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Birthday, GDC, and a new game project
9 years ago
A lot of things happened in the past week, and all of them good. So... I've got a lot to talk about!
GDC 2016
For my birthday this year, I saved up (and skipped out on MFF last year) to attend the 2016 Game Developers' Conference as a way to hopefully break into the game industry. Good news is that it was a very enlightening trip and I learned a ton about the industry, including ways to get into it. Bad news is that I didn't get into it (yet!). Now actually getting a job offer there, especially since I have zero industry experience would have been nothing short of a miracle. But I did learn exactly how to go about getting into the industry given my skillset.
For starters, I am head and shoulders above the competition in terms of raw credentials. Having a doctorate degree helps out a ton, but one ex-developer accurately described the industry as "incestuous" - meaning that it prefers to hire from within the industry whenever able. That means that ANY kind of industry experience will automatically put you on the short list of available candidates. But then you run into the usual employment catch-22: how do you get industry experience if you can't get a job in the industry in the first place? Well as I mentioned in my previous journal on the subject, QA testing is the one exception to the rule: you can get a job there right out of high school or college with no experience necessary. The problem with QA testing is that the pay is terrible (if any at all), the hours are torturous, and you'll be stuck there for years before you can hope to move up. With student loans and a mortgage to pay, there's no way I can afford to do QA work. So where does that leave me? Kinda what I had already learned - I need to make a game myself. More on that below.
Apart from those lessons, I learned a number of trends in the industry. For example, virtual reality is the future. Seriously, over half of the expo floor was dedicated to virtual reality demonstrations and tech that augments other virtual reality devices. I'm not entirely sure what that means for those of us that aren't into VR, but I suppose we'll see in the next year or so. Also, I did a ton of networking there and made about two dozen industry contacts, which will help immensely as I work on my game.
Birthday
I'm 28 now. Getting kinda old, maybe? I dunno, I certainly don't feel that way. It honestly didn't really feel like a birthday at all, but I suppose that's just what happens over the years. Maybe it was just because the big "birthday" thing I did this year was the California trip to GDC, which was really overwhelming. But either way, just another year older.
New game
I'm currently working on a new game in the Game Maker engine. I've already made some significant strides in its programming, and if I'm lucky I might have a playable demo ready by the end of April or into early May. It's a pixelated tactical RPG that combines some tower defense elements with Fire Emblem. I still have to decide how some of the fluff will work, but I think it's got a pretty solid base for now. If you'd like to take part in the testing phase, please let me know! Also, if you have any experience (or know anything with experience) with fantasy music, monster voices, or sprite animation, drop me a note and we might be able to talk business.
Career Prospects
I'm still hoping to go into video game production, and that will be a daunting task for now. But I think completing the game I'm working on (as well as the larger RPG I have in mind down the road), should give me a great kickstart to working in the industry. If all goes according to plan, I might be able to start my own studio or work for a larger company by the end of the year.
Current Games
All that work on the new game doesn't leave me a lot of time to play games, but I am still trying to keep busy with a few of them. I've gotten through both Birthright and Conquest of the new Fire Emblem, and about halfway through Revelation atm. I'm also nearly finished with XCom 2, and about halfway done with Mordheim: City of the Damned. I'll eventually play more 7 Days to Die now that they've released a new patch, and will probably finish off Stardew Valley after I'm done with XCom.
That's all for now. I hope you are all doing well, and I'll keep you posted on how the game development is coming. Seriously, keep on me about that. If I feel like you guys are counting on me for this kinda thing, or expecting that hard deadline, I'll feel all the more encouraged to do it on time.
GDC 2016
For my birthday this year, I saved up (and skipped out on MFF last year) to attend the 2016 Game Developers' Conference as a way to hopefully break into the game industry. Good news is that it was a very enlightening trip and I learned a ton about the industry, including ways to get into it. Bad news is that I didn't get into it (yet!). Now actually getting a job offer there, especially since I have zero industry experience would have been nothing short of a miracle. But I did learn exactly how to go about getting into the industry given my skillset.
For starters, I am head and shoulders above the competition in terms of raw credentials. Having a doctorate degree helps out a ton, but one ex-developer accurately described the industry as "incestuous" - meaning that it prefers to hire from within the industry whenever able. That means that ANY kind of industry experience will automatically put you on the short list of available candidates. But then you run into the usual employment catch-22: how do you get industry experience if you can't get a job in the industry in the first place? Well as I mentioned in my previous journal on the subject, QA testing is the one exception to the rule: you can get a job there right out of high school or college with no experience necessary. The problem with QA testing is that the pay is terrible (if any at all), the hours are torturous, and you'll be stuck there for years before you can hope to move up. With student loans and a mortgage to pay, there's no way I can afford to do QA work. So where does that leave me? Kinda what I had already learned - I need to make a game myself. More on that below.
Apart from those lessons, I learned a number of trends in the industry. For example, virtual reality is the future. Seriously, over half of the expo floor was dedicated to virtual reality demonstrations and tech that augments other virtual reality devices. I'm not entirely sure what that means for those of us that aren't into VR, but I suppose we'll see in the next year or so. Also, I did a ton of networking there and made about two dozen industry contacts, which will help immensely as I work on my game.
Birthday
I'm 28 now. Getting kinda old, maybe? I dunno, I certainly don't feel that way. It honestly didn't really feel like a birthday at all, but I suppose that's just what happens over the years. Maybe it was just because the big "birthday" thing I did this year was the California trip to GDC, which was really overwhelming. But either way, just another year older.
New game
I'm currently working on a new game in the Game Maker engine. I've already made some significant strides in its programming, and if I'm lucky I might have a playable demo ready by the end of April or into early May. It's a pixelated tactical RPG that combines some tower defense elements with Fire Emblem. I still have to decide how some of the fluff will work, but I think it's got a pretty solid base for now. If you'd like to take part in the testing phase, please let me know! Also, if you have any experience (or know anything with experience) with fantasy music, monster voices, or sprite animation, drop me a note and we might be able to talk business.
Career Prospects
I'm still hoping to go into video game production, and that will be a daunting task for now. But I think completing the game I'm working on (as well as the larger RPG I have in mind down the road), should give me a great kickstart to working in the industry. If all goes according to plan, I might be able to start my own studio or work for a larger company by the end of the year.
Current Games
All that work on the new game doesn't leave me a lot of time to play games, but I am still trying to keep busy with a few of them. I've gotten through both Birthright and Conquest of the new Fire Emblem, and about halfway through Revelation atm. I'm also nearly finished with XCom 2, and about halfway done with Mordheim: City of the Damned. I'll eventually play more 7 Days to Die now that they've released a new patch, and will probably finish off Stardew Valley after I'm done with XCom.
That's all for now. I hope you are all doing well, and I'll keep you posted on how the game development is coming. Seriously, keep on me about that. If I feel like you guys are counting on me for this kinda thing, or expecting that hard deadline, I'll feel all the more encouraged to do it on time.
