Re: To a Programmer or Instructor
From: Malcolm (malcolm_at_55bank.freeserve.co.uk)
Date: 03/23/04
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Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 22:37:01 -0000
"Troy" <tee_dogg54@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> Name:
Malcolm
>
> Age:
35
>
> Location:
>
Bradford, UK
>
> College Attended:
>
Keble.
>
>
> About how many years of college are necessary for success in this
> field?:
>
None. OTOH you probably need a computer science degree (3 yrs) to get into
games these days.
>
> What got you interested in programming?:
>
ZX81 as a child.
>
>
> Is there a certain person who helped you pick your career?:
>
No, I couldn't get a job doing anything else.
>
> How long have you been working in this field?:
>
10 yrs.
>
> List several reasons why other people might want to try this field:
>
Enjoy programming.
Few disadvantages (you work in an office, you don't have awkward people to
deal with, you get paid regularly, no hazards, you can work at your own
pace, there's not much repetitive work). You'd be surprised how many jobs
don't have all these things.
Love of video games.
>
> List several reasons why other people might not want to try this
> field:
>
A lot of people find programming boring.
A lot of people aren't good enough at maths to do most programming.
The salary is OK but not if you want an upper middle class type of
lifestyle - medicine, law, accountancy and banking all pay better.
>
> Why is this field important in the world today?:
>
A single video game adds more to the sum of human happiness than all the
accountants, bankers and commercial lawyers mentioned earlier.
>
> Your personal favorite part of this job:
>
Getting an innovative routine to work. It doesn't often happen that you
invent something original, but it does occur.
>
> Your least favorite part of this job:
>
Debugging or enhancing someone else's code. Dealing with management who want
a fully-functional version of the program so they can decide whether to
proceed with it or not. Dealing with publishers who think they have a
vocation for video games design. Dealing with legal types who won't let you
do anything you want to (like showing a football player injured).
>
> Would you suggest someone else choose this career path?:
>
Yes.
>
> Any advice to others seeking this career?:
>
It's a lot harder to get in as a video games programmer than it used to be.
In the eighties you could buy a microcomputer and produce something
approximating to a commercial quality game in your bedroom. Now five million
pounds is a small budget, and though you can program solitaire / minesweeper
style games on your PC, even that is quite hard. I would do a computer
science course at university, and play with computers a lot, also play a lot
of video games.
- Next message: Malcolm: "Re: Programmer knowledge"
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