll find a loophole. I watched Dogma again this morning, I know all about loopholes and I will find one gosh darn it.

[Nerdage]

Stanley Woo wrote...

And I had such grand plans. 

I know getting it done on time is the most important thing, I'm thinking worst case scenario since it's my own project is that I chop some bits off to get it finished then add to it in my own time if it comes to it; I was planning to make it anyway, that I could use it as coursework was just a happy coincidence.

Thanks for the answer.


Surely candy walls are always covered in fluff?

[Volus Warlord]

You'd prolly be better off in an oil refinery...

[King Minos]

Oh you don't want to work at Bioware. Heard the hazing is pretty extreme.

What Volus said.

[DRUNK_CANADIAN]

Stanley Woo wrote...

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.

It was a joke, implying nobody was doing anything.

Although internet sarcasm is hard to tell, I do it a lot.

Also seems we finally got the answers recently on the ME3 boards which is awesome.

[LPPrince]

Bioware's walls taste like snozzberries.

[Volus Warlord]

How far up can I get in Bioware by being a useless sycophant?

Modifié par Volus Warlord, 17 janvier 2012 - 01:31 .

[Sedman211]

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?

[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.

[Moondoggie]

I think the above applies for just about any job especially if you want to do anything games related or anything media related. You need to get your foot in the door so the quicker you get an internship and a glowing reference the better chances you have or scoring a job elsewhere. Not enough people seem to see the importance of starting off making the coffee and using the opportunity to learn everything they can over getting as many shiny pieces of paper as possible. The shiny pieces of paper look lovely framed on your wall but it's the experience and references that are more likely to impress your future employer.

[Sedman211]

I understand. All the bullcrap aside, I'm only 2 years into college so far. When would be the most recommended time to start looking for an internship?

I also learned after reading from Sloperama that starting out as a Junior programmer would be perfect in my case, so thanks for that.

Modifié par Sedman211, 31 janvier 2012 - 01:51 .

[Sedman211]

Btw, I apologize for creating a useless thread about myself in relation to this subject. I personally don't know many avenues to contact busy company employees, so the forum where people actually look was the first idea to pop into my mind.

[Sedman211]

FemaleMageFan wrote...

Sedman211 wrote...

I understand. All the bullcrap aside, I'm only 2 years into college so far. When would be the most recommended time to start looking for an internship?

I also learned after reading from Sloperama that starting out as a Junior programmer would be perfect in my case, so thanks for that.

I have a year to go and im majoring in software engineering too. What i would recommend is go to co-op as much as you can. Experience is key. If you are in a position as myself where i cannot manage to go for any internship as much as i want second-third year should be good One thing about this line of work that we are in is that we are able to find work at a lot of places. If you go to a good place you shall be rewarded handsomely

Hey, thanks a lot . I know it would probably be a good thing to find a job anywhere, but video games are a passion that I've had since I was a toddler, and that's exactly what I want to program. I just need the right people to talk to, because I have no one in my school who can directly tell me what I need to do. For starters, do I need to base my degree on Computer Science or some other one?

[TehVGG]

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?

Modifié par Stanley Woo, 01 février 2012 - 04:46 .

[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.

[chunkyman]

Stanley Woo wrote...

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.

Now I'm really interested to know what the removed comment was lol.