gamedeveloper2009fall.pdf

TOP TIPS FROM THE PROS

SPECIAL ISSUE

AVOID THE CATCH-22

GOT NO EXPERIENCE?

WE’LL HELP YOU GET SOME!

Y O U R C A R E E R A S A G A M E D E V E L O P E R

AKRASIA STUDENT POSTMORTEM DO IT YOURSELF GAME ENGINES ON THE CHEAP

10 CAREER TIPS from each major development discipline

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CONTENTS.FALL 09

STUDENT POSTMORTEM

DEPARTMENTS

22 AKRASIA

It all began with a premise—make a game based on an abstract,

like love, hate, or honor. This group of 10 students took to the task,

and learned a lot in the process. Read on for a window into the

development process of a student game. By Louis Teo

2 GAME PLAN By Brandon Sheffield

[LETTER FROM THE EDITOR]

Industry Intro

4 WHO TO KNOW & WHAT TO DO

[GAME DEV 101]

A guide to the game industry's events

and organizations

FEATURES

31 GET MONEY, GET PAID By Jill Duffy

[GAME DEV 101]

9 CATCH-22

You need experience to get a job, and you need a job to get

experience. This catch-22 happens in all industries, but it’s even more

difficult to conquer in a competitive industry like game development,

which attracts some of the brightest and most technically savvy

people on the planet. Luckily, a few do-it-yourselfers in the game

industry know how it can be done. By Jill Duffy

Comprehensive information on salaries for

entry-level developers

49 ARTSY GAMES CREATION By Jim Monroe

[INDIE FOCUS]

A method for making games even if you

have no prior experience

55 CULTURE FIT By Andrea Malloni

[GAME DEV 101]

15 DO IT YOURSELF

It used to be that only high-powered coders could make their own

games by themselves. But these days, a host of accessible tools

make it easier for anyone with the time, dedication, and creativity to

become a proper game developer. We go in-depth with four of these

low-priced engines, and show their ups and downs.

By Jeffrey Fleming

Sure, you want a game studio to like you—

but how do you know if the studio is the right one for you?

59 10 IMPORTANT INDIES By Tim W. Boon

[INDIE FOCUS]

An introduction to the world of indie games

61 INTERVIEW: EVERSION By Jeffrey Fleming

[INDIE FOCUS]

A Brazilian DIY game maker shares his secrets

40 TIPS FROM THE PROS

Want a little advice about getting that first job in your chosen

discipline? How about some tips about how to use your time once

you get it? Here, five industry professionals share some of the

secrets to their success, in handy bullet-pointed lists.

By Hal Barwood, Stuart Roch, Robi Kauker, Lee Petty, Brad Bulkley

76 SCHOOL DIRECTORY

[EDUCATION]

A list of schools with game development courses

in North America, with an international list, to boot

100 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT By Matthew Wasteland

[HUMOR]

You got the job, now what?

COVER ART: JONATHAN KIM

WWW.GDMAG.COM 1

GAME PLAN // BRANDON SHEFFIELD

www.gdmag.com

Think Services, 600 Harrison St., 6th Fl.,

San Francisco, CA 94107

t: 415.947.6000 f: 415.947.6090

INDUSTRY INTRO

NETWORKING IS YOUR FIRST STEP TO A CAREER IN GAME DEVELOPMENT

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

FOR INFORMATION, ORDER QUESTIONS, AND

ADDRESS CHANGES

t: 800.250.2429 f: 847.763.9606

e: gamedeveloper@halldata.com

EDITORIAL

PUBLISHER

Simon Carless l scarless@gdmag.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Brandon Sheffield l bsheffield@gdmag.com

PRODUCTION EDITOR

Jeffrey Fleming l jfleming@gdmag.com

ART DIRECTOR

Joseph Mitch l jmitch@gdmag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jesse Harlin l jharlin@gdmag.com

Steve Theodore l stheodore@gdmag.com

Noel Llopis l nllopis@gdmag.com

Soren Johnson l sjohnson@gdmag.com

Damion Schubert l dschubert@gdmag.com

ADVISORY BOARD

Hal Barwood Designer-at-Large

Mick West Independent

Brad Bulkley Neversoft

Clinton Keith Independent

Ryan Lesser Harmonix

Mark DeLoura Independent

ADVERTISING SALES

GLOBAL SALES DIRECTOR

Aaron Murawski e: amurawski@think-services.com

t: 415.947.6227

MEDIA ACCOUNT MANAGER

John Malik Watson e: jmwatson@think-services.com

t: 415.947.6224

GLOBAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, EDUCATION

AND RECRUITMENT

Gina Gross e: ggross@think-services.com

t: 415.947.6241

COORDINATOR, EDUCATION AND RECRUITMENT

Rafael Vallin e: rvallin@think-services.com

t: 415.947.6223

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Robert Steigleider e: rsteigleider@ubm-us.com

REPRINTS

WRIGHT'S REPRINTS

Ryan Pratt e : rpratt@wrightsreprints.com

t: 877.652.5295

THINK SERVICES

CEO THINK SERVICES Philip Chapnick

GROUP DIRECTOR Kathy Schoback

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Cliff Scorso

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

GROUP DIRECTOR Kathy Henry

e : khenry@techinsights.com

DIRECTOR Kristi Cunningham

e: kcunningham@techinsights.com

LIST RENTAL Merit Direct LLC t: 914.368.1000

MARKETING

SERVICES MARKETING COORDINATOR Laura Robison

e: lrobison@think-services.com

UBM TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Levin

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Scott Mozarsky

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER David Wein

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER Kevin Prinz

CORPORATE SENIOR VP SALES Anne Marie Miller

SENIOR VP, STRATEGIC DEV. AND BUSINESS ADMIN. Pat Nohilly

SENIOR VP, MANUFACTURING Marie Myers

WELCOME TO THE 8TH ANNUAL CAREER GUIDE

from Game Developer magazine! Every year,

we compile a host of articles designed to

help aspiring developers enter the industry,

whether that is through attending the right

university, making the best of your time while

there, getting a job once out, or simply going

it alone as an indie. This year we’ve put an

increased emphasis on actually getting out

there and making games. At school, or on your

own, putting some games on your resume is

the only sure-fire way to prove your worth to

prospective employers.

for kicks). Try approaching folks who have

given interesting mid-level talks at GDC, or

an indie whose work you admire. You’re a lot

more likely to get a good response if you’re

talking to someone who doesn’t get talked to

as often.

Be genuine. Your parents always told you

to be yourself, and that’s true here as well.

If you come across as anything but your

own interested self, it’ll be a red flag to the

people you’re trying to meet. I remember a

student who approached me during the Austin

GDC, asking whether I’d listen to his game

pitch and give him some ideas. This could

go either way—it could be uncomfortable to

me as a listener, or it could be an interesting

experience I’d enjoy—the only way I’ll know

which way this is going to lean, is if the person

seems genuine and likeable. In this case, he

came across as very earnest, and we had quite

a good resultant conversation.

Follow up. That same student later saw me

at a San Francisco-based GDC. He specifically

sought me out to say hello, thank me for the

talk we had in the past, and tell me about the

job he’d since gotten. This makes a very good

impression, because it shows you’re not just

trying to take the money and run, as it were,

you’re trying to build an industry network. You

don’t have to follow up by saying, “Hey, I’ve

made it!” but adding a developer you’ve met on

Facebook and making relevant comments to

their game-related posts is a pretty good idea.

Don’t be annoying. While this should go

without saying—don’t keep pestering someone

if they’ve not responded to you, or reacted how

you’d like. Like I said, be yourself—there’s a

possibility of course that you’re a very annoying

person, and there’s nothing we can do about

that! But if, as I’m sure is the case, you’re a very

well-rounded and affable individual, just try to

meet industry folks as you would meet normal

friends, on the grounds of common interests

and respect.

MEET AND GREET

Another thing that really helps, regardless

of your existing position in the industry, is

networking. There are a lot of people out there

who can tell you how to try to network in the

game industry, but from my experience, here

are a few important tips.

Attend trade shows. This is sort of a no-

brainer, but either attending or volunteering

for a game industry trade or consumer show

can get you to meet a lot of people. Granted, if

you’re a volunteer wearing a uniform, you may

get less serious responses from developers

you meet, but it’s still possible to make a good

impression. These events are far and away

the best places to meet both established and

aspiring developers, so if there’s a show in your

area, and you’re feeling sociable, it’s worth the

trip. In-person meetings mean a lot more than a

random email in an inbox.

Do research. Every once so often I’ll get an

email from someone who is looking to get into

games, and they’ll simply ask “how do I do it?”

There are a lot of online resources, like our own

GameCareerGuide.com, and books out there

about breaking into the industry. Asking people

questions that you can easily search for on

the internet yourself is a sure-fire way to get

a short response, if you get one at all. On the

other hand, if you want to be a coder, and you

have a question about 2D physics and have

researched someone that might be able to help,

you’re a lot more likely to get a positive and

interested response.

Choose your target. Don’t try to become

Will Wright or Shigeru Miyamoto’s best pal

straight out of the gate. They meet 12 gazillion

people every minute, and will probably not

remember you for very long after you’ve

spoken, unless you’re wearing a chicken suit

or something (maybe carry one around, just

MAKE FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE

Maintaining relationships with your peers and

mentors will help you throughout your career.

It’s great to have people you respect whom you

can bounce ideas off, people to trade industry

gossip with, and indeed, people who can help

you get work in the future. Just play it cool, and

you’ll be in the game.

—Brandon Sheffield

GAME DEVELOPER | CAREER GUIDE 2009

WWW.CMPGAME.COM

HEADLINE

DEK

adventure reigns.

The Los Angeles Times named SCAD’s interactive design

and game development program among the top 10 in

the United States mentioned by industry recruiters.

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