Overlook into the games industry and what I'm doing currently to get in.

 

My 3 chosen career paths within the games industry and what I need to do and am doing to get into these roles

(https://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/video-game-careers/#designer)

Video Game Programmer: To get into this role you will need to either get a degree in computer science or something along the lines of computer science or you need to have worked hard self-learning to build a good portfolio to get an entry level job. You will need to basics of coding in either one or two of the following programming languages, C++, C#, Python, Java, but more likely C++ and C# are the main ones.

Video Game QA Tester: To get into this role you don’t need a degree or anything you just need to know the basics of testing games, how to write an issue report and depending on what type of tester you are you might need to know how to programme to an advanced level.

Video Game Designer: To get into this role you will need to off either created your own games or have a degree or certificate from games design school. Knowledge of coding and how to create a games design document.

 

I want to become eventually a Games Programmer and for me to get there I will be going to university to get a degree in Games Programming/ Computer Science Games Programming and will be learning different coding languages in my own time to diversify my knowledge. The roles of a Games Programmer are;

·         To speak to their team to gain an understanding into the mechanics you are going to programme

·         To talk with other programmers about how all of you are going to approach coding the specific game mechanic

·         To use “Integrated development environment” (IDE) to turn your instructions into source code

·         To test out features you have created such as mechanics and be able to problem solve and fix any issues you come across

·         Receive bug reports from testers and fix them

·         To optimize performance as much as possible without taking away from the game too much

These are the main responsibilities of a Games Programmer, but there’s much more that they must do as the job requires lots of work to be put into it that’s why its one of the highest paying jobs in the games industry.

For the other two roles currently I’m learning 2 new Programming Languages to help me into those roles and going to university to get a degree in computer science Games Programming/ Games Programming. These jobs are like the backend of what I want to do more of a backup if Games Programming doesn’t work out in the end.

  

Real world jobs based on my choices and what its like to work there

Games Programmer:

-          Climax Studios

-          Remote (UK)

-          Full time

-          2-5 years’ experience

Gameplay Programmer – Fortnite:

-          Epic games

-          USA, NC, Cary

-          Full time

-          2-5 Years’ experience

Network Programmer (All Levels)

-          Rockstar Games

-          Leeds, UK

-          Full time

-          0-1 Years’ experience

 

Being a games programmer is a lot of hard work, but the pay-out makes that work worth it. You must put in a lot of hours and dedication working with your team to complete tasks and help your team make deadlines set out by the company. A great thing about these tech jobs is being able to work remotely or at your company’s location. These jobs also allow you to progress and build connections throughout the Game Industry so you can stay within this sector if you so desire. Another great thing about these jobs is you don’t just have to stay as a programmer as this will open your doors to any kind of it jobs which requires someone with coding knowledge means more routes are open to you.

 

Skills and experience required for the role

-          - Have solid understanding of design patterns, algorithms, and online databases.

-          - Are strong with C++ in a game development production environment.

-          - Have a keen interest in or experience from online features for multiplayer games.

-          - Know how to navigate and work with a microservice architecture.

-          - Can drive your own work forward with a leadership mindset of your area.

-          - Have great interpersonal skills combined with strong oral and written communication skills in English.

-          - Are interested in everything online and what the future may bring.

The experience required is heavily based on what company you’re going for and what level you’re going for and the ranges are 1-5+ years of experience. They also will want a specific kind of work mainly someone that will work hard, works well with others and brings their all when coming to work. Now where am I on this journey well, I currently am studying a level 4 in Games design and am self-learning C++ and C# whilst leaning about the Games design Industry as a whole. I have over the last 4-5 years created my own games either for games jams or personal reasons and some of these I collaborated with a friend to get the game complete. Right now, I need to continue working on learning new coding language and improving my Blueprint scripting to fortify my skills as much as possible, I also need to work on time management and overcrowding and what I mean by that is focusing a game on a few mechanics and not just adding and adding more to games which don’t need it.

 

Research into what I like about the games industry and some professionals with positions id like to be in

There’s not really a certain game I like however I really like the idea of AR/Mixed reality technology and the potential within it. The first AR technology was developed by Ivan Sutherland from Harvard in 1968 and with his student Bob Sproull they created AR AND VR headsets.

An industry professional is Aaron Johnson who worked at Epic games to help build Fortnite. He got into games through his love of technology as shown by what he’s done in life where he could use his knowledge to build games. He presents himself very formally on social media speaking about what he loves in the industry and what he’s done himself to show off what kind of a programmer he is and how much experience he has.

 

Overall final thoughts

Threats

Gaming industry becoming increasingly popular – more people will compete for jobs

New technology will require more practicing and potentially more qualifications – may slow progress to dream job as I am constantly learning new skills to get there

More job opportunities in other countries – may need to move countries to get my dream job

 

I want to become a Games Programmer working on high status games such as Fortnite, call of duty or GTA. I’m going to continue to learn as much as I can about differently coding languages eventually homing in on one to advance my skills to get the job role I want.

 

Strengths:

-          - I’m dedicated to this path

-          - I can work well in a team either being leader or follower

-          - Willing to work on my skills in my own time

-          - I’m relatively good at problem solving

Weaknesses:

-          - I can be impatient

-          - I don’t work well with everyone

-          - I’m too quiet when it comes to some decisions

-          - My coding skills arnt that great right now

Opportunities:

-          - The gaming Industry is growing more and more as it becomes bigger and bigger

-          - New technology being invented

-          - Easier ways to get to know people within the industry

Threats:

-          - The gaming industry is very popular meaning more people will try get into this career

-          - With a competitive career means you will always have to get more and more better to stay on top of the others


Skill Development

Explosive Barrel Mechanic.mp4

For my skill development I decided to create a mechanic for an FPS game. I created an
explosive barrel which when you shoot at it, it blows up and damages a wall behind it.
What I done wasn’t fairly difficult but can be improved upon even more such as I could
have created certain damage types where only explosive damage can hurt the wall if the
bullet had applied damage to it.


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