Hi guys,
I have a question for you guys you’ve probably heard/read a million billion times by now. But never quite put this way, I bet:
From 2003 to present, I wrote two game engines in C++: one is Direct3D-based, and the other is multi-API/multi-platform based (currently using OpenGL), but only the Direct3D one is completed. They’re both definitely good enough to impress most programmers, even experienced graphics programmers. But not good enough yet to impress your average consumer (that bar is very very high—no one would pay 60 bucks to see this…yet?).
I’m not in the Game Programming Industry, but would like to get there now. I have 6 years of professional experience as a software developer, with game-engine- and graphics-related professional accomplishments, and a large amount of game engine programming knowledge—not unlike many people here. I think I have a lot to offer. However, I could always be mistaken, of course—this could be a delusion.
How could I best leverage my two “kickass” video game engines to land multiple interviews in the Game Programming Industry? Or at least maximize my exposure, and get noticed more.
I appreciate any/all answers, even sarcastic stupid answers—but please, I’m looking for intelligent, helpful answers.
Currently, I'm writing security code, and working with ASP.net. And I'm about to blow my brains out--kidding(?)
Thanks guys,
Franklin
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Writing my own video game engines to break into the Gaming Industry
And how many games have been made from your engines?
"Make games, not engines."
http://archive.gamedev.net/reference/design/features/makegames/
http://scientificninja.com/blog/write-games-not-engines
http://achrisfling.com/blog/2010/10/16/make-games-not-engines/
"Make games, not engines."
http://archive.gamedev.net/reference/design/features/makegames/
http://scientificninja.com/blog/write-games-not-engines
http://achrisfling.com/blog/2010/10/16/make-games-not-engines/
1. How could I best leverage my two “kickass” video game engines to land multiple interviews in the Game Programming Industry?
2. Or at least maximize my exposure, and get noticed more.[/quote]
1. By making games with them, and doing the other things in FAQ 27.
2. Build an awesome game portfolio (games, not engines).
I've used home-made engines in all of my interviews/applications before, with varying levels of success.
You definitely don't just want to dump your whole engine code-base on an employer as a sample of your work -- they'll open the folder, not know what to look at, maybe open a random file if you're lucky, and probably not find anything impressive.
If you want to demonstrate your coding style/ability using your engine, it would be best to write a small demo application, which uses a few of your most impressive API features, so that the code can be scanned quickly and an impression of the engine gained. Package this up in a compact way, with the demo code prominent/easily accessible, and all the engine code in a sub-dir in case they want to look further.
They're probably not going to bother compiling the code, but a tiny distribution that could be compiled easily wouldn't hurt.
All of that said, I'm not sure how much time any of my employers has actually spent looking at my samples... In my last interview, I used a sample of an implementation of the Actor Model designed as an entity/component system, and what was more important was my ability to have a conversation/discussion about this system during the interview itself.
You definitely don't just want to dump your whole engine code-base on an employer as a sample of your work -- they'll open the folder, not know what to look at, maybe open a random file if you're lucky, and probably not find anything impressive.
If you want to demonstrate your coding style/ability using your engine, it would be best to write a small demo application, which uses a few of your most impressive API features, so that the code can be scanned quickly and an impression of the engine gained. Package this up in a compact way, with the demo code prominent/easily accessible, and all the engine code in a sub-dir in case they want to look further.
They're probably not going to bother compiling the code, but a tiny distribution that could be compiled easily wouldn't hurt.
All of that said, I'm not sure how much time any of my employers has actually spent looking at my samples... In my last interview, I used a sample of an implementation of the Actor Model designed as an entity/component system, and what was more important was my ability to have a conversation/discussion about this system during the interview itself.
I like what Hodgman said - a small demo that demonstrates the features of the engine.
Whole games (as per my previous post) aren't necessary for a portfolio.
Whole games (as per my previous post) aren't necessary for a portfolio.
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