Need Career Guidance as a Game Developer

[- Snake -]

Hi all!

It's been years since I have been here. Well all these dayz I was busy wid my college.
Well since now I have completed my B.Tech. I am confused now with my career. I alwayz wanted to be a game developer since I was a kid. Now that I have completed my degree. I need guidance about it.

I am currently working as a PHP programmer (recession has hit bad). though I am working I am not happy wid it cause PHP is bit easy and it's a hobby of mine not passion ( I am not boasting... everyone has a right to express... right?). I alwayz wanted to go into gaming... Now what should I do... I mean should I go for further studies... or do some course... I mean what??? I am totally confused....

I also know C++.... been working on my operating system since 12th standard (I am saying this, so that experienced ppl out there could judge my potential in the field)... I show case it at: *www.magneto.co.in


Please people help me out.... I am going insane.... please guide me... please...

 

[MetalheadGautham]

If you say your job is easy, then the best thing would be to keep it and learn your passion part-time.

What aspect are you interested in game designing BTW ?

Its easiest to find places to learn Maya and 3Dmax, and there are several here in Bangalore. I am sure Delhi won't be lacking in them either. Examples include institutes like ANTS.

I don't know about places to learn game programming, but I also know that C++ is one of the prefered gaming languages, because it has OOP coupled with low level memory management, and optimization is the key in game development. I am sure you can find some online course material on OpenGL or DirectX API implementation via C++.


PS: DONT ask me anything about placements or anything like that. I only know the above from a research on the internet I did last year because I myself and a friend are interested in game development.

 

[BSOD]

I don't think there is much demand for game programmers in India. I do see some indigenous game makers but, they are far from good.
If you want to work for a really good game maker, you need like a PhD in CS or even Math (Yeah, ****. Case in point - Valve). All the institute that MetalheadGautham mentioned seem to focus mainly on animation and not programming, which is unfortunate.
You might want to do MS elsewhere and maybe get lucky.
I am not the one to ask though. I am still starting out with Allegro. Good luck.

 

[- Snake -]

Hi dere!
thanks for such sweeeet replies.... hehe...

@MetalheadGautham: Man, I alwayz wanted to a game engine developer. I always wanted to make it as a career. And obviously i won;t ask you about placement...

@BSOD:cool u r learning to use Allegro. I used it way back in one of my school projects... didn't supported much things at that time...

@both of ya': I also talked to one of my known person, he suggested me that I should go for higher studies from abroad. there those universities provide specialization in game development also. So is it necessary to go for further studies if I want to go into games.... And I know there's nothing available in Inidia in the name of game development.. all they teach is animation and modelling... I want to be a programmer....

So now what say?

 

[MetalheadGautham]

I still feel learning at home is the best. I too want to learn game engine programming btw.

I suggest you start by re-reading allegro, I find it to be an awesome console-based game development engine today. Will be great for practice.

Then you can have a look at OpenGL APIs IMO. Since you are an experienced coder, you will have no difficulty in studying and applying new code I suppose.

International Education, at this time of the century, with Great Depression Part II happening, is somewhat insecure IMO because most courses will last only 1 or 2 years.

But thats always your choice.

All I am trying to say is that you can study almost anything related to computing over the internet with almost as much ease as from an institute.

 

[- Snake -]

I suggest you start by re-reading allegro, I find it to be an awesome console-based game development engine today. Will be great for practice.

Good Idea!

Then you can have a look at OpenGL APIs IMO. Since you are an experienced coder, you will have no difficulty in studying and applying new code I suppose.

geeesh! I am blushing.... hehe....

International Education, at this time of the century, with Great Depression Part II happening, is somewhat insecure IMO because most courses will last only 1 or 2 years.

This is the reason I am worried... but you got a point, Great Depression Part II + further studies = 'TOTAL RISK'. But still I am think, it can help? or may be should I work here for some time say for a year and then go for further studies?

All I am trying to say is that you can study almost anything related to computing over the internet with almost as much ease as from an institute.

But still a certification can always help right?


And since I am now stuck as a PHP cum Web Developer, can I change my field after wards... I mean what am I going to say to HR (that too if I get allowed for an interview)? On what basis will those guys accept me?


P.S. Plz don't get annoyed wid my posts... I really need help on this matter as I am very serious about my career. cause at this early stage of my career I can shift to a branch of my choice.. late i won;t be able to do anything...

 

[MetalheadGautham]

This is the reason I am worried... but you got a point, Great Depression Part II + further studies = 'TOTAL RISK'. But still I am think, it can help? or may be should I work here for some time say for a year and then go for further studies?

But still a certification can always help right?

Hmm... How about a correspondence course ? Would keep you safe and secure in your job while you pursue your studies.

And since I am now stuck as a PHP cum Web Developer, can I change my field after wards... I mean what am I going to say to HR (that too if I get allowed for an interview)? On what basis will those guys accept me?

Actually, you have an advantage because you are a PHP cum Web Developer. Exposure to Internet means several things, and the main one is that you have an easy access to a market which otherwise might have shunned you. There exist forums of game developers like EA Games and Valve. You can interact with REAL developers.

At the end of the day, even if you don't get placed right (which is very unlikely given your job experience) you may at-least end up as designer of Valve's Web 3.0 website

P.S. Plz don't get annoyed wid my posts... I really need help on this matter as I am very serious about my career. cause at this early stage of my career I can shift to a branch of my choice.. late i won;t be able to do anything...

Have confidence. Displaying aptitude in your attitude is the key to impressing employers.

And learn one important thing: Nobody stops you from designing game engines if you still end up as a web designer. Especially if you have lots of free time, you can pursue your passions as hobbies instead of as a profession. See this for example: *en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerbraten_(video_game) its a video game/engine designed purely as a hobby.

 

[m-jeri]

actually this is the BEST time to go for higher education... If you have nothing else imp to do...

 

[Bookworm]

actually this is the BEST time to go for higher education... If you have nothing else imp to do...

Good reply

 

[pc_game_lover2004]

my interest too to be a game developer

 

[- Snake -]

Thank you all for such replies...

But, (I know you ppl will bang your head) I still am confused... may be I should seek help from a career counsellor...

 

[wannagamedeveloper]

@SNAKE---->>i wanted to know whether you got any imp info about game development....i too wanna be a game developer....

are there no scopes in game development in India..??

 

[lucifer_is_back]

There is one game development studio in mumbai called Trine

 

[Aspire]

This is a 5 month old thread dude...............

 

[rachel44ggg]

Now a days gaming career has been very popular among youngsters.They are taking it seriously because it has a lot of fun and the most important thing is you can not feel bored.

 

[jithin.rao]

Ahha, A thread that I am kinda interested in, my feild .

Now a days gaming career has been very popular among youngsters.They are taking it seriously because it has a lot of fun and the most important thing is you can not feel bored.

Seriously because its a lot of fun? Of course its fun, but do know you that in game development, the biggest trait is that, no one can teach you how to be a game developer (as such there is no term as game developer, a game developer means someone who takes part in the development process be it programmer, production control, designer, sound, test, etc etc). When a programmer is hired, the intentions are, if a designer tomorrow gives you a wacky design which is first of its kind and no one has done it before, he should be able to find a solution of getting what is needed (research/finding a way to get it done).The industry lies on people who have proved themselves, even if you take a PhD, unless you prove your skills with a very specific vision of what you want to do (gameplay, engine, shader, programming) and a demo application to support your interest point there is no way to get it. Getting into the industry is really gonna be tough. And trust me it really works, because I got my first job with my engineering final year project which was a rendering engine with in-built physics engine. Of course I am NO veteran, I am still learning on how I can move up my career, but start was important.

I hope the guys who are interested get my piece of advice on how to start, a VISION of what you want to do and couple of demos that you have made to support your vision. Your success in achieving your visions actually helps the recruiters get an impression of how dependable you are.

Trust me, you needn't need a DIGIPEN degree to get a job, all you need to is find what you are good at, and try a couple of prototypes based on it. Of course you need to keep on doing it, Indian Industry is in only the growing stage, so if you want to be a better competitor on the recruitment drive, have a better portfolio of what you have prototyped of your interest.

 

[MetalheadGautham]

You mean to say its possible to get into Game Development directly from B.Tech CSE or something like that ?

And what about other non-coding aspects of game development ? I mean game mechanics, story, characterisation, etc ? And things like composing game score and sound editing ? Not to forget modelling ? Can you also provide insights as to how one gets into these non software-engineering areas of game development ?

 

[rhitwick]

Hi Jithin, its nice to see that u dug up this thread to post some good info.
I'm posting ur comments from the previous thread to here...

Guys who are interested, check this out...

Originally posted by me

I would like to suggest you one thing,
1.Create one thread in our Education section
2. Write about gaming as a career.
3. What all(one) thing(s) one should know or be skilled of to be a part of gaming industry (u know everyone at any point of time in his/her life wanted to be a game developer...so, anything from u would be helpful for them)
4. What kind of roles include a game developing (at least what can imagine: a story (script and screenplay), animation(animator, basic level character drawing etc), coders, testers, sales guys etc...)

Originally posted by Jithin Rao

It's a question that everyone, mostly gamers, have in mind that game development is a lot of fun and hence its easy to crack. But the fact is its the toughest to crack, unless you have the true passion. Finishing a lot of games doesn't mean he/she can be a game developer, he/she is just a gamer, to be a part of the development team there is a lot of hard ships revolving around.

I would like the help of the community in that aspect, me starting from one point and moving ahead doesn't make sense unless the community understand its. I would suggest is to put up what the community knows till date and from there I can start to clear out the things that I know, of course I am also learning and I am NO veteran. Game Development is another BIG Ocean, the streams that you mentioned as just branches and I am not sure whether I would be able explain to you everything in detail but a small glimpses and may be references. But that's the first learning lessons of game development, "Nothing is spoon fed, everything gets answered when the questions are specific".

Here's one link which has most the answers that the community has : LINK, re-inventing the wheel is not preferred for game development, neither do I, so feel free to start a thread on any of the parts that's there on the links and I will try my level best to follow on it.
Ubisoft to buy Indian game developing Co - Digit's Technology Discussion Forum (2 January 2010)
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85429

 

[Zangetsu]

joining arena multimedia wud help.....

AFAIK
a game developement 3 core modules:

1) Visual --- Art,Design
2) Functional -- How the games will perform in differenr scenarios
3) Technical -- the main engine or program codes.....

 

[jithin.rao]

You mean to say its possible to get into Game Development directly from B.Tech CSE or something like that ?

And what about other non-coding aspects of game development ? I mean game mechanics, story, characterisation, etc ? And things like composing game score and sound editing ? Not to forget modelling ? Can you also provide insights as to how one gets into these non software-engineering areas of game development ?

YES, personally experience, the answer is YES, with a professional degree like a Software Engineering or even less you can. The only aspect is proving your selves with proved track records and of course related to game softwares. There are various aspects, as far as I know we don't see much of the top creative jobs on naukri for game development like that. Posts like Creative Director/Art Director are posts which is very much internal and people who have ample about of experience get promoted to. For story related , Core Story Concept, Story Script, etc., these are good for companies which value in getting a team to work on these. Usually other than the AAA titles which have a lot of investment and huge team, these are done by the Lead Game Designer itself.

For Music and Sound, yes that's a good branch and well paid too, but working with a game development team is different from working for a Sound Studio. Of course for a Sound Designer the bottom line is his talent, but he/she should be able to compose his tune on a 6bit monophonic track to its 320kbps track with lot of instruments on the background too. Because varying are the devices of games from mobiles to consoles, so to attain sound quality is the composer's biggest challenge and would have to re-compose it on a monophonic composition process. AH -> I have had a previous very bad experience when the track heard on the PC was awesome but on the device it got distorted and the reason for that issue was figured by an in-experienced music composer after 3 weeks! Well, the reason was very simple but it was time consuming, for starters -> get in touch with friends(can be your friends who work in a game development company or game development beginners learning, etc.), try to work out different things on the devices on your compositions, make a portfolio of your achievement. As said before gives the recruiters that you have achieved it before, you can achieve it again, so lets concentrate of the composition more now.

BEWARE : I have seen people who make a portfolio from someone outside and pretend they did it, recruiters aren't that dumb, they will test you out at a really good extreme to check your originality.

Same with the Art Team too, concept artists, modelers, animators, be it anyone, the same as the sound artist I have said above, try out things. Learn the workflow and then proceed.

Everyone learns through mistakes, so always make the starting mistakes and recover from them and when you present yourselves in-front of the Recruitment Panel, you can tackle their queries more easier than anyone.

joining arena multimedia wud help.....

AFAIK
a game developement 3 core modules:

1) Visual --- Art,Design
2) Functional -- How the games will perform in differenr scenarios
3) Technical -- the main engine or program codes.....

Well, only with a institute I don't prefer, the ignition of the urge to know things should be from you itself. If you have seen something in game and you know how to do it. Do it then, test your self, then you will know whether you are capable or not.
If you don't know then try to figure it out, GOOGLE IT! When you get to know how to do it, NEVER BELIEVE IT unless you test it out yourself. If you achieve it, there you have learnt something NOW!
This is a hard way, but that's how game development runs.

rhitwick : THANKS for the previous pointer.*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/member.php?u=870