This description is for a Senior Game Programmer position:
What does "coding down to the metal mean?" Why would they need low-level programming fundamentals? I thought high-level programming languages like Java was enough. I only have enough programming experience with Java. Please enlighten me. I am curious. 
Firstly, if they're talking about coding to the metal, they're almost certainly talking about writing code in C/C++. I doubt they're using higher level languages like Java or C# (at least for this particular role - you might find that the company uses C# in their tools for instance).
I would imagine the company would be looking for a candidate who knows, amongst other things:
* How to write efficient code
* How to profile GPU performance and how to optimise based on the results
* How to profile CPU performance and how to optimise based on the results
* How to use multithreading effectively
* How to use SIMD effectively
* How to design code that is data cache friendly
* Possibly even an understanding of assembly (although this is less common these days)
calling C++ and OpenGL running on top of Windows "down to the metal"... sigh...
there was a time when "down to the metal" meant basically writing code for the raw hardware (with no OS or device drivers involved), and often with stuff written in a fair bit of assembler as well.
hence, the "metal" meant the "physical hardware", and "down to" as-in, no OS or drivers running between ones' code and said hardware...
but, alas...
cr88192 is generally right - the original meaning of 'down to the metal' was that you would write software that ran directly on hardware (either on an EPROM or later on flash-programmable hardware).
In the gaming world, knowing how to code "down to the metal" generally means that you are able to write software for specific pieces of hardware. High level languages like Java are meant to make it easy to write software that runs on multiple platforms, but they also tend to restrict or remove access to hardware-specific features (especially since certain features are only available on one piece of hardware and none of the rest). C++ is one of the few languages that spans a large range of low-level control to high-level convenience (but pays for that flexibility by being harder to understand and use correctly than most languages).
C0lumbo mentioned many of the typical things you'd deal with in games at the low level. Also, some of the following would apply:
- Know details about specific processors you're targeting. Do they have any instruction set extensions that your compiler won't use automatically? This used to be restricted to specific gaming consoles, but more recently also includes phones and tablets.
- (PS3 specific) How the SPUs and RSX chips works and how to best use them. This is probably the closest thing to the original meaning of 'down to the metal' left in game dev -- eventually this knowledge will become irrelevant since Sony received pretty strong backlash from us developers resulting in the PS4 having a more conventional processor.
- Write custom memory management systems. (Fragmentation avoidance, debug helpers, and in extremely rare cases garbage collection and relocation)
- Be able to disassemble your own code to identify places where C++ code did not get optimized ideally (usually due to a mistake in the high level code, but very rarely due to a compiler oversight).
- Be able to profile and debug at the assembly level, and understand profiling information for bus access and cache hits/misses.
- Perform specialized serialization of game assets and optimization of disc access patterns to increase loading speeds.
- Understand data structure layout in memory byte-by-byte and know what kind of size/performance tradeoffs you have on the specific platform you're working on.
- Know the gory details of the specific GPU you're using and how to get the best performance out of it.
- Know which texture compression formats your GPU supports and the quality, performance and memory characteristics of each.
Note that the line of the ad mentioned 'down to the metal' and also OpenGL and DirectX.
Reading the ENTIRE line,it is obvious 'down to the metal' is referring to low level graphics programming.
Note that the PS3 and X360 have graphics systems that are either OpenGL-like or Direct3D based. So someone in this position needs to know both.
On the PC, you use a function call to OpenGL or DirectX to do something, and the drivers feed information to a command buffer, which in turn gets consumed by the graphics card. On game consoles you have the option of directly manipulating the graphics command buffer. This is often called bare metal graphics programming; there is nothing between you and the hardware.
Translation of the line: They want a graphics programmer who can understand and manipulate the graphics command buffers on both PS3 and X360, but will settle for someone who just knows graphics on both systems really well.
Programmers who are skilled at this type of programming work are rare. They are also expensive to headhunt. On the other hand, if you want your $30M game project to approach the console's theoretical maximum of 500 million tris/sec, you probably need somebody like this. You need them early, you need them for the entire project, and you allow them to force performance-minded habits on everybody on the team.
It is absolutely a senior-level position. If you don't have years of experience in console programming and graphics, don't apply.
Yup its says Senior as listed above. I was just curious about what an applicant needed to know upfront for this position. I only know one programming language well enough and that is Java.
And after a few moments in Google, we can see that Arkadium in New York is staffing up for building a new engine, and the above quote is a line from one of their open senior developer positions. Based on the 24 open positions on their site and what they've released in the past, it looks like they're looking to expand their current mostly-social business over to consoles.
Two relevant lines from that job listing:
* Coding down to the metal is crucial for today’s high-performance games. Low-level programming fundamentals and experience with the DirectX/OpenGL graphics
* Modern games need to run well on a wide range of devices. If you are skilled in optimizing gameplay and graphics code, you’ll help our games reach the widest audience.
This is a team lead or programming lead position. They also have some intern positions available, but I'm sure they'll go quick.
Oh so that is what Arkadium is doing! I was confused because all their past titles were not console games but rather web-based casual like their game on Facebook and on their website. So they are trying to tap into the console market. Interesting insight.
calling C++ and OpenGL running on top of Windows "down to the metal"... sigh...
there was a time when "down to the metal" meant basically writing code for the raw hardware (with no OS or device drivers involved), and often with stuff written in a fair bit of assembler as well.
hence, the "metal" meant the "physical hardware", and "down to" as-in, no OS or drivers running between ones' code and said hardware...
but, alas...
How did you know it was on Windows and not dealing with code for the hardware? Most of the stuff I am writing on this post is very new to me. But all the information is an interesting read. I am still a CS undergraduate.
How did you know it was on Windows and not dealing with code for the hardware? Most of the stuff I am writing on this post is very new to me. But all the information is an interesting read. I am still a CS undergraduate.
calling C++ and OpenGL running on top of Windows "down to the metal"... sigh...
there was a time when "down to the metal" meant basically writing code for the raw hardware (with no OS or device drivers involved), and often with stuff written in a fair bit of assembler as well.
hence, the "metal" meant the "physical hardware", and "down to" as-in, no OS or drivers running between ones' code and said hardware...
but, alas...
