On being programmers Video Game - Bonus and traps

An important aspect of the work as a video game programmer has the freedom to.

What do you want? How many video game developers, children's games to be a dream. It really is as good as it sounds? "Really an interesting life. However, like everything else in this world, both positive and negative aspects of working as a video game programmer.

Activision / Treyarch, Visual concept and disco pixels: Over the past 7 years I worked as a programmer at three studio developing the game. I published the title for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo console. This article is a review of some of the advantages and pitfalls that I experienced in my work with these companies.

Perk # 1 - Create a game!

Quite obvious, but the biggest advantage of working in the studio, video game have to do the game. It helps to take the next big game to play to the potential millions of human visitors. It is a great satisfaction that comes from knowing that you have come to a great help.

Perk # 2 - Games!

In addition to monitoring and improving the current day, you are also games made by other companies. There are few jobs and see where he plays a recently released console title of the study. Companies will definitely stay at the forefront of technology and the characteristics of the new game, and the only way to do this, many games. In the company where I worked, I never saw anyone scolded for playing video games during the day.

Perk # 3 - Freedom

An important aspect of the work as a video game programmer has the freedom to. Rare that you review the manager in the neck once or twice, not what you get. To get the development studio with excellent programming skills, more freedom to give yourself plenty of solutions. It can fulfill the general requirements, but in reality, how, and how long it should take, you often.

Suppose that you are doing your job, the company I worked for a general seems very like to take me to work with my condition. When I was tired or bored or lazy, I can play games or relax in a place no one complains. Good workers by improving morale makes for better games.

Perk # 4 - Fun office

Anyone who has worked in the studio of video games, there is one thing in common: they want to play. If you do not want the game to never give up, they will. For this reason, the office is often a fun and interesting things everywhere you look. Many people brought a new show of strange things or play during the day.

Most video game studio lying around lots of games and toys to keep them entertained employees. Some things I found different studio: Arcadia with free coin-op games, table football, table tennis, Razor scooters, board games, action figures, puzzles, basketball games during the day and large stuffed animals.

Assume the position it still means that you are going to work, but there is no reason why it can not be fun.

Perk # 5 - free snacks + soda

This advantage is likely to be important for everyone, but nice to know that you're not hungry is working in the studio of video games. I never offered video game company, sodas and snacks identified as part of employment benefits. I think I can help the caffeine and sugar load for performance. During the long days at the office of the company, as a rule, free dinner and thank you for staying late proposals. Companies that I am quite satisfied that food served in the restaurant every night for several weeks.

Trap number one - long working hours

Production of video games a lot of work. The time required to make the final game seem growing exponentially. Development team will continue more and more every year, but for some reason the value of each person, it seems, no less. The game is hard. Types of games they have fun, not always so easy, pencil the exact timing. Several experiments are needed, especially to play with new concepts.

Before significant and very few months before the game, it would be very time intensive. The project is a way to quickly compiled. New features and old bugs suck you all the time. Work late at night or on the weekend is not uncommon. Fortunately, workers usually take care of the games they make, and to help her passion, energy through long random layer.

Stress can be a bit overwhelming, too. The company, with a large batch of error messages waiting for me in my seat when I came into office. I want all day, scrambling to fix as soon as possible, working flat all day and night. I go home within a few hours of sleep, but when I go to work, a new, even larger group of error messages waiting for me.

, Is there tends to flow into the project, the idle time during which the employee the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate. The load is greatly reduced at once. One company gave a bonus holidays then sent the draft, and more, the staff "on call" for about a month, just come to the office if there is a problem. Nice to know that there are many hours of work did not go unnoticed.

Trap number 2 choice for

Work your video games in your spare time fun. You get exactly what the game tasks you want to change, then just cool stuff. Bored all can not be ignored, because the audience is just what you have. Unfortunately, it is not a big video game studio. There are many tasks completed, some are not very bright. By default, the console maker tool data misuse or construction is not very interesting, but it still needs to be done by one person to move the final product.

The work is usually for people who are just starting the video game industry, perhaps given as a ritual, but probably only because no one wants to do.
Besides the opportunity to operate the less glamorous tasks, projects, which, as a rule, are not interested in full, the company can use the designated projects of interest to you, but it is not always possible. You may withdraw from the project schedule and need to work to fix some bugs and add some new features. Or interested in the project that you have enough workers.

I think the passion of its employees, which is important in the video game studio in order to achieve success in the game. If you do not talk about what will work in the game you create appear disturbed. To avoid any misunderstandings or disappointments before working in a particular company, it is important to know that the game works in addition to the work that is assigned.

Trap number 3 salaries (maybe not so good ;)

I did not pay to hear from some people who work as a video game programmer as well as paid work in conventional companies. Database developers enterprise, for example, can earn more money. That may be true. However, choosing your profession is not only for a fee. We spend the majority of your life in your work. Money is not everything. Choosing what you want, is also important.

I thought that the remuneration of the company I worked very reasonable. There is also great potential for the right to control the growth of the game, which sold well, which is often crucial. Really do not like beggars to live, if you can get a developer working on the video.