Console Programming: What does it take?

N

Nite_Hawk

Veteran
Hi guys,

For those of you in the gaming industry, what have been your best programming practices specifically relating to consoles versus writing PC code? What kind of mindset does it take to work on these systems? How did you cut your teeth on them?

Since graduating from college the summer before last, I've been working for a large company as a software engineer. I want to get out before they succeed in crushing my spirit any more than they already have. I think it's time that I buckled down and started persuing something grander before time gets away on me.

So, what kinds of suggestions do you guys have? Would picking up a PS2 devkit be worthwhile? Is going back to school for a M.A. or Ph.D a good option?

Thanks,
Nite_Hawk
 
VU/SPE master

Nite_Hawk said:
Hi guys,

For those of you in the gaming industry, what have been your best programming practices specifically relating to consoles versus writing PC code? What kind of mindset does it take to work on these systems? How did you cut your teeth on them?

Since graduating from college the summer before last, I've been working for a large company as a software engineer. I want to get out before they succeed in crushing my spirit any more than they already have. I think it's time that I buckled down and started persuing something grander before time gets away on me.

So, what kinds of suggestions do you guys have? Would picking up a PS2 devkit be worthwhile? Is going back to school for a M.A. or Ph.D a good option?

Thanks,
Nite_Hawk
Click to expand...


My 2 cents: Become a VU/SPE blackbelt will make you positive asset to many PC developer companies trying to make console games but they will want examples of work so create examples. In 3 months you will become master with examples to show. They are looking always for masters.
 
ihamoitc2005 said:
My 2 cents: Become a VU/SPE blackbelt will make you positive asset to many PC developer companies trying to make console games but they will want examples of work so create examples. In 3 months you will become master with examples to show. They are looking always for masters.
Click to expand...
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not. I really hope it was an attempt at humor, because giving someone the advice of "become a master at whatever seems hot at the moment" is not really advice at all, is it?

Anyway, my advice, what I would do were I so motivated? Build some simple games for the casual market; PC is fine, but I would actually hit the mobile market. It's a fairly open environment, and your game can be very simple such that it's doable with a single-person team (assuming you have art talent or a game that doesn't require art talent).

.Sis
 
hot at moment?

Sis said:
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not. I really hope it was an attempt at humor, because giving someone the advice of "become a master at whatever seems hot at the moment" is not really advice at all, is it?
Click to expand...

No sarcasm despite colorful language. VU/SPE huge market, much better chance than in simply flooded PC market. Too many PC developers, not enough VU/SPE developers. VU/SPE development not "hot at the moment," but very hot for last 5 years and very hot for next 5 years.
 
Nite_Hawk said:
Hi guys,

For those of you in the gaming industry, what have been your best programming practices specifically relating to consoles versus writing PC code? What kind of mindset does it take to work on these systems? How did you cut your teeth on them?

Since graduating from college the summer before last, I've been working for a large company as a software engineer. I want to get out before they succeed in crushing my spirit any more than they already have. I think it's time that I buckled down and started persuing something grander before time gets away on me.

So, what kinds of suggestions do you guys have? Would picking up a PS2 devkit be worthwhile? Is going back to school for a M.A. or Ph.D a good option?

Thanks,
Nite_Hawk
Click to expand...


Be willing to start at the bottom.
Like most things experience trumps pretty much everything, and you don't have any.
Putting together demos off your own back can be a big selling point, other than that your looking to get into an interview and the cover letter will do as much there as anything else.

As for console versus PC, it's different, but it's not that different. On PC your looking to work well on a wide range of hardware, within the confines of the OS. On Console, you get to bang on the hardware, although that's getting less and less true.
 
Be aggressive in seizing teh *~InTeRnShIp~* opportunities with console developers. Get your foot in the door. Take your share of the "grunt work". Willingly invite opportunities for "special projects" (where you can really toy with some aspect of console development). Show intense enthusiasm and aptitude in the jobs/tasks you are assigned. (It doesn't hurt to exhibit great aptitude in a particular task they assign you, such that they recognize you as the "xyz" guy to get that task done for them.) If all goes well, they'll continue to find ways to keep you around due to the value you provide, while you can benefit from the exposure. Excellent work and positive attitude will give them substantiated provocation to consider you for future (job) opportunities.

...lacking "connections" and "networking" to land a formal job position, internship is a great way to get your toe dipping in the pool.

Maybe the only caveat is spotting the internship providers that just need a warm body to exploit for large volumes of grunt work vs. one that is sincerely interested in grooming your capabilities (in addition to needing a warm body to get some grunt work done).
 
Console development has a lot to do with getting most of the hardware by having intimate knowledge of the system's limitations - most notably limited amount of RAM.
I'd argue console development is always about focusing on a single platform and even more so in the future. Forget about that multi-platform porting crap. It's a well known fact the best games come out of developers who focus on a single platform.
At any rate, the unfortunate news for you is that you should be prepared to spend a year or two doing exactly that - ports. Companies are always willing to exploit the young and unexperienced, so expect to get shafted a lot, spend many many hours crunching and slaving away. So make sure you really want this. The good news is that eventually it does get better. You build a nice fat resume and get to be the chooser.
 
Game dev? Impossible deadline, long hours, low pay...It's overrated. LOL just kidding.

First off, I just want you to know I'M NOT A GAME DEVELOPER. So this my opinion/advice definitely won't carry as much weight as others here.

ERP is right, one of my friend tried to break into that industry after college, and he literally started from the bottom at EA. He couldn't even touch the code. And over time, they trusted him enough to work with the code. It's not a career for someone who get bored easily and is not motivated. Personally, I feel that being a game developer requires you to be motivated and engeric than other. Definitely, not a 9 to 5 job.

Some of the dev kits can cost you a lot. So, I recommend starting with your pc, consider that the next gen console are starting to look more like pc. But if you really want to get your hands deep down and dirty with hardware, just get a cheap pc (running DOS) and a vga card. You can learn alot about registers/ports, interrupts, timing and what not. Boy, you'll have a ball with ega, vga and x-mode graphic!

Umh...alternatively the homebrew scene for Dreamcast scene is ripe for you. You can get a lot of info online and the homebrew devs are really helpful.

http://www.dcemulation.com/

Remember the Nike commercial? Just do it. Well, exactly just that. Self motivation is the key.
 
Tri-Ace hiring non-experienced developers

http://www.tri-ace.com/recruit/index.html

tri-Ace hires those with experience, and also talented people without it. If you are confident in your abilities, but aren't currently employed due to lack of experience, please give us a try.

tri-Ace places more weight on individual talent than on experience.

If you have decided to apply, please go on to the following page.
Click to expand...

Forget PC developing. Its waste of time. Console development has most future.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. Working at EA isn't exactly what I'm after. My two goals are:

Work for a company that isn't evil.
Work for a company that wants to "wow" the world.

Yes, lofty goals I know. A year of corporate life has taught me that I don't want to be where I am now in 20 years though. I don't want to look back on my career with regret knowing I could have done so much more than I did.

Nite_Hawk
 
london-boy said:
:LOL: Ever tried volunteering?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it just doesn't pay the bills. :) I've actually thought about working for a non-profit or for the University. I just wish they had projects that were more interesting. Generally the work is more sysadmin or people software developement type stuff unless you can get in with a research lab. I used to work for my University actually, I loved the people, started to hate the work. Now I am happier with the work, but hate the environment.

Btw, how's the modeling going?

Nite_Hawk
 
you can easy develop on a java platform and work with emulator
(cellphone game etc...) you can gain experience here. the mobile entertainment market is still booming and lot to be gained.
try to make some cool games and try to sell them . from here you can only grow and lateron switch platform.

you ever tried programming games ? simple games like tetris or breakout ?
you can start with those, try to clone them, try your own ideas etc....
i think the moment you have built some experience in your private time you can try to get a foot inside some company
 
Nite_Hawk said:
Btw, how's the modeling going?

Nite_Hawk
Click to expand...

Lol, bit off-topic but good! I think i got a job for a Mark&Spencer commercial! Nothing major but IT'S MARKS&SPENCER!! :D
(EDIT: OH, M&S are a biiiig food and clothes supermarket company whatever they are... u know, like tesco and sainsbury's. Just a bit posher)
 
Like those catalogs that drop from my mailbox every week and I then take to toilet to read hoping thetre'd be some mens undervear ads but usually there's just women in underwear and the mens underwear are presented without a body inside or just a cut picture barely showing the pelvis area.
 
rabidrabbit said:
Like those catalogs that drop from my mailbox every week and I then take to toilet to read hoping thetre'd be some mens undervear ads but usually there's just women in underwear and the mens underwear are presented without a body inside or just a cut picture barely showing the pelvis area.
Click to expand...

Nope, it's a commercial where i am a rigger.
A rigger (i didnt know, had to make the director tell me what it is... er...) is one of those guys in the background during theatre shows and stuff, the ones that pull ropes for the lights, move stuff here and there... So, minor role, but hey it's cool money for what it is ;)
Gives me that "gardener from Desperate Housewives" air... :LOL:
 
"rigger" sure sounds pervier that it must be.
or maybe I'm confusing it with "rimmer" are you sure you aren't?
Edit: Oh, so do I understand it rioght it's a TV commercial where you perform the "rigging" live? Too bad they don't show here, but I'm sure it'll eventually be dl'ble in the internet....
 
Last edited by a moderator:
london-boy said:
Lol, bit off-topic but good! I think i got a job for a Mark&Spencer commercial! Nothing major but IT'S MARKS&SPENCER!! :D
(EDIT: OH, M&S are a biiiig food and clothes supermarket company whatever they are... u know, like tesco and sainsbury's. Just a bit posher)
Click to expand...

Good to hear it! :)

I've got a lot of thinking to do with regards to what I want to do. I've always enjoyed doing 3D graphics work, and I think I could probably be pretty good at console development. I'm not sure I can in good conscience drag my wife out to California and away from her family and friends though. She'd probably do it if I landed something, but I'd feel bad. On the other hand, she's expressed interest in possibly moving to another country for a while, so that might be another option. I wouldn't mind working for Ninja Theory. ;)

Nite_Hawk
 
Nite_Hawk said:
Good to hear it! :)

I've got a lot of thinking to do with regards to what I want to do. I've always enjoyed doing 3D graphics work, and I think I could probably be pretty good at console development. I'm not sure I can in good conscience drag my wife out to California and away from her family and friends though. She'd probably do it if I landed something, but I'd feel bad. On the other hand, she's expressed interest in possibly moving to another country for a while, so that might be another option. I wouldn't mind working for Ninja Theory. ;)

Nite_Hawk
Click to expand...

I think you're a bit late for Ninja Theory. Deano already took a butt-monkey from here. Poor nAo, i can only imagine what his life is gonna be for the next few months... :LOL: j/k
 
london-boy said:
I think you're a bit late for Ninja Theory. Deano already took a butt-monkey from here. Poor nAo, i can only imagine what his life is gonna be for the next few months... :LOL: j/k
Click to expand...

Heh, nAo will do alright, he's a smart guy. Oh... yeah mean... I get it. :oops:

:LOL:

Seriously though, we need to start attracting more people like Deano and nAo so I can try to absorb their intellect through my computer monitor. :oops:

Nite_Hawk
 
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