hi, While looking at the posts i realize that many of you work in development studio, so i have some questions for you. Probably like many of the avid reader of this forum i want to become someone like you, a game programmer. I am still at the university right now, learning programmation and stuff. Last Winter (yea i live in canada) i do a coop term, which is a 4 month full time work in a computer related company. Ok it was a good experience but too far from what i want to do, games.. So my questions is, do you guys or your companies looking for people like me, maybe not a life time contract but some time just to give me a good taste of what it is to be a game programmer.. Even if you work in a little company, would it be possible to arrange something? Have you already had someone like that with your team? was that a good experience? Have you already been a coop student? ok I would really appreciate if you share your experience with me.. thanks alot marvano, 20 years old 2 years of university done so far. knowing: french(native)/english live in Quebec/Canada

Hi Marvano. I very much like you am a 20 year old canadian student taking programming at a college wanting to get into game development. Well unfortunatly, I looked into getting some type of co-op positition (even volunteer work) at two different game companies and both gave the same response: "due to the long term nature of game projects we do not take part time positions." I also investigated it further online and all indicated the same thing. Its unfortunate , but I can understand why. What I''ve been doing is just working like mad on my portfolio to present to the companies after Im finished college. Good luck to you,
Mike

The reality is that game companies don''t make a lot of money very easily. Some companies might offer unpaid internships, but definitely not a paid coop. They have to worry about enough things without thinking about a temp position and the financial burden it entails. That said, there is a company around my campus (Volition at Univ of Illinois) who hires interns from my school, maybe one a year, often joining the team on graduation. It may be possible, but I would give up on the idea of getting paid.

Brian Hlubocky
hlubocky@uiuc.edu