please help some advise from experts plz:)
hi my name is karl and i am a current music software producer and engineer who after 3 years have decided im not going to find a secure well paid job.
i have always had an interest in computers and took to computer music production and theory very easily and i would say compared to most i know i am an advanced pc user both software and hardware wise, however i have never tried my hand at programmming nor graphic design.
i love mmo's and all games in general from the days of ataris, i am 28 yrs old with a family and a going no were but pays the bills sales job.
ok after my life history lol i need some advise
after carefull thought i have decided that my skill set may be usefull in becoming a games developer, also i would love a job crafting something i hold such a passion about.
thus my question -
how hard would it be for some one like myself to start from scratch and shape a career in the games industry within the next 5 years?
my thoughts are programming and once my foot is in the door use my musical skill set also:P
i cant leave full time work and have came accross a website called - gameinstitute.com and it seems over the next couple of years and bit by bit i could cover everything from c++ to 3d rendering at least to intermediate level (or am i getting ahead of myself lol im pretty good at self motivation and reasearch)
sorry for the long post im quite serious about this though and just wondered is it acheivable to gain a career without taking a full time degree basically off online courses and my own reasearch / practice? would this sit with an employer if i really did know my stuff?
dont want to waste alot of time and years although it would be fun either way.
also can you maybes make a checklist of programs/ order to learn things e.g
visual c++ and studiomax 3ds which i have already
and start with c++ move onto directx programming ect ect?
thanks in advance and sorry for long post
kolexe (the nooby) ;
my thoughts was to not just focus on one thing for now but at least gain basic/intermediate knowledge of lots of areas e.g c++ c# 3d and lighting ect ect
is this a good thing untill i find out my area im best at
Quote:Original post by kolexe
hi my name is karl and i am a current music software producer and engineer who after 3 years have decided im not going to find a secure well paid job.
Those both sound like professions where better written communication skills would make you much more attractive to potential employers.
Quote:
thus my question -
how hard would it be for some one like myself to start from scratch and shape a career in the games industry within the next 5 years?
my thoughts are programming and once my foot is in the door use my musical skill set also:P
Why not just try to get a job doing audio (score, sfx, foley, etc.) for games?
1) Always beware of self confessed experts.
2) Other people call me an expert (im not really, but anyway..)
Pick the top two questions on your mind, and we can all try our best to answer them. Please, use correct punctuation - these forums are quite serious about that.
2) Other people call me an expert (im not really, but anyway..)
Pick the top two questions on your mind, and we can all try our best to answer them. Please, use correct punctuation - these forums are quite serious about that.
Quote:Original post by Zahlman
Why not just try to get a job doing audio (score, sfx, foley, etc.) for games?
Ditto on that question. Seriously, head over to Gamasutra.com, IGDA.org, and pick up a few issues of Game Developer Magazine. There are certainly audio engineering jobs. Do you have a degree? You say that you have 3 years of experience. What kinds of experiences?
well the first off, sorry for the punctual error's.
i dont specialise in english literature sorry. (i dont see what the big deal is)
the reason also why i want to learn programming ect is to further my skill set and i enjoy learning new things but yes i am already looking for audio work within the industry.
also yes i have a music production HND
so my two questions as requested are -
1:is it achievable to aquire enough skills to WORK in the industry within 5 years from skill level 0.
2:what is the main programs / best books i will require and what is the best program language mainly used in the industry for modern games.
thanks
kolexe
i dont specialise in english literature sorry. (i dont see what the big deal is)
the reason also why i want to learn programming ect is to further my skill set and i enjoy learning new things but yes i am already looking for audio work within the industry.
also yes i have a music production HND
so my two questions as requested are -
1:is it achievable to aquire enough skills to WORK in the industry within 5 years from skill level 0.
2:what is the main programs / best books i will require and what is the best program language mainly used in the industry for modern games.
thanks
kolexe
Quote:Original post by kolexeYou don't see what the big deal is. You also don't get hired. Perhaps you should begin to suspect that there is a big deal you do not see?
i dont specialise in english literature sorry. (i dont see what the big deal is)
Quote:1:is it achievable to aquire enough skills to WORK in the industry within 5 years from skill level 0.
For programming? Maybe, maybe not. Most entry-level programmers in good positions I know of have more experience than that, but I wouldn't rule it out.
Quote:2:what is the main programs / best books i will require and what is the best program language mainly used in the industry for modern games.C++ is most often used, but a programmer who only knows one language is not a real programmer.
Honestly, though, I think you're barreling in the wrong direction. You're trying to become a generalist game developer, a position which is almost nonexistent these days. Even generalist game programmers are getting rarer. And to top it off, you DO have specialized experience to turn to: audio engineering. Why would you throw that away and turn to programming and graphic design, neither of which you are skilled with?
Quote:Original post by SneftelQuote:Original post by kolexeYou don't see what the big deal is. You also don't get hired. Perhaps you should begin to suspect that there is a big deal you do not see?
i dont specialise in english literature sorry. (i dont see what the big deal is)Quote:1:is it achievable to aquire enough skills to WORK in the industry within 5 years from skill level 0.
For programming? Maybe, maybe not. Most entry-level programmers in good positions I know of have more experience than that, but I wouldn't rule it out.Quote:2:what is the main programs / best books i will require and what is the best program language mainly used in the industry for modern games.C++ is most often used, but a programmer who only knows one language is not a real programmer.
Honestly, though, I think you're barreling in the wrong direction. You're trying to become a generalist game developer, a position which is almost nonexistent these days. Even generalist game programmers are getting rarer. And to top it off, you DO have specialized experience to turn to: audio engineering. Why would you throw that away and turn to programming and graphic design, neither of which you are skilled with?
I have to agree, apply your experience to something of interest.
"kolexe" from one of the Washingtons wrote:
>i am 28 yrs old with a family and a going no were but pays the bills sales job.
Thank you for telling us this. This kind of information is always useful to know when responding to someone asking a question - it helps us give the best possible answer for your particular needs.
>how hard would it be for some one like myself to start from scratch and shape a career in the games industry within the next 5 years?
I don't know how to quantify difficulty. It'll be hard, but it's not impossible.
>my thoughts are programming
>however i have never tried my hand at programmming
Then I have to revise what I said above. It'll be extremely hard for you to achieve this goal.
>i cant leave full time work and have came accross a website called - gameinstitute.com
In my opinion, it would be better to start with some basic programming classes at a local adult extended education school. You should look for such programs in your local area, so you can ask the teacher questions and get answers in real time about the basics of programming. It doesn't matter what language you start with - you'll learn important concepts that will be useful in moving into languages like C++.
>is it acheivable to gain a career without taking a full time degree
Read FAQ 50: http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson50.htm
>would this sit with an employer if i really did know my stuff?
Sure. Read my September 2007 column at http://www.igda.org/columns/gamesgame/gamesgame_archive.php
>dont want to waste alot of time and years although it would be fun either way.
Read FAQ 51: http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson51.htm
>also can you maybes make a checklist of programs/ order to learn things
Read ALL the FAQs, here on GameDev and on IGDA.org. And read FAQ 65: http://www.sloperama.com/advice/entry65.htm
>well the first off, sorry for the punctual error's.
>i dont specialise in english literature sorry.
Apparently English is not your native tongue? We might cut you some slack on your spelling errors if you were more up-front with the truth as to your national origin. I don't know if you've noticed - none of us responding to you uses lazy writing habits. We all put a capital letter at the front of our sentences, for instance. It would be a mark of respect if you would take the trouble to do the same.
>i am 28 yrs old with a family and a going no were but pays the bills sales job.
Thank you for telling us this. This kind of information is always useful to know when responding to someone asking a question - it helps us give the best possible answer for your particular needs.
>how hard would it be for some one like myself to start from scratch and shape a career in the games industry within the next 5 years?
I don't know how to quantify difficulty. It'll be hard, but it's not impossible.
>my thoughts are programming
>however i have never tried my hand at programmming
Then I have to revise what I said above. It'll be extremely hard for you to achieve this goal.
>i cant leave full time work and have came accross a website called - gameinstitute.com
In my opinion, it would be better to start with some basic programming classes at a local adult extended education school. You should look for such programs in your local area, so you can ask the teacher questions and get answers in real time about the basics of programming. It doesn't matter what language you start with - you'll learn important concepts that will be useful in moving into languages like C++.
>is it acheivable to gain a career without taking a full time degree
Read FAQ 50: http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson50.htm
>would this sit with an employer if i really did know my stuff?
Sure. Read my September 2007 column at http://www.igda.org/columns/gamesgame/gamesgame_archive.php
>dont want to waste alot of time and years although it would be fun either way.
Read FAQ 51: http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson51.htm
>also can you maybes make a checklist of programs/ order to learn things
Read ALL the FAQs, here on GameDev and on IGDA.org. And read FAQ 65: http://www.sloperama.com/advice/entry65.htm
>well the first off, sorry for the punctual error's.
>i dont specialise in english literature sorry.
Apparently English is not your native tongue? We might cut you some slack on your spelling errors if you were more up-front with the truth as to your national origin. I don't know if you've noticed - none of us responding to you uses lazy writing habits. We all put a capital letter at the front of our sentences, for instance. It would be a mark of respect if you would take the trouble to do the same.
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