[DELETED]

If you want to ask me questions about USC, please email my USC address: sloper at usc dot edu. But I can really only speak intelligently about the ITP programs -- I don't teach in the cinema or CS departments.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
02/21/2010

My idea, part 2

>From: Gabriel
>Sent: Fri, February 19, 2010 3:45:39 PM
>Subject: Re: I'd really appreciate your two tokens on the following idea...
>Thank you for your timely response and insight Tom! You've always been really good about that and I personally appreciate it. I hope that if and when I succeed at this, I can express my gratitude and at the very least get you a beer. =P

Mmm... beer... (^_^)
Tom

My idea

>From: gabriel
>Sent: Fri, February 19, 2010 1:24:15 PM
>Subject: I'd really appreciate your two tokens on the following idea...
>Hello Tom!
>I have an interactive demo of a game idea of mine in the post-production phase (if this term can apply to video games). Once it's done, I intend to build a website and upload it, along with my professional information (e.g. resume, references, etc.). The purpose of this site is to showcase my materials for submission and/or candidacy for employment. In your opinion, is this a plausible means of presenting myself as a designer/developer? And if i were to declare that these materials are my IP and protected by copyright law and should be used only to consider entering a business relationship with me, do you think I would be, at the very least, relatively protected?
>Thank you, Tom, very much for your insights and efforts in helping out the wannabes like myself. =P
>~Gabriel

Hi Gabriel, you wrote:

the post-production phase (if this term can apply to video games).
Read FAQ 10. You can access my articles and FAQs above left.

Once it's done, I intend to build a website and upload it, along with my professional information (e.g. resume, references, etc.).
In other words, you'll build a portfolio page.

The purpose of this site is to showcase my materials for submission and/or candidacy for employment. In your opinion, is this a plausible means of presenting myself as a designer/developer?
Portfolio pages are pretty much required these days. But back up a bit. I'm not sure you and I are using the terms "submission" and "employment" in the same way. You can look up those terms in FAQ 28, the Game Biz Glossary.

I don't think this works for a submission, but as a portfolio for employment purposes, yes, it's a good idea.

if i were to declare that these materials are my IP and protected by copyright law and should be used only to consider entering a business relationship with me, do you think I would be, at the very least, relatively protected?
Sure, protected inasmuch as any work can be protected, short of actually registering your copyright (which costs no more than $40 or $50) --- and protected from getting a job (unless you're not thinking of getting a job but are instead looking to do work as a contractor).

I think you need to decide what your priorities are. Which of the following is most desirable to you?
Getting a job;
Getting a license deal for your game idea;
Getting a contract to develop games;
Protecting your idea from theft.

Sounds like you're trying to keep all those open, but your plan is so unfocused that it's unlikely to achieve any of those. So you need to decide which one is higher priority, and higher likelihood, than the others. You need to decide on a focus.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
February 19, 2010

Flippant FAQs 50, 71, 40

gamedev.net :: Messenger :: Inbox
>From: ollyb342 [ Add to Buddies ]
>Subject: RE: Right way to learn game development
>Date: 2/18/2010 5:11:26 AM
>Hello Tom,
>I recently came across a post that you made (http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=562365) where you advised a poster that the right way to begin game development was to take a computer science degree course.
>This intrigued me slightly, I'm currently in my second year of a Software Engineering degree course and I'm curious to know if there's any chance that I'd be employable in the game development market after I get my degree?
>I realise it was only a flippant comment that you made, but it made me think; I'm quickly becoming to realise that I'm more passionate about game development than building large database driven systems!
>I appreciate your reading this,
>Ollie.

Hello Ollie,
My sig on GameDev asks people not to use the site's PM feature to send me private mails. I have an email address which I check numerous times daily -- but I've been known to fail to realize I've got PM for WEEKS. Also if you'd come to my website before PM'ing me, you'd realize that I don't give free private advice, because that information is plastered all over this site. Anyway, you PM'd me:

I'm curious to know if there's any chance that I'd be employable in the game development market after I get my degree?
You have asked your question in a common way that wouldn't necessarily get you the answer to your REAL question. The answer to the question, the way you asked it, is "read FAQs 50 & 71; the FAQs are above left."

But the answer to your REAL question is, "it's up to you whether to stay with your current program or switch to CS; if you have difficulty making the decision, read FAQ 70."

I realise it was only a flippant comment that you made
No. I don't respect the overwhelming anti-education tendency on GameDev. I'm a big believer in formal education as opposed to self-teaching. And it's widely acknowledged that the best way to become a game programmer is through CompSci. (That does NOT mean you have screwed yourself -- hopefully you've already read FAQ 71). Besides, the guy I said that to has the appearance of being one of those guys who likes to chat more than he likes to pursue his alleged passion.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
February 18, 2010

PLEASE READ!

>From: Tyler
>Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 6:06 PM
>Subject: PLEASE READ!
>Hello Mr. Sloper. I would like you to answer the questions that my Educational Development Program class is making me ask. I have to ask these questions to someone in the career I wish to pursue. I would be very grateful if you could answer. Please reply to this message ASAP. Thank you.

Hello Tyler,
I understand that your teacher has given you an assignment, and certain rules to follow. I also have some rules you must follow, if you wish to interview me for your project:

You have to tell me what career it is that you wish to pursue, and what you think that career might be like. You're asking me to do some work for you, and I don't want to work harder at this assignment of yours than you do.
You have to read Frequently Asked Question #37. You can link to the FAQs above left.
You have to not ask me any questions already asked and answered in FAQ 37.
You have to agree that the interview will be posted on my Q&A bulletin board (here, where you are viewing this).

By the way, your email subject line ("READ ME!") is absolutely terrible and non-descriptive. When I opened your email, I fully expected it to be spam. I only opened it because I recognized that there was a small chance that it might not be spam.

You need to learn how to write good email subject lines. The subject line should briefly mention what the email is about. For instance, a good subject line would have been, "May I interview you?" or "Some game design questions" or "I have a class assignment"... Get the idea? You should never, ever again, use the subject line "PLEASE READ!"

Standing by for the questions, if my rules don't scare you off...
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
February 17, 2010

Looking for placement percentages

>From: mohit
>Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 10:32 AM
>Subject: Placement
>hi, I am 21 years old, graduated in 2009 with bachelors of computer Application.I aspire to study for Game Programmer.I live in Delhi, India.
>My question is- Out of how many students, who study game programming at USC are able to get job in the end?I know we need a good demo and skills to get a job, but still i m interested in knowing how many graduates really get placed after taking a degree course.
>What do u think on this- Would be right for someone to go abroad to study game programming, which itself is a small field and harder to get into? I belong to a uppermiddle Class family.
>Regards,
>Mohit

Hi Mohit, you wrote:

Out of how many students, who study game programming at USC are able to get job in the end?
Although I teach at that school, I teach in a different department, and do not know any placement figures from other departments. I don't even have placement figures from my own. I do know that some of my own past students have gone on to jobs in the game industry. I've only been teaching for four or five years, and many of my students have not yet graduated.

I should also say that although of course I'd like to do what I can to get people to enroll in my school and in my department, I also am interested in just providing information and advice to young folks who are interested in entering the industry -- and prefer not to discuss the pros and cons of any particular school. Of course I believe my school to be excellent, and I'm proud to teach there. Hopefully I can provide impartial advice nonetheless.

Would be right for someone to go abroad to study game programming
Sure. How could it be wrong?

I wrote FAQ 70 to help young folks make decisions. You can access the FAQs above left.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
The ides of February, 2010

恭喜發財! 2010 is the Year of the Tiger! (Click to see your New Year's card.) Tom Sloper February 14, 2010

Your FAQ 1 CRUSHED my dreams, part 2

>From: Michael
>Sent: Thu, February 11, 2010 2:52:17 PM
>Subject: RE: Game Design 101
>Tom,
>Thanks for deleting the personal info (I didn't know this would go on a message board...just a quick comment to you from a first time site visitor).
>
>The dream really wasn't crushed...but realized. I started my career as an embedded software designer and circuit board designer and moved up shortly doing 3D renderings and animations (mainly architectural "building walkthroughs"). I now design building electrical systems but have always had a love of the work I once did (not necessarily the industry...which is common among many career paths). I made the mistake as many people did by asking "Can this be done on my own?"...if so "What is the best route?" if not "How do I sell my idea?" I think many of the people who are entering in the game industry (students, weekend hobby designers trying to get their ideas marketed) have similar mindsets. The game I was trying for (in my mind) literally would require over ten million man-hours to complete even a simple version of the game not including marketing and administrative work or thorough testing.
>
>So the question becomes...for someone who has made simple first person shooters with a couple of friends and simple real-time strategy games how do we span the gap between the two situations? What steps can a hobby game creator take to get closer to the goal (even if that goal may never be reached)? How would it be best to market the next step for a "test market research" (assuming the person marketing this is still hobby level)?
>
>As you can probably tell the goal is not a career move (though I am willing to take classes as needed) but rather more along the lines of a hobby business (at least for now). This is probably not typical of your site, but thank you for your insight.
>-Mike

Hi Mike, you wrote:

for someone who has made simple first person shooters with a couple of friends and simple real-time strategy games how do we span the gap between the two situations?
What two situations?

What steps can a hobby game creator take to get closer to the goal (even if that goal may never be reached)?
What goal?

How would it be best to market the next step for a "test market research" (assuming the person marketing this is still hobby level)?
I'm still not following you. What are you asking? How to do market research, meaning how to find out if end users will buy your game?

the goal is not a career move (though I am willing to take classes as needed) but rather more along the lines of a hobby business
OK, so read my FAQs 16, 29, 39, & 60. You apparently only saw that #1 was there, but there are lots more than that. You can get to the FAQs by clicking the FAQs link, above left.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
2/11, 2010

Your FAQ 1 CRUSHED my dreams!!!... Thank you

>From: Michael
>Sent: Thu, February 11, 2010 12:09:53 PM
>Subject: Game Design 101
>Tom,
>I want you to know that your article on Game Design 101 CRUSHED my dreams!!!... Thank you, after working about a year on and off of a design so far this is the only article I have read that puts it into perspective (especially the reference to the “Great American Novel”). Very good article.
>Michael [PERSONAL DATA DELETED]

Hi Michael, you wrote:

your article on Game Design 101 CRUSHED my dreams!!!
Not sure why. Unless those dreams were unrealistic...? You can always just have, you know, realistic dreams that don't need crushing. Just sayin'.

Thank you
Um, you're welcome. I think...?

this is the only article I have read that puts it into perspective (especially the reference to the “Great American Novel”). Very good article.
Thanks! (^_^)

[PERSONAL DATA DELETED]
Actually, you (Michael) didn't ask me to delete your personal data. But I delete it as a matter of routine now, since so many folks come here and tell me all kinds of personal information, then get mad that I didn't delete it when posting it on the BB. For all I know, you wanted all that information to be listed here. If so, well, those other guys thwarted your scheme, heh. Anyway, I'm shutting up now.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
2/11, 2010

Do story writers have to study algebra and trigonometry?

>From: Neil (dragonmaster3d)
>Sent: Thu, February 11, 2010 10:44:30 AM
>Subject: I would like some class information.
>Sir:
> I am a 21 yr. student, who is starting to take classes for video game designing. I want to be the one who tells the storyline. Do you feel that a class in algebra and trig. will further this course? I am currently in my 2nd year of college.
>Neil

Hello Neil,
If your school requires you to take certain classes for your degree, then you need to take those classes.
You didn't say why you were asking if you needed to take algebra and trigonometry, so I had to make assumptions based on other advice seekers who have asked similar questions, and their motives for asking.
Also, you didn't say whether you'd gotten a degree in writing previously or not. I hope that you did, because if your goal is to become a writer, a writing degree is obviously essential. I assume you're taking "classes for video game designing" as a supplement to your existing writing degree...?
And of course, if you haven't already, you should read FAQ 32. You can click the FAQs link above left.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
2/11, 2010

I'd like your opinion, part 2

>From: Firas
>Sent: Wed, February 10, 2010 10:23:17 PM
>Subject: Thank you
>Dear Mr. Sloper,
>I just wanted to thank you for your prompt reply. Just knowing that
>the options are all workable is enough for me, I will try to think
>more about it and consider my options more carefully (using a decision
>grid sounds like a good idea). I guess I just wanted to know which
>option would be more favorable from an employer's point of view, but
>when I think about it I guess it really depends on what I do and how I
>present myself, and that's entirely up to me to work on.
>Regards,
>Firas

You're welcome, Firas. Something you said:
I guess it really depends on what I do and how I
>present myself, and that's entirely up to me to work on.
Yep!
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
2/11, 2010

I'd like your opinion about my options

From: "Firas
Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 9:25 PM
Subject: Game Industry Q A
> Dear Mr. Tom,
> Thank you for all the effort you put into your website and into
> answering questions.
> I understand that, in order for you to give me the best game career
> advice suited to my unique situation, you need to know that...
> My approximate age is: 24
> The level of education I've completed is: Doing a master's degree in
> Computer Science, got a Bsc in the same major
> My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: Teaching Assistant, Student
> The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: Game Programmer
> The country I live in is: Kuwait
> My game biz question is:
>
> I have always wanted to be a game programmer. There is no video game
> industry where I live, and no real computer programming industry in
> general (most of the jobs are outsourced). I have a Computer Science
> bachelor degree that I got in a private university in Kuwait, and I'm
> currently pursuing a master's degree (also in Kuwait) and doing a
> thesis relating to computer graphics which I should finish in a year.
> I have been working on and off on little (mostly 2D) games and demos
> for the last 5 years. I have good basic game programming knowledge
> from computer graphics courses, books, and articles, but I don't have
> a portfolio per se. I am working on an indie 2D game that I hope to
> release this year.
>
> From what I have gathered, it's harder for companies to hire
> candidates from other countries, especially if they don't have
> relevant experience. I have worked in several jobs over the last 2
> years (trainee project coordinator, database report developer,
> research and teaching assistant) but none of them involved real
> programming. I have come up with few options for pursuing a career in
> game development:
>
> 1 - Complete my master's degree, try really hard to find a more
> relevant programming job in the region, get several years of
> experience while simultaneously working on building good demos. This
> is not a bad option and is what I initially planned. The main
> drawbacks are that it takes a lot of time doing stuff that I might not
> like, and that I might not find time to work on game stuff.
>
> 2 - Complete my master's degree, find a more laid back job and spend
> more time on making indie games. I have been doing some experiments
> with mobile phone games and I was thinking it's a good international
> market. The problem is that I wouldn't get relevant real world
> experience, which can be an issue when someone applies for working in
> another country.
>
> 3 - I have seen a few game-oriented degrees being offered in
> universities in Canada, Australia, USA, etc. I have saved enough money
> to pay for such a degree. An example is a game technology master's
> degree that involves working on games and building a good portfolio in
> bit over a year. The advantage is that I get to work exclusively on
> game development, and that in some countries students who study in the
> country are eligible to work there after graduating. Even if I don't
> get a job after graduating, I would have hopefully gained a
> relevant.The main issue is that I'd be paying a lot of money, and I'm
> not sure if it's worth it. With this option I will also continue the
> master's degree that I'm doing here so I would have two degrees.
>
> I'd like your opinion about these options, and any advice you could
> provide. Starting a game company isn't an option, and while I have
> come across other people who are interested in making games, none of
> them were really serious about it. There are game companies in some
> countries nearby (Turkey, Egypt, India), but it's actually less
> paperwork to apply for companies in USA or UK rather than in other
> nearby countries.
> I apologize for writing so much, and thank you for your time.
> Kind regards,
> Firas

Hi Firas, your question for me is:

I'd like your opinion about these options
OK. I didn't read your whole email. Just your question and your options.

Complete my master's degree, try really hard to find a more
> relevant programming job in the region, get several years of
> experience while simultaneously working on building good demos.
A solid option. Thumbs up on that one.

Complete my master's degree, find a more laid back job and spend
> more time on making indie games.
Well, I don't see a lot of difference between #1 and #2, other than what kind of job you'd "find." The common thread between these two options is "get master's degree, get job, build portfolio." And that's a good plan, regardless of the subtle differences you perceive.

[get a] game-oriented degree [and] I will also continue the
> master's degree
That could work too.

I'm
> not sure if it's worth it.
Read article 66, and read articles 25 & 70. You have to make a decision. I understand that's difficult. But I can't make it for you. If I've missed something vitally important in your email, or if there's something else I can help you with (other than making your decision for you), you know where to find me. The good news is, your three choices are all workable.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
02/10/2010

The making of [Insert Game Title Here]

>From: Anirudh menon
>Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 7:46 AM
>Subject: Game Industry Q A-making of video games
>My approximate age is: 19
>The level of education I've completed is: junior college
>My occupation is: student
>The type of game job I aspire to is: game designer
>The country I live in is: india
>My game biz question is: I know this might seem rather incompetent and vauge to ask but I have been browsing for quite some time on the net for getting my hands on some sort of "making of video game"
>like for eg-"The making of half-life/or any other game for that matter" but i am not able to even get a game doc of any of the popular game "with the exception of certain games such as assasins creed(art book) halo3 and perhaps even mass effect i suppose" my question is that where do you i look for the making/script/or anything which gives me a more better insight abt how that game was made. In the end I just want to make my search less painful and able to get a wider range of results....including the games i can't play (halo3)
> thanks for whatever insights you are able to give
>rohit

Namaste, Rohit,
I'm not sure what you're asking for.
If you mean you want to see the GDD for [Insert Game Title Here], then I'm sorry, but it's unlikely you can get hold of those.
But if you want to read a story about "the making of" [Insert Game Title Here], then you might find articles on Gamasutra or in past issues of Game Developer magazine. Most likely, any stories you'd find would be "postmortems." Look up "postmortem" in FAQ 28.
Hope that answers your question?
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
February 7, 2010

Should I study Computer Science if I want to be a game programmer?

>From: Charak
>Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 3:39 AM
>Subject: Question regardind education
>Sir
>I am 18 years old, I am a in the last year of my high school in India. I want to be a game programmer (I am particularly interested in virtual reality games). I had had a query regarding education.
>I have got admission in UL Lafayette for its computer science course. It also offers a concentration in gaming which is of 3 credit hours. So is this course(BSc computer science) good for me or I should get an engineering degree or some degree specific in computer gaming. I must tell you that I will also do post graduation, so if you have any suggestions for that then please give me.
>Thanking You
>Charak

Namaste, Charak. You wrote:

I want to be a game programmer... is this course(BSc computer science) good for me
Yes.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
February 3, 2010

Should I put open betas in my résumé or is that just obvious padding?

>From: Sean
>Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 9:49 PM
>Subject: Open Beta Testing - Resumé potential?
>Age: under 18
>Education: high school, in progress
>Occupation: student
>Game job: programmer (specialty undecided)
>Country: United States
>Tom,
>If I were to be applying for a QA position (after graduating high school), do you think it would be worth it to list on my resumé the list of games whose open beta I have participated in, assuming the list of games was a medium-sized list (7-10 games), or would it be "a good idea" but just an attempt to make my resumé bigger?
>I realize any testing experience is good, but I am unsure of their usefulness in resumés due to the fact that open betas are fairly easy to be a part of.
>Thanks
>- Sean

Hi Sean,
Nobody expects an 18-year-old's résumé to include much of anything. It's necessary, since you don't have a degree or any training or much real-world work experience, to pad it with other stuff. And open betas are perfectly good padding for an 18-year-old's résumé.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
February 3, 2010

What should I study?

>From: yazeed
>Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 12:37 PM
>Subject: hello :) a question -_-
> Hello , how do u do ? im gonna go on right to the question , this is my last year in school and i want to study about game development at university but i want as well to be able to work in any other section , should "software engineering" be my choice? and do u recommend Viterbi's school of engineering as one of the best around the world ?
>- im 17 years old
>- high school + self teaching
>- im a student
>- probably character designer , animator.
>- Saudi Arabia (and thats why i want to have opportunity of working in other computer section cuz i might not find a job here if i studied "game development" )
>thankx ...

Hello Yazeed, you wrote:

i want to study about game development at university but i want as well to be able to work in any other section , should "software engineering" be my choice?
I don't know, Yazeed. That's for YOU to decide. Read my FAQ 34. You can access the FAQs above left.

do u recommend Viterbi's school of engineering as one of the best around the world ?
Sure. But you realize I'm biased, right? I teach there.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 31, 2010

School interview assignment

>From: Mary
>Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 2:00 PM
>Subject: RE: Game Industry Q+A
>Mr. Sloper,
>Thank you! Adam is much relieved to have your answers.
>Thanks,
>Mary
>Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.

School interview assignment

>From: Mary
>Sent: Thu, January 28, 2010 11:34:44 AM
>Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>I understand that, in order for you to give me the best game career advice suited to my unique situation, you need to know that...
>My approximate age is: 12
>The level of education I've completed is: 6th grade, working on 7th
>My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: student
>The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: not sure
>The country I live in is: USA
>My game biz question is: Actually, I have 10. I have an assignment for a class, we’re researching different careers and I choose Game Designer.
>So, here are my questions:
> 1. What is your favorite thing about Video Game Designer?
> 2. What is your least favorite thing about Video Game Designer?
> 3. Do you have any stories or interesting fact about Video Game Designer?
> 4. What sort of education do you need?
> 5. What benefits do you get?
> 6. Is there any competition for Video Game Designer?
> 7. What are your work hours? Can you change the hours?
> 8. About how much money do you make?
> 9. What equipment do you use?(such as computers)
> 10. Have you made any games? And if so what are your rating for the game?

>From: Mary
>Sent: Thu, January 28, 2010 12:18:34 PM
>Subject: RE: Game Industry Q+A - Interview questions
>Mr. Sloper,
>Sorry for not changing the subject line in the first email.
>Thanks,
>Adam
>(On My mom’s email account)
>Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.

No problem about the subject line, Adam. As for breaking the rules -- first you need to learn the rules. That way you can break them properly, as the Dalai Lama said (quote in FAQ 47 - the FAQ links are above left). Answering your questions:

I already answered this in FAQ 37. I know your teacher gave you some rules to follow... well, I have posted some rules for you to follow, too. (They're in FAQ 37, and also atop this forum.)
Answered in FAQ 37.
Yes, lots.
I don't particularly need any more education, thanks for asking. (^_^) But I assume you were actually interested in knowing what education a game designer needs? Read FAQ 3.
I assume you are actually interested in knowing what benefits a game designer might get (as opposed to what benefits I get at present). Read FAQ 14.
Yes, it's a job that everybody and his dog wants, so there's a lot of competition. I said this in FAQ 14.
I assume you are actually interested in the hours and flexibility of hours for a typical game designer. That's answered in FAQ 14 as well.
That's a highly personal question, and it's not polite to ask somebody that! You can learn about typical game designer salaries on GameCareerGuide (there's a link in FAQ 14).
The equipment can vary depending on the current project, and the platform that the designer's company supports. A game designer who's working on a console game (Xbox, Playstation, Wii, DS...) has a computer and maybe a scanner, a telephone, and probably either a DevKit or a TestKit for the platform he's working on at the moment. You can look up these terms in FAQ 28.
Yes, lots. You can find a list if you just look around this page (hint: look in Links, above left).
I don't understand the question, and to try to "rate" all the games I worked on would be much more work than I'm willing to do for a school interview project (sorry!).

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 28, 2010

What was the first game watch, part IV

From: "Matthew
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 6:48 AM
Subject: Fair enough!!
> Thank's anyway.
> Sent from my iPhone

What was the first game watch, part III

>From: mlilikakis
>Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 3:59 PM
>Subject: Re: Good-Natured Ribbing!!
>This must be what you referred to as "Good-Natured Ribbing". Ok I get the obvious, it's my watch (thanks for stating that, I had no idea). If i was able to determine what's good or bad for the watch, I wouldn't be asking you now would I? My age and the town I'm from is something that you require or else I would not have mentioned it so thanks for mocking me but I'm a good sport, I can take it.I understand this is part of it when writing to you. Last but not least, there was no mention on how to properly open and close the cover!!

Hi Matthew,
I ask that game career advice seekers give me their age, education, and occupation information in order that the answer I give them be the right answer for the advice seeker. Sorry that that wasn't clear, I guess I need to express myself better. As for your game watch, I'm sorry but I don't remember what has to be done to open it or close it (I only remember that a fine Phillips head screwdriver has to be used). I can't help you, and your request goes beyond what I offer here. Good luck!
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 25, 2010

What was the first game watch, part II

>From: mlilikakis
>Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 1:54 PM
>Subject: arcade time problems!!
>Hi, it's me again, Matthew Lilikakis from Queens, New York, 36 years old. I recently purchased the arcade time in beautiful condition. I need your expert advice on the easiest way to open and put the cover back on the watch without ruining the case.There has to be an easier way than snapping it back together or pulling the case back to release the cover after its been unscrewed. I noticed when i opened it up to look inside that 1 of the 2 latches, or I dont know what to call them, that hold the watch in place, was bent. Any more back and forth motion will completely break it. Should I just remove it seeing as how i dont really need it because of the screw that holds it in place. Any info you could give me would mean a great deal to me. THANKS!!

Hi Matthew,
Regarding that broken little piece of your watch, I leave that up to your own good judgment. It's your watch. You're the one who's able to look at it and determine what's the best thing to do, not me. No matter what town you live in or how old you are. Good luck!
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 25, 2010

Wannabe a game designer, part II

>From: Miguel
>Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 9:17 AM
>Subject: Thanks for the answers.
>Dear Mr. Sloper.
>Thank you for answering my questions. I read and your articles. I particularly had fun reading article 2 witch made my GDD look like a bunch of scribbles in a bar napkin. I’m going to be working on that. Although with all the things a game design has to have I’m still not sure how to organize it all.
>Anyway I still have a lot of questions that I may be asking in the future, but I’ll be expanding my skill-set first. I hope I hope I can bother you again when the time comes.
>Thanks again,
>Miguel

Hi Miguel, you wrote:

Although with all the things a game design has to have I’m still not sure how to organize it all.
I use two different rules:

Need to know. First, you tell the reader stuff that he needs to know so that when he reads later stuff, he understands what's going on.
Most exciting first, most boring last. Insofar as you can, put the less interesting stuff in the back.

I hope I hope I can bother you again when the time comes.
Absolutely.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 25, 2010

Wannabe a game designer

>From: Miguel
>Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 2:59 PM
>Subject: A few questions from a wanabe game designer
>Dear Mr. Sloper
> My name is Miguel. I'm a freshman studying communication design. I have no experience in the game industry other than the fact that I play a lot of games. For a long time gaming has been my passion but I have absolutely no idea how to get into the biz. So I have a few questions that I would love answers for.
>First of all, I’d like to say that I have done everything I am capable of for a game idea that I had a while back. I have written everything about the game from the story and the characters to the art style and combat mechanics. In total I have about 20 pages of story and another 10 or so explaining everything else. I have also made some drawings (although not great) of characters, enemies, bosses, levels, the world map, weapons and items, etc…
>So now that you now know a little about me these are the questions I’d like to ask:
>-I have some free time that I would like to spend on getting some experience in making a game but I don´t know exactly where to start (I´ve thought about going into flash animation). What would you suggest?
>-How hard would it be for someone with no knowledge of the industry to get a job even as a grunt worker?
>-If I do get “inside”, how would I go about getting started in making my idea into a game?
>-If I was in a hurry to get the game made, how much (tell me if I’m crossing a line here) would I have to pay someone like you to help me with this project?
>I have many other questions but for now if you could help me out with these I would really appreciate it.
>Thanks in advance
>Miguel
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Keep your friends updated— even when you’re not signed in.

Hi Miguel, you wrote:

I have absolutely no idea how to get into the biz.
Then read my articles. You can click the Articles link, above left.

I have done everything I am capable of for a game idea that I had a while back. I have written everything about the game from the story and the characters to the art style and combat mechanics. In total I have about 20 pages of story and another 10 or so explaining everything else.
You've written only 30 pages? That doesn't sound to me like "everything you are capable of." Read Articles 2 & 13. It would be very unusual to be able to describe everything about a story-based game in just 30 pages.

I have some free time that I would like to spend on getting some experience in making a game but I don´t know exactly where to start (I´ve thought about going into flash animation). What would you suggest?
I suggest you follow your passions. If Flash is where your passion leads you, then go for it. But are you really that technical and that artistic? I don't know you -- how do you expect me to answer this question without knowing you, your passions, your skills? Read Articles 40, 7, 12, 3, and 14.

How hard would it be for someone with no knowledge of the industry to get a job even as a grunt worker?
Since you had to ask that question, the answer is "very." Read Articles 26 & 30.

If I do get “inside”, how would I go about getting started in making my idea into a game?
I've addressed this question in several of my IGDA columns. Click the "The Games Game" link above, then when you get there, click the "Archives" link. Read the columns for May 2003, June 2003, August 2003, April 2006, and January 2007.

If I was in a hurry to get the game made,
Don't be! The fourth dimension is not going to cooperate.

how much (tell me if I’m crossing a line here) would I have to pay someone like you to help me with this project?
Oh! You're rich! Why didn't you say so? The cost depends on what kind of game you are talking about, what platform it's for, and how many features, levels, and assets it has. Read my Article 62 to give you an idea how cost can be estimated.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 24, 2010

How much should I ask for, part 2

>From: Pete
>Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 4:25 PM
>Subject: Re: So What Will the Market Bear?
>Hey, no worries. I read the rules on your website and expected full disclosure. And I learned a long time ago not to write an email I couldn't live with if it was forwarded to my boss, the New York Times or my wife!
>Thanks for the quick response.
>Pete
>Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

>From: Peter
>Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 5:49 PM
>Subject: RE: So What Will the Market Bear?
>OK, I was playing thumb monkey on my Crackberry when I sent you my last response, which necessitates a short answer before my hand cramps. I think what you have posted on the bulletin board is fine; no state secrets at risk so I don’t think the Men in Black will come looking for either of us. I gave you the long personal preamble for context as it appears that you get a lot of traffic from the teen and twenty-something crowd, whose ranks I left a loooooong time ago!
>My Tale…there’s high drama, comedy, action sequences, a fireball, and a kicking sound track. If my travels take me out to LA, I’ll let you buy that beer! Mmmm, beer.
>Pete
>PS: I’ll let you know how things go if you’re remotely or even morbidly curious, otherwise tell me to quit pestering you.

Pete,
By all means, please do keep me posted. Beer beer, beer beer... (always sung to the tune of some Lionel Ritchie song)
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 19, 2010

How much should I ask for?

>From: Peter
>Sent: Tue, January 19, 2010 12:28:50 PM
>Subject: So What Will the Market Bear?
>Tom,
>It appears that I may be in the position where the game manufacturer is coming to me. Here's the tale:
>I am a professional war game designer for [DELETED IN CASE IT'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION TO MAKE PUBLIC] (I won't bore you with the details as to how I ended up in that gig! Happy to share that tale, but it goes better with beer). Along with designing war games, I also teach game design as well as strategic planning (which incorporates gaming techniques) for military and commercial clients. In my spare time, I design historically-based table top war games for kids - eight titles so far. Two of my designs grew into large scale "Play on the Floor" games involving dozens of players. Turns out that the process for designing games intended to examine military and political problems has quite a bit in common with commercial game design for entertainment and education.
>As a result of this nexus of military and hobby gaming, over the last several years I have developed personal relationships with some of the senior design personnel at a major toy and game manufacturer. We've met, shared insights into our own corners of the gaming world, chatted about the principles of game design, solved world hunger, and even the possibility of me becoming a free-lance consultant to the company. None of this banter ever produced anything concrete - until possibly now.
>Several days ago I was contacted by a group of designers from said company, who want to get together in the very near future and talk about my ideas for one of their existing game lines, as well as possibly play (buy?) some of my games. While this has certainly piqued my interest, it has also (1) raised the IP alarm, and (2) made me ponder, "What kind of money are we talking about here?" Since I work for a government institute, we don't charge our other government clients. Just makes the money go around in a circle and everyone gets dizzy. The private sector is obviously a different kettle of fish.
>Point 1, Intellectual Property, you've covered quite well on the site, and I'm going to re-read those sections several times. I'm writing primarily about Point 2. What's the "going rate" for design consulting these days in the game industry? I'm sure there are a variety of "well, it depends on" criteria; at this point I'm just trying to get a sense of about how many digits there ought to be in an offer so that nobody is surprised on either side of the table. $20/hr is probably too low, and $20,000/hr is probably too high. And while "as much as you can get" is indeed an answer, it isn't something you write down on the piece of paper you push across the table. While I may think (wish) my time is worth $20,000/hr, I don't think the industry would agree (or would it...?).
>What I'm trying to do is a bit of "market research" ahead of time, so that if we get into offer/counter offer I'll know what game I'm trying to win!
>Thanks, PAP

Hi Pap,
Hoo boy, I had to think about how much stuff that you said in your introduction you really wanted included in this public reply. I was going to delete the whole tale and just skip down to the part where you started zeroing in on the target question. I still can, if you think that's better. But the whole tale was just so interesting! I'd even buy the beer.
$20/hr is too little for sure. $200/hr might actually fly. But in general, when it comes to hourly, you need to settle on an amount that makes it worth your time to do the job, and that makes sense for the client to pay. Probably somewhere between $35 and $200. And make sure you have that agreed to in writing before you do any design work for them.
If you don't get the project, send'em my way! (^_^)
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 19, 2010

School interview project

>From: rms kid
>Sent: Tue, January 19, 2010 11:25:23 AM
>Subject: Questions
>hello i go to[SCHOOL NAME DELETED] high school and i'm writing a report on being a video designer and i was hoping you could help me with a interview, if you could i would greatly appreciate it. please reply i you have the time

Hello Kid,
Sure, I'd be happy to help you out, under the following conditions:

You have to tell me your first name.
You have to address me by my name (preferably "Mr. Sloper" for best results).
You have to capitalize the beginning of every sentence you write.
You have to always without fail capitalize the word "I."
You should read Frequently Asked Question #37. You can link to the FAQs above left.
You have to not ask me any questions already asked and answered in FAQ 37.
The interview will be posted on my Q&A bulletin board (here, where you are viewing this).
Standing by for the questions...
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 2, 2010

Highlighting a portfolio piece

>From: Matthew
>Sent: Sun, January 17, 2010 2:33:26 AM
>Subject: Highlighting a WoW addon - is it worth it?
>Dear Tom,
>I'll try to keep this as specific as possible. I've made a user interface add-on for World of Warcraft, and I've actually become very impressed with it and the amount of work I've put into it. I'm now bordering around 10,000 lines of code and literally started from scratch about a month ago. The add-on itself is used as a guild-management tool, helping guilds who use "loot councils" keep track of votes and statistics. About a week ago, I was going through my final phase of beta testing and started giving the add-on to some of my friends that I thought might want it. I tracked the usage just in case I wanted to use it in a portfolio (it was user testing, after all). The results were extraordinary - people simply loved it. Aesthetically, people thought it looked very professional. Functionally, it filled a need that had not yet been met in the five years the game has been released. The add-on is being fully released on Curse.com (the central hub for WoW addons) this Tuesday. Conveniently, I'm planning on applying for an internship at Blizzard Entertainment for a game designer position. I'm currently a Junior at [DELETED] University majoring in Industrial Engineering with a very strong computer background.
>I have two questions:
> - First, is this add-on something that I should include for general applications to other various companies? While Blizzard probably would be my top choice, I'm still applying to several companies. If it is something I should include, how is it best to include it? Just something on the portfolio? Resume? Cover letter? etc.
> - Second, any tips on how to highlight this add-on specifically to Blizzard? Is this something that should go on my resume to them, or my cover letter?
>Thanks again for all your terrific advice.
>Sincerely,
>Matthew

Hi Matthew, you wrote:

is it worth it?
Please don't ask Frequently Asked Question #66 - that's the route to a lecture on asking bad questions!

is this add-on something that I should include for general applications to other various companies?
Absolutely.

how is it best to include it? Just something on the portfolio? Resume? Cover letter? etc.
Depends. If your résumé is kind of sparse, then make a Projects section and put it in there (with another project since there's an S in "projects"). Otherwise it can go in your cover letter. Certainly it should be in your portfolio regardless. If it isn't listed anywhere in your application documents, then of course you could always mention it during the interview.

any tips on how to highlight this add-on specifically to Blizzard?
Cover letter.
Good luck!
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 17, 2010

I have to make a big decision!

>From: [NAME DELETED]
>Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 8:54 PM
>Subject: A question of choice.
>Hello Mr. Sloper,
>You might remind me from the gamedev forums as "Orymus".
>I am writing to you today because I have a question and that I have come to respect your opinion strongly enough to inquire about your opinion on this matter.
>You may or may not recall my background.
>Last time we spoke, I was referencing the fact that I work as a Q/A hoping to become a designer someday. Since my contract as a QA was coming at an end by the end of this month, I was preparing to enter a program about Game design (the best I could afford was a 14 months intensive program, it is not a bachelor degree, but still, it would give me a better general idea of the tools at hand, and the actual precise role of a designer in the industry).
>Well, the most striking news occured this morning.
>My Human Ressource manager presented me with an offer.
>The company I work for ([COMPANY NAME DELETED]) is opening a new wing of game products based on new platforms. It is still in exploration stages, but a small team was constituted, and are taking over this new opportunity. Nothing odd.
>A producer, a programmer, a designer and... a QA!
>A SINGLE QA.
>My Human Resource responsible proposed that I could apply for the QA job. I've been thinking to myself that being a single QA on a team would be a perfect moment to a) dedicate myself fully to the task and b) take on many responsabilities. In other words, it would be a perfect way to "shine".
>Now I know you value education in design, and I know you favor experience in the field, and I also happen to know that you consider that the hardest part is getting a foot in the door, and that from there, anything can happen.
>So, my question is as follows.
>Bearing in mind that becoming a level designer or game designer is my ultimate goal, which should I choose: a) The QA opportunity that allows me to shine (and dedicate myself to the task like I've never dedicated myself before), b) Keep on my plan to attend design program, or c) Something else?
>Thanks for hearing my cry for help,
>Regards,
>Orymus

Hi "Orymus,"
I'm sorry to disappoint you if you were hoping for a private response. But I only give private advice to paying clients and students in my classes (and folks who are buying me lunch or at the very least a beer at the time of the advice-giving).

So opportunity is knocking. That's great! I love it when opportunity knocks. Seriously, mon ami. (^_^) So now you have a decision to make...

a) The QA opportunity that allows me to shine (and dedicate myself to the task like I've never dedicated myself before), b) Keep on my plan to attend design program, or c) Something else?
It's great that you have the weekend to think it over. I think you should make a decision grid (see my FAQ 70 -- I mean it. READ IT. Even if you've read it before, read it again). Consider the pros and cons of A, the pros and cons of B, and the pros and cons of D. (Forget C, cross that one off since you don't even know what it is.)

What's D, you ask? "Both A and B." Some thoughts you can put into your analysis:

You can apply for the position, but the way you describe it to me, there's no guarantee you will get it.
If you do get the position, that doesn't mean you can never go back and get that education (your B option).
There's such a thing as night school, or online school -- these options let you learn during your off-hours (meaning you can do both A and B simultaneously).
The position might not last forever, or might not result in your moving up into a permanent position with that company -- so if you find yourself out on the street again afterwards, you can always pursue your option B then (doing both A and B, but in that order and not simultaneously).

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 16, 2010

Publisher in Poland

>From: Saeed
>Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2010 4:16 AM
>Subject: a question about gamedev
>Hi,
>in a treat in gamedev
>http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=551575
>you wrote you have submited a contract with polands publisher.
>would you please name me that publisher?
>thanks,
>saeed,
>[WEBSITE DELETED]

Hello Saeed,
I never said that. You have me confused with someone else; Moriquendi is the guy from Poland. You can look up game companies all over the world at http://www.gamedevmap.com and http://www.gameindustrymap.com. Look at my Game Biz Links page (link above left). Do your research, dude!
Tom Sloper
January 16, 2010

The January IGDA column

>From: "Dev
>Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 11:26 AM
>Subject: Re: Form submission from: Ask Tom
>Thanks for your advice Tom. I'll look into the feasibility of pursuing
>a Masters.
>Regards,
>Dev

You're welcome, Dev. Sorry it took so long for the column to go up. The new IGDA webmaster has a different timetable than the previous guy did.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
The Ides of January, 2010

Reality TV producer has the game concept, rights, etc. - now what?

>From: zpop [ Add to Buddies ]
>Subject: Licensing agent
>Date: 1/14/2010 1:50:09 PM
>Tom, thanks for your reply [on GameDev.net's Business forum] about turning my reality show into a game. If I go the licensing agent route, should I expect to be just selling the rights, and not being at all involved with the game?
>Would I have a better case to grab a publishers interest if I have a prototype in hand?
>Thanks again.

Hello "zp,"
Did you happen to notice that my GameDev sig asks people not to PM me? I don't give free private advice, like it says above here. If you want private advice, you have to pay me. I like to share the wisdom! That's what public forums like GameDev's are for. You asked:

If I go the licensing agent route, should I expect to be just selling the rights, and not being at all involved with the game?
Pretty much. But what you'd have (assuming you negotiate it into the license agreement) is approval rights. And that is not without power.

Would I have a better case to grab a publishers interest if I have a prototype in hand?
The more money you risk on the venture yourself, the more creative control you have.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 14, 2010

Preconceptions about the video game biz

>From: Sean
>Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 5:35 PM
>Subject: Gaming Industry Question
>I understand that, in order for you to give me the best answer suited to my unique situation, you need to know that...
>My approximate age is: _ under 18
>The level of education I've completed is: _ high school
>My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: _ student
>The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: _ Game Programmer
>My game biz question is:
>Mr. Sloper,
>I came upon your web site a few days ago.. Even though your lessons are not directed specifically towards my chosen career goal (aside from a few articles), they have helped me plenty. First off I want to thank you for taking the time to read my e-mail. I have to admit that I could not think of any questions that I would not have been able to find the answer to by either your lessons or an internet search (I really tried to think of one), of course aside from this question.
>While I read the lessons, I noticed you wrote something along the lines of that wannabes don’t know the difference between their fantasy world of what they imagine the game industry to be, and how it actually operates. So, for you in particular, how different was the game industry than how you imagined it to be before joining the industry and seeing how it really is? What were the main differences? Keep in mind that my career choice of a programmer is completely irrelevant to the question. I realize that the answer of a designer and a programmer could be entirely different answers.
>Thank you for your time Mr. Sloper,
>- Sean

Hi Sean, you wrote:

I noticed you wrote something along the lines of that wannabes don’t know the difference between their fantasy world of what they imagine the game industry to be
I hope you realize that was a bit of an exaggeration, based on some of the wide-eyed posts we sometimes see. And that some of the articles were written more for entertainment value or as a "rant" than as a factual answer to a frequently-asked question.

for you in particular, how different was the game industry than how you imagined it to be before joining the industry
N/A (not applicable). I had no preconceived notions about the video game biz, and actually I never even thought about working in video games before finding myself in it. Read my article 18.
Good luck with your career aspirations, Matthew!
Tom Sloper
January 13, 2010

Xiexie, part 2

>From: Ian
>Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 5:17 PM
>Subject: Re: Xiexie ni
>Ni hao Tom!
>I thought your exposure to mahjong would've given you some Mandarin skill - tai hao le! (very good!) Zai jian is equivalent to goodbye, but more accurately means something like "may we meet again". Your Cantonese, however, is much greater than mine - aiya!
>If you make it to GDC you can hold me to my word on the lunch. I may be volunteering at the event, but either way I am going, and would love to help you however I can - it is the least I can do for the wealth of resource you provide. Maybe we can even slip in a round of mahjong, though I'll need a refresher!
>Gong xi fa cai! (some homework for you)
>Ian :)

Aiya indeed. And of course I know 恭賀新禧 or is it 恭喜發財 "gung hei fa choi" -- I'll be using it extensively in a few weeks.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 13, 2010

Xiexie!

>From: Ian
>Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 4:25 PM
>Subject: Xiexie ni
>Hello Tom,
>I just wanted to thank you for all the work you have put in to your site, and especially to your Q&A board. It must be exhausting replying to all those curious minds!
>It was with your help that I received my first game industry job - I must've memorised the FAQ's back to front, it was like my bible. I recently applied your decision grid, very thoroughly and almost dogmatically when making my decision of where to move, in preparation for round two. It's with your advice, now seared into my mind, that I'm confident I'll find my next position soon.
>If you're in San Fran for GDC this year, I owe you a much deserved lunch.
>Zai jian!
>Ian.

Niihau Ian,
My Chinese ain't so great. Hu! Er shuh suh. That's most of the sort of Chinese I get to speak (at mahjong tournaments, and then only when I win and the score is 24) (not to say that I can't say what the score is if it's 18 or 19 or 20 or even -- hallelujah -- 88) (because I can) (but that's about the extent of my Mandarin).
So I don't know what "zai jian" means. But if we do manage to both be at GDC concurrently this year, I'd gladly take you up on that lunch. (^_^)
Siu cheh, m'goi lei! Maidan. Oh wait, that's Cantonese.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 13, 2010

What was the first game watch?

>From: mlilikakis
>Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 4:01 PM
>Subject: GCE WATCH!!
>Hi, my name is Matthew from Queens, New York, Im 35 and have been in love with the gce watch since it came out. I own all 3 and will never part with them. Nelsonic also made a very beautiful pacman watch with the joystick version which they might have copied that from gce but it was still a terrific idea.The only question I have which I couldnt find anywhere is what was the first watch to have a game designed into it put it simply, what was the first game watch...manufacturer, year etc..?

Hi Matthew,
A fellow collector, eh? (^_^) At the time I was working on the game watches and calculators, I bought some competitive products -- including at least one other game watch. I don't remember its name (it's in a box around here somewhere) and I don't know if it was made before or after the Game Time watch. Of the GCE watches, Game Time was first. I was not involved in the design of the LCD on that one (just the games) -- I was involved in the design of the LCDs for the other two, and the games on the Space Time.
There's a guy, Chris Romero I think, who has a very big collection of electronic games from the early 1980s. He would probably have more information. His collection used to be displayed at the yearly Classic Gaming Expo. There's going to be one this summer. You might want to go to Las Vegas, maybe he'll be there again and you can have a chat with him -- or with someone else who's more knowledgeable about early game watches. You can Google Classic Gaming Expo, I'm sure you'll find the information easily.
(Of course, the Nintendo "Game & Watch" doesn't count, since you couldn't strap one to your wrist.) Good luck with your search, Matthew.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 13, 2010

I've read your advice, and I know you don't want to tell me how to live my life, but tell me how to live my life anyway

>From: Hectorr ....
>Sent: Tue, January 12, 2010 8:47:16 PM
>Subject: Advice needed
>I've read some of your posts on the Sloperama regarding the game industry and I've found them down to earth and overall very insightful. Accolades aside, I have some glaring questions that I need to resolve before I take a leap and a loan into a school, and a few minutes of your time could go a long way into making a confident transition.
>First of all, I am 23, I am most at home working with clay and creative writting; I have done a vast array of art courses such as design, multiple sculpture courses, multiple drawing courses, painting and even some new-genre courses labelled "site specific art". I would pursue a career in art, but it's simply ridiculous thinking I can make it as one, plus the economy isn't exactly helping in that side-dream of mine.
>Sorry to drag this on, but my question is: being much better at the creative design and writing aspects rather than drawing, which area of the game industry should I pursue?
>I've been currently looking at schools for their game-art program, would that be better for me than conventional game design? Since I would loathe the programming and technical math aspects of the career.
>I live in the San Diego area, and I'm probably going to be going away for this endeavor, and I've been looking at schools but any school that you know of and think would be a good fit for my aspirations would be considered. :D
>Thanks for your time.
>Hectorr.

Ola Hectorr, you asked (in effect):

I've read your advice, and I know you believe I should figure out for myself how I should live my life, but please make all my decisions for me, tell me what my passions should be, and tell me how to live my life.
You gotta be kidding, Hectorr. I am NOT going to make your life decisions for you. I mean, I'm flattered that you want to give me control over your entire life, but... it's YOUR life. YOU have to decide. I can't do that!

When I was your age, I too was interested in writing and drawing. I was also interested in the great outdoors (woods, creeks, farms). I jokingly decided that my ideal career would be to create comic books atop a forest rangers' forest fire watchtower. And look, now I work in video games instead. Who'd a' thunk it?

Read my FAQ 7. Search your soul. Read http://archives.igda.org/breakingin/career_paths.htm
Read FAQs 32 & 53 -and read about writing and graphics jobs on the IGDA Breaking In page too. Learn about what the jobs are like. Look up the Salary Survey too, on GameCareerGuide.
DECIDE FOR YOURSELF what career you want to pursue. Then look up schools on IGDA and GameCareerGuide.

Then, after making a list of schools, use my FAQs 25, 34, & 44 and choose your own school. I cannot make these decisions for you, dude! Take charge of your life.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 12, 2010

Social responsibility, part 2

From: sarahadam1
Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 9:28 PM
Subject: (Social Responsibility) thanks
> Hey again tom,
> Thanks for taking the time to go through my question. In light of your statement on the relativity of everything it is understood that much of my questions are things needed to be resolved personally. Thanks for that.
> Always good to have your world turned upside again ;P
> Ive checked out pretty much all your FAQs and found them useful, thanks again and have a good 2010 Tom.
> All the best,
> Adam

Hi Adam,
Well, I still don't know exactly you were wrestling with, but I'm glad my articles were helpful.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
01/11/10

Social responsibility

From: sarahadam1
Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 4:23 AM
Subject: Ethics and Video Games
> Hey Tom,
> Thanks for the inspiring site. Your surely a help to many a person.
> Here my vital signs:
> Age: 23
> Education: Last year of a uni degree in psychology.
> Occupation: Student
> Which game job: All seem interesting ATM.
> Country: Australia
> Do you ever get concerned with video games (or games in general) and the ethics of an industry that thrives on consumption of resources and peoples time? The games industry seems to both refute any kind of environmental responsibility and laughs at ideas of ethics involved in its process and outcome (well mostly anyway).
> My passion is games, particularly RTS, but I can't shake the feeling that it is unethical to be involved in games, whether making or buying. Perhaps you could reveal a pearl of wisdom that is your view on this subject. Is game production going to change? Is there not something better in life, like philosophy or charity? If one were to enter the games industry with good intentions and large though the task may be, is there hope to bring a new way a utilizing technology and resources in an age of ever increasing environmental destruction?
> Thanks.
> All the best,
> Adam

Hi Adam,
I think your questions aren't about "ethics." Rather, they seem to be about "social responsibility." Just wanted to make that clear up front. To reply point-by-point:

Do you ever get concerned with video games (or games in general) and the [social responsibility] of an industry that thrives on consumption of resources
What resources do you mean? The money that's spent on game development?

and peoples time?
Which people do you mean? The people who work in the game industry? Or the customers who buy games? I really don't know what you are asking in this sentence.

The games industry seems to both refute any kind of environmental responsibility
Can you explain, please? Do you refer to the plastic that goes into making the game discs and packages? Or do you refer to all the electricity used in the development process? What point are you making? It's all pretty fuzzy to me here.

and laughs at ideas of ethics involved in its process
Are you talking about the Quality Of Life issue for workers in the game industry? Or are you talking about the violent content of games like Grand Theft Auto and Resident Evil?

and outcome
I have no idea what you're saying, Adam. I could respond to your points better if I understood exactly what you're talking about.

I can't shake the feeling that it is unethical to be involved in games, whether making or buying.
Then maybe you shouldn't get a job in games, and maybe you should not play them. If you are struggling with a decision, I've got a methodology that might help. Read FAQ 70 -- you can link to my FAQs above left.

Is game production going to change?
I suppose it's bound to, but I don't see how this has anything to do with your overarching question!

Is there not something better in life, like philosophy or charity?
Your whole question seems to be philosophical, so it would seem that philosophy is very important ("better"?) to you. Everything is relative. There's no black-and-white answer as to what's "better." Just as there's no black-and-white answer as to what's "worth it" (FAQ 66). These words are highly subjective and personal to the individual.

As for charity, nobody can deny that it's good. But is charity a career? Or is it something one can engage in on a volunteer basis in one's free time while holding down a career? You could make a game that involves philosophy or charity or even both, of course. You could work making games during the week, and then on weekends go build homeless shelters.

is there hope to bring a new way a utilizing technology and resources in an age of ever increasing environmental destruction?
You're starting to sound a little like the Unabomber. Are you saying that computers (video games) and software (video games) are destroying the environment? I don't agree that they necessarily do that or that they necessarily need to go on doing that in the future. One can be a passionate environmentalist and work with computers. One would just have to work out one's personal philosophy. ... If that's what you're struggling with. You could also try analyzing it scientifically, using the decision grid methodology I outline in FAQ 70.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
01/11/10

sorry, part 2

>From: flrlucas [ Add to Buddies ]
>Subject: Re: sorry
>Date: 1/11/2010 3:18:42 PM
>i cant make anything out of this anyway still thanks.

The point I was making was "Please do not PM me using GameDev's PM feature" (like it says on my GameDev sig). I have an email address, and it's very easy to find.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
01/11/10

Is this close to what you teach?

>From: Nathan
>Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2010 11:35 PM
>Subject: [ No Subject ]
>How old are you? 22
> What's your level of education? 70 University credits towards a business administration degree; although i have switched universities and majors for this coming semester to gaming and simulation.
> What's your current occupation? (If student: "student") student
> Which game job, if any, do you aspire to or plan to study for? thats what im asking
> What country do you live in (where in the world are you)? NE, USA
>This is the requirements for the ([NAME DELETED] University) gaming and simulation degree where im transferring. Is this basically close sounding to what you teach for a game design degree.
>[DEL] 101 Introduction to Game and Simulation Design
>[DEL] 101 description
>[DEL] 102 Introduction to Game and Simulation Prototyping
>This course is intended for students that are interested in prototyping games for virtual reality, simulations, education and marketing. Hands-on topics covered in this course: the Virtools workspace, characters and levels, cameras and rendering, behavior building blocks, collision management, particles, interactivity, creating interfaces, data management, and how to export your games.
>Course Syllabus
>[DEL] 103 Digital Imaging
>This course provides beginning through intermediate concepts in digital imaging. Concepts covered include unified principles of design, original creation of composite images, drawing and painting original digital artwork, and the creation of game textures. Students will incorporate basic design principles in their texture designs and compositions.
>Course Syllabus
>[DEL] 104 Career Planning and Portfolio Development
>This course covers how to create and present an industry quality portfolio of skills obtained in the fields of Serious Game and Simulation Design.. Topics include creating printed portfolio, developing CD portfolio, portfolios for the web, creating demo reels, blogs, business cards, letters of introduction, resumes, job searching and interviewing.
>Course Syllabus
>[DEL] 205 Production Art
>This course examines the principles of character and environment design, with an emphasis on using digital tools to produce concept art and preproduction materials for Serious Game and Simulation Design. The student will explore the processes of character development and design, environment design and layout, and storyboarding.
>Course Syllabus
>[DEL] 206 Principles of Digital Animation
>This course investigates the fundamental principles of digital animation. The student will survey the historical development of the animated film and develop basic skills in preproduction, digital modeling and the basics of digital animation.
>Course Syllabus
>[DEL] 207 Introduction to Game Programming
>This course explores structured programming in Serious Game and Simulation production. Course topics include languages, programming techniques, algorithms, game testing, game logic, real-time 3D rendering, asset control and pipeline management. Students gain sufficient knowledge to repurpose or extend existing programs and scripting.
>Course Syllabus
>[DEL] 208 Game Environment Art
>This course uses a guided digital studio approach in a close analysis of the practical production skills and techniques in creating game environments. Students will complete a combination of exercises, individual and group projects in modeling man-made scenes, principles of photorealism applied, creating environmental lighting effects, advanced textures, project workflow and management, rendering photorealistic shots, optimization for real-time game engines.
>Course Syllabus
>[DEL] 310 Interactivity and Interface Design for Serious Games
>This provides an in-depth study of game interactivity, including the psychology of user interaction and methods for designing and developing effective navigational interfaces. Combining their previous knowledge of game design and digital imaging with the concepts in this class, students will create portfolio-quality game interface designs.
>Course Syllabus
>[DEL] 312 Game Character Art
>This course is an advanced study in digital character animation for games and simulation production. This course explores the relationships among; anatomy, motion, weight, and timing through a balanced combination of exercises and individual and group projects. The student will develop advanced skills in preproduction, modeling, rigging, weight mapping and texturing game characters.
>Course Syllabus
>[DEL] 414 Game Simulations and Dynamics
>This course examines the advanced techniques used to produce animated special effects using simulations and dynamics. Course topics include the simulation of natural phenomena such as rain, snow and fire using particle systems, the dynamics of rigid and soft bodies, and the use of game physics to produce effects and dynamics in real-time applications.
>Course Syllabus
>[DEL] 416 Serious Game and Simulation Production
>This is a course in Serious Game and Simulation project planning and production through hands-on experience. Students will work in teams to design and complete a game project, providing each student with portfolio preparation and production experience.
>Do you think that it this would be sufficient to get a job in game design or production in the future or would a 2 year game speacialty school after i finish be a good idea since i see that you sometimes say to get a regular degree at a 4 year college and then to go to a game school after. So if the 4 year college offers game design degree would that be as good as doing both?.

Hello Nathan, you asked:

Is this basically close sounding to what you teach for a game design degree.
I teach two courses:
- Designing and Producing Video Games (http://itp.usc.edu/courses/video-game/itp391)
- Quality Assurance for Video Games (http://itp.usc.edu/courses/video-game/itp230)

Do you think that it this would be sufficient
Read FAQ 49. You can link to my FAQs above left.

or would a 2 year game speacialty school after i finish be a good idea since i see that you sometimes say to get a regular degree at a 4 year college and then to go to a game school after.
I "sometimes" say that? In my opinion I always say that! Since you know what I say, why ask if that's what I say?

So if the 4 year college offers game design degree would that be as good as doing both?.
A 6-year education is probably 150% better than a 4-year education. But you should read my June and July IGDA columns.
- http://www.igda.org/games-game-june-2009
- http://www.igda.org/games-game-july-2009

But I think you might have asked me questions tangential to your real question. Unless that last one was your real question. Sounds like you're trying to make some kind of decision, but I'm not entirely sure what. But please don't ask me to evaluate any school's curriculum, that goes way beyond what I do here.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
01/11/10

Global Game Jam 2010

>From: Susan
>Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2010 9:40 AM
>Subject: Global Game Jam 2010
>We a ll know making video games isn't easy, but neither is getting the word out about the Global Game Jam. I was hoping that you might be able to assist me in promoting the Global Game Jam this year by posting on your blogs and various communication outlets at work about the upcoming event starting January 29th. I am super excited to see that this year we have more than doubled our size and will be in 123 locations (as of today) in 35 countries. I think this is due to our outreach, talks at conferences, letters to developers and of course our tremendous success last year (54 locations, 23 countries resulted in 370 games). This year promises to be just as crazy and full of exciting possibilities as last year. We have a great theme and for the 1st time we are trying out achievements - hoping to encourage experimentation and innovation in video games which is our primary goal. I hope you will take a moment and encourage the people you work with, your students and your friends to participate in the GGJ this year, I would be really appreciative and sure there is a location near you (http://www.globalgamejam.org/Locations).
>Hope all is well in your world,
>Susan

sorry

>From: flrlucas [ Add to Buddies ]
>Subject: sorry
>Date: 1/9/2010 4:28:56 PM
>sorry i didnt know but thanks for re directing me

Since you sent me this as a PM on GameDev, where I'm a moderator, I assume you're talking about some post that you made and that I saw fit to move or close. Anytime you join an online forum, you need to familiarize yourself with, and adhere to, the rules and culture of that forum. Always best to "lurk" and read for a while before posting on a new forum.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 9, 2010

Who decides?

>From: Nathan
>Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2010 3:47 AM
>Subject: DUUUUDE... jk. :), I have a game design/producer question.
>How old are you? 22
> What's your level of education? 70 University credits towards a business administration degree; although i have switched universities and majors for this coming semester to gaming and simulation.
> What's your current occupation? (If student: "student") student
> Which game job, if any, do you aspire to or plan to study for? thats what im asking
> What country do you live in (where in the world are you)? NE, USA
>I have read about half of your articles so far since i have found your site a few days ago and they are great but i am still confused a little as to the responsibilites of game designer vs producer.
>Here is what i am woundering to decide what job i should be working towards.
>Lets say i was working for Bungie while they were creating Halo 3, it be the game designer that gets to decide stuff like: wheather or not to have bullet spread on the gun fire, how the melee system works, and other gameplay things like that and then he would have to get the producer to ok it. or would things like bullet spread vs having none and stuff like that be up to individual teams most of the time.

Hi Nathan, you wrote:

i [sic] am still confused a little as to the responsibilites of game designer vs [sic] producer.
I don't think so. I think you're just under the mistaken impression that there's a clear demarcation as to which decisions fall under whose bailiwick. (I think there was a mixed metaphor in that sentence but let's ignore that.) The world isn't black and white -- it's millions of colors and shades of gray. In other words, "it depends." A decision might not be made by one person or the other -- it might be a joint decision -- it might be made by someone other than the two individuals -- it might be a given (as opposed to a decision) based on the necessities of the project, the genre, or even the platform holder. Besides, a good project manager doesn't micro-manage every aspect of what his teams do.

it be [sic] the game designer that gets to decide stuff like: wheather [sic] or not to have bullet spread on the gun fire [sic], how the melee system works, and other gameplay things like that and then he would have to get the producer to ok [sic] it.
It depends, as noted above. But most likely, the design team is best suited to make a decision like this, and the producer probably trusts their judgment. Unless the producer has a design background and holds extremely strong opinions on the matter of bullet spread, he's unlikely to micromanage this. That said, I once worked with a game designer who didn't make decisions -- he had the trust of the team, and the producer, but he wanted to make sure that he always had consensus on a feature. The project would have gone faster if he'd just made the decision and moved on to the next thing.

or [sic] would things like bullet spread vs [sic] having none and stuff like that be up to individual teams most of the time.
Yes.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 9, 2010

Thank You For Inspiring me

>From: Ryan
>Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 8:54 PM
>Subject: Thank You For Inspiring me to become a game designer
>yeah hi tomster,
>jus wanna thank you for inspiring me to become a 3d modeler. This type of CGI art have filled my life with joy & hapiness. I wish you the best of luck..
>Ryan

yeah you're welcome Ryan. (^_^)
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 7, 2010

Aspiring designer in India -- back again -- same question as B4

>From: jose
>Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 4:31 AM
>Subject: "Game Designing courses"
>Hi ,
>My name is Jose. I'm from India and am 19 years old. I am doing my PG in Btech at a respected college here. I would like to Become a Game Designer at some Good Game Creators Company like EA or Eidos etc..I would like to know what all qualifications i need to become one.Also if there is any scope in India for this field.Also Interested to Study abroad.I would like to any if there is Any good colleges in India which offers Game Design Courses?? If u could provide me with the list of colleges which offers game designer courses here and Abroad ,it would be helpful.Also will an MBA before doing a Game design course is Helpful??Also By learning Flash and other Languages like Maya and 3DMAX is it helpful for my career?Any information provided would be helpful in the growth of my carrier.
>Thank you..
>Jose

Jose,
I already answered you the first time you wrote to me and asked this same question, a month ago (December 9). I even emailed you at that time, to let you know that the response was here, along with complete instructions about where "here" is and how to find the response.
It sounds like you never received that email, and never bothered to come back and find that response, because now you're asking the same question again (with some new questions). You can scroll down to December 9 and find the post, entitled "Aspiring designer in India," AND READ IT. In that previous response I suggested some of my articles that you should read. PLEASE READ THEM.
After you have read my previous response, and after you have read the articles I pointed you to, if you still have more questions, PLEASE LOOK FOR ANSWERS in my other articles. If you can't find them, you are welcome to ask. The response will be given here on this board.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 7, 2010

I wanna be an animator but I can't draw

>From: Jacob
>Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 6:34 PM
>Subject: Becoming an animator
>Hi Tom,
>I'm reading through your site at the moment, hoping to find some advice to becoming a game animator.
>Just a quick question, though I think I know and fear the answer:
>Is a lot artistic ability required in being a 3D animator. I love animating, but I couldn't draw a person to save myself. Should I buckle down right away and start drawing?
>Thanks,
>Jacob

Hi Jacob, you asked:

Is a lot artistic ability required in being a 3D animator.
I assume some amount of art talent is necessary to gain admittance to an art school. But I don't honestly know. You might want to ask this question on the IGDA forum (be patient -- it takes a LONG time to load) and on the GameCareerGuide forum and on the GameDev forum. See my Game Biz Links page if you don't want to go search out those forums yourself.

Should I buckle down right away and start drawing?
I would assume so. But I don't honestly know.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 6, 2010

I am interested in a career in Audio Production (Frequently Asked Question #53)

>From: Evan
>Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 11:24 AM
>Subject: Situation
>Hello,
> I have recently come across your blog on Game Testing, after typing it in as a whim online. I am interested in a career in Audio Production, but have no formal training as of yet (am going back to school this fall). Just moved into a new apartment and am currently looking for jobs in the area. I would consider myself a fairly good gamer, with the ability to notice the small glitches, and critique games fairly well. I am not looking to gain a full time job or anything of the sort in this industry, but it would be nice to have a little extra money in my pocket for doing something that I already do. Wondering if you could give a yay or nay as to whether I should pursue this.

I am interested in a career in Audio Production
This question has been asked many times before. You can find the answer to this question, and many other often-asked questions, in the "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQs"). Please scroll up and find the links to the FAQs, above left (they're easy to find since they're indicated by a blue and yellow flashing arrow, emblazoned "READ 1ST," like this ). Bookmark the FAQs page for your future reference. You have asked Frequently Asked Question #53. Please always check the FAQs first, before asking a question.

I am not looking to gain a full time job or anything of the sort in this industry, but it would be nice to have a little extra money in my pocket for doing something that I already do.
You are speaking in riddles, young sir. Are you referring to "playing video games," is that it?

Wondering if you could give a yay or nay as to whether I should pursue this.
I don't know of any part-time jobs in the game industry, and I don't know what sort of work you're talking about. On the possibility that you're talking about QA, you said you already read FAQ 5...?

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 6, 2010

Do I have to be good with computers to be a game storyline developer?

>From: OLD COACH [REMAINDER DELETED]
>Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 8:09 AM
>Subject: Q about video game occupations
>I understand that, in order for you to give me the best answer suited to my unique situation, you need to know that...
>My approximate age is: _17
>The level of education I've completed is: _Sixth form
>My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: _student
>The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: _game storyline developer
>My game biz question is: _do you have to be good with computers to get a job with computer games? i am studying physics, but am frankly aweful with computers. i do however have loads of imagaination and patience. can i still get a job working with video games and if so, what would be a good job to go for? Thanks

Hi Old Coach,
You say you want to be a game story writer. Did you know that writers do all their writing nowadays on computers? And that writers do their research on computers? You'll have to be good enough with computers to get a writing degree. And you'll also have to learn to use the Shift key on the computer keyboard whenever you type the word "I," and whenever you begin a new sentence. You'll also have to learn how to use a spellchecker, if you can't manage to learn to spell better yourself. Writers have to be very good at writing! Hope that's not news to you.
You can learn more about the job of writing for games, and many other often-asked questions, in the "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQs"). Please scroll up and find the links to the FAQs, above left (they're easy to find since they're indicated by a blue and yellow flashing arrow, emblazoned "READ 1ST," like this ). Bookmark the FAQs page for your future reference. You have asked Frequently Asked Question #32. After you have read that article, if you have more questions I can help you with, you know where to find me. But please always check the FAQs first, before asking a question.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 6, 2010

You are so right on with what you say about passion!!

>From: [NAME DELETED]
>Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 6:14 AM
>Subject: Life and Game Design by Cross Tyreck (ficticious name)
>Mr. Sloper,
> For the basics I am 26 years old with a high school diploma and 42 college credit hours (estimated general eds). I have served 4 years in the United States Marine Corps as a landing support specialist, logistics, and I am currently in Iraq with the United States Army National Guard (some would ask if I learned the first time :-( ) as a Special Electronics Repairman (I fix Night Vision Goggles, trust me they are not that special). I am interested in being a Game Designer and I know I will need to hone my skills in all areas of gaming if I want to be a good designer so I am willing to do just that. As for the country I am in, Iraq is my address, Arizona is my home. Those are the generals about me but I wanted to go in depth in hopes that my background will help you point me in the right direction. I have told this story a few times to those that would listen and I thought would have another piece to the puzzle that is my life. If the length is too much I will try to sum it up at the bottom as my friends have joked that I am prone to writing a thesis on everything I write.
>
> My childhood was spent using video games and school to hide from my abusive mother and lack of a father. We moved around to 8 different states back and forth before I was 10 years old. My mother since then has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bi-polar so no shock on my part about my childhood. Video games were everything to me. Video games gave me something to do that did not hurt. I believe my abnormal childhood is were I got my creativity from and my work ethic. I picked up a few "bad habits" you will notice in the rest of the reading. If you read my whole email then my question is, Could you point me in the right direction or set me on a path to begin?
>
> I spent my high school life trying to make friends but instead delving into video games (mostly the Final Fantasy saga's and Resident Evil's) and reaching out creatively. My creative side was mostly in drawing, html coding for a webtv I had at home (web design), writing short stories, and role playing on text chats (which is where I got some of my short story ideas). I was in therapeutic foster care as a ward of the court throughout high school so I had a lot of positive role models just not any that could point me in the right direction for a career move. I took an exam like you did that would show my interests and give me a place to start to build a career. The results were that I excelled at everything and my interests were in anything. They chose the ones I scored the highest on and suggested a few occupations for me. The main one that stuck out at the time was the medical field. I loved anatomy and physiology and I loved (and still enjoy) being in shape and healthy. I spent two semesters at Oklahoma State University knocking out general eds in a pre-med program. I had a free ride to college through the state because I was a ward of the court. Sadly because of my maturity level I decided I needed to join the Marines active duty and learn how to be a man.
>
> As a Marine I became stronger in many ways. I learned to find respect by the way I treated others and with the support of my fellow Marines we could accomplish anything. I did not learn any real world job skills though so was lost after 4 years when I was honorably discharged. With my discharge I decided to go back to college at Oklahoma State University.
>
> At Oklahoma State University I reasoned that my experience in the Marine corps could be summed up in two general areas, physical fitness and computers. Physical fitness was my lifestyle and computers were my hobby. I learned that trying to get a degree in those two areas together was going to be challenging. With no clear path to take and a weak hold on the plans for my future I decided to drop out before I even started and went to Arizona with my wife.
>
> In Arizona I worked two meaningless jobs to find where I wanted to be in life. I applied for a position at the local police station and after passing all their tests and exams I was at the top of the selection board but was being held back for health reasons. They say every Marine is crazy. Because the Arizona POST denied my application for psychiatric reasons it makes that statement hilarious. I was diagnosed with panic disorder without agoraphobia and was put on SSRI medication. The medication made the health examiner question my application. Needless to say I didn't get the job and I had quit my other job to prepare for the police academy so now I had some time to find a job. I spent this time playing more video games.
>
> I had played with the idea of being a Game Designer but never put much wealth in it because I did not know where to start. With some time off to look for a job I decided to do some research. All the schools I looked into were hopelessly expensive and all the reviews from game designers I read were about how they became game testers and worked their way up the chain to designer. The problem with the last one was all the game companies I knew of were somewhere else (not near enough for my income). Then one day a web banner showed me Collins College of Mesa, Az. I usually do not click on banners, they never have anything that appealed to me ("you just one a million dollars, ipod, and sports car" um....ok) but since I was researching I figured this could be part of my research plan. The link took me to a real college website, not one trying to hack into my computer or download a registry cleaner for me. So I goofed around on the website and got the phone number to the admissions section and called them. The price, like all the other Game Design schools, was outrageous, but Collins was so close there had to be an answer. This is where I did not learn from my first mistake. I signed up for the Arizona National Guard for the 100% tuition, loan repayment program, and a sign on bonus. Little did I know it required accurate paperwork, making connections with the education department for the Arizona National Guard and Collins College, and receiving a new military occupation, to name a few things. I finished the paper work, had a friend who smooth talked the education rep, and had my veteran benefits for college so I was set.
>
> The school was more then I ever could have expected. We tested games, went over game design philosophy, I think that is the term, and learned the basics of drawing in the first semester. The second semester I took humanities, audio for gaming, where we learned file formats, video and audio editing, and folies, and texturing, primarily named photoshop basics but the instructor decided to gear it more toward gaming thank God. These classes were very helpful and eye opening. I regret that I had to deploy though because I spent too much time hating the military because they were taking me away from the school and not enough time at my studies. I passed with A's in all the classes except texturing which frustrates me even now.
>
> The deployment to Iraq is almost over and I will be returning to Collins College soon. I understand getting a Game Design degree will not land me a job as a Game Designer but I believe it is a good start. I admit to not reading all your articles but by the time this deployment is over I shall.
>
>******Abridged version (lol)**********************
>
> Your section on passion was stuck in my head for a few hours so I brainstormed passion and game design in my head. I believe the passion you spoke of could also be defined like this. The element behind your strength, willpower, and determination to excel at craft. Not solely the road you walk on, the bus you take, or the school you go to but the adventure you take getting to your destination. It incorporates everything you do to get to your goal.
>
> I laugh because when I told my boss in the Marine Corps I wanted to be a personal trainer her told me, "Becoming a personal trainer is a journey." It was a speech I could have pulled right out of a movie. Putting that together with what you said about passion I thought of this. The passion you have in life will take you on a journey. You may think you know the path but in the blink of an eye you will find yourself staring down another path. The end result may or may not be the same but the passion is the same. You take the experiences you get on the journey and you learn from them to decide the next path you will take in life. No matter how difficult, your passion will always guide you down the right path.
> Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please give me your opinion.
> Very Respectfully,
> Cross Tyreck
>
>From: [NAME DELETED]
>Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 6:24 AM
>Subject: Add to my last email.
>Mr. Sloper,
> I read through some more posts you had and found that telling you my life story would not be eventful for you nor rewarding for my questions. My apologies. What I do wish to say is that I am overcome with excitement for finding your website and thank you for putting so much information on the net without any gimmicks (except the don't be lazy gimmick lol). Thank you again.
>Very Respectfully,
>Cross Tyreck

Heh. Yeah, I skipped straight down to the "abridged" part, and read your 2nd email. Looks like there's no question I can answer for you right now. If you come up with one, you know where to find me! I'd close by saying "semper fi," but I'm not a Marine so haven't earned the right. So yeah. Stay the course, follow your passions.
As you were!
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 6, 2010

Thanks

>From: Michael
>Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 1:37 AM
>Subject: Thank you for the 'push'
>I wanted to thank you for your push on IGDA.org… you might been coarse about it, but I’m thinking that coarse is the only thing that can really get someone who is in a mental rut to do something. I’m setting up a team right now where we have a set business plan and goal system, and it’s coming together well – an improvement from me running around with an empty resume trying to get a job.
>Again, thanks,
>Michael

You're welcome, Michael.
I like thankyous! (^_^)
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 6, 2010

Help me choose a grad school

From: "Rita
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 5:18 PM
Subject: Graduate Schools
> Hi,
> I am about to graduate from a great 4 yr university, with a double
> major in Japanese and Psychology. I have decided that my interests and
> talents would be better served by getting a graduate degree in Game
> Design since I love, and have some talent in art, and writing, and
> story development.
> I am looking at the [SCHOOL NAME DELETED] in San Francisco, and
> have read some mixed reviews by (mostly former and mostly
> undergraduate) students. Since I am interested in designing the art,
> and the ideas of games, and have liked the little bit of programming I
> have done - it is not my main interest, and I have not taken much math
> at college - would this be a good choice? I have looked at the [SCHOOL NAME DELETED]
> site, and will check the [SCHOOL NAME DELETED] site.
> Any suggestions/feedback would be greatly appreciated.
> Rita [DELETED]
> [EMAIL ADDR DELETED]

Hi Rita,
I think that's great that you can go to grad school. And I also think it's great that you majored in Japanese and Psychology. Both very useful subjects, for the game biz or for life.

You should read my FAQs 40, 34, 25, & 70. You get to choose whatever school you WANT to, based on whatever criteria YOU choose! It really is that simple. Don't assume that the "best" school for you has to be determined by somebody else -- ANYbody else. Don't assume that your passions do not matter. They matter a great deal indeed.

After you read those FAQs you're welcome to ask me another question. Really.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 5, 2010

Got game idea -- now what? (Frequently Asked Question #1)

>From: Raphael
>Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2010 3:03 PM
>Subject: (I Think) I have a great idea, but I need some help!
>Dear Mr. Sloper,
>My name is Raphael [DELETED], and I am 15 years old. I'm sure that makes my hopes of getting my game heard even smaller than they already are. So as I was researching, I came across your page, and it really helped me out. I do think I need a little bit more help, though. Here is the main focus of my idea for a rhythm game, entitled [DELETED].
>[GAME IDEA DELETED FOR LEGAL REASONS]
>I would be totally willing to learn how to program this by myself; however, I feel as though re-inventing the wheel is unnecessary. I have some concept art, but the drawings are hand-made for now. I do not have the ability to develop my own [CUSTOM PERIPHERAL GAME CONTROLLERS]. I feel as though after reading your website, you would have some suggestions.
>Sorry for the long message, I just wanted you to know that the idea is very planned out, and that I have it all written out.
>Thanks for all your help,
>Raphael [DELETED], 15, [CITY AND STATE DELETED]

Hi Raphael,
Have you read my article #1? It sounds like you haven't. Please go read it. Then come back here. I'll wait.

What, you haven't read it yet? Oh. Sorry. Didn't tell you where it is. Yeah, scroll up and look for the articles/lessons/FAQs links at the left side. Click. Then click FAQ 1. Go ahead. I'll still be here when you come back.

Whistling

Ah. Good, you've read FAQ 1. Then here's my advice:
Get good marks in high school, then go to college/university. Study whatever course of study you want to. (I wrote about that in FAQs 3, 40, and 34, if you want to read those too.) Then after graduation, if you still want to design games, get a job in the game industry -- any job. (I wrote about that in FAQ 7.)
Then, after you've been in the game industry for a few years, you can start your own company (see FAQ 29) and make your dream game yourself.

Or if you decide to ignore the above advice, you can try pitching your concept to a game company after you're 18 (read FAQs 11, 21, and 35).

By the way, it was a terrible idea for you to tell me your whole idea the way you did.
[edit]For legal reasons, I have deleted all traces of your idea from my computer. I do not even have your last name or your email address anymore -- I deleted it all. I did this to protect myself legally in case your idea is ever made by someone other than you and you mistakenly think I stole your idea and sold it to someone else -- I would never do that! And I wish you'd never told me your idea, putting me in legal jeopardy like that! But it's a pretty obvious idea, so I wouldn't be surprised if somebody does do it.[/edit]
You should type up your idea into a complete GDD, in my opinion, and copyright it with the US copyright office. See FAQ 39.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 3, 2010

Am I too late? Am I screwed? (Frequently Asked Question #71)

>From: Kosta
>Sent: Saturday, January 02, 2010 11:25 PM
>Subject: Programming in the 20's
>Hello Mr Sloper,
>I am a 20 yo Computer Science student. I just started having my very first steps in programming (started with Liberty Basic) and i want to go through C++ and get a job as a programmer in the game industry. However i am a little pessimistic about my age as i see younsters in their 13's to 16's that they already know the basics in programming.
>Am i too late or there's hope?
>I am looking forward to your reply. Thank you

Kosta,
A girl who starts figure skating at age 4 might become an Olympic medalist by age 13. A young woman who starts figure skating at age 20 probably won't win an Olympic medal. But she can still get very good at skating, and she can still enjoy skating all her life.
Read Frequently Asked Question #71. Please scroll up and find the links to the FAQs, above left (they're easy to find since they're indicated by a blue and yellow flashing arrow, emblazoned "READ 1ST," like this ). When you have a better question for me (one that is not so silly), you're welcome to ask it.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 3, 2010

Choosing a school -- choosing a degree -- is marketing a viable breaking-in path? (part 3)

>From: Ankit
>Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 3:08 AM
>Subject: Re: Game Degree or Engineering/Business
>Hi Tom,
>This is a follow up question. It's a 2 year degree. The first year offers a Diploma on Programming and the Second year gives you the degree. Should I go for it?
>Thanks

Ankit,
Read all of these:

Choosing a school -- choosing a degree -- is marketing a viable breaking-in path? (part 2)

>From: Ankit
>Sent: Sunday, December 27, 2009 2:00 AM
>Subject: Game Degree or Engineering/Business
>Greetings Tom,
>I was going through the internet the other day, and to my surprise, I finally found a decent institute close by offering a games programming degree:
>[SCHOOL DELETED] Games Programming.
>Now, my school counselor tells me to go for Engineering or Marketing, since the 'gaming people' like seeing broad engineering/marketing degrees rather than narrowed down gaming degrees.
>I just want someone to validity the comment made by my counselor. [SCHOOL] sounds like a great place to do my gaming degree and I am passionate about pursuing it, but after hearing what my counselor said, I am not so sure.
>Take Care and have a great 2010

Hi Ankit,
It appears that you have not read my previous reply to you, two days ago? Or if you have, this may just be a follow-up question. If you did not read my previous reply, please scroll down and read it. Today you wrote:

my school counselor tells me to go for Engineering or Marketing
The engineering program is right for you if your passion is programming. Read FAQs 34 & 40 (the FAQ links are above left). The marketing program is right for you if you are interested in the business and marketing side of games. Read my IGDA column about marketing (I gave the URL in my previous post).

my school counselor tells me... the 'gaming people' like seeing broad engineering/marketing degrees rather than narrowed down gaming degrees.
I don't even know what a "game degree" is, if it is not focused on design or art or programming or business/marketing. (By the way, see my definition of the word "gaming" in FAQ 28.) And I don't know what a "broad" degree is. Get a 4-year education in whatever major you WANT to.

[SCHOOL] sounds like a great place to do my gaming degree
Read FAQs 25 & 44, like I said before.

I am passionate about pursuing it
If it's a 4-year degree, then, you should go for it. (If your results of FAQ 25 agree.)

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 27, 2009

Is an alleged equivalent good enough?

>From: travis
>Sent: Saturday, December 26, 2009 3:05 AM
>Subject: Question that I didn't see on the site.
>Hey Tom,
>I was pointed to your site via Ernest Adams' and see alot of helpful things there. One question that I'm currently faced with (not the is this the right program one) is and I know you say to get a B.A. in something, but would a Diploma be acceptable? I ask this because I'm enrolled to go to [DELETED] School http://www.[DELETED] in their Game Design (which is only a year, but they say is equiv to a four year theory program) program but it only gives a Diploma in GD. Same kind of question as the "Is this the right school?" but I'm just curious to know what the difference would be between the Degree and Diploma standards in the industry.
>Thanks (even for some mocking),
>Travis.

Hi Travis, you wrote:

I know you say to get a B.A. in something, but
When you say "but," you're totally ignoring/negating the advice.

would a Diploma be acceptable?
Of course it's "acceptable," but in the sense that breathing for two minutes is acceptable. If I told you, "breathe for two minutes," you'd damn well better not stop breathing after the two minutes have passed! It's acceptable to have a certificate (which is what a diploma is, I gather), but you ALSO NEED TO HAVE A B.A. -- When I said to get a B.A., I didn't say to get something inferior INSTEAD of a B.A., I said to get a B.A.! You can always get the certificate on top of the B.A. - of course that would be "acceptable."

What you're asking amounts to an "is it enough" question. You should read FAQ 49, if you aren't too lazy to scroll up and click the FAQs link. And if you aren't too lazy to cut and paste a URL, read my answer to "chingizkh" who asked the same question as you, on GameCareerGuide - http://www.gamecareerguide.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3244

their Game Design (which is only a year, but they say is equiv to a four year theory program) program
That's bull$#!+.

Same kind of question as the "Is this the right school?"
I can't tell if you're asking me if that school is "the right" one for you, or if you're making some kind of obscure parallel. You should read my FAQs 25, 34, 40, & 44.

I'm just curious to know what the difference would be between the Degree and Diploma
A bachelors degree takes four years to get. A diploma or certificate takes half or a quarter the time. A bachelors degree delves deeply into a topic, examining applicable peripheral topics as well. A certificate or diploma just skims the surface.

...in the [game] industry
When we see that an applicant spent four (or more) years getting an advanced education, we see someone who can stick it out through a lengthy endeavor. Game projects take a long time, and we need people who can stick it out.
A 4-year bachelors degree looks very good on the résumé.
A diploma that takes 2 years to get is half as good as a B.A.
A certificate that takes 1 year to get is one-quarter as good.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
Boxing Day, 2009

Choosing a school -- choosing a degree -- is marketing a viable breaking-in path?

>From: Ankit
>Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 10:52 AM
>Subject: Some Inquiries
>Hi
>I am currently choosing what university I would like to attend and what degree I would like to enroll into. I would like to know about your opinions on this career track:
>Doing a degree B.A. Business Management (Marketing) in a UK University, and following that up with a Post Graduate Diploma or Degree related to Video Games.
>Does that sound like a good track to take up?
>It's either this or Software Engineering, which I am not a big fan of. So, does Marketing seem like a good option to take to break into the industry?
>Thanks

Hello Ankit, you wrote:

I am currently choosing what university I would like to attend
Read FAQ 25 (you can link to the FAQs above left).

and what degree I would like to enroll into.
Read FAQs 34 & 70.

Doing a degree B.A. Business Management (Marketing) in a UK University, and following that up with a Post Graduate Diploma or Degree related to Video Games.
>Does that sound like a good track to take up?
Depends entirely on YOU, Ankit. Do you WANT to study business management with a marketing bent? If so, then "YES! It does sound good to me." But if you DON'T want to study that, then: "NO!" Read FAQ 40.

It's either this or Software Engineering, which I am not a big fan of.
If you don't want to study software engineering, then why on earth is that even an option??? I do not understand your thinking, young sir!

does Marketing seem like a good option to take to break into the industry?
If marketing is interesting to you, then yes, it's a good option for you. Read FAQ 41, and also read my February 2004 IGDA column, "The Games Game: Getting In Via Marketing." Go to http://www.igda.org/games-game and click Archives (that'll take you to http://www.igda.org/games-game-archives), then scroll down to February 2004 (or just search the archives page for "marketing"). That said, you didn't tell me what you hope to be doing, say, five years from the time you graduate (let's call it ten years from now) -- marketing in the game industry? Or designing levels? Or running your own game business? Or what? (That kinda matters too, ya know.)

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
Christmas Day, 2009

Good question analogy (FAQ 3)

>From: Jehiel
>Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 2:54 PM
>Subject: In response to an analogy for asking the right question.
> I am 25 years old, have graduated from high school, and am currently working as a window cleaner. (Impressive, no?) I live in Canada. I have had a passion for the video game industry for a long time and recently have been interested in writing for said industry. I do not have much knowledge apart from playing games, but have been working on writing a story and world for a game for some time now. For a long time I've viewed it as just a hobby, although I've begun to realize I want more from it than that. I'm still pretty scattered as to where I specifically want to go. Got any advice?...Kidding. Really I just wanted to commend you on your posts and hope you continue, so I have something more to draw off of. Thanks. This next portion of the e-mail was just a comment applying to one of your invitations. RE: Analogy for asking the right question.
> Ever try to type “Got any good advice on games?” into an internet search engine? I can tell you…not very effective. You might eventually get the information you seek, but you’ll be forever flipping pages to find it. Also, be aware that Google may have the patience to lay all that information out for you, but any person with a semblance of a life, does not. Be specific and it becomes easier for both parties to communicate effectively without wasting each other’s time. (Yes, it has occurred to me that this may not be a proper analogy, but I thought it to be interesting nonetheless.)

Hi Jehiel,
Sorry for the long delay. No good reason, just had a lot on my mind, is all.
Actually, I think the search engine parallel isn't bad. A search engine can't read your mind to know what answer you're really looking for, and if your question isn't specific, a lot of people will miss it too.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 24, 2009

A quote on fear, and an education Q

>From: Anthony
>Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 10:31 AM
>Subject: Another quote on fear, and shameless solicitation of advice.
>From Faulkner's The Bear:
>"Be scared. You can’t help that. But don’t be afraid. Ain’t nothing in the woods going to hurt you unless you corner it, or it smells that you are afraid. A bear or a deer, too, has got to be scared of a coward the same as a brave man has got to be."
>Perhaps a bit ambiguous to include with your quotes on fear (#71), but remarkable language all the same.
>I hold an MFA in Film from [DELETED] University. Like all disgruntled filmmakers, I became a corporate marketing schlub who shoots and teaches on the side. I'm a 35-year old married homeowner with a good start to a satisfactory if not romantic career.
>When I was in school, a democratized digital cinema was on the horizon but not impending. I knew change was inevitable, moving at some awesome velocity, but could not predict its acceleration, or, indeed, its scope; I did not think too much would change faster than I could learn it.
>Digitality (a wonderfully pompous academic word) did of course change cinema rapidly. Five years after learning to thread film through gates and shutters, a $500 camera from Best Buy can capture more detail than $50,000 Arri 16mm; an iMac with a broadband connection can distribute more media to more people than a theater chain.
>In a media culture where all media is digital, everything can be a picture, a song, a movie and a game all at once, if it wants to be. While it may not be necessary to become an expert in all forms, it is absolutely necessary to respect the mutability of each form, and coordinate one's work accordingly.
>And here finally is my point: I have a classical education and a traditional occupation that must adapt itself to a relentless, frightful and wonderful digital culture. My industry and my business must do the things I know how to do (tell stories, sequence images, engage the emotions and perceptions of our market) by means that I don't fully understand (through dynamic websites, interactive content and a robust social network).
>The opportunities are as exciting as the obstacles are daunting. I know and understand what I need to learn, but I am not sure what sequence to follow; I do not need (and certainly do not want to pay for) another degree, though academic courses of study are familiar and comfortable to me.
>Time, of course, is of the essence, as the pressures of digital media weigh upon my industry as well as my career.
>So what do you think? Enroll in an academic program (expensive and repetitive, yet comfortable and predictable), or visit the bookstore (cheap and exciting, but inefficient and risky).
>Thanks for a great online resource.
>Looking forward,
>Anthony [DELETED]

Hi Anthony, you wrote:

From Faulkner's The Bear:
I guess I don't love that one a lot. But thanks, though!

I did not think too much would change faster than I could learn it.
That was smart. Too many people try to rush their education.

My industry and my business
And those would be "marketing" and... "marketing"?

must do the things I know how to do (tell stories, sequence images, engage the emotions and perceptions of our market) by means that I don't fully understand
Yes, we're all in the same boat there. Film (I guess we still use that word) and games and yes, marketing. Nobody has an answer. Oh wait. Some have an answer, and will probably show us the way. Know how they know the answer? They got creative and tried stuff.

I know and understand what I need to learn, but I am not sure what sequence to follow... Enroll in an academic program ... or visit the bookstore
That's it? That's what all those words were leading up to? Very simple. Visit the bookstore, by all means. And enroll, if you want to.

Time, of course, is of the essence
Ah. So you've decided to rush your continued education after all, eh? Lotsa luck with that.

as the pressures of digital media weigh upon my industry as well as my career.
And "industry" and "career" would be, respectively, "marketing" and... "marketing"? (I don't need to know -- it's just that this part was unclear. Clarity is a thing that marketers and filmmakers should strive for.) (Hmm, wait, maybe not in marketing, I don't know.)

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 22, 2009

I like to play. I would like to a game tester job. Part 2.

>From: . .
>Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 1:46 AM
>Subject: Re: Video game tester
>Thank you for your reply! This is not as easy as I thought.

Hello Krisztian,
1. You're welcome.
2. Read FAQ 26.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 18, 2009

I like to play. I would like to a game tester job.

>From: . .
>Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 10:16 AM
>Subject: Video game tester
>Hello!
>My name is Krisztian. I am 34 years old, high school education level. I don't work now.I like to play. I would like to a game tester job. I live in Hungary. Can you help me? Where to start?
>Thank you!

Hello Krisztian,
The fact that you like to play is not enough. Read Frequently Asked Questions #s 5, 4, 27, & 64. Please scroll up and find the links to the FAQs, above left (they're easy to find since they're indicated by a blue and yellow flashing arrow, emblazoned "READ 1ST," like this ).
After you have read those articles, use my Game Biz Links page to look up game companies in Europe. You may have to move to another city or even another country to get a job as a tester (but you'll already know that after you read those articles). After you've read those articles, looked at the maps, and researched work-visa regulations for Europe, I probably won't be able to help you further, but if you want to give me a try, I'm always here. Before you ask, I don't know anything about the laws regarding working in Europe, if your country of citizenship is not the same as the country where the company is located.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 17, 2009

Is this enough? (Frequently Asked Question #49)

>From: Peter
>Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 1:19 PM
>Subject: job/education related
>Hello,
>I am 22 years old, high school education level, self taught in advance math and structural engineering concepts. I currently work as a Quick Service Supervisor(Food Service) at [COMPANY NAME DELETED]. I aspire to be a "World/Environment Modeler" for a "AAA" game company. I live in [CITY NAME DELETED], Ontario. I have always had talent for designing structures, and environments and I am sure that I would really enjoy this job. I am very expirienced with Maya( 3d modeling software) and have some programing experience. My question is whether a 3 year college program -Software Analyst- would be enough to back me up?
>Sincerely,
>Peter [LAST NAME DELETED]

Hi Peter, the question you asked me today is:

whether a 3 year college program -Software Analyst- would be enough to back me up?
That's Frequently Asked Question #49. You can scroll up and click the FAQs link, above left. You could have just read the FAQ and gotten the answer to this question without having to contact me directly. After you read FAQ 49, I hope you will come back. Because I know you didn't ask me your real question today. What is your REAL question? What is it you REALLY want to know? When you ask me the real question, you'll get a much better answer. I guarantee it.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 16, 2009

What Is a Good Format for Rules Document and Diagrams

From: "Kevin
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 1:00 PM
Subject: What Is a Good Format for Rules Document and Diagrams for it?
> Hi Tom Sloper,
> I've currently got my game completely documented (or at least
> completely as far as I can tell). The documents are split between a
> rules document in ".odt" format and a bunch of pixel maps in ".bmp"
> format. The ".odt" format is for a Novell editor called Open Office.
> I've drawn a lot of diagrams for my rules document, but they're all
> just pixel maps again, in ".bmp" format. Do you know how to create
> diagrams for Open Office, or alternately, do you know some other edi-
> tor that it might be more appropriate for me to have my rules document
> written in, that I could move my rules document to and have the dia-
> grams that I need? Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
> Kevin
> "You'll never get to heaven, or even to LA,
> if you don't believe there's a way."
> from _Why Not_

Hi Kevin, you wrote:

What Is a Good Format for Rules Document and Diagrams for it?
Look at the rules for Monopoly. Look at the rules for Risk. Look at the rules for a hex-based RPG. Look at the rules of Clue. Then decide for yourself what format is right for your game and what your needs are.

The documents are split between a
> rules document in ".odt" format... The ".odt" format is for a Novell editor called Open Office.
I don't like Open Office myself, but if you can't afford Word, then that's fine. But if you're going to provide the files to others, you have to provide them in a common file format, like PDF or RTF. I imagine OO can save files in a number of file formats.

and a bunch of pixel maps in ".bmp"
> format.
BMPs are bad. They're HUGE. Including any image file in an RTF document will make it really big. (I assume you're providing these files to others in soft format, otherwise it doesn't matter if the files are big.) If file size is an issue, I recommend .PNG.

Do you know how to create
> diagrams for Open Office
No. And if I did? You don't expect me to teach you how, do you?

do you know some other edi-
> tor that it might be more appropriate for me to have my rules document
> written in, that I could move my rules document to and have the dia-
> grams that I need?
I'm a huge fan of Microsoft Word.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 9, 2009

School career interview assignment (FAQ 37), part 2

>From: susan
>Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 10:30 AM
>Subject: Re: middle school interview
>Thank you so much for replying to my questions!! Joseph

You're welcome, Joseph. I appreciate your coming back and saying thanks. Lots of guys never bother with good manners.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 9, 2009

Aspiring designer in India

>From: jose [DELETED]
>Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 8:13 PM
>Subject: "Game Designing courses"
>Hi ,
>My name is Jose [DELETED]. I'm from India and am 19 years old. I am doing my PG in Btech at a respected college here. I would like to Become a Game Designer at some Good Game Creators Company like EA or Eidos etc..I would like to know what all qualifications i need to become one.Also if there is any scope in India for this field.Also Interested to Study abroad.Any information provided would be helpful in the growth of my carrier.
>Thank you..
>Jose [DELETED]

Namaste, Jose. You wrote:

I would like to know what all qualifications i need to become... a Game Designer at some Good Game Creators Company like EA or Eidos etc.
You would need a degree, a portfolio, game industry experience, and legal working status for the United States (unless you get a job at an Indian office of such a company).

Also if there is any scope in India for this field.
Yes. There are game companies in India. The game industry is in its infancy in India, and growing.

Also Interested to Study abroad.
That's nice.

Any information provided would be helpful
Read my articles. Just scroll up, click the articles/FAQs/lessons link, and start reading. Make sure you read especially articles 3, 7, 14, 34, 44, & 64 for starters.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 9, 2009

School career interview assignment (FAQ 37)

>From: susan
>Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 4:07 PM
>Subject: middle school interview
>Hello, My name is Joseph and I am in the 7th grade in [CITY DELETED]. My math teacher assigned a career project and asked us to choose someone to interview. I couldn't think of anyone that I would rather interview than a video game developer. I found your website online and hoped that you would respond to my questions for my report. Thank you so much!!
>1. What drew you to this career?
>2. What are the job responsibilities and the day to day activities?
>3. What are the working conditions (inside, outside, solitary, team)?
>4. What qualifications are required?
>5. How long have you worked at this job?
>6. Do you enjoy the work that you do?
>7. How do you use math in your work?
>8. What mathematical concepts do you use on a regular basis?
>9. Where did you learn the math that you needed to be successful in your career?
>10. What advice do you have for me as a middle school math student?

Hi Joseph,
I got into this career unintentionally. You can read my story of how I became a game designer in Article 18. You can access my articles by clicking the articles/FAQs/lessons link, above left.
I'm a game producer, a game designer, and I teach about games at a university. You can read about the producing job in Article 42, and about the designing job in Article 14.
Inside. Team.
A degree, game industry experience, and a good team spirit.
Almost 30 years.
Yes.
As a designer, I use math to calculate box sizes on the TV screen or to balance hit points versus damage points, and to add up scores. As a producer, I use math to calculate budgets and schedules, ROI's and P&L's.
Since I don't work directly with 3D, I mainly use multiplication and addition (and their counterparts, division and subtraction), and percentages.
In high school.
Follow your passions (Article 40), work hard, don't waste time thinking about what you don't want, and don't let fears hold you back.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 9, 2009

Mr. Wordy Returns

>From: M. E.
>Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 3:00 PM
>Subject: Mr. Wordy Returns
>You know, you called me wordy last time, so I'll go for brevity over depth (I later realized the intense irony of this as I edited it), although I will include some background in this e-mail which isn't as brief. ...Although, I'll still be wordy. Just a little bit.
> Age? 16.
> Education level? Highschool.
> Occupation? Student.
> Which game job, if any, do you aspire to or plan to study for? Game designer.
> Country? Canada
>I've included the following brief bit of background in order to familiarize everyone with my question before diving right in.
>I have heard a great deal about how commercialized the video game industry has become, with particularly scary articles re: Activision Blizzard and Bobby Kotick.
>Specifically, these quotes originating from the Deutsche Bank Securities Technology Conference in San Francisco:
>Regarding an employee incentive program that he played a crucial role in setting up, Kotick said that the program, "really rewards profit and nothing else," and that, "you have studio heads who five years ago didn't know the difference between a balance sheet and a bed sheet who are now arguing allocations in our CFO's office pretty regularly."
>Regarding Activision Blizzard's culture Kotick stated: "We have a real culture of thrift. The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games." He said point blank that he is trying to instill into the company culture "skepticism, pessimism, and fear", noting with regards to the financial crisis that, "we are very good at keeping people focused on the deep depression."
>Now, a lot of peoples' first instinct when they see this sort of thing is to believe that it is highly sensationalized media hype bullshit, but in fact, here is the direct quotation from the conference which most of the quotes derive themselves from:
>Jeetil Patel, Deutsche Bank Securities - Analyst
>"What do you think the retailers' willingness these days is to hold inventory on the video game side? Are they building positions today or are they still very reluctant and very careful of how they are buying?"
>Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard, Inc. - President and CEO
>"I don't think it is specific to video games. I think that if you look at how much volatility there is in the economy and, dependent upon your view about macroeconomic picture and I think we have a real culture of thrift. And I think the goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks that we brought in to Activision 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games."
>"I think we definitely have been able to instill the culture, the skepticism and pessimism and fear that you should have in an economy like we are in today. And so, while generally people talk about the recession, we are pretty good at keeping people focused on the deep depression."
>I should also mention that I have played WoW (a Blizzard Activision game) for 5 years now, and the effects of the merger between Blizzard and Activision have been very apparant. It seems that Blizzard was much less commercialized than the extremely profit-driven management of Activision, because since the merger they have included one outrageous money-grab feature after another (pay to change your faction! your race! your face! your armor! your server! your server type!) all of which Blizzard once stated they would never include as features in the game, and all of which Activision Blizzard has since included. So, in fairness, it seems that some companies still exist (or perhaps the better term is "existed") that are much less affected by this sudden push for commercialization (sudden in the sense of "within the last decade"). Still, I am scared out of my mind.
> It is very clear that the video game industry is a business. But just how commercialized is it - that's the spirit of my question.
>My question comes in 2 parts:
> Has the video game industry become Hollywood 2.0? Is it as brutal, cutthroat and commercialized as Kotick would suggest? I presume that there is a good range of commercialized vs non-commercialized companies, there always is, but what's the median here - what's the average experience I can expect from a high end video game company? (...And, in case you were tempted, I know you haven't worked in Hollywood, and I know that you can't possibly know everything about it's inner workings, but still, nitpicker! Answer as best you can >.< !)
>Second, I am looking at this from a "in 10 years perspective". I realize that no human being can possibly predict with complete accuracy what will happen in 10 years, but in general,
> Which do you expect will be more important in 10 years: the creativity of the designer or the depth of the developer's pocket? Will all the realistic ideas have already been thought up, and from there it's just a question of funds (which ideas you have time to actually go through with)? Or will a talented designer always be able to separate himself from the pack (and thus reap the obvious benefits)? I expect that the answer is somewhere in the middle, thus, elaborate! I HATE SHORT ANSWERS INTJ!!!! (FAQ #7, I did my homework :) - I am an INTP for future reference - you got me very interested in the Myers-Briggs, and in psychology, with that FAQ, for that I really need to thank you).
>I should note that the second question is easily my greatest fear (even greater than the first). Perhaps it's silly, but I really am scared out of my mind by the idea of it. Before responding, consider this point (from typelogic.com):
>"A major concern for INTPs is the haunting sense of impending failure. They spend considerable time second-guessing themselves. The open-endedness (from Perceiving) conjoined with the need for competence (NT) is expressed in a sense that one's conclusion may well be met by an equally plausible alternative solution, and that, after all, one may very well have overlooked some critical bit of data. An INTP arguing a point may very well be trying to convince himself as much as his opposition. In this way INTPs are markedly different from INTJs, who are much more confident in their competence and willing to act on their convictions. "

You really ARE a wordy cuss! I had to look back to find your previous appearance. " What is interning, what's volunteering, and what's a tour," July 11. Welcome back, by the way. I didn't read your whole email. I just went straight for the five questions you asked, numbered 1 and 2, to wit:

Has the video game industry become Hollywood 2.0? Is it as brutal, cutthroat and commercialized as Kotick would suggest?
Yes.

what's the average experience I can expect from a high end video game company?
The question is very vague. On average, you can expect a more fun job than you would get from working at McDonald's.

in general,
> Which do you expect will be more important in 10 years: the creativity of the designer or the depth of the developer's pocket?
Both. Read FAQ 52.

Will all the realistic ideas have already been thought up
They already have, in a way. In another way, they'll never all be thought up, there'll always be more ideas.

the second question is easily my greatest fear (even greater than the first). Perhaps it's silly, but I really am scared out of my mind by the idea of it.
Read FAQ 47. There's a whole section on fear.
If you want longwinded answers, go ask these questions on GameDev.net - you'll definitely get longwinded answers there!
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 8, 2009

Thank you so much.

From: "Michael M
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 5:12 PM
Subject: Thank you so much.
> I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for the Game
> Design Book. It has helped me view things as they really are, or at
> least should be, and get rid of this "skewed" view that I had on the
> gaming industry. As I am currently in college for an AAS in Game
> Programming, this has helped me focus my drive to really prepare for the
> future. After starting to read this, I have started working on putting
> my portfolio together, and used your guide as a template to write design
> documents. There are just too many great things on this site to go
> through how much help it is, and I will be directing all of my friends
> to it.
> Once again, many thanks, and please continue the amazing work so
> that more generations of game developers may be enlightened by it. Also,
> thank you for writing in a clear, concise, and non-condescending form. I
> truly appreciate it.
> Many thanks,
> Michael. M

You're very welcome, Michael.
Thanks for writing.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 6, 2009

I am looking at creating an story for an game

>From: t_thre...
>Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 7:21 PM
>Subject: Design - Help with ideas - game scripter
>Hi, my name is Timothy I am 17 years old and i attend High School in Australia. I am currently in Year 12 and I am undertaking the subject of Design + Technology. In September 2010 I will have a major Design project to hand up as part of my HSC. (Higher School certificate) this will help me get an uni/collage course in design, I am interested in becoming an Game Scripter
>I am looking at creating an story for an game, I have a ton of ideas that I wish to write about in order to get my story underway. ( I know my story will not be made into a game it will be used as a support in order to get in to university )
>In order to complete an convincing story do I have to have knowledge in the following areas
>· Character Designer
>· Composer
>· Games Designer
>· Concept Artist
>· Level Designer
>· Environment Artist
>· Games Producer
>· Sound Designer
>These are what I think I need in order to create the story am I right?
>Please point me in the direction of any other areas I need to know about to complete an interactive story
>Sincerely, Timothy

Hi Timothy,
I hope we won't be talking at cross purposes here. You said you want to be a "Game Scripter," but I'm not exactly sure that the phrase means the same thing to you as it does to me. It would be a good idea for you to look up the term in the Game Biz Glossary (if you haven't done this already) -- it's FAQ 28, and you can click the FAQs link above left. But you also told me that you want to write a game story. (You used the word "story," not "design.")
So I assume that you are saying you want to be a writer, specializing in game storytelling (in one way or another). You asked:

In order to complete an convincing story do I have to have knowledge in the following areas

Character Designer
No.

Composer
Do you have to be able to compose music? Of course not! Why would you even ask if you have to be able to compose music, just to write a story?

Games Designer
Not really, but you would want to coordinate the storyline with the game designer.

Concept Artist
Of course not! Why would you even think you would need to know how to paint pretty pictures in order to write a story?

Level Designer
Not really, but you would want to coordinate with the level designer.

Environment Artist
Of course not! Why would you even think that?

Games Producer
No, but you would need to make sure to deliver what the producer wants you to.

Sound Designer
Not really, no.

You also wrote:

These are what I think I need [to have knowledge in the following areas] in order to create the story am I right?
To write a story, you only need to be a good WRITER. Were you perhaps asking me about writing a GAME DESIGN (rather than a game story)?

Look, I don't mean to give you a hard time, Timothy. But it's important that we are talking about the same thing. Some folks come to me and ask about writing a game "story" but they really mean a game "design." You seem to be asking about writing a game story (not a game design) but it doesn't make sense to me why you would think that a game writer has to be a musician and an artist and a manager (when it should be obvious that to be a writer one would only need to be a writer). Maybe you read some articles on the Internet that confused or misled you?

A couple more things. You wrote:

Subject: Design - Help with ideas - game scripter
The subject line of your email indicated that you were interested in design. Yet your question never actually mentioned design.
Your subject line also indicated that you would be asking for "help with ideas," yet your email never actually asked for any idea help.
Your subject line also said something about "game scripting," but your whole email seemed to be about story writing instead.

If you want to be a professional writer, you need to work on your subject-line writing. It's very important that an email have a subject line appropriate to the content of the email. In my opinion, a better subject line for your email would have been "I am looking at creating a story for a game"

Please point me in the direction of any other areas I need to know about to complete an interactive story
Read FAQ 32 (see FAQ links above left) and go on the IGDA website and join the Writing SIG (Special Interest Group).
http://www.igda.org/writing
http://www.igda.org/forums/sigs/writing-sig (you might have to register or join)
http://archives.igda.org/breakingin/path_design.htm

You also wrote:

I am looking at creating an story for an game
You should ask your English teacher about the proper usage of the words "a" and "an," and never mix them up. You want to be a professional writer, right?

and i attend High School
You must never forget to capitalize the word "I."

Sorry if it seems like I've been hard on you. I'm trying to show you how to improve your chances of getting where you want to go. Anytime you have follow-up questions, I'm always here.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 4, 2009

What Do I Have to Do to Make Sure, part 2

>From: Kevin
>Sent: Tue, December 1, 2009 12:13:15 PM
>Subject: Re: What Do I Have to Do to Make Sure my Game Is Copyrighted?
>Hi Tom Sloper,
>Thanks for pointing me to FAQ #39; it gave me a lot of great informa-
>tion that I'm going to use. But it didn't answer the two questions
>that I asked. Is it enough to add a copyright notice in my rules do-
>cument, or do I need to put a copyright notice anywhere else (like on
>the game board)? And, where in the rules document should I put the
>copyright notice; should I put it at the beginning, at the end, or
>where?
>Kevin
>"You'll never get to heaven, or even to LA,
>if you don't believe there's a way."
>from _Why Not_

Hi Kevin, you wrote:

Is it enough to add a copyright notice in my rules do-
>cument
In my article 39 I said that this is not enough; that you also need to register your copyright with the US Copyright Office.

or do I need to put a copyright notice anywhere else (like on
>the game board)?
You can do that. Why would you not? I'm assuming this is a prototype copy? A copy you're making for testing purposes, or a copy you're making for submission purposes. If you're talking about the final manufactured item, then also a trademark notice should be on there. Have you looked at some manufactured boards, to see if the publisher of those boards has put legal notices on their boards?

where in the rules document should I put the
>copyright notice; should I put it at the beginning, at the end, or
>where?
I assume you're writing the rules document in a program like Word or Publisher; you could put the copyright notice in a footer so that it appears (in fine print) on every page; but exactly where you put it in the document doesn't really matter very much. Have you cracked open the Monopoly rules to see where they put their legal notices?
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 2, 2009

Color key


Blue = an FAQ, a question that's been asked frequently or is answered with a frequently given answer.
Purple = an angry email from a disgruntled reader.
Green = a happy email from a grateful reader.
Red = a career interview from a student (usually but not always high school).
Orange = a weird or off-topic email.
Black = none of the above. Regular question or comment.

CLICK HERE to read older Q&A postings!