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.


