Epic: Tips in getting into the Video Game Industry

[hund_]

and my favorite how to get into the game bis story

In fact, Steve Polge, Epic's lead programmer, was hired in 1996 from IBM where he worked as a programmer. He made some code changes to id Software's "Quake," turned it into a mod called "Reaper Bot," and attracted the attention of Epic, which brought him on-board.

[Eastbeast314]

My goal has been to get into the games industry since 4th grade. I'm a rising sophomore at a liberal arts college and I'm making educational games now during the summer to make enough money to survive my internship at a small (but very well known) game studio.

My advice:

Make sure everyone who knows you knows that you make games. Do this, and the opportunites will come to you.

MAKE GAMES. Check out Torque Game Builder at garagegames.com, their community is amazing. There are lots of game engines waiting to be taken advantage of. Or, start from scratch. You'll learn a ton. I taught myself C++ and OpenGL in high school, from a few books and nehe.gamedev.net. Start simple, work up. Don't get (too) frustrated.

Seize every opportunity you can. Work hard. Make games more than you play them. Take notes when you do play them. Think about what makes them fun.

Don't be too focused on one thing. Specialize in something, but don't let everything else atrophy. Tons of people can model random crap. Only the best can make 60 polys shine.

Find a group of like-minded folks. Join small, intimate forums where developers hang out (but don't be a whiny kid). Contacts are kinda, sorta important.

Demonstrate your skills. Stay focused. Good luck!

[ChaosKnight]

Ok, Once again thanks for the info everyone who responded to my post(s), I got another question...

I've been practicing Maya 3D modeling for the past week with 2-5 hours a day of exercises or just fooling around, I've also experimented with animation with making skeletons and such...

My next question is about programming.. I'm not completely sure if I want to take up programming because I'm not the biggest fan of learning codes or a 'computer language'. Say if i were to take it up, I'm learning most of these things on my own as i have a year off so I was wondering what types of scripts should i learn first... then second... then third.... and so on. Also what programs and maybe dvd's or books (i really enjoy training through dvd's ^_^) I should use.

Thank you.

(Also is there anyway someone could help me with my 3D modeling if i ever need help? cuz sometimes i do run into trouble ^^ Thanks)

[MonkeyKnuckle]

When i was learning Maya i used www.3dbuzz.com he has some good, free, video tutorials. There is also some for learning C++ and UnrealEd.

[Lee3dee]

Maya tutorials are also free on the UT2004 DVD2. I highly recommend anyone whos interested in pursuing a career in games pickup the DVD version. The tutorial content is awesome for Maya and UnrealED.

Thats how I learned the editor

[Cover is a friend]

But exactly how you get a education in character design without XP?

[UnrealGrrl]

one thing i can vouch for is that working on game mods is not only a lot of fun but a very good learning experience... (on a good mod team) i've worked on quite a few. its also especially good for those of you who don't have alot of real life work experience or chops working with others.

over the years i've worked with alot of artists and ppl in the entertainment industry and can also vouch for the fact that jobs are going to be available to those who #1 have talent, and #2 work really hard... school might be more important for some positions like programmers, but when youre talking creative / artistic pursuits, you have to be able to deliver the goodies if youve got a degree or not.

but the most imprtant thing to remember when youre talking arts & entertainment is, you gotta LOVE what you are doing because theres few jobs and even fewer big paychecks out there. do it because you LOVE it or because you HAVE to...

[Someth|ng W|cked]

Hello all, I am new to the forums, after seeing the stuff you guys did with GOW and UT07 I had to register

I do graphic design, photography and a little bit of web for a living, I am also very well versed in high end video editing software like Sony Vegas, apple's Final Cut Pro HD, After FX and Motion, I am self thought in everything listed above and do level design as a hobby but I would LOVE to be part of a professional game development team some time in the near future, I started mapping with World craft back when day of defeat for hl1 was first released to the public and released 2 maps for dod and 1 server exclusive map for TFC during my hl1 mapping days, the more popular of the 3 was dod_hill_classic which was a remake of dod_hill

I then started learning UED with the release of UT2003 and worked on a Stalingrad map for Red Orchestra in the mod's early days, after the implementation of vehicles killed RO for me I had no real reason to continue using UED (even though I think it is a far superior level design tool than Valve's offering) so with the release of HL2 I once again started working on custom maps using Hammer which was obviously not an extreme crossover from the old World craft, I have since released 2 Betas of dod_hill_classic for dod:s which despite a few game play imbalances has been a pretty big hit on custom servers with first impressions by players entering the map being "Omg, it's so pretty", I hope do have the final version ready for release in the next week or 2, my latest project is a relatively large village map for dod:s named dod_fuhrung and should be ready for play testing in the next week or 2 as well

Now with the upcoming release of UT07 I can not wait to get my hands on the new incarnation of UED, I am a freak for new tech when it comes to gamming so being able to use the U3 engine's advanced technology to better convey the atmosphere of my maps will be awesome

Anyway, on to the point of this post

After reading Cliffy B's blog about getting into the industry my question is, when submitting a portfolio to Epic is it necessary to have examples of your work running on Epic's technology? Or would examples from other company's technology suffice? Also does having a background in Graphic Design and or Photography help during consideration?

Thanks in advance

[1stPerson=MotionSickness]

I think the easiest way to get into the video game industry-is have enough money to start your own company.That way you don't have to have any skills at all just pay those who have the skills to turn your Game idea's into reality-so the key is to get rich-I suggest starting off by reading the book "Rich dad poor dad" it's the rich man's BIBLE.-I have already began to make an extra $2000.00 a month.One day I will have enough money to start my own company.and My video game Idea's will make millions-I'm a master at controversy which equals cash just look at my warnnings-lol

[Joe Wilcox]

Experiance with our tools isn't a requirement but certainly helps.

[Someth|ng W|cked]

Oh i am VERY experienced with your tools i just do not have any finished products using your tools, and it seems to unpro to me to submit unfinished work in a portfolio . . .

[1stPerson=MotionSickness]

One bad thing and kinda funny when you think about it is when you just have the skills and no money your going to end up spending a year or two of your life making games that someone else has dreamed about-It's best to build up your assets and use the excess to start your own company.

[Yoshiro]

Best way to get into the industry from the Tripwire team, win Epic's Make Something Unreal Contest and find a publisher (which is probably the hardest part)

[Someth|ng W|cked]

Who ended up publishing RO Osfront anyway ?

[Yoshiro]

Actually have 2 publishers. We have Destineer as our ground publisher and Valve with their Steam system as our net publisher.

[FrostedMuffins]

Hey, just wanted to know if I could get some advice.
I'm 15 and I've been programming flash games for the past two years. Recently I've been getting into C++ which has been a pretty easy transition because it seems to have a lot of similarities to actionscript. It's been a dream the moment I picked up my first genesis controller to become a programmer. So that's what I've been working towards. Just wondering if there are any recommended steps that I can take at my current level to further my programming knowledge and chances of getting into the buisness. Thanks!

[Panthera]

Blah Programming? Who wants to learn to program or learn a new language >.< lol jk :P but i would rather learn Japanese ^_^

Programming melts your brain!

[traumatism]

Wow. im so glad i joined the forum. this information has been so helpful.

it makes me feel alot better knowing that companies dont just look at people who have graduated from university but at people who are self taught too. thanks alot for all the information given guys. Epic will always be a great company and i hope you guys continue to create superb games

[silvermane]

Hey everyone, i joined this forum not to long ago and the info given here is helpful, but i have another question. Lets say i don't want to program games or be in the technical creating aspect of it at all. I would like to know how you would go about writing stories for games, such as plots, character backgrounds and the such. Is there even a job like that in the industry or do you guys, the programers and such make it up on your own?

[Malarkey]

hey, in the past i jumped on every chance i could get to join a MOD team but they all vaporised into thin air after i put my precious time into making maps for them, now i'm reluctant to join a MODteam just because of that.

how do you weed out the good from the bad?

Also on the finishing thing, i can imagine this is one of the most important
things in design, to know when something is done (or won't get any better) and finish it up and release it to the public.
i find finishing up one of the hardest parts of mapping, when do you decide that a certain area of your map is finished? do you write down what kind of lighting you want and stick to that? i usually concentrate on a certain area at a time and once i get the feeling it's good, i force myself to not touch it again or else i will keep on tweaking forever(wich never turns out right). how do you do it?

another one(last), it's not really a need to know, but i'm just curious. are epic employees devided in gametype's, i mean when it comes to specific gameplay problems?

[traumatism]

one thing that i wondered.

correct me if im wrong but do people get set jobs dependant on what they can do.

i.e

people model weapons and others model the characters and then other people create the textures for them?

may sound like a stupid questin but as you say people tend to stick to what they are good at.

i mean im good at modelling and texturing but its just getting the textures in the right place on the model that i struggle with at the moment as i am only just starting out and was now fortunate enough to get a placement in university on a computer games design course where i will be using maya and 3DS Max and thought i would try to get a head start and learn things early. im just stuck on creating the uv maps for the texture as i find it difficult to master at the moment. i have tried deep paint 3D which seems simple enough at the moment im just taking the time to learn it and try different approaches.

[SuperApe]

Your portfolio is only as strong as its weakest link.

Ah. Good advice. Thank you.

[Law]

In terms of game design schools, I would say they aren't necessary if you are self motivated and are able to teach yourself what you need to know. If you want to do everything (level design/code/game design/texturing/3d modeling), then maybe going to a school is a good thing so you can figure out which 1-2 of those you want to focus on.

Honestly, you don't need to do everything. As a level designer, you don't even have to be able to do your own models and textures anymore. Not to say that it wouldn't help, but if learning to model and texture is distracting you from becoming a good level designer, drop it and focus on what is most important to you. It's better to be good at one thing than to be mediocre at everything.

Online portfolios with downloadable content help a lot. Showing that you've worked with a mod or a team of people helps as well.

In the end what matters is skill level in the field in which you are applying for a position. Basically, school doesn't matter, but if school helps you get better or if it gives you direction, it might be helpful if you can afford it.

What if you have a concept or story that you would like to shop off to game developers, too develope a game around it. Can doing things like that help get you in as well?

[Someth|ng W|cked]

I have a very strong skill set, most of which i have built from self motivation and work experiences, i can't remmeber one thing that i learned from school which has been applicable to my current line of work, graphic design, other than entry level math and reading . . .

Currently i am very strong in level design (namely Hammer and UED), graphics (logo design, web design, skinning, etc), modeling (just started learning modeling using XSI but already have a pretty good portfolio of models/skins), video editing (started out using Final Cut HD and Motion, now i use Sony Vegas and After FX), i also do photography which i am very good at

I would imagine that someone with a broad, quality skill set would be able to get a job instantly in the gaming industry but i am not sure exactly how the evaluation process works

I intend to setup an online portfolio for all of my work soon and i am begining production of an unreal engine 3 based TC called Zion which revolves around the Arab-Israeli conflict which i am actulaly building a site for right now

[Blu]

Well somthing that I've kinda been wondering, is there really no place for writers in the gaming industry. I go to school for programming but my passions and my real skill is writing.

9pardon the spelling and short post I hurt my fingers playing baseball)

[glitch]

My question is this! i am going to go to full sail college in florida when i leave high school in a year. i've taken a year of photoshop and i think i'm half ass decent in illustrater! i want to do level design but while i'm in florida i want to work at a company doing gametesting what are some game developer stationed in orlando florida that i could work at while in a 21 month course at full sail?

[Hyncharas]

I can blow s*** up, that's gotta count for something...

Just kidding. No I have an extensive CV; would Epic consent to tele-commuting positions, under the right circumstances and agreed-conditions?

[silvermane]

Well somthing that I've kinda been wondering, is there really no place for writers in the gaming industry. I go to school for programming but my passions and my real skill is writing.

9pardon the spelling and short post I hurt my fingers playing baseball)

Me and Blu basically have the same question.

[Shambler]

Blu/Silvermane: This article linked on BU might be interesting to you
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrob...d=oid%3A401195

[Hyncharas]

Me and Blu basically have the same question.

The problem being just a writer is that you are considered a Game Designer and that - while some developers acknowledge the existence of that position - there are others that do not. Some even call the job a Game Writer...

I, too, have experience in writing, but it is not really recognised the way it should be in games development. It is a good idea to have skills in something else as well; such as concept or level design, meaning you can create a visual representation of what you write about instead of just describing it.

[Fail]

Sorry for the slight necro, but I was wondering what kind of jobs there are in the industry? I've always looked into Networking but I also love video games. Are there positions for networkers in the gaming industry?

[weephun]

The problem being just a writer is that you are considered a Game Designer and that - while some developers acknowledge the existence of that position - there are others that do not. Some even call the job a Game Writer...

I, too, have experience in writing, but it is not really recognised the way it should be in games development. It is a good idea to have skills in something else as well; such as concept or level design, meaning you can create a visual representation of what you write about instead of just describing it.

There are definitely jobs for writers (story, dialogue, etc.). Check out this interview with one of the writers for Gears of War: http://www.gearheadsofwar.com/story/.../12/172816/066

We don't have a full time writer here, but it seems to me that there is plenty of contract work out there and from what it sounds like Mr. Nylund is kept quite busy by his writing work for Microsoft games.

[Hyncharas]

Yeah, isn't he doing another Halo novel at the moment..?

[silvermane]

There are definitely jobs for writers (story, dialogue, etc.). Check out this interview with one of the writers for Gears of War: http://www.gearheadsofwar.com/story/.../12/172816/066

We don't have a full time writer here, but it seems to me that there is plenty of contract work out there and from what it sounds like Mr. Nylund is kept quite busy by his writing work for Microsoft games.

thanks for the info guys. Does anyone have suggestions or knowledge on how a writer would go about getting into this business?

[Hyncharas]

There are definitely jobs for writers (story, dialogue, etc.). Check out this interview with one of the writers for Gears of War: http://www.gearheadsofwar.com/story/.../12/172816/066

We don't have a full time writer here, but it seems to me that there is plenty of contract work out there and from what it sounds like Mr. Nylund is kept quite busy by his writing work for Microsoft games.

I'm surprised you don't have a Writer position on your Jobs page if you need one, that's usually the way to go

[BrokenRythm]

Well what kind of school would you suggest going too? Are there any programming schools in specific that stand out from the rest of the crowd? If I wanted to be a programmer, what would be the right direction for me to take.

A buddy of mine is going to a shool in orlando, FL. I believe the name of the school is full sail (?) They seem to be pretty highly regarded from the people I have talked to. They have many references from students who have worked on games, tv shows, movies, websites, ect..They offer a Bachelor of Science in about 21 months, thing is the whole program cost about $60K. But according to my friend its well worth it. He says that he is now pretty well versed in MS Visual C++, Direct X, Open GL, RenderWare Graphics 3.7, Maya, and a few others I can't remember.

Has anyone heard of this school? Any info would be nice.

[Hyncharas]

Well what kind of school would you suggest going too? Are there any programming schools in specific that stand out from the rest of the crowd? If I wanted to be a programmer, what would be the right direction for me to take.

A buddy of mine is going to a shool in orlando, FL. I believe the name of the school is full sail (?) They seem to be pretty highly regarded from the people I have talked to. They have many references from students who have worked on games, tv shows, movies, websites, ect..They offer a Bachelor of Science in about 21 months, thing is the whole program cost about $60K. But according to my friend its well worth it. He says that he is now pretty well versed in MS Visual C++, Direct X, Open GL, RenderWare Graphics 3.7, Maya, and a few others I can't remember.

Has anyone heard of this school? Any info would be nice.

A friend of a friend recently graduated from Full Sail and he said it was the best time he's ever had learning a course. Sure, it's still a school and you follow a curriculum, but it operates more like a summer camp for activities and working with other students.

I would strongly suggest to him that he pursue it if he can. There are other schools like the Renaissance Center in Nashville (which is the core of the 3D Buzz community), but the place in Florida comes highly recommended and since Full Sail is close to him, I think if he has that kind of money he should check it out

[frantic_antics]

First of all, I wanted to personally apologize to the guy that I sent a direct email asking these questions (you probably know who you are). I found your web address before I found these forums. My bad, man.

I am about to get out of the military after being in for 12 ½ years (8 years in the military’s equivalent of Project Management) with a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering Technology and a background in electronics. I have a wife and two kids. I was hoping to get into the industry on the management side of the house (maybe Assoc. Producer or Producer) at a point where I can still make enough to support my family. So my question is are my expectations reasonable or should I just stay in a related field?

Oh, one other quick question. How far in advance from availability should you submit your resume?

[Twrecks]

I hear they're hiring in China:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=19895

[weaselboy]

How essential is it that a person be a great artist to get into a modeling, animating, or texturing position? I ask because I've noticed a lot of places (I believe CliffyB mentions it on his website, a number of people at the Highend3d forum, etc.) have said a person needs to have good traditional art skills.

Is that a flat out, cut-and-dry thing for the three positions I mentioned above, a person must be flat out good (as in professional-level), or is it just to demonstrate that I, for example, know the concepts of shading, perspective, shape, etc.? I'd like to know because I can demonstrate those concepts, but they're not great by any stretch of the imagination, and would like to know if there's any particular type of sketching that's looked for over others--i.e. life drawing as opposed to taking something strictly from my head and putting it to paper?

Also, how does sculpting fit in with that? If I discover sculpting comes more easily to me than drawing (which I know I need to do more of to get some experience), will that be looked on as favorably as a drawing?