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From: barmintr@origin.ea.com (Bill Armintrout) Newsgroups: comp.sources.games.bugs Subject: Re: Careers in computer games Date: Mon, 8 Aug 1994 11:55:04 Organization: Origin Systems, Inc. ... LOTS deleted and edited by x2ftp.oulu.fi maintainer ... >>> Anybody know how a young person (18) can get started or educated in a >>> career creating computer games ? >> >> You may want to ask this question in rec.games.programmer. There are >> (or seem to be) quite a few experienced game programmers who frequent that >> newsgroup. From my understanding, though, the only school that actually >> teaches games development is in Japan. The usual recommendation is to >> get a graphics library and just start programming some games. >> >> then there are courses in graphics programming and algorithm development >> that will also help. Learning assembly programming and how to program the >> vga card would also be useful, and there are several good books on these >> subjects. Anyway, I'm not a professional game developer, but I've played >> around with it some. The biggest things you'll need, though is patience >> and the desire to learn about game programming for yourself. >> >Theres also an MSc course being offered in the UK, but like Mr Carey wrote, >the usual way to get started is to create some games or demos yourself and >send them to the software houses. I suppose the best things to learn is stuff Strange that most of the replies assume that someone who "creates computer games" (see original question) must be a programmer?! The team that makes a computer game consists of designers, writers, composers, artists, and programmers. (Hope I didn't leave anybody out...) Many of the individuals do more than one of the above (i.e. writer/designer/programmer, or artist/designer). DESIGNERS: There is no known career path in this field, because it's a moving target. Designers not only invent paths, plots and stories, but also might do research, video processing, work with actors, or "build" cities or landscapes in a game-editor. Helps to be able to show that you can do some of the above (such as being a published author, or having a background in video). WRITERS: Nobody has ever written interactive scripts before, so this is another wide-open field. Having a background in (video) scripts or published fiction is useful, but only if you can also handle the interactive angle. Writers with design or programming talents will be more versatile, and more effective in seeing their vision implemented. Some writers specialize (i.e. only game manuals). COMPOSERS: I'm using this term to include everyone who works not only with music, but also with sound effects and voice processing. A prospective composer should be able to produce a wide variety of music, and also know the commercial computer tools (some on-the-job training is available, though). ARTISTS: There are different "types" of artist positions, ranging from traditional art (drawing portraits, backgrounds) to technical (creating movie sets or animated 3D figures). Need to be able to show that you can do art well in either 2D or 3D, and it helps to know the computer tools (though OJT is available). PROGRAMMERS: Again, a wide variety of job descriptions. Some programmers specialize in writing library code -- they don't work on specific games, but provide code that everyone uses. Others specialize in assembler (used for speed-critical portions of most games). Yet others work in C or C++, doing the higher-level game programming. And yet others don't write "code" at all, but instead work with "scripts" -- essentially, programs written in the data-language of a specific game. Those working in high-level coding have the greatest influence on the final look and feel of the game, while the low-level programmers are immersed in the coding bowels. Scripters may control anything >from how the game decides to move from one mission to the next, to elaborate "set scenes" that require creative stage directing.