That doesn't say a lot, so I should fix it. And maybe I should write an FAQ, because the question "what goes into a TDD" has been asked by others of late as well (on other forums).

Whereas the GDD describes what the game will be, the TDD describes the plan for building the game. The game's technical staff, under leadership of the technical director, sets forth in the TDD:

Sorry I never explained this on my site before! Now where should I add this -- which FAQ... I guess FAQ 28.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 7, 2008

Game art jobs in Columbus OH?

>From: Justin R
>Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2008 11:22 PM
>Subject: Networking within the gaming field... can you help?
>Hi Tom,
>My name is Justin R and I will begin attending online courses through Westwood College for a bachelor of sciences in video game art and design in January. I am 22 years old and member of the U.S. Navy Seabees. I am a video game enthusiast with a very creative mindset and I believe I have an impact to make on the video game industry. I am currently working two jobs, one in cold storrage over nights from 10 pm to 2 am and one as an assistant manager for Domino's Pizza. I live in the Columbus, Ohio area. The market for video game jobs is either very limited here or very underground, as I have been unsuccesful in identifying a job market for entry level game design positions. I'm sure you're very busy, but I was hoping you would be able to take the time to recommend some strategies or companies in my locale that I might be able to acquire a job as a tester or other entry level positions with.
>Thanks for your time and consideration,
>Justin R

Hi Justin,
Good for you, you found my website. But you obviously haven't looked at it very much yet. Why do I say that? Because almost every question inherent in your email has already been answered in my articles/FAQs/lessons (links above left). You wrote:

I will begin attending online courses through Westwood College for a bachelor of sciences in video game art and design
So. I hope you're an artistic kinda guy. You want to be a game artist? Because that's an art program you're going to take. I only recommend art programs to those who already show artistic talent -- as I wrote in article 34.

I live in the Columbus, Ohio area. The market for video game jobs is either very limited here or very underground
"Location, location, location." Read articles 24 & 27, and use my Game Biz Links page to find out exactly what game companies (if any) there are in your area. It'll probably become obvious that you have to move to a hotbed.

I have been unsuccesful in identifying a job market for entry level game design positions.
Yeah, well. There is no such thing as an entry level game design position (as I wrote in article 14). But you're changing the story on me now. You're planning to take an art course, but you're looking for game design jobs?? And you're looking for them before you're anywhere near ready...

I was hoping you would be able to take the time to recommend some strategies
I already have. Read articles 4 & 27.

or companies in my locale
The first batch of links on my Game Biz Links page are all there to help you research companies. I don't recommend companies. I recommend each aspirant do his own solid research.

that I might be able to acquire a job as a tester or other entry level positions
If you have an art degree when you're done with your online art studies, and if you have a strong art portfolio, you won't need to break in through QA. Artists break in through their art. QA is one often-used entry pathway for game designers, not artists.

To put first things last, Justin, your email subject line was:

Networking within the gaming field
It's very important to write subject lines that actually tell the recipient what the email is about. There was absolutely no mention whatsoever in the body of your email about networking! Read http://wordwise.typepad.com/blog/2007/03/subject_to_chan.html -- and always use good subject lines. On the off-chance that you want to know about networking too, read my article 54.

You'll surely benefit by reading a lot more of my articles too, Justin. Start thinking about where you want to move to when you're ready to seek work in the game industry. You have time - that degree will take time to complete, and you have to build an art portfolio too, before you're ready to seek a job as a game artist.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 7, a date which still lives in infamy, 2008

Should we take our company public or leave it private? (Part 2)

>From: Ryan ██████ - █████████████████
>Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 10:48 PM
>Subject: Re: Hoping to Grab your advice on something
>Tom,
> I don't think I've seen so much inked out text in one of your posts before, I feel like a foul mouthed rapper being censored on a childrens show :) We are definitely going to end up taking the private route, the investment group could look at acquiring additional studios in the future at which point I believe the public vs private debate might be back on the table, but for now we are going to remain a private venture
>Ryan ███████
>█████████████████.com - ████████ the ███████ of the Games Industry to your ████!

Hello Ryan,
Yeah, well. You can see that the previous post before yours was from someone requesting retroactive censoring. It's sometimes hard to tell when someone is accidentally sharing too much information, or doesn't mind sharing the information, or even wants the information broadcast for some reason. Such was the case with your question. Seemed to me that you might not want your company name revealed along with your question about whether to go public or private, so I censored the information. Caution the better way when in doubt. Good luck with your business.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 5, 2008

Should we take our company public or leave it private?

>From: ████ ██████ - █████████████████
>Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 5:14 AM
>Subject: Hoping to Grab your advice on something
>Tom,
> Hey there, just wanted to pick your brain quickly. The investment bank that is funding my new studio is discussing whether to take the Studio Public or leave it as a private venture. Either or the share certs would be issued the same, they just want to take the company in a direction that will have the best chances of success as well as putting the company in the most attractive light possible to investors.
> From your experience in the industry and with dealing with companies what are your thoughts on this? Ignore all of the issues about creative control and all of that, strictly from a business point of view did you have any quick thoughts you wouldn't mind sharing with me?
>Much Appreciated!
>████ ███████
>█████████████████.com - ████████ the ███████ of the Games Industry to your ████!

Hello ████,
This question is way outside of the advice I can offer. Collect all the pros of going public, all the cons, and put them together into a decision grid (article 25). And even that may not be enough to tell you whether or not to take your company public. Maybe consult a financial analyst... or a tarot reader?
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 4, 2008

I'm realy want to work as QA game tester, PLEASE HELP

From: Maxym Y______
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 2:04 PM
Subject: Hi! I need your help, please help
Hi! My name is Maxym i am from Ukraine (West Europe). I'm 22 old and i want to work a QA Game tester, but there is some questions: "I'm live in Ukraine, can i work from home online? It's first. And the second - I try to find some company and every time i read in the field "Required Skills and Experience" That i must have minimum 2 years of experience in a QA environment". I don't have an education of QA game tester, but have Bachelors degree in another University in my country. I have not experience in a QA Game tester and my english is not excellent. I want to start REALY, but I do not know where me to start study and to try as the beginner to see how it's work.
I'm realy want to work as QA game tester, PLEASE HELP
Attachment: Maxym Y_____ my CV.doc (46.1 KB)

Hello Maxym,
You have to read Articles 5, 24, 27, 4, and 64 (links above left).
After you have read those articles, you have to either find companies in Ukraine or leave Ukraine. It's your choice.  You can research companies on my Game Biz Links page (the first links).
After you have read and researched companies, if you have further questions, I'm always here. All answers go on the bulletin board.
Good luck.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 4, 2008

Tag, you're IT, parts 2 & 3

>From: Susie
>To: tomster
>Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 6:19 AM
>Subject: RE: Game Designer
>HI,
>Its ok with me but I want the post to be anonymous please. I also am using the web for job search and I dont want my email or name on it. Pleasssssee!!! Alothough I appreciate the response

>From: Susie
>Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 6:20 AM
>Subject: RE: Game Designer
>I forgot all about this, especially using this email. I would sincerely appreciste the post remaining anonymous.

Susie,
The terms of the free advice I offer are clearly stated above. If you thought emailing "tomster" as opposed to "webmaster" invalidated those terms, you thought wrong. I have deleted the initial of your last name, that's as far as I bend the rule. Don't use a service if its terms are not acceptable to you.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 3, 2008

Tag, you're IT!

>From: Susie
>Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 6:28 AM
>Subject: Game Designer
>Hi,
>I noticed your website. I have a question about moving into the gaming career. I am an IT professional, have a background in java programming and most recently project management. I have a degree but its getting kind of old. AS is IT. I am also an artist, I have gone to school for interenet technologies and I know web design and flash, shockwave etc. I can design, I have all those programs so Im in between IT and something more creative. Im also 43. I think of this as a big disadvantage. I know there is a niche market in gaming and its for 17 to 25 year old guys. Im a female too. So what should I do, I love 3d and detail and I have a lot of IT experience. some of it may help me. Plus I can design in Flash and by the time I get out of the 3D school in vancouver, Ill have a wicked website to go along with my demo reel. What do you think of this type of career change for me? How risky is it to leave the comfort of IT ( or not so comfortable, IT is drying up)?
>ANy advice is appreciated.
>Susie

Hi Susie, you wrote:

I have a degree but its getting kind of old. AS is IT. ... IT is drying up
Wha...?!? That's crazy talk!

Im also 43. I think of this as a big disadvantage.
Stop doing that do yourself. Negative thinking is self-rewarding prophecy.

I know there is a niche market in gaming
Not sure what you're saying. The game industry is huge. Would you call the movie industry a "niche market"? Or are you talking about a niche, a subset, of the game industry?

and its for 17 to 25 year old guys.
Then you don't know enough about the game industry. Do some research on the casual game market. (I should write an FAQ, but my usual audience is males 17-25, and they never ask about this.)

So what should I do
That depends entirely on what you WANT to do, and what you're ABLE to do. You should pick a specialty in the game industry and go for it.

I have a lot of IT experience. some of it may help me.
No kidding. Read article 42 (links above left) and read THIS and THIS.

ANy advice is appreciated.
Build a portfolio. That thing you want to do? Start doing it. Read my two most recent columns (December and November) on the IGDA website. Click "The Games Game" link, above left. Use the Archives link to see past columns. And do some research on the game industry in the meantime. See GameCareerGuide and Gamasutra, read Game Developer magazine. Educate yourself on the industry.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 2, 2008

Would you eat this turkey? - Part 2

>From: Tyson C
>Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2008 11:30 AM
>Subject: RE: Career path for Game Production
>Thank you for your reply. The way you replied made me realise how entitled I sounded. I'll go read more on how to get into the business, and stay in. Thanks!

Hi Tyson,
You're welcome. Now you just need a breaking-in plan.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California
Turkey Day USA, 2008

Would you eat this turkey?

>From: Tyson C
>Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 11:59 PM
>Subject: Career path for Game Production
>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: 19
>The level of education I've completed is: 1st year University
>My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: Student
>The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: Producer/Business owner
>
>I want to know if I'm on the right track:
>Would you hire this guy (as an associate producer, if you had your own company)?
>
>This man has just finished his BCOM from the University of Victoria (UVic), and is eager to get a job as an Associate Producer. He has 3 Co-op terms under his belt, and he has worked in QA on a shipped AAA EA title. He has completed the "DP Challange."
>(One plays and reviews the top 100 games; Xttp://www.dpfiles.com/dpfileswiki/index.php?title=THE_DP_CHALLENGE)
>
>Has aspired for many years to work on, and produce, video games. And as such, has attended many (5+?) conferances throughout his time studying. Throughout University this individual has been a part of, Produced, or helped drive to completion, 3 games. One of which is a shippable product worth $20+.
>
>As you've probably guessed, this is where I see myself in 3 (or so) years. So, would you hire this guy? Reading FAQ 42 makes me *censored*, and production looks like an extremely satisfying and exciting career. Am I on the right track?

Hi Tyson, you wrote:

Would you hire this guy (as an associate producer, if you had your own company)?
>This man has just finished his BCOM from the University
No. Of course not. Would you eat this turkey: It's been killed and has had its feathers removed. (Methinks not.)

Throughout University this individual has been a part of, Produced, or helped drive to completion, 3 games. One of which is a shippable product worth $20+.
Good, you have a portfolio. But no résumé.

Reading FAQ 42 makes me *censored*
Unclear. It makes you what? It makes you poop your pants? I don't follow, please explain. Maybe you should read FAQ 42 again. You need to understand that the job of producer is a position of trust. The way you get trust is to earn it in the biz over time. Not by producing some student projects or mods or indie games, and not by working in QA for a summer. And not by having a degree. You need to be fully cooked before you're ready to be eaten.

Am I on the right track?
Sure. It's just longer than you were thinking.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California
Turkey Day USA, 2008

My question was about schools.

>From: Shelby R
>Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 4:35 PM
>Subject: Game Design
>How old are you? 17 (asking for futer reference)
> What's your level of education? Junier in High School
> What's your current occupation? Gas Station, and Suncoast (movie store)
> Which game job, if any, do you aspire to or plan to study for? Game Designer, with some knowlege in programming, 3D/2D art, etc. (basicly a team leader, with basic all around knowlege, higher on the programming side though)
>
>My question was about schools. I have been looking at Game Colleges specificaly, thinking that was the way to go, but after reading your grid, im having second thoughts. Originally I was looking at Fullsail in Florida, and UAT(University of Advancing Technology). But now I am lookin at The Art Institute of Kansas City. Its very close to home, which is good, and it looks like its got both some of the game classes (though the Game Design class would be online, is that a good idea? ) and the basic knowlege classes. But im not 100% sure, and I want to make the best choice, because there are many people younger than me that are way ahead of me in all of these areas, so I was wandering what you thought, if it was a good combonation of both, or if it may be best to check out another college.
>
>P.S. Apparently the online class is from Pitsburg (Art institute of Pittsburge), so would that be extra cost?
>I cannot find the classes and such that they offer, lost track of were to go for it, but here is there site link
>http://www.kcai.edu/
>any help you could provide would be appreciated.
>thank you in advance

Hi Shelby, you wrote:

Which game job, if any, do you aspire to or plan to study for? Game Designer, with some knowlege in programming, 3D/2D art, etc. (basicly a team leader, with basic all around knowlege, higher on the programming side though)
So, you're a Renaissance man. You understand computers better than your classmates, you're the best artist in your class? I sure hope you aren't also the best writer in your class, because, well, your spelling needs a lot of improvement.

I can understand wanting to be the designer. Maybe in 10 years that can be your job. But after you graduate college, you need an entry pathway into the game industry. So besides studying as many of the subjects as you can from FAQ 3, you should choose a major that'll get you into the industry at the entry level. Like art or programming or level design. Not game design. As I wrote in FAQs 7, 14, & 69. The FAQs are above left. You need to read them. Also I wrote about the need for a specialty in my May 2005 IGDA column -- click the "Games Game" link, above left, then click Archives.

And of course you can't be the team's leader ("producer") until you've worked in the game industry for several years, and have learned how to lead and how the industry works, from the inside. And until you have gained the trust and respect of the others in your company. Read FAQ 42. So first you have to have an entry plan.

I am lookin at The Art Institute of Kansas City
So you want to study art? Sure, that's one entryway into the industry. They won't teach you programming or game design at the art school, though. Art schools teach art. (Read FAQ 34.) So I hope you're very artistic, if you're going to go to an art school.

the Game Design class would be online, is that a good idea?
Online studies are less effective generally than the traditional campus education. I only recommend online schooling to people who can't get the education any other way.

I was wandering what you thought, if it was a good combonation of both, or if it may be best to check out another college.
I don't know anything about colleges except the one where I teach. As I wrote in the FAQs, YOU have to choose the right school for YOUR life.

Apparently the online class is from Pitsburg (Art institute of Pittsburge), so would that be extra cost?
I'm not the guy to ask, Shelby. You have to check with the school itself.

here is there site link
I don't follow links for you and do research for you. I have written some articles based on my long experience in the game industry and based on a common-sense approach to life and work. You have to do your own research. Your school surely has a career guidance counselor you can go to.

I know it's a hard decision, and you feel unprepared to make it. But it's part of growing up. I went through the same thing myself. My guidance counselor was a big help, with his common-sense approach.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 26, 2008

[ No subject ]

>From: Joshua T
>Subject: [ No subject ]
>Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 2:22 PM
>Hi Tom my names Josh
>I guess to give me the best answer you need to know:
>I'm Eleven
>I am in the fifth grade.
>I am student
>I want to be a game designer
>Tom my question is what classes in school should i take now and in middle and high.
>Also can you tell me other links to other sites with as much helpful info as yours

Hi Josh,
You asked:

what classes in school should i take
Read FAQ 3. The FAQ links are above left.

Also can you tell me other links
Click "Tom's Game Biz LINKS page", also above left.

And in the future I recommend that you always type an appropriate subject line for your emails. Read http://wordwise.typepad.com/blog/2007/03/subject_to_chan.html.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 25, 2008

My MMORPG idea, part 2

Dawn,
I just re-read your original post and saw that you did say that you've published a series of books and a paper RPG (sorry for having missed that before). So now it's just a matter of selling your books and games in such large amounts that a videogame publisher will come banging on your door. They're unlikely to want to make an MMORPG, however, for reasons given below. But a regular PC or console game, sure. Why not -- provided that your books and game are generating enough of a buzz. If you wrote the book that just got made into the movie "Twilight," for instance. Game publishers are very interested once you've established a proven hit franchise. But MMORPG...? Still a tough sell.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 21, 2008

My MMORPG idea

>From: Dawn
>Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:48 PM
>Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>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: 28
>The level of education I've completed is: 1 year of college
>My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: Student/administrative
>The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: Programmer
>My game biz question is: I have an IP that has a fully developed MMORPG game idea. However no playable demo. With my level of education a playable demo is not anywhere in the near future. We had at one point a developer named V████████ who worked for Sony interested in getting the IP to Sony, however he got ill and left Sony for a sports game company. We also had over 10,000 hits per day on a website promoting the IP. This was in 2004 before the IP was fully developed and there were some problems. If we were to renew fan base for the IP (Which included a book series, pencil and paper RPG, and the MMORPG) would we have more luck getting a developer interested? Thank you for your time.

Hi Dawn, your question for me is:

If we were to renew fan base for the IP... would we have more luck getting a developer interested?
There's a problem with this question, in that you don't need to interest any developers. You're trying to make the most expensive type of game in the world. It can cost $30-70MILLION to make an MMORPG. No developer has that much money. Only publishers have that much money (and not many of them, at that). Most of them have been burned trying to make MMORPGs, and are unlikely to want to go that way again.

You made many mentions of your IP. If your IP is just an MMORPG idea, it might well be a non-starter. But if your IP has a huge following in another arena, like books or movies or non-massive games, then that could be a starter. But then, although we do see Harry Potter games, we haven't heard about an MMO Harry Potter...

But now I'm rambling and have probably wandered off question. If you want to ask again (and differently), I could give it another shot. Oh, by the way. Have you read FAQs 21 & 35 yet? Nothing in your email indicated that you have...

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 20, 2008

How am i supposed to publish this.

>From: Milos D (aint.no.g)
>Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 10:26:31 PM
>Subject: Problem
>Hi
>I'm 26 been working on this game for a year now, had 3 people involved, friends say that it looks ok, btw music is awesome.
>Now the question :D
>How am i supposed to publish this. Let me make this clear I'm not in this to make millions, (although i like to dream) but i don't want people making a fool out of me and stealing my idea. Who to contact and what is the way of publishing the game? Tnx for your help

Hi Milos, you wrote:

How am i supposed to publish this.
I discussed several publishing options in FAQ 60. The FAQs are above left.

i don't want people making a fool out of me and stealing my idea.
Then you should register your copyright before approaching any publishers. Read FAQ 39.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 20, 2008

i don't know how to contact with add giving company(people). will u plz show me a path (guidline) for ADDS

>From: charanjeet sharma
>Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 8:43:57 PM
>Subject: business work
>hi (boss)
>i m art director in india with 10 exp. so i m inspired by ur web sloperama good guidline website.
>& i also want to make that type of web for graphic,animation guidline web. but for that i also hope to get some finance from adds for web development & make some money.
>but i don't know how to contact with add giving company(people). will u plz show me a path (guidline) for ADDS
>i will be thank full for u.
>WAITING FOR UR REPLY
>" Strength is Life; Weakness is Death "
>Charanjeet sharma (DELHI)

Charanjeet, I only know about making games. Anybody looking at my website ought to be able to see that I don't know much about making websites. (^_^) If you want people to advertise on your site, first you have to make the site and get readers. Oh - and you can sign up for Google Adsense and the Yahoo and Amazon equivalents by just going on their websites and registering.
Good luck to you.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 18, 2008

Thanks

From: "Matthew B
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 3:58 PM
Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>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: 28
> The level of education I've completed is: Bachelor's
> My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: Student
> The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: Programming/Design
> My game biz question is:
> Rather than asking you a question that's already been answered in your
> extensive FAQ, I just wanted to say...
> Thanks.
> Matt

Cool, Matt! (^_^)
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 18, 2008

School interview project

>From: drd14
>Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 2:15 PM
>Subject: Game Designer
>Hi,
>My name is Dillon and I’m in the 10th grade. I am interested in being a game designer. For an assignment for school, I have to conduct a short interview. There are only 3 questions. I would appreciate it, if you could answer the questions that follow:
>How much mathematics is used in this field/occupation? (Be specific)
>What math background was required for this job?
>Why are you interested in this field/career?
>Thank you,
>Dillon

Hi Dillon, my replies to your 3 questions:
Four pounds two ounces. You said to be specific! What I really wanted to say is: not a whole lot, unless the game you're designing is an RPG (and you have to balance HP vs. XP vs. MP etc.) or something like that. By the way, you do know the difference between a game designer and a game programmer, right? You might want to read FAQs 7, 14, & 15 (the FAQs are above left).
You have to have finished all the required math courses for your high school diploma and your college degree.
That's an odd question. "Why am I interested in the career I've had for 25+ years?" Would you ask a lumberjack, "why are you interested in lumberjacking"? I mean it really does sound very odd when you ask it that way. Maybe you should rephrase the question so I could tell you what it is you're really trying to find out. But my guess is that you might find the answer in FAQ 37.
I'll still be here if you want to rephrase the questions -- but make sure you read those FAQs first.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 17, 2008

Thank you

From: "Anton M"
Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 1:55 AM
Subject: Letter of thanks
> Mr. Sloper,
> I wanted to personally thank you for your website and all of its
> information, especially the part about the Game Developers Conference in
> San Francisco every year.
>
> I have known that I had a fascination and love for game design from a
> very early age. It was not until my early highschool years that I
> realized I could do the thing I loved and actually get paid for it. I
> found your website a few years afterward and read my heavy share.
>
> Thanks to your advice I now attend and volunteer at GDC every year where
> I have learned everything I ever wanted about the industry. I am deep
> into my college education and even though I was never actively looking
> for one, was offered jobs by simply networking with people I met (albeit
> they where probably bottom feeding jobs with no benefits, it felt good
> nonetheless). This year I look forward to another great year at GDC and
> perhaps an internship at a company for the summer. I have you and your
> website to thank for all of this and am very grateful. In time I hope to
> put my experiences of learning about the industry on my own website to
> help people like you have.
> Again, thanks for your guidance.
> Anton M

My board game designs, part 6

>From: Kyle Cook
>Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 9:35 AM
>Subject: RE: Questions about your Board Game Design Site Lessons
>So..... Does that mean you are posting this entire conversation?
>I am a bit confused... You say you will not post my email address or my last name, but you also warn about not putting it in the email. Plus, since I did not email you at Webmaster©Sloperama:com, does that invalidate all of those rules you just told me to read?
>I apologize; I don't mean to be difficult.

Hi Kurt,
1. All emails on this topic that aren't business or journalist or close friend emails get posted here, no matter what email address is used to contact me. It's the "price" I exact from answer seekers for the free advice I give.
2. I was getting so many complaints from paranoid answer seekers about posting their full names that I decided to just stop doing it... when I can remember not to. Some paranoids even complain when their mentions of company names or game titles are posted, and it's a pain in the butt for me when the line (what's too personal and what's not) is always moving, depending on the paranoia level of the info seeker. But sometimes a writer clearly wants his information shown, such as Mike Turner's post, below. Yesterday he posted the same thing on GameDev (guess he didn't get enough satisfaction from my answer). Joseph clearly needed his last name posted, so people could contact him. But hmm... Guess I ought to remove Rohit's last name and Eric's too, now that I think of it...
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 16, 2008

My board game designs, part 5

>From: Kyle Cook
>Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 11:53 AM
>Subject: RE: Questions about your Board Game Design Site Lessons
>Exactly. You won't post any of that, will you?

Why don't you have a look for yourself, Kurt? All questions are answered at http://www.sloperama.com/advice/bulletinbd.htm daily. And I recommend you read FAQ 47, too.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
The ides of November, 2008

(Still No Subject)

>From: Rohit J
>Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 9:18 AM
>Subject: Re: (NO SUBJECT)
>Namastey Tom,
>Thank you for youe assistance.
>Another thing i'd like to know is:
>Difference in roles and responsilibities of a Producer in a development studio and a game publishing company.
>Could you kindly throw some light on this?
>Shukriya (thank you)
>Rohit J

Hi Rohit,
The publisher producer is mainly concerned with making the best possible game. He has to make sure that the developer delivers what he wants, on time and on budget. He approves the milestones, providing feedback to the developer, and ensuring that milestone payments get made once he's satisfied with the developer's progress. The publisher producer has to deal with the licensor, platform holder, and the marketing people who create the box & docs, and to shepherd the game through Quality Assurance.

The developer producer herds his cats in making the game on time. He has to make sure to satisfy the publisher producer so that the publisher producer will approve payments for milestone deliveries. He doesn't deal directly with the licensor, necessarily, or with the platform holder or the marketing people.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
The ides of November, 2008

Thank you

From: Eric N
Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 1:16 AM
Subject: Thank you
Tom,
I'm a computer science (and philosophy) student at my local university and I'm interested in entering the video game development industry. I imagine that's not really much of a surprise. I really don't have a question for you, but I wanted to write and thank you for creating the sloperama website. I spent the better part of my evening reading a lot of your FAQ's and I hope I can take most of your advice to heart and internalize it.

Just to give a bit of my own [unsolicited] insight in return for receiving yours:
"Opportunities lost are more painful then opportunities taken."

I came to this realization in highschool after realizing that my fear of rejection was preventing me from asking girls out on dates. It turns out that Shakespeare wrote something along these lines long before I made the same rough conclusion: "It is better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all". Never again would I let myself regret missing an opportunity. As a result of my realization regarding opportunity, I enlisted in the military reserves seeing it as a window of opportunity that would be shut as I slowly got older. Life happened: Unforeseen war happened. I got my foot in the door as an intern network admin in seattle. An opportunity to volunteer for war came up. I could be a much needed web developer in Iraq... I had the choice of furthering my new found career or quit my job and run into the unknown and dangerous. Taking my motto to heart, I quit my job and went full steam ahead with no certainty to my future. It was the best decision I could have ever made. It was an experience that changed my life far beyond what I could have ever imagined.

In regards to a career in game development (or anything for that matter), when opportunity comes-a-knockin', answer the door. When it's not knocking, don't wait for it to come around. Go get it.

Anyways, thanks for reading and thanks again for your insightful website!
-Eric N

My board game designs, part 4

>From: Kyle Cook
>Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 1:10 PM
>Subject: RE: Questions about your Board Game Design Site Lessons
>You can see my original email below in the email history. I had my full name, email, and phone number.

Oh, THAT personal info.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 14, 2008

My board game designs, part 3

>From: Kyle Cook
>Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 6:53 AM
>Subject: RE: Questions about your Board Game Design Site Lessons
>Thanks, I guess. Just one more quick thing... You aren't going to post my personal information that I included in my first email, are you?

What personal information are you talking about?
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 14, 2008

Help me do my homework (i.e. "No subject")

>From: Rohit J
>Subject: (no subject)
>Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 3:01 PM
>Hi Tom,
>I am writting a 3000 words essay on Nintendo Wii talking about what are the resources and capabilities that give it a competitive advantage within its sector? Basically comparing it with Xbox 360 and PS3 in terms of technology, gameplay, business model etc. Kindly suggest me some articles, books and websites where i can find this information.
>Thanks
>Rohit

Namaste, Rohit.
Sure, no prob. Click this and this.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 13, 2008

My board game designs, part 2

>From: Kyle Cook
>Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 2:37 PM
>Subject: RE: Questions about your Board Game Design Site Lessons
>Thanks, I caught those. Sorry if my question wasn't clear.
>I think what I was trying to get at is this: Do you think with my situation, that getting an agent would be the best route? Do you reccomend that I do it myself? Is there any general advice or warnings you'd like to offer?

Kurt or Kyle:
OK, just checking. A lot of people write me without ever discovering the links at the bottom of the FAQ.
I gave my advice in the FAQ. And make sure you look at the colored 3D bar chart which considers the 3 options.
If you need to make a decision of any kind, I always recommend a decision grid. See FAQ 25 for how decision grids work.
Good luck!
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 13, 2008

My board game designs, part 1

>From: Kyle Cook
>Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 12:34 PM
>Subject: Questions about your Board Game Design Site Lessons
>Mr. Sloper:
>I stumbled onto one of your lessons during a search today. I am interested in possibly finding an agent to represent me and my board game ideas.
>
>I have been making board games for my friends' enjoyment for a long time, now. I have about 11 working prototypes and 10+ ideas jostling around inside my head. I really want to explore my options, and I was hoping to get some words of advice from you. I also saw the lesson on game writing on your site. That is something that definitely appeals to me. I LOVE writing stories and bios for my games (I have also made several custom characters for the game Arkham Horror. My friend helped me post some of them, and I think they are a hit with the fans of the game). I also designed a card for the game Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magical Carrot. The creator liked one of my ideas and said it would be in print in 2009. I responded to a Card Design Contest....
>
>Anyway, my apologies. I should not have gone on so long. I know your time is valuable. I would appreciate hearing back from you. And thanks for writing such helpful lessons.
>Sincerely,
>Kurt R

Kyle,
I gather that your question (unasked) is: "where can I find an agent?"
There are links at the bottom of FAQ 20.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 13, 2008

Where to find game salespeople?

>From: Mike Turner
>Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 2:54 PM
>Subject: Question: How to find sales people in the game industry
>Hello Dr. Sloper (yes, you get that title),
>I'm currently a new industry vet - I've got two years in a game middleware startup and have now founded a game development service company that is powered with an army of russian studios/contractors with in-house MMO engines and 2D/3D game engines.
>
>My question is simple - we're trying to take our sales efforts to the next level and are trying to recruit a sales team to do so. But for all of our searching simply CANNOT find anywhere to recruit game industry sales people. To sell game development services, it puts you lightyears ahead if you know what these customers are looking for and can & sell appropriately with those needs in mind. We're curious if you can give us (and any other startup junkies who may browse here) some insight into recruiting great industry sales people.
>
>This question has high value for your readers too. Many readers who want to get into the industry think there's only a few narrow paths. SO not true. On the business development end you get to see what everyone is doing, find creative solutions to their needs, and since sales in games are business to business generally, sales are high-dollar amounts and comission is high.
>
>We would appreciate any advice you can give us & the internet about how to find these hidden gem salespeople.
>Oh, and your questions are below.
> How old are you?
>26
> What's your level of education?
>B.S. - Aerospace Engineering/Computer Science
> What's your current occupation?
>Head of Business Development for a newly formed outsourcing company
> Which game job, if any, do you aspire to or plan to study for?
>I plan to further study all jobs relevant to my company's business. This includes deepending my knowledge of sales, marketing, game testing, game development, art asset development, and anything else that is beneficial. I spend at least 5-10 hours a week studying a new skill.
>Mike Turner
>Bitfold Group - Game Development & Consulting Division
>Website: www.bitfold.net
>Ph: 347.284.6735
>Email: mike at bitfold.net
>IM Clients: msn/gmail - mike at bitfold.net, skype - mike.turner.bitfold, AIM/yahoo - mikebitfold

Hi Mike,
Well. The place to advertise for salespeople in the game industry is probably the same place you'd advertise for other people in the game industry - on the game job boards. Gamasutra, CreativeHeads, CoolGameJobs, etc. You can also check the major headhunters (Planet Recruit, Mary-Margaret, Ascendi, etc.). They probably have salespeople on file.
I'm not sure, though, if your company needs a full-time salesperson dedicated to selling your company's products exclusively, or if a non-exclusive agent/rep might be a better way to go. Most game agents represent a select handful of game companies. Their activities have them going to all the game conferences, where they can effectively represent several companies of varying types and needs. Game agencies are listed on Gamasutra, and you ought to be able to find them via a Google search too.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 12, 2008

Switching Careers, part 4

>From: Jarrod P (saintjarrod)
>Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 2:36 PM
>Subject: Switching Careers
>Hi Tom, thanks again for the great advice!
>I'll steal a little advice that you had for Jason in How do I choose between three passions? and do a decision grid for myself as well.
>In your last reply, you mentioned putting up a statement to release game designs into the public domain - do you have a sample or suggestions that I could use?
>Much appreciated,
>Jarrod

Hi Jarrod, you wrote:

In your last reply, you mentioned putting up a statement to release game designs into the public domain - do you have a sample or suggestions that I could use?
No.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
11/11, 2008

Please let your USC students know about our USC club, part 2

From: "Joseph Spradley" jmspradley(at)gmail.com
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 3:53 PM
Subject: Re: Game Maker's Club
> Thanks for posting that to your students. Coincidentally I am working
> on another game project for CTIN 491 Adv. game Project and we need two
> Korean voice actors (1 male, 1 female) for some simple recording. i
> have posted some casting calls on nowcasting and LAcasting but have
> gotten no responses so far. Do you have any suggestions for finding
> talent like this.
> Thanks,
> joe

Nope, sorry. Maybe try the theatrical club on campus. There must be a Korean club too...?
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 10, 2008

How do I choose between three passions?

From: jholm
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 9:16 PM
Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>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: 31
> The level of education I've completed is: Some college
> My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: Designer/Developer/Programmer
> The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: the point of my question
> My game biz question is: I am equally interested and skilled in art,
> programming and writing. How can I decide which path to specialize in to
> help guide my second journey through college (with plants to get a degree
> this time)?
>
> I am a cartoonist/graphic artist with animation and some 3D skills, a
> programmer since childhood, and a talented writer. This combination of
> skills has helped me at times, but my inability to choose one path and
> focus on it has kept me behind in my career. My first trip through college
> gave me a wide collection of knowledge (from Art to Children's Literature
> through Music Composition to Zoology) but I left without a degree and most
> of my jobs have been entry-level graphic design jobs in print media, or
> using html programming skills.
>
> I recently had a job at a curriculum development company where I was
> designer, programmer and writer for the educational software, among them a
> "Video Game Design" curriculum which was, primarily, a programming
> curriculum, as well as two Flash curriculum, one on cartoon animation and
> one on Web Game Design.
>
> I decided game design was a goods way to combine my strongest three
> skills, yet I'm quickly discovering the importance of specializing, and
> I'm having real trouble "abandoning" two of my interests in favor of a
> third. Obviously I don't have to give them up, and having multiple skills
> can only be beneficial in the long run, but I'm feeling paralyzed in
> deciding which path to major in for four years.
>
> Any ideas? Trying to choose an area I am most passionate about or more
> skilled in isn't helping any. If I had the time and money, I suppose I
> might spend 12 years getting three degrees, but then I'd still have to
> decide which jobs to apply for, and even then, if I got a job in one area,
> would I still be longing to do work in the other areas?
> Thank you for your time!
> Jason Holm

Hi Jason, you wrote:

I am equally interested and skilled in art,
> programming and writing. How can I decide which path to specialize in to
> help guide my second journey through college
With a decision grid. Since you honestly don't care (which equals "can't decide") which of the three you will follow as the major, go with the one that pays more and has less competition and meets other criteria important to you.

That was a simplistic way of explaining it to you. In actuality, what the decision grid will probably show you is that the job that pays more has more competition (or something - just making an example using the low-hanging fruit). Most likely, one criterion will cancel out another.

Across the top of the grid, list your 3 passions. And add one you didn't mention: level design. Level design combines some of your passions.
Down the left side of the grid, list various criteria. Pay range, competition (difficulty of getting the job), cost of education to get there, full time job versus freelance, other barriers to entry, other criteria you can think of.

You can get pay ranges from the 2007 salary survey at GameCareerGuide.com. And I mentioned competition in the careers workshop I gave at USC last week. You can download the Powerpoint for that workshop HERE. As you can read in FAQ 32, you're unlikely to get a job doing writing for games because you aren't a screenwriter or a comic book writer, etc. Read FAQs 32, 63, 7, 14, & 15 too. And to read more about using decision grids, read FAQ 25.

I'm having real trouble "abandoning" two of my interests in favor of a third.
Then minor in the other two. And make sure you seek jobs at small development companies. Read my May 2005 & January 2008 columns, the Games Game (click link above left, then click Archives).

if I got a job in one area,
> would I still be longing to do work in the other areas?
If you're a fool, maybe. It is unwise to go through life kicking yourself for paths not taken. Read FAQ 47 and get wisdom.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 10, 2008

Please let your USC students know about our USC club

From: "Joseph Spradley"
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 4:03 PM
Subject: Game Maker's Club
> Hi Prof. Sloper,
> I was the student at your breaking into the industry talk on Thursday
> that brought up the game makers club. I would really appreciate it if
> you could let your students know about the club. We just officially
> formed this semester so there is still a lot of room for new members
> to have a impact on the direction of the club.
>
> The facebook group is http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php? gid=7894224942&ref=ts
> Please encourage them to take part any way possible.
>
> Any advice you have to the club would be very helpful as well. We
> have meetings every friday from 3-5 in the IM lab (CSS G142). We are
> always looking for guest speakers as well if you or anyone you could
> think of would be interested in coming to talk about their experience
> in the industry.
> Thanks,
> Joseph Spradley

Hi Joseph,
I'm glad you wrote me, because when I tried to find the club on Facebook I couldn't (I'd been looking for "entertainment games" rather than "entertaining games," maybe that's why).
I've posted the link on Blackboard for all 3 of my classes, and I'll also post the announcement on my own bulletin board at www.sloperama.com/advice/bulletinbd.htm
And sure, I'd be happy to speak sometime.
Cheers,
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 9, 2008

School interview project

>From: Joshua G
>Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 3:34 PM
>Subject: Joshua G[deleted]: College Student seeking help with project
>Hello Mr. Sloper,
>My name is Joshua Garrard and i am contacting you because i have a school project to interview someone who is in the career i am pursuing. I have been an avid game player since before the commodore 64 and my last major was creative writing at the University of Colorado. I'm looking to enroll in UCSC for their game design major. The project i referred to before is simply this: I have a list of questions i would greatly appreciate you answering that will help me to get a feel for what a job in game design is like. From there i'm presenting my find to my college class, Student Development. I can only imagine how full your mailbox must be and am aware of how crunched your schedule must be as a designer living in New York so i understand if you are unable to help me. However, my project is not due until Dec 1st and i will leave you with the questions and hope for your reply. Also, if there's anyone else you know in the field who would be willing to help me i'd greatly appreciate it if you could pass my info on to them or have them contact me.
>With many thanks and eager anticipation,
>Joshua G
>[email address deleted]
>[phone number deleted]
>Questions:(There's 12)
>1) What do you like most about your job?
>2) What do you find most challenging about your job and why?
>3) How did you decide to get into this field and what steps did you take to enter the field?
>4) What training/education would you recommend for someone wanting to enter this field now, and is there continuing education required?
> 4b) If there is continuing ed required: what is required and how much?
>5) What personal qualities do you feel are most important in your work and why?
>6) Describe the tasks you do in a typical work day?
>7) What is the current employment outlook for this career and is there room for advancement?
>8) What kind of schedule do you work (hours) and do you take work home and do you work weekends or holidays?
>9) What are the physical requirements and are there any health risks or stress related issues?
>10) Do you receive health benefits and is there a retirement plan?
>11) If you were just getting started with your college career would you do anything differently given what you know today?
>12) Can you refer me to anyone else int he field that would be willing to share their experience with me?

Hello Joshua. Your answers:
Read FAQ 37. The FAQs are above left. You were supposed to read them before asking me these questions.
Pretty sure I answered that in FAQ 42 or FAQ 37. If I didn't, shoot me.
Read FAQ 18.
Read FAQ 3.
Read FAQs 34 & 44.
A video game producer must be an excellent communicator, must be very detail oriented, and should be very game biz savvy.
Read FAQ 42.
Read FAQ 37.
Read FAQ 37.
The first is an extremely odd question. As for the second, read the QOL whitepaper at igda.org, and Google the phrase "EA spouse" (with quote marks around it).
None of your business.
Yes.
No.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 9, 2008

Switching Careers, part 3

>From: Jarrod Penfold (saintjarrod)
>Sent: Saturday, November 8, 2008 10:07:54 PM
>Subject: Switching Careers, if not shifting industries
>Hi Tom, thanks for your answers.
>
>I was using the subject 'shifting industries' more to describe myself shifting industries from tv/new media into the games industry. That said, with the economic climate the way it is, I'm sure there are a lot of industries that are shifting as well!
>
>With regards to my mention of 'writing samples', I merely mean 'sample documents' that I could create and show people.
>
>To be honest, I've been thinking in terms of 'getting into the industry' as opposed to my desired role within the games industry.
>
>In the long term I'd like to be a game designer, but I also enjoy PR and writing (creative, like creating fictional worlds/organisations/people/technology etc). I'm aware that I will probably need to start lower down the rung, perhaps as a QA tester and really apply myself. (Actually, I'd enjoy being a QA tester too - I can handle doing repetitive tasks day-in-day-out, and I like going off the beaten track to see what you can and can't do in games, but I realise that there is more to it than just that.)
>
>To bring this back to sample documents, I was thinking of putting a selection of documents on the internet - mock game design concepts, pres releases, mock test reports, and also some creative writing (I already have some feature and short film scripts that never made it anywhere, as well as some short stories etc).
>
>I realise that this is a bit of a scatter-gun approach (ie writing documents for four different jobs), but as you've suggested, once you get into the industry it is easier to head toward the role you are ultimately after - and your egg diagram of jobs in the industry is very helpful in illustrating that.
>
>Or would I be better served by picking one games industry job and speciailising my resume/portfolio toward it?
>
>Anyway, that's part of my rough plan.
>At least when I meet people, I can pass them a card with a URL that they can check out if they are interested, to go along with the hand-shake and smile.
>Thanks again Tom,
>Jarrod

Hi Jarrod,
I'm glad you realize that your plan is a "scatter-gun approach." It should be obvious that the scatter-gun approach is a bad idea, but I gather that you don't see that it's obvious.

A hirer who's looking for someone to do P.R. is looking for appropriate P.R. experience and knowledge of the game market -- not someone who can write engaging stories and detailed GDDs.

A hirer who's looking for someone to write game story text or dialog is looking for appropriate story experience (film, TV, comic books, graphic novels) -- not someone who can write P.R. and detailed GDDs.

A hirer who's looking for someone to fill a game design vacancy is looking for outstanding game industry experience and excellent collaborative and communication skills -- not a P.R. hack or a screenwriter.

And that thing you said about having a URL on your business card so the people you meet while networking can check out your site? That's not the purpose of the business card. The main purpose of networking and giving out business cards is for YOU to get THEIR business cards. To LISTEN and LEARN.

The way to get a job is to do the job.

If you want to get a PR job, get out there and start blogging, submit articles and reviews to game sites. It'll take a long time until you've built enough of a portfolio, but it's the way to do it.

If you want to get a job as a game designer, write game designs and post them on your website, with a statement releasing them into the public domain to circumvent game publishers' objections to unsolicited submissions. And while you're doing that, do get a job in QA, preferably for a game publisher or developer (not at an independent QA lab).

If you want to get a job writing stories, write stories. Get work writing stories for radio commercials, comic books, movies, whatever. Write original game stories and post them on your site, and release them into the public domain. It'll take a long time, but if you enjoy doing it, it can be its own reward.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 9, 2008

Play tester, part 6

>GameDev.Net Discussion Forums > Private Messages
>From: CodyClay [ Add to Buddies ]
>Subject: Play Tester Reply
>Date: 11/8/2008 2:37:33 PM
>Thanks man.
>Your website was really helpful got me understood some of the basics concepts.
>I am currently looking for designing games Tutorials.
>Do You Have Some on your website?
>Or can you recommend me any other website rather than Gamedev?
>Will be waiting for your reply.....
>_______________________________
>Let There Be Peace Joy and Love

Namaste Cody,
You're writing in reference to your thread on GameDev.net (http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=512136) (GameDev.net » Community » Forums » For Beginners » Play tester).
I guess you didn't notice in my GameDev sig where I wrote, "PLEASE do not PM me using this website's PM feature." PM means "private message," of course. And there are 2 reasons why I ask folks not to do that.
1. Sometimes it can take me days or weeks to discover that a private message was sent to me. It's much faster to just email me (and it's very easy to find my email address).
2. I don't give private advice.
But anyway, let's move on to your questions:

I am currently looking for designing games Tutorials.
>Do You Have Some on your website?
Yes. See FAQs 2 & 13, above left. But you could have just looked on my website and found that out!

can you recommend me any other website rather than Gamedev?
Sure. See my Game Biz Links page.

Will be waiting for your reply.....
Luckily, I discovered your PM the same day you sent it, so you won't be waiting long (as long as you check your PMs every day).

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 8, 2008

Switching Careers, part 2

>From: Jarrod Penfold
>Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2008 4:44 PM
>Subject: Follow up on Shifting Industries
>Hi Tom, how was your week?
>I just thought that I'd follow up on my last email...
>The event that I went to last weekend was pretty interesting. I was looking forward to hearing people's ideas for games, and pitching them.
>
>Little did I realise that I'd be included in the rapid dev and pitch competition myself (they got everyone involved).
>
>They game us 8 game styles to choose from (eg first person shooter, RPG, action/adventure, alternate reality, fighter etc) and 8 concepts that would be hard to make games about (eg happiness, homelessness, coffee, mummification, and so on). We were paired up and given 5 minutes to develop, and then 3 minutes to prepare a pitch. We all pitched our ideas and received feedback from some local industry professionals, which was great, and the whole process was a lot of fun.
>
>At the event I was mindful of your FAQs (especially 54), and realised that while it was neat to meet people who have done some amazing things within the games industry, there was not a lot more I could do after that!
>
>So now it's on to building up a portfolio, something that I can show people.
>
>I'd like to do some Game Concept documents to provide samples of my writing styles and creativity - which I would like to put online so that I can point people who are interested to them.
>
>I'm not too concerned with someone stealing my concepts and making a million dollars (you've highlighted how unlikely games are to be created from paper concepts alone) - as I've stated, I'm more interested in showing writing style than getting these concepts made.
>
>Is it a stupid idea to post these on the internet as writing samples? Am I just inviting trouble and potential copyright issues?
>Thanks again,
>Jarrod
>Jarrod Penfold
>A man goes to knowledge as he goes to war, wide awake, with fear, with respect, and with absolute assurance. - The Teachings of Don Juan

Hi Jarrod, you wrote:

Subject: Follow up on Shifting Industries
That phrase, "Shifting Industries." It confuses me every time! What industries are shifting? Where are they shifting to? Where are they shifting from? Is the automobile industry shifting now from Japan to India? What's with the shifting industries already???

They [gave] us 8 game styles to choose from (eg first person shooter, RPG, action/adventure, alternate reality, fighter etc) and 8 concepts that would be hard to make games about (eg happiness, homelessness, coffee, mummification, and so on). We were paired up and given 5 minutes to develop, and then 3 minutes to prepare a pitch. We all pitched our ideas and received feedback from some local industry professionals, which was great, and the whole process was a lot of fun.
Cool format. Thanks for telling me about that. I can use that in my classes and workshops! (^_^)

So now it's on to building up a portfolio, something that I can show people.
Yes, exactly.

I'd like to do some Game Concept documents to provide samples of my writing styles and creativity - which I would like to put online so that I can point people who are interested to them.
I was with you right up to the last 11 words. The last 11 words lost me.

I'm more interested in showing writing style than getting these concepts made.
Lost me again. What does "writing style" have to do with anything? If your aspiration is to become a writer, then it's everything. Otherwise...?

Is it a stupid idea to post these on the internet
No.

as writing samples?
Yes. You have not indicated to me that your aspiration is to become a writer.

Am I just inviting trouble and potential copyright issues?
I don't see how that might be a concern.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 6, 2008

Switching Careers

>From: Jarrod Penfold (saintjarrod)
>Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 5:46:49 AM
>Subject: Shifting Industries
>Hi Tom, how are you?
>I've recently begun seriously thinking about shifting industries and moving into the game industry. I've always enjoyed playing games, ever since our first Commodore 64, and I'd like to be involved with games in a more professional capacity.
>
>1) I'm 31, so I guess a little older than most aspirants.
>
>2) I have 2 bachelor degrees (one in Science, majoring in Applied Psychology, the other in Mass Communication, majoring in both Media Production and Communication Studies), and a Certificate of Public Relations as well.
>
>3) I'm currently employed in the television/new media industry as a Channel Manager (the guy who chooses what goes to air and when... basically...) on behalf of the ISP of the major telco in Australia. To be honest, I've only been in this position for a couple of months - previous to that I was an Associate Producer for our flagship show for around 7 months, and before that a Production Assistant for around the same length of time. I worked in local tv a little before that as well, for the local news station back home. Unfortunately I have no games industry experience.
>
>4) And I'm not too sure what job I plan to aspire to. I believe I'd enjoy the public relations or production areas, and was thinking to start as a QA tester to get a better idea of the industry and how all the pieces come together. If only I could think of a clever way to convince my wife!
>
>I've been madly reading your articles, especially FAQs 5, 7, 12, 24, 41, 42, and 54. In fact, I'm heading out tomorrow to my first 'games pitch and demo event' (albeit a relatively small one) to get a taste of what it's like.
>
>I don't really have a burning question per se (although all advice is welcome), I just wanted to say that I appreciate the efforts that you've gone to here on your website, and I certainly feel inspired and empowered by the information contained here to make a good go of things.
>Kind Regards,
>Jarrod Penfold
>A man goes to knowledge as he goes to war, wide awake, with fear, with respect, and with absolute assurance. - The Teachings of Don Juan

Hi Jarrod,
Well... since you don't have a burning question (per se), I guess I don't have a burning reply. Just... good luck going to knowledge as you go to war, wide awake, with fear, with respect, and with absolute assurance... and like that there.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
Halloween, 2008

Could you tell me about opportunities in localization/translation?

>From: lowinji
>Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 12:20 PM
>Subject: Could you tell me about opportunities in localization/translation?
>Hi,
> My name's James Low and I'm a senior at Pomona College majoring in linguistics and minoring in Japanese. I spent my junior year abroad studying in Kyoto, and I'm trying to find ways to utilize my Japanese experience in my future career. In terms of the game industry, I see this falling into areas like translation or localization, but I haven't yet been able to find too much information on how to break into those fields. Do you have any advice? Thanks.
>- James
>McCain or Obama? Stay up to date on the latest from the campaign trail with [deleted]

Hi James, you wrote:

I'm trying to find ways to utilize my Japanese experience in my future career. In terms of the game industry, I see this falling into areas like translation or localization
Such a limited vision...

I haven't yet been able to find too much information on how to break into those fields. Do you have any advice?
Yes, well, the problem is that your vision is too limited. You have two options:
Start by working in the translation/localization field, OR...
Start by working in the game industry.

The problem is, you are combining those, which means that you are geometrically reducing your options.

If you get a job with a company that does translations and localizations, you have to limit your options. You have to only agree to work for a company that works with game companies as a regular part of their business. So that limits the number of trans/loc companies you want to apply to.

If you want to get a job at a game company, though, the only thing you have going for you is your Japanese language skill. If you want to work at a game company, you need more than that. Game companies don't employ people who do nothing but translate and localize all day long.

So if you want to get a job at a game company, you need some skill besides your language ability. You could be a programmer or an artist, for instance. Or you could break in as a tester, and volunteer (as opportunities serendipitously arise) to translate or localize stuff for other departments. Working as a tester, you'd learn about how the game industry works, from the inside.

So, let's take another tack. Have you tried your hand at localizing any game text or movie dialogue or anything like that? If your native language is English, you're probably better at localizing from Japanese to English (as opposed to the other way around). So you should write some localizations for Japanese games or anime or movies. A job for a company like Tokyopop (who localizes manga) might be a good way to build a solid résumé and portfolio, which you could use to get yourself into the game industry in time.

Oh. By the way -- have you read FAQ 48 yet?
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 30, 2008

I wanna be a game designer

>From: rahul{Z!co} tilokani
>Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 11:45 PM
>Subject: Enquiry
>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 years
>The level of education I've completed is: I am in 12th grade (higer Secondary)
>My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: Student
>The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: Advanced gamedesigner
>My game biz question is: Hi i am Rahul. I am looking to Get into game designing because i feel i m more inclined towards gaming.
>
>And i also want to know best colleges which give 4-year Bachelor's degree. I am Still confused wheter i should i go for it.
>
>As specified by you courses we should have knowledge about various fields , but i dont think it will b possible for me because in india we dont hav special traning classes for thise subjects.
>pls guide awating for your reply.

Namaste Rahul, you wrote:

The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: Advanced gamedesigner
In other words, a senior designer, or lead designer, or design director. Well, before you can become a senior designer, you have to be a junior designer. And before you can be a junior game designer, you have to work in the game industry for a few years. What's your plan for getting into the game industry? QA? Programming? Art? Level design? You have to break in through an entry-level position. Which one will work for you? I gather that you've read FAQ 3 (but I'm not sure you understood it). Have you read FAQ 7?

I am looking to Get into game designing because i feel i m more inclined towards gaming.
That doesn't sound like a good-enough reason to aspire to the difficult-to-get job of "Game Designer." Do you truly have a passion for designing games? Have you started writing any game designs yet? Read FAQ 40.

i also want to know best colleges which give 4-year Bachelor's degree.
There are probably thousands of such schools. I'm not in the business of rating colleges. Read FAQs 25, 34, & 44.

I am Still confused wheter i should i go for it.
I can't help you there, Rahul. It's YOUR life. Only YOU can decide how you should live it.

As specified by you courses we should have knowledge about various fields , but i dont think it will b possible for me because in india we dont hav special traning classes for thise subjects.
I never said you should take ANY "special training classes." In FAQ 3 (which is what you're talking about), I just recommended some various subjects that would help to make you a well-rounded game designer. You can learn about these things in lots of different ways. College classes if they're available to you. Books if they're not. Evening classes are also an option.
If you are destined to be a great game designer, you would be very curious about everything that makes up a world and a people. If you aren't a bottomless pit of curiosity about the world, then you might not be the right type of person to become a game designer.
Consider life to be like a game of cards. In a card game, you are dealt a limited hand of cards. Those are the cards you must play with. The trick is to do the best you can with the bad cards you were dealt. (Read FAQ 47.)
The world is much bigger than India. There are thousands of colleges in other countries too.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 30, 2008

I would like a brief description on the gaming industry, part 2

>From: Craig Francis
>Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 8:28 AM
>Subject: Gaming Industry
>Hello Tom, The reason why I need this information as I am a student at Birmingham City University and I have an assignment to do on the gaming industry. My part in this group work assignment is to give a description on today's gaming industry, and describe the sector which it is involved in, and also the type of industry, how it is diffrent from other industries So it would be helpful if you help me. Thanks

Hello Craig,
Two things.

1. I already have helped you. I told you where you can find some articles you should read. You should read them (I know that you have not yet read them). Then come back to me.

2. When you come back to me, tell ME:
a. What YOU think might be a good description of today's game industry. (Write YOUR OWN description of the industry, so we have someplace to start).
b. What sector YOU think it's in.
c. How YOU think it's different from other industries.

I don't write students' homework for them. And you will probably not find a perfect description that you can just paraphrase. You actually have to do some research and some thinking, and you actually have to try writing this yourself, even if you get it wrong at first. You have to read numerous articles to gather the information, then mentally distill it down to the stuff your assignment calls for. That's the whole purpose of your assignment, that's what the teacher is making you do.

Standing by...
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 30, 2008

I would like a brief description on the gaming industry

>From: Craig Francis
>Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 11:05 AM
>Subject: Gaming Industry
>Tom, I would like a brief description on the gaming industry and details on the type of industry and the sector. As I have used varoius search engines but it doesn't really give me basic information. Thanks.

Hi Craig,
So - in order that I can give you the best possible answer, I need a clearer perspective on your question.

How old are you?
What's your level of education?
What's your current occupation? I'm guessing you aren't a journalist or a Wall Street analyst. Student, perhaps?
For what purpose do you need this brief description of the game industry? (Note that I didn't say "gaming," see FAQ 28 - above left - and my May 2008 column - click The Games Game above left, then click Archives.) If I knew more about why you want this brief description, I might be able to point you directly to it.

And of course I've written a whole lot of articles on the game industry, mostly targeted to young individuals who desire to work in it (click Game Biz Articles, above left). If that's not the sort of information you're looking for, tell me what your interest is, and maybe I can help you write a better Google search.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 29, 2008

I'm not sure of some of the terms, part 3

>From: metarikkukitsune
>Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 11:48 AM
>Subject: your question
>Your question to me was:
> What have you got against subject lines?
>To be honest, I usually forget to put something in the subject line. I actually haven't used email in awhile. Example of this was how I hadn't been on my email for so long, I had a thousand emails in my inbox to look through. I've recently been familiarizing myself with emailing and computers again, because I understand that it will help to know as much as I can.
>
>My view on life is to learn as much as you can, because you never really know when it can come in handy. If you don't know and you need to know, ask. I have a lot of books on a lot of different topics. I recently started a class where we have to come up with a game storyline for our final project. It would figure that my group is doing a horror genre and i don't know too much about it, but i managed to find a book i have on disease (viral, bacterial, parasitic and lifestyle diseases) that could help with the storyline or at least give us ideas. I really bought it because I like to learn.
>Hope you have a nice day.
>Natasha

I'm not sure of some of the terms, part 2

>From: metarikkukitsune
>Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 12:18 AM
>Subject:
>Natasha again, asking more questions to see if i can make sense of this ever so jumbled presentation requirements. Just a couple more questions, hopefully good ones but it's been a long night. not sure how coherent i am.
>
>Question 1: Is a concept artist just generally called a game artist?
>
>Question 2: What other names are they given, if any?
>
>Question 3: Other then coming up with the concept art and setting the tone for the game through their character designs, what other responsibilities do they have?
>
>Question 4: Who do they report to and who do they supervise?

Hi Natasha, you wrote:

Is a concept artist just generally called a game artist?
No.

What other names are they given, if any?
I can't think of any.

Other then coming up with the concept art and setting the tone for the game through their character designs, what other responsibilities do they have?
It depends. But you've assumed a lot. It's the art director who sets the tone for the game. And it's the character designer who does the character design. Of course, it's possible that one person performs all those tasks, but what that person's title would be depends on a large number of things (his skills, the company's job title policy, what he can negotiate, what the project needs...).

Who do they report to
It depends. Maybe the producer, maybe the art director.

and who do they supervise?
Probably nobody. Especially if the concept artist is a freelancer.

Now I have a question for you, Natasha:
What have you got against subject lines?
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 27, 2008

I'm not sure of some of the terms

>From: "metarikkukitsune
>Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2008 10:00:08 PM
>Subject:
>My name is Natasha and i'm in my first semester at a Tech College working on getting a bachelors in Game Art & Design. I'm working on a presentation and i've tried to email my instructor but i'm not sure when i'll be getting a reply, if any. The presentation is pretty straight forward for the most part but since i just started in all of this, i'm not sure of some of the terms.
>
>Question 1: Just like you with your title as Game Designer, is there technical name given to the person that comes up with concept art?
>
>Question 2: What impact do you think this person's job have on the game product?
>
>Question 3: What are MODs?
>
>Question 4: What is the difference between a develepment studio, publisher, licensor, and an outsourced company?
>
>Question 5: what is an Audio or Effects house?
>
>Thank you and have a nice day.
>Natasha

Hi Natasha, you asked:

is there technical name given to the person that comes up with concept art?
Yes.

What impact do you think this person's job have on the game product?
Well, it can be difficult to get funding without concept art. And concept art helps clarify the vision of the game to the team who's going to make the game. But the concept artist's job might be finished during pre-production (or even earlier). So unless s/he has additional artistic or technical skills, s/he might need to find another project to work on after a short amount of work.

What are MODs?
Read my Game Biz Glossary. It's FAQ 28. The FAQs are above left.

What is the difference between a develepment studio, publisher, licensor, and an outsourced company?
Look them up in the Glossary.

what is an Audio or Effects house?
An audio house would be a company that specializes in audio. When you say "effects house," I don't know if you're talking about visual effects or audio effects, so you have to be more specific with the terminology.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 26, 2008

Could you please give me a timeframe of how long it takes to develop a project from concept to Beta testing?

>From: Janee Townsend
>Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 5:26 PM
>Subject: Time it takes to develop
>Tom
>I am an graduate student in the field of instructional design, I am looking to create a class with the premission of developing a training aid using game simulation. Could you please give me a timeframe of how long it takes to develop a project from concept to Beta testing? I just need a rough but accurate idea.
>Sincerely,
>J. Janee Townsend

Hello Janee, you wrote:

Could you please give me a timeframe of how long it takes to develop a project from concept to Beta testing?
It depends on the scale of the project. A project to develop a small mobile phone game, for instance, might get to Beta in 3 months with a professional mobile game developer. But a project to develop a triple-A console or PC game might take 2 years to get to Beta with a huge team of professional game developers.

I just need a rough but accurate idea.
Sure. 3 months to 2 years, somewhere in there. That's my rough yet accurate answer.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 23, 2008

Windy question about switching careers to follow my dream

From: "Rob H"
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 6:23 AM
Subject: Advice
> Hi Tom,
> I'm sure you get a handful of emails such as this one a day, considering
> the history you have in the gaming industry. But I need some advice and
> was hoping I could chew your ear for a minute to get some help.
>
> I am 25 with a wife and a newborn, and a job as a PR and Marketing
> jackass for a on-line [deleted] magazine called [deleted]. But
> I love video games, have for years and just the other night my wife and
> I were discussing how much I dislike my current job, and she said "why
> don't you to try to go back to school for a bit and get a job in video
> game development or design". I felt like I was hit with a lightening
> bolt, of course that's what I should do!
>
> So here is me, I graduated top of my class in high school, then
> traveled a bit and then ended up at this great books school in Santa Fe
> studying ancient Greek and reading classics, but I never finished the
> degree (how shitty is that?). Then more traveling and I end up back
> home (east coast Canada) studying pre-Med to finish of my degree (did
> the pre-Med but again didn't complete the degree). Then I worked for a
> year as a Paramedic before landing this 9-5 as a PR marketing person.
> As a side note, I blame video games, in conjunction with a lack of focus
> and orientation, for not getting that degree completed.
>
> So now that you can see the brief autobio of Rob, what should I be doing
> to make myself a realistic applicant for game design positions. I have
> no problem going back to school as long as it is oriented. So I'm
> wondering where I go back to school and what do I try to take. Because
> of my new family I'm rather limited on where I can go to school. There
> are several bricks and mortar Universities with in driving distance,
> but they don't offer much beside the typical Bachelor's programs. There
> is a network of well respected community colleges throughout Nova Scotia
> that offer some great programs that seem, potentially more oriented.
> (Screen Arts, Recording Arts, Interactive and Motion Graphics, Digital
> Animation, and Radio and TV arts). The issue I have with courses like
> these, is that I don't want to learn a skill and get pigeon holed as an
> animator etc, I really do want to be part of an overall design team, not
> stuck hammering out how an NPC's legs move up staircases!
>
> Finally there is one online school that is available to me (that I know
> of, if you can recommend any others that would be great, but there
> aren't many for Canadian / International students). The Art Institute
> Online offers Game Art & Design program. Now when I think about online
> schools I think about people in trailer parks stuck at home during the
> day watching reruns when the ad comes on as to how they can be a Dental
> Assistant in 9 months and change their lives around. Is this a real or
> imagined stigma, would their program be any good or is it a waste of
> money and time?
>
> I know this is a long email, and I really hope you don't mind taking the
> time to read it and give me a hand, because I honestly am not sure where
> to turn for reliable and knowledgeable advice. I thank you in advance!!
> Rob H

Hi Rob,
I've had a rough week. Your email is too long to read the whole thing to find the question nuggets. So I just searched it for question marks. You wrote:

I am 25 with a wife and a newborn, and a job as a PR and Marketing
> jackass for a on-line [deleted] magazine called [deleted]... my wife and
> I were discussing how much I dislike my current job, and she said "why
> don't you to try to go back to school for a bit and get a job in video
> game development or design".
I have another brilliant idea. Why don't you get a job in Marketing/PR for a game publisher instead. Read FAQ 41 (above left) and my Feb. 2004 column (click The Games Game above left, then click Archives).

there is one online school that is available to me (that I know
> of
So your plan is to study online. What's your plan for building a portfolio after you get your degree? And have you started considering which city you'd move to once you're ready to start the job search?

Is this a real or
> imagined stigma
Read my two columns on this question (click The Games Game above left, then click Archives, and search the archive page for the word "online").

, would their program be any good or is it a waste of
> money and time?
You're asking the wrong question. After you've read those columns (and FAQs 34 & 44 & 51, above left), you'll see that nobody cares where you got the learning to make your socks-knocking-off portfolio. As long as you can show up to the interview and knock their socks off, nobody's going to go, "Wait a minute, you got your degree at Art Institute Online? Ha ha ha, I laugh at your degree. When I'm done putting my socks back on, I want you to be gone."

I think you can get a job at a game publisher working in Marketing or PR anytime. That'll be more interesting than the online magazine you're working for now, and it'll provide good income for your family too. Then you can start learning how the game biz works from the inside, and you could even eventually migrate over to being a producer. If the game company has an internal studio, you can haunt the studio and learn what stuff you should study. You can then take online classes or evening classes (there will be more local study options after you move to where the game company is located), and the migration into the studio will be that much easier.

Of course, since I didn't read your whole email, maybe I missed the part where you said "oh and my family isn't moving anywhere, I want to learn what I need to learn so I can start my own company right here." If that's what's in your mind, this is going to be a much harder road for you than what I described above.

You're welcome to come back with a shorter question, after you've read those articles. Paint me a clear (and brief) picture of how you envision your participation in the game industry. Working in someone's game studio? Freelance? Own your own company? Those are all very different things, requiring different paths to get there.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 22, 2008

What tone should I use? Part 2

>From: "matt birken"
>Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 10:05 PM
>Subject: yeah I got it
>> My docs are game pitches most of the time. I have lightened up some so I will take your advice and continue to lighten up. If it is going to be a final technical spec doc with all the bells and whistles for a major co. then I will right it with formality and professionalism.
>> Thanks for the tips
>> Matt

Hi Matt,
Cool. Don't just lighten up -- have fun, too!
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 20, 2008

What tone should I use?

>From: matt birken
>Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 9:13:45 PM
>Subject: Game Design Q and A
>Matthew Birken - 25 - Game Producer - Stratogon Entertainment
>Hi Tom written you a few times and just had a quick question. I'm sure as a producer you have written multiple docs. My question is, in what tone do you write your docs? I think I write a little to formally and it either scares people or it's not what they are looking for. Should I be more relaxed in my docs using words like we, I, and you or just keep writing in my style? For example I will write the player and he or she does this...thus, this....blah blah blah.
>Thanks
>Matt

Hi Matt,
Verily, me thinketh that the tone which be most apropos would be depending upon thy circumstances and thy reason for writing said document.

IF purpose = technical documentation, THEN straightforwardness and brevity = the order of the day, ELSE levity.

That reminds me of a funny story about a guy who was writing a game instruction manual. He put little humorous asides in it because he really wanted the end users to read it all the way through, since he figured they'd benefit from what the manual had to say.

But he didn't realize that the readers of the document would be financial types, who only understand numbers. He should have written an Excel spreadsheet instead.

Are you getting my drift, Matt?

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 20, 2008

Will my demo be looked down on, part 2?

>From: Andrew
>Sent: Friday, October 17, 2008 8:59 AM
>Subject: "Copying" games pt. 2
>Tom,
>I am sending this email on my lunch break. I didn't want to delve into extraneous details because I just wanted to ask that one question, but here they are:
>
>I am a full time programmer who graduated college ~2 years ago. I have been working since I graduated at this same job, which I am not actively looking to leave. I am experimenting with game programming and eventually plan to start applying for jobs in the field, but I am not simply looking to leave here. I have a degree from a well respected 4-year university but it is in Astronomy and Physics. My programming background originally came from my paid research assistantship in astronomy (3 summers full time and some hours during the school year).
>
>Finally, about the game development, I've completed a weak Tetris clone, and am getting ready to move onto a breakout clone. I asked the Street Fighter question because I thought it would be a good goal to aim for down the line (not too complex, but would show off programming AI). I see your point about the collaboration and will be looking for people to collaborate with eventually. Thanks for the reply!
>--
>~Andrew

I don't need that information now, Andrew! I needed it before, when you asked your question!
I'm always here if you have another. (And I'll need "the four tidbits" of info again, the next time you write me, if you want me to zing my arrow straight to the bull's eye answer that's best for you.)
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 17, 2008

Will my demo be looked down on?

>From: Andrew
>Sent: Friday, October 17, 2008 7:09:28 AM
>Subject: "Copying" games
>Tom,
>I am hoping to break into the industry as a programmer. In my free time, I am currently programming games. The problem is, I don't want to design games, I want to program, so I am mostly just trying to use my own programming to do games I am familiar with. For example, I have found some Street Fighter sprites and I am hoping to animate just two of them so that I can concentrate my time on creating the AI on my own. If I were to apply for a job as a programmer, would it be looked down upon to use this as an example since I am using licensed characters?
>--
>~Andrew

~Hi ~Andrew, ~you ~wrote:

In my free time, I am currently programming games.
In your free time when you're not doing what? You didn't tell me if you're a student or if you've already got an occupation or what your age is or what your level of education is. Because you didn't tell me any of those things, I have to write a bunch of stuff that could mostly miss the target. I wouldn't have to use a shotgun if you'd told me those things as requested above. I could zing an arrow straight to the bull's eye, and that would be easier for both of us.

The problem is, I don't want to design games, I want to program
This is not a "problem." Stop taking such a negative view of the world.

would [my Street Fighter sprite game] be looked down upon to use this as an example [of my programming abilities]
That's the wrong question. You've got a very narrow view of what's needed to get a game programming job. Look, here's the picture you've painted me:

You're bringing a portfolio consisting of just one game;
Your game was made by just you, all by yourself;
Therefore you don't know how to work collaboratively with others to make a game. In other words, you're a "lone wolf" type -- or at least, that's the image you show to potential employers. And you're very uncooked, since you've made only one game. And the fact that you have only one game also indicates to the employer that you're lazy.

Are you getting the picture? You need to show that you've got the ability to work collaboratively, and you need to show that you have stick-to-itiveness. You need to show that you understand what it means to apply yourself assiduously to a job and a project over an extended period of time.

Whether or not your first demo uses "borrowed" IP is nothing, compared to the bigger issues: you need a solid education (or work experience to balance the lack of degree), and you need a solid portfolio. Not just one game. One solo game doesn't make a portfolio.

Your first demo is just a learning experience. You need to make others. Do some more solo stuff. And you should work on some collaborative projects too.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 17, 2008

please I will do anything you advise me with.

>From: Sky Pirate
>Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:36 AM
>Subject: Need a pro's advise.
>Dear mr Tom
>I'm Moe, and I'm 17.
>I live in central London.
>I am very interested in Game design and Game Testing, also my main future target is living in japan, and I would like to get a job there.
>I use to just play games back in the days, but a couple of months ago, too bad it wshould of been earlier, but like in england they say "Never too late", I got the idea of Game design, when I was looking for a new course.
>
>I started to study some basic topics like AI, physics and maths for game developers, also I just began to learn c++, because I didn't have an idea what it was, till now I'm struggling to with c++ because I still don't know the basics well.
>In the other hand, I learned some basics in 3D studio max and Maya.
>
>I have been looking for people in London that are interested in Games, but no luck.
>I have a very strong will to study, but I am finding very much stress in finding the little rope that will guide me along the way.
>I tried contacting Square enix and Sony, no reply yet.
>
>I am going to do online courses in Game design, programming, animating and Game topics.
>Next september, I am joining a Game desing & development course with Qantm college.
>but till next september, I have 10 months to go, in 10 months, I can learn so many things needed.
>Please advise me, I mean even if there is programmers or game designers around that will teach me I'm willing to pay them £40 an hour to teach me.
>
>As for japan, I'm doing a TESOL course next month and by next year I'll have level 4 qualification in english.
>I would also like to teach english if I can't work as a game designer.
>
>I also relised that I can animate manga on MS paint, and I have some skills on Photoshop, so can I begin to study and become very good at it, then get a placement in Japan.
>I have a very good portpholio that contains about 50 manga drawing, about 20 from my imagination, 14 real life drawings, Game ideas, researches about the game history, and so more things.
>
>I done 8 months of work experince in, catering, shopmobility, customer support and banner design and making.
>Please help me I will appreciate this my whole life.
>please I will do anything you advise me with.
>please contact me on: sky-pirate-studio@hotmail.co.uk or online_agent_2008@yahoo.com
>I will do anything to reach my dream.
>I'm sure you were once like me, worked your way to your dream.
>thank you very much sir.

Hello Moe, you wrote:

my main future target is living in japan, and I would like to get a job there.
なるほど。日本語がじょずですか？ FAQ 48 をまだ読んだか？

I'm struggling to with c++
You do realize that programming is not the same thing as game design, don't you? Read FAQs 7, 14, & 15. The FAQs are above left.

I learned some basics in 3D studio max and Maya.
It's good to know all those things, but what is your thinking? Game art (rather than game design)? Or maybe level design?

I tried contacting Square enix and Sony
Why? To accomplish what?

no reply yet.
What do you expect? You're a kid who doesn't have a degree or any experience making games yet. You have to have a realistic view of the world, Moe. If you mail a letter to the Queen, or to President Bush, you might get a polite form letter back in a few weeks because those leaders have a staff of secretaries who always reply to mail from kids (and even from adults). But a video game company in Japan... they should reply to fan mail in every foreign language? I just read this morning that Ringo Starr (it's okay if you don't know who he is) just posted an online video asking fans to stop sending him any kind of fan mail after this coming Monday.

You weren't applying for a job, were you? Because... well, you aren't qualified. You have to have a realistic view of the world. You need to read my articles. You need to get a degree. You need to move to Japan. It's going to take time (at least 4 years, maybe 6), before you'll be ready to apply for a game job in Japan.

I am going to do online courses in Game design, programming, animating and Game topics.
Read my September 2007 and November 2005 columns at http://www.igda.org/games-game/ (click "Archives").

Next september, I am joining a Game desing [sic] & development course with Qantm college.
Read FAQ 44.

but till next september, I have 10 months to go, in 10 months, I can learn so many things needed.
>Please advise me,
I already have. Read FAQ 12.

As for japan, I'm doing a TESOL course next month and by next year I'll have level 4 qualification in english.
>I would also like to teach english if I can't work as a game designer.
>I also relised that I can animate manga on MS paint, and I have some skills on Photoshop, so can I begin to study and become very good at it, then get a placement in Japan.
Teaching English in Japan is an excellent way to get into Japan. But I recommend you take your graduate studies in Japan, too. Many English teachers in Japan never bother to become fluent in Japanese -- and as I wrote in FAQ 48, you need to be fluent, if you want to work in games in Japan. I don't suppose your Qualm College (or whatever) offers any classes in Japanese - so you need to learn Japanese in night school or something, while working at a job to keep a roof over your head. Anyway, read FAQ 48.

I have a very good portpholio [sic] that contains about 50 manga drawing, about 20 from my imagination, 14 real life drawings, Game ideas, researches about the game history [sic], and so more things [sic].
That's nice, kid. Read FAQ 49.

I done 8 months of work experience [sic]
Read my October 2006 column on IGDA (see URL above).

please I will do anything you advise me with.
I advise you to read. I advise you to improve your English and your Japanese. I advise you to do (read FAQ 12). I advise you to get a 4-year bachelors' degree (read FAQ 34). I advise you to move to Japan as soon as possible (maybe after the bachelors degree).

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 16, 2008

Nobody believes me that math is important in the game industry!

>From: Zoë Baker
>Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 4:47:45 AM
>Subject: Maths in Games Development
>Dear Mr Sloper,
>I am a Numeracy lecturer in Further Education College in the UK , and I teach Maths as a supplementary course to support students who are studying a National Diploma in Media (Games Development) as their main qualification.
>
>Unfortunately I have a big problem: a majority of my students refuse to believe that they will need maths of any kind in their future careers. I haven’t yet found somebody within the Media department at my college who will comment on why Mathematics is important within the Games Development industry. In fact, they actively dismiss my viewpoint that any people within the games industry require any numeracy whatsoever. This message unfortunately imprints on the students, and not only does it make my job more difficult, I feel that as a college we are misleading our students.
>
>I should mention that my students are aged 16-19, are predominantly male, and play a lot of computer games. These are not academic high fliers, and many of them struggle with basic arithmetic, let alone linear algebra or vectors.
>
>Every year I say in my induction materials that they need some Maths skills in order to make it in the industry – if only to get them onto a university degree. Unfortunately none of them believe me, because I don’t work in the industry. Currently, I am not a credible source of information, and this is where I would appreciate your help.
>
>Would it be possible for you to provide a statement, as someone credible and successful from the games industry about the importance of maths skills, and perhaps identify some of the topics that they may need to be familiar with in order to converse with other people within the industry?
>
>Any help would be much appreciated – I am at a loose end!
>Must finish now, fire alarm has just been activated…
>Yours sincerely
>Zoë Baker
>Basingstoke College of Technology
>P please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email?

Hi Zoë,
I certainly can confirm that workers in the game industry need to have math skills. Consider these game industry jobs:

rogrammers absolutely have to be comfortable with math, especially when dealing with 3D virtual worlds.
ame Designers need to be able to mathematically balance their game designs. If you've ever played a paper role playing game, you know that the dice rolls involve mathematical probabilities. Hit points versus damage points, and restricted travel on a hex grid...
rtists and animators need to be able to do geometry to figure out shapes and proportions and lighting angles.
udio engineers might not have to do a lot of math, but music is very mathematical by its very nature.
riters might not need math for their craft, but they need to do math to figure out how much to charge for their services, to calculate invoices and taxes.
roducers use math when figuring out budgets and schedules and have to do ROIs and P&Ls (Return on Investment, Profit & Loss).
esters need math when they get promoted to lead tester positions. Math is used in the quantifying of test results and predicting when testing will be completed.
xecutives have to be able to do math in their heads, when deciding the fate of game projects. It's going to cost this much to develop, we can sell this many units, the manufacturing costs this much, so we'll make a margin of X.
arketing involves math too. Determining how best to spend the marketing budget, when in-store promos and co-op advertising make sense.
icensing & new business execs have to have a good head for math. There's a quota, there's a divide between when a deal costs more to write than it's going to make back in the end.

And of course there's also a whole department devoted to math - accounts payable, accounts receivable, royalties administration.

Your email also contained this:
>please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email?

Right! Save the electrons! (^_^)
Cheers,
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 14, 2008

How do I apply for QA? Is there a better way, part 2?

>From: Rohit Jain (rohitdamnit)
>Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 11:37:52 AM
>Subject: Re: advice
>Thank you for your message.
>What about internships? Apologies...i should'v been more specific...i am looking at an internship...in the production department afcourse...
>
>i have a couple of contacts of producers from EA and Activision UK...through facebook...dont know them personally...but someone working there gave me their contacts..so i think i will write to them..and about the visa..yes you need a work permit for UK as well but that can be issued only after my studies..i.e. 1 year..till that time i want to gain as much experience as i can..i am plannin to stay put in UK if i get a good job here...atleast for 4-5 years..so not exactly temporary... i am attending this seminar on game design in london on 31st oct...i am expecting to meet some people there..lets see..
>
>and you mentioned about gettin business cards printed...i am a student...what do i get printed on them?..dont know how much that will help..
>thanks
>Rohit

Damnit, Rohit, your writing habits took a sudden turn for the worse there. I'm going to insert ellipses into all of my sentences, and neglect proper capitalization and punctuation. Let's see if it helps MY readability and professional appearance any.

What about [game production] internships?
wonderful...if...you...can...get...1...

..i am plannin to stay put in UK if i get a good job here...atleast for 4-5 years..
then...u...need...2...not...again...forget...2..mention...that...when...applying...

i am attending this seminar on game design in london on 31st oct...i am expecting to meet some people there..lets see..
yes...lets...

and you mentioned about gettin business cards printed...i am a student...what do i get printed on them?..
make...them...informative...and...clever...an...i catchin...

dont know how much that will help..
u...asked...for...my...advice...and...i...gave...it...u...dont...have...2...believe...anything...i...say...its...your...choice...read: FAQ 54 (abuv left)... an the Mar-06 & Feb07 colums @ http://www.igda.org/games-game...

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 12, 2008

How do I apply for QA? Is there a better way to become a producer?

>From: Rohit Jain (rohitdamnit)
>Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 10:13:22 AM
>Subject: advice
>Hi,
> I have 4 years of experience in production management in Films and TV. Now i wish to move into the gaming industry production department.
>I am currently studying MA in Media Management from University of Westminster (London). I want to start working as a Beta Tester for one
>of the Development companies. You think its a good idea to apply for the same as a part timer only. After all education is priority.
>Do companies consider such applications?And what is the best way to apply?(other than applying to the HR dept.)(Alternate better way of applying?).
>Is there a better way becoming a producer? Just wana make sure i am on the right track.
> Thanks,
>Rohit

Namaste Rohit, damnit. You wrote:

Do companies consider such applications?
You mean part-time Q.A.? Probably not.

what is the best way to apply?
I don't even know if you can. You're an Indian student in the UK. I don't know how visas work in England, but here in the US, I think you have to have a work visa (not a student visa) to get a job. You could just send resumes to all the local game companies in London, but there are several things going against you.

First, you're a student so can only work part time, and QA is usually a full-time job. But some company might be able to accommodate your study schedule, I suppose. Second, you're an experienced film/TV person, so could well be regarded as overqualified for Q.A. Everybody will understand you're doing it as a steppingstone to game production, but since you're only temporarily living in London, they'd figure you'd use them as a steppingstone to getting a job at some other company (not theirs). So right off the bat you're not painting a picture of yourself as someone who'd be a good longterm investment.

Is there a better way becoming a producer?
There are several ways it can be done. Q.A. is one, but not necessarily the best in your case. I think you need to network. Go to IGDA functions and game conferences. Get to know people in game companies. Game companies often need someone who understands working with actors and TV/radio studio production methods. Your experience might be useful for motion capture or voice-over recording sessions.

But your not having any game experience could be a problem. Maybe while you're in school, you can help some other students or amateurs who are creating game projects. Volunteer your services, get your hands dirty, learn about what making games entails. And network like crazy. Get some business cards printed ASAP.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 12, 2008

I was wondering what you thought of Game Design programs at colleges and universities.

>From: Zachary
>Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2008 4:46:46 PM
>Subject: Collegiate Game Design Programs
>Age: 16
>Education: In high school
>Occupation: Obviously student
>Subject: Collegiate Game Design Programs
>I was wondering what you thought of Game Design programs at colleges and universities. I'm thinking of attending the University of Advancing Technology and majoring in Game Design because I can't program and I can't draw, and I think that their program there will help to teach me the basic necessary skills for designing a game.
>What do you think?
>--Zack

Hi Zack, you wrote:

I was wondering what you thought of Game Design programs at colleges and universities.
You didn't need to wonder -- you just needed to read FAQ 44 (above left).

I can't program and I can't draw, and I think that [UAT's] program there will help to teach me the basic necessary skills for designing a game.
I haven't looked at their game design major. I have no idea what they will teach you. And I don't know what your plan is for breaking into the industry. As I wrote in FAQ 3, game design isn't an entry-level job.

I describe my recommended course of study in FAQ 3, but I imagine that the UAT program is also useful. My recommended course of study in FAQ 3 won't get you a game design job, and since I don't know what UAT's course consists of, I don't know if that will, either.

Maybe they'll teach you level design. That would be a good thing. If you get good at level design, that's a great way into the industry. Better than Q.A. (FAQ 5). And of course you should work on mods and indie projects, build a portfolio...

Anyway, as long as you know that some schools mean different things when they say "game design" (some call art "game design," and some call programming "game design"), and you carefully read UAT's course offerings, then you're good to make your decision. Speaking of which, read FAQ 25 too. The FAQs are above left.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 11, 2008

I didnt want to post this in my thread, part 2

>GameDev.Net > Discussion Forums > Private Messages
>1 New Private Message
>From: xraven13 [ Add to Buddies ]
>Subject: Contract Problem
>Date: 10/11/2008 4:26:02 AM
>Hi!
>I hope you remember me,i was talking with you already about contracts for artists etc.
>One company contacted us two days ago,they are offering us contract.They would make all graphic and sound for our game,also give us site with graphic,distribute our game (first on internet and then if game would be popular in dvd boxes),give us commercials and interviews with magazines.So only thing we need to do is to program and to finish design of game.
>But there is a catch.They must be sure of course that we will finish that game so they will not lose time and money on us for nothing.That is why they offering us contract(i didnt seen it yet,it is not made yet) which says that we need to make that game in 6 months or all that we programmed and designed and all graphic ,sound etc. will belong to them.If they break deal and dont make graphic on time then all what they made till now in this game will belong to us.
>I was talking on IRC #gamedev about this and people there think they will trick us and in end they will take all rights of game and we will got nothing.What should we do protect our selfs? Do you have some suggestion what should be in contract written for protecting us??
>I also wonder what is percentage of money (that will come from selling of game) we should ask?? I was thinking 20% but people on #gamedev told me we could ask for 50%.But i dont know they will invest money and risk,they will give all graphic and sound,commercials and distribute our game.And obviously they wanna get some profit from it.
>I am hoping you will answer because we really need some professional help.
>Thank in advance! Cheers :)

Yes, I remember you. You're the anonymous 19-year-old kid from Zagreb who keeps sending me PMs on GameDev even though I ask everybody NOT to PM me on GameDev. If you want me to give you free advice, you need to email me directly or post on public forums. And if you post questions on public forums, you should expect other people to reply, not just me.

You last wrote me on September 14 (below), after first posting a discussion topic on GameDev, at http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=507590.

That thread is entitled "Starting own company and selling the game," in which you said that you were taking the ill-advised approach of trying to start a company without a university degree, without any business experience, and without any game industry experience, and furthermore that your game idea was the basis for your business plan. In other words, you believe that your game idea will be enough to make money and pay back the effort of creating it, and then some.

Coincidentally, I had just written my IGDA column about that exact topic, entitled "Idea Guy," at http://www.igda.org/games-game (Sept. 08 in the archives). The gist of that column is that an idea isn't enough, that profits for a game company come from a solid plan of numerous products and experienced personnel. That people need to be paid up front, not in the future.

Since writing that column, I posted a follow-up column. It's addressed not to the idea guy, but to the young student programmer who's asked by the idea guy to work on his idea for him. That column is at http://www.igda.org/games-game/.

I gave that background for the benefit of my readers. Let's get to your question now:

One company contacted us two days ago,they are offering us contract.They would make all graphic and sound for our game,also give us site with graphic,distribute our game (first on internet and then if game would be popular in dvd boxes),give us commercials and interviews with magazines.So only thing we need to do is to program and to finish design of game.
This isn't a graphics company, then. What is this company's business? Are they a game publisher? And does this company have a lot of experience publishing games?

But there is a catch.They must be sure of course that we will finish that game so they will not lose time and money on us for nothing.That is why they offering us contract(i didnt seen it yet,it is not made yet) which says that we need to make that game in 6 months or all that we programmed and designed and all graphic ,sound etc. will belong to them.
That's an extremely unfriendly deal, don't you think? Six months is a very short time, and if you don't finish the game in that time, your game belongs to them?? They're trying to take advantage of a hapless 19-year-old kid. Don't do it, guy.

What should we do protect our selfs?
Don't do any business with this company.

what is percentage of money (that will come from selling of game) we should ask?? I was thinking 20%
20% is fine, if you are dealing with a reputable publisher. Now all you have to do is get a deal with a reputable publisher! (NOT the company you are talking to now.)

but people on #gamedev told me we could ask for 50%.
Those people probably have never gotten an actual publishing deal. You shouldn't be taking advice from amateurs.

we really need some professional help.
Professional help costs money. I have already given you my advice -- I think you should find a way to get a university degree. I think you should make indie games (but not in hopes of making money from them), and I think you should leverage your indie games into a professional game industry job. Then after several years in the industry, building up savings, THEN make a plan to create your own company. You're just a kid! You aren't ready yet.

That's my professional advice. So far you haven't shown any indications of being willing to accept it.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 11, 2008

High school career interview project

>From: jon (john_shogun2)
>Sent: Wednesday, October 8, 2008 1:13:38 PM
>Subject: Sorry to bother you...
>Hi, my name is Jonathan and i'm doing a project on my futer career in game designing. so was was woundering if you would'nt mind to answer some guestions for me. If don't mind please write back so that i may write the questions later.
>Thank you

Hi Jonathan,
I get that request all the time, so I wrote an FAQ. Click the FAQs link above left and read FAQ 37. Then go ahead and ask me a question that isn't answered already. Standing by...
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 8, 2008

"Applied" CS

>From: Adam
>Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2008 9:02 PM
>Subject: Guide to the Gaming Biz
>I don't know if you still work on that extremely useful guide on getting into the gaming biz, but i've recently taken an interest in it as a career. Unfortunatly they don't offer computer science at the university i'm attending, only applied computer science. Does this one extra word make a world of difference?

Hi Adam,
So, your question for me is:

Does this one extra word ["Applied"] make a world of difference?
As you can see by my articles (above left) and by the responses I give (below), I am a stickler for clear questions. You didn't say what you were worried about, exactly. There are two things you might have really been asking:

Are employers likely to reject my résumé out of hand when they see that degree?
Would I not learn the stuff I need to learn so that I can make games?

#1 is a question of appearances. I despise "appearances" questions. Nobody cares what school you went to, or the name of the degree you got. I wrote about this in my November 2005 IGDA column. (Note: I just noticed an error in the column; Nixon went to Whittier College.) After you read that column, I hope you won't be concerned about appearances anymore.

#2 is a practical question, but one that misses the point that college isn't enough anyway. You need not only a degree but a portfolio to get a game biz job. So to supplement your degree, you need to work hard at building stuff, solo and collaboratively. Mods and indie projects look really good on a portfolio, and you probably wouldn't get that in college anyway.

Lastly, though, I find it surprising that you don't just compare the syllabus of the Applied CS degree at your school with the CS degree at another school, and find out what the difference actually is. But in my opinion, that degree would be a whole lot better than no degree at all, and my guess is that you ought to go for it -- if -- IF -- programming is your passion.

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 5, 2008

Do you have any information about video game companies in Utah? If there are any will you please contact me about them. If you have any other information about video game testing would you please tell me about the things that you have found out?

>Subject: Video Game Testing
>From: Derek {xcaliburconsulting}
>Date: Friday, October 3, 2008 4:26:37 PM
>Hey Tom,
> I live in Utah and am wondering if I can get a job for video game testing in Utah. Do you have any information about video game companies in Utah? If there are any will you please contact me about them. If you have any other information about video game testing would you please tell me about the things that you have found out?
>Thanks,
> Derek

Hi Derek, you asked:

Do you have any information about video game companies in Utah?
Yes.

If there are any will you please contact me about them.
I've already given you that information -- on my Game Biz Links page.

If you have any other information about video game testing would you please tell me about the things that you have found out?
I've already told you all those things -- in FAQ 5. Links to the FAQs and Links page are above left.

Standing by for questions after you've checked those out...
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 3, 2008

My kids are designing a game, part 2

From: Shelly (painter70>
Sent: Friday, October 3, 2008 1:21 PM
Subject: computer games
>That's great, thank you so much. I find it so interesting how the minds of kids work. Not being able to process as adults gives them a whole different view about how things work and on concepts. Thank you for your links. We will put them to good use.
>Shelly

My kids are designing a game

From: Shelly [painter70>
Sent: Friday, October 3, 2008 12:36:26 PM
Subject: computer games
> Hi there,
> I am a homeschooling mom, and my kids are interested in trying to write their own computer games. I am first having them write down all of their ideas, then an outline. I saw your outline page so we will be doing that, or something very similar (they are in grades 3, 5, and 7). Do you have any pointers or know of other sites that could help them? This is a Language Arts and Creative Writing exercise. I thought I could make it fun for them by pulling from their individual interests, ideas, and writing styles. Thoughts?
> Shelly

Hi there,
I have several links to such sites on my Game Biz Links page http://www.sloperama.com/advice/links.htm
and at the bottom of FAQ 2 where you found the outline.

For example, these two:
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19970912/design_doc.htm
http://www.gamedev.net/reference/list.asp?categoryid=23#21

And how about this one I just found using Google, about how to write stories:
http://www.write101.com/shortstory.htm
Stories are an important part of lots of games.
Good?
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 3, 2008

What kind of computers are used in the Game business?

>From: Troy
>Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 4:08 PM
>Subject: What kind of computers are used in the Gaming business?
>
>First off thank you a lot for all the advice you've given me. I'm still reading through your web site though so please excuse me if I ask a question you've already answered. But I just moved to a new school (I'm in high school) and this school is giving out computers. All they want is for me to tell them what parts I want, why, compare it to another computer, and then I get myself a free computer. So I'd like to get something as similar to those used for game development. I have a $1500 limit and I'm willing to claw and bite for a spot as a game designer. So what would you suggest to look for? What are the usual costs for computers in the business?
>
>Really though, thank you a lot for the advice! It really helps and makes me feel like I can really do this with the combination of advice I get from you and many other sources. I really hope everyone who visits your site shares their appreciation with you.

Hi Troy, you wrote:

this school is giving out computers
Holy cow!! Or as my ex-wife used to say, Cowly ho! (She was from Hong Kong.)

What kind of computers are used in the Gaming business?
Please don't say "gaming" -- read my IGDA column for May 2008 (it's in the archives at http://www.igda.org/games-game).

So what would you suggest to look for?
First, you say you want to be a game designer. That means you need a computer that can run Microsoft Office. You need to have Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Paint. It doesn't take much of a computer to run those things.

But you also need to be able to play the latest top computer games, like Spore, Warhammer, Crysis, Silent Hill, and The Witcher. It takes a fast CPU (like the Intel Core Duo) and a top-of-the-line video card, and a good audio system, a large hard drive, lots of RAM, and preferably a game controller, to keep up with the latest games. A game designer has to be familiar with the latest games to be on top of the trends.

thank you a lot for the advice! It really helps and makes me feel like I can really do this with the combination of advice I get from you and many other sources.
I appreciate that, Troy! (^_^)

I really hope everyone who visits your site shares their appreciation with you.
Well, if they did, I'd have to stop posting all their emails here. (^_^) As it is, I get so few, I like to put them all up here. Good luck getting a computer that'll let you play those games...

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 1, 2008

You got a shout out on GameCareerGuide

>Subject: Good Morning! Noticed you are referenced on GameCareer Guide
>From: Scott (archaniawork)
>Date: Monday, September 29, 2008 9:18:11 AM
>Mr. Sloper,
>I hope you had a very good weekend. I gotta say your responses are fantastic yet again to posts on GDC [IGDA].
>I don't know if you are aware (i'm sure you are though) that your website and name are in a Feature article "The Idea is Not the Game" on Game Career Guide.
>Just wanted to share. Thanks again.
>Scott

Hi Scott,
Cool, thanks for the heads-up. That's a great article, so I linked to it in FAQs 1 & 3.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 29, 2008

I wanna design but there's all those courses!? What if I love math? (part 3)

>From: "amber
>Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 7:59 PM
>Subject: Re:Game programmer FAQ
>Ok, I have the basic High School math requirements. After i go to college and get my bachelors degree in game programming, what other clasees/seminars would be good to help me learn more about game programming, HTML classes? C++ Classes?, Javascript?, anything like that? maybe a dimensions and graph class?

Hi Amber,
First off, why don't you worry about what classes to take after college, AFTER you've finished college? You've heard that old saying, "let's cross that bridge when we come to it." You're just perplexing yourself needlessly when you worry about stuff that's 5 years down the road yet.
Secondly, I never told you to get a bachelors degree in "game programming." If you want to become a game programmer, you need to get a CS degree -- Computer Science. Read FAQs 34 & 44.
You REALLY need to read the FAQs. You're so full of questions and misconceptions, and the Question-and-Answer method is NOT the best way to start to fill those big voids. You need to read the FAQs FIRST, then ask questions to fill the small gaps. Read not only the articles here on my site, but also use my Game Biz Links page and do more reading as well. Read the FAQs at igda.org and gamedev.net and gamecareerguide.com.
I'm happy to help you, really I am, but it's important that you do basic research so you have your feet firmly on the ground before you start walking down a path.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 26, 2008

I wanna design but there's all those courses!? What if I love math? (part 2)

>Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>From: amber [mmvjmm
>Date: Friday, September 26, 2008 12:52:14 PM
>I plan on going to college for my bachelors degree but one problem i have with all those required areas is that a few are my bad areas. I hardly read books and I'm not the best in History, English & grammar, unless i have a interest in something like a icon [Alexzander the great] or a fiction book by Libra Bray. It would otherwise just make my career boring and unappealing. I think it's possible that i was looking to be a game programmer then. I'm still considering what i want to do as a career, and i like games and working with math; Which is mainly what i need as a game programmer is the passion of math? I read FAQ 15, and it said female game programmers we're paid less then the males, why exactly is that? -thanks for the help so far

Hi Amber, you wrote:

one problem i have with all those required areas is that a few are my bad areas.
Several things:

- Now that you understand that those "required" subjects apply to game design, not to programming, why are you still worrying about them? When you label things wrong, confusion and misdirection result. Now that I've shown you that the proper label is "game programmer" instead of "game designer," you should see that what's "required" for game designers is irrelevant.

- Those things aren't "required" in the sense that an aspiring designer who hadn't studied all of them would find it impossible to become a game designer. Perhaps a more careful and discerning read of the words I wrote would clarify that.

- Ignoring for a moment that you actually are an aspiring programmer and that I said those subjects aren't actually "required" for aspiring designers -- if you found that your passions were out of whack with the requirements for your chosen profession, wouldn't it make sense to conclude that perhaps you weren't really cut out for that profession?

It would otherwise just make my career boring and unappealing.
It would be foolish to go into a boring and unappealing career. My advice: don't do that.

I think it's possible that i was looking to be a game programmer then. I'm still considering what i want to do as a career
Then I recommend two things:

- Read my FAQ 7. If you've already read it, read it again, because it needs to sink in really well. Also check out FAQ 34.

- Your high school has a career (or "guidance") counselor. Go see him. Seriously. My high school counselor was tremendously helpful and reassuring. I, on the other hand, may be helpful, but I don't do reassurance. (^_^)

mainly what i need as a game programmer is the passion of math?
No. If you hated math or were really bad at math and came to me and told me you wanted to be a game programmer, I'd say: if you found that your passions were out of whack with the requirements for your chosen profession, wouldn't it make sense to conclude that perhaps you weren't really cut out for that profession?

But since you have a passion for math, and you might be an aspiring game programmer (you just haven't decided for sure yet), then this is a positive checkmark for becoming a programmer (not a negative X). It's not everything -- it's just a positive indication, as opposed to a negative one (your rejection of the list in FAQ 3 being numerous negative indications, as regards to game design).

FAQ 15... said female game programmers we're paid less then the males, why exactly is that?
Maybe female suffrage and the historic inequality between women and men wasn't covered sufficiently in your history classes. I understand that you're a member of the Millennial Generation, the most gender-blind and race-blind generation ever born (that's a GOOD thing!!), but you need to pay attention in history class (and in all your classes) while you're in school. Talk to your parents. Talk to your guidance counselor. Read the newspaper, even (I know, paper is so pre-Millennial, but still!). They can help you understand this unfairness of the workaday world a little better. This question goes well beyond what I can offer you here.

thanks for the help so far
You're welcome, Amber. I'm still here anytime you have followup questions (in the next hour, over the weekend, next month, next year... anytime!).

Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 26, 2008

I wanna design but there's all those courses!? What if I love math?

>Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>From: amber (mmvjmm
>Date: Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:34:34 PM
>I am 17 years old, currently a junior in high school. I've been interested in game designing since middle school and have been looking into it the closer i get towards my senior project next semester. I've been reading many of the FAQ's. After reading through some, It bummed me out to see how many different areas a individual should acquire to pursue this career. I'm currently limited in those areas. I'm extremely interested in math, that's my best subject; which, i breeze through and tend to double up on math classes. I have a 100 percent in algebra 2, and have always been ranked one in my math classes. The other area I'm well at is art, i have a decent artistic view and ability. So my game biz question is, can a person pursue game designing if they major in math? otherwise, I'm interested in mostly math but wanted to possible use my math skills to code games, or is that a "No-Go"? -Thank you
>My approximate age is: _
>The level of education I've completed is: _
>My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: _
>The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: _
>My game biz question is: _

Hi Amber, you wrote:

I've been interested in game designing... I've been reading many of the FAQ's… It bummed me out to see how many different areas a individual should acquire to pursue this career. I'm currently limited in those areas.
I guess you're talking about the list of subjects in FAQ 3? You do realize you're going to spend the next 5 years finishing high school and getting your bachelors degree, right? So in those 5 years you're going to have plenty of time to take classes in those subjects. If you're not interested in learning those subjects, then maybe you're not really cut out to be a game designer.

can a person pursue game designing if they major in math?
I guess you haven't yet read FAQs 40 & 50. I recommend you read those two; then you should know the answer to this question -- but if not, you're welcome to rephrase the question.

I'm interested in mostly math but wanted to possible use my math skills to code games, or is that a "No-Go"?
I'm confused by your question. Your passion is math, which is like the #1 top requirement for game programmers. So how could that possibly be a "no-go"?

I'm also confused as to whether or not your original question was really about game design -- a lot of industry outsiders are unaware of the difference between game design and game programming. You weren't confusing the two, were you? Maybe you should read more of the articles (like FAQs 7, 14, & 15). I'm always here to answer follow-up questions anytime.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 25, 2008

I'm looking to build the world's premier 1v1 RTS, part 5

> Subject: Re: About game design
>From: Erich blurrymadness
>Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 1:14:18 AM
> I appreciate the candid-ness of your reply, and am glad to say the company did contact me back, and as you'd expect they, very-politely, informed me that the best way to go would be to refine my admirations and aspirations over time while gaining experience with the company from the ground up. I plan on finishing my degree with a minor in Comp Science/Programming and attempt to get my game ideas refined and in a format I can present clearly so that at some point I might be able to express them in a more productive way. I might look for game industry work more locally or near another college for the sheer resume-filling weight it might help to bring, as I'm sure the cook job i've been holding can't do any better ;).
>Again, thank you for the service, I think I have my head in a more straight direction on this and can more appropriately pursue this.
>Erich

Good morning, Erich.
Wow, that was really nice of them to give you a friendly advisory reply. And I gather that your game idea isn't yet at the GDD state. One thing you said, though:

another college for the sheer resume-filling weight it might help to bring
I'm not sure what point you were making there, but a college is only one line on your résumé. And nobody cares which college you used to get your education. Read more of my articles -- not just those here on my site, but also my IGDA columns. You've got time. And I'm always here to answer questions not addressed by my articles.

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
GD♠Sloperama♥com
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 24, 2008

Thanks from an acquisitions professional

>From: ******
>Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 4:35 AM
>Subject: Thanks from an acquisitions professional
>Hi Tom,
>
>Thank you for creating and maintaining your excellent “Game Biz Advice” site. As someone who receives “I have a great game idea!” emails every day, it’s a life saver that there is already a far better site than I could ever write that I can direct people to. Hopefully some of those people will lose their pre-conceptions and actually go on to do good work in the industry, thanks to you.
>
>That’s all. I just wanted to say thanks.
>Kind regards,
>******
>Product Acquisition Coordinator
>[Major Game Publisher]
>London

Hi ******,
Cool! (^_^) It's great to hear from you. I'm chuffed. Hope to meet you at GDC someday. In the meantime, have a lager shandy for me! Cheers,
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 1, 2008

I'm looking to build the world's premier 1v1 RTS, parts 2, 3, & 4

>Re: About game design
>Erich (blurrymadness
>Tuesday, September 23, 2008 2:47:19 PM
>I am 21. I am Roughly 2 years into college based on credits, unsure how many would be left. It's very major dependent, but I'd be close to engineering (within a year for a 2 year degree) or could finish my 2 year degree for a transfer in programming. I am currently branching into my first bit of business courses as another route I might eventually take. I am in Vector Calculus, and have learned coding up to Data Structures (such as Queues, Stacks, and other sorts like bubble, merge, ect. My coding "training" is all within C++).
>I am actually a cook right now. :/
>I would plan on contributing, in essence, the types of units and gameplay, the balance of the game (I.E. much participation in playtesting, finding bugs, exploitation ect). I would wish to overwatch the development and manage what parts are being worked on and put together. I imagine I would help in whatever feasible way I could (certain pieces of coding, coding algorithms, fixes or utilizations of an engine).
>I would hope to not be embarrassed on your site, ambiguous or not.
>I did read some of the FAQs, but you got 60 lol. I emailed because in the first couple I read I realized where I was coming from, and what it's viewed as. I know your recommendation is to get my foot in the door and work as a lackey, where as I've seen others recommend a diverse education. I'd rather not work as some underling as it'd be like working as a cook now, getting nowhere. If I had to I would eventually start my own operation from scratch, but I admire the team at massive and would rather use the expertise and inventiveness of a good team that would seem is under appreciated (in a global view) than a team I put together with some loans and hope for the best.
>I will check out the FAQs and get back to my studies as I wait for a response. Again, thanks
>Erich

>Subject: Re: About game design
>From: Erich (blurrymadness
>Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 2:48:07 PM
>p.s. I am not looking to sell the idea lol. I am looking to help produce it. I can't believe it if I forgot to mention that...

>Subject: Re: About game design
>From: Erich (blurrymadness
>Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 3:16:28 PM
>So I guess your point is to try and get the foot i the door anyway? I had read #1, it's why I emailed. I found this from you and did it real quick (at the bottom).
>With what I read, would the best way to pursue this be finding a way to mod a game into it, finishing a (4 year) degree and then rushing headlong into a position in the industry? It still sounds that if the above were true, that the game would be tossed to a pack of wolves as they ravage it. May I say I contacted a team that worked for Blizzard and Sierra, but it's not the production company, or anything, it's the development company. If that makes any minute difference then great, if it doesn't, I guess I sort of have what you think down anyway?
>Erich
>
>The Test
>Is the Game Distinctive?
>Does it stand out viscerally? Maybe? I assume you mean graphically, if so, it'd be a yes if I found a way to work with massive lol.
>Does the gameplay stand out? Yes
>Does it involve the player socially in a unique way? Yes
>Can the Game Reach a Large Market?
>Is the idea behind the game easy to communicate? Yes
>Is the game based on something the market already knows and loves? Yes
>Is the target market large? Unsure

Hi Erich,
OK, now that I have a better understanding of your personal situation, let me reply to all your points (including your first email). Needed to know your particulars first, is all.

You wrote:

> I would even be willing to fly out there if I thought I would be seriously listened to
You should have read FAQ 21 first.

>and granted some opportunity to produce the work,
Not without game industry creds. Or at least a degree and a portfolio at minimum.

>I don't imagine I'm the typical person requesting your attention,
Sure you are. Just look below. And aren't all my articles specifically targeted to aspiring designers?

> It's like a painting that I can't paint.
Good analogy. So if you had an idea for a painting, would you not have to learn how to paint? Failing that, you'd have to change your vision in a creative way to express your painting idea to the world.

>I'm still working on a degree,
Good!

>but it's for an un-founded major.
You lost me.

> I read some of your advice,
I couldn't tell. Which articles have you read? There will be a quiz...! (^_^)

>I don't want to sit in a cubicle
That's too bad that you can't take that for a few years, because (as I'll discuss further) it's the very best way to get where you want to go eventually. And you're still very young yet.
Basically, if you totally reject the cubicle lemming/lackey/underling "apprenticeship," your only other options are (1) lone wolfhood, (2) trying to make money in the indie world (in cooperation with other young rebels like yourself), and/or (3) winning the lottery to gain the wealth needed to buy the services you need to accomplish your goal.

> I have not a storyline, not a batch of rough concepts, but the balance, the playstyle and the types of units.
Understood. You want to be the designer. Have you written a full GDD yet? It's a necessary first step.

>I'd be close to engineering (within a year for a 2 year degree) or could finish my 2 year degree for a transfer in programming.
Perfect. That's what you need, especially if you're going to go lone wolf.

>I would plan on contributing, in essence, the types of units and gameplay, the balance of the game ...
IOW, the design.

>I imagine I would help in whatever feasible way I could (certain pieces of coding, coding algorithms, fixes or utilizations of an engine).
You ought to look into level design, too.

>I did read some of the FAQs, but you got 60 lol.
And they all have titles, so you can choose which ones are going to answer questions you have.

>I'd rather not work as some underling as it'd be like working as a cook now, getting nowhere.
Such shortsightedness. The game industry isn't like a kitchen at all. The "apprenticeship" is necessary at the beginning, but if you have what it takes, you wouldn't stay a lackey/underling/lemming forever.

>...than a team I put together with some loans and hope for the best.
Taking out loans and then just hoping would be the stupidest business plan ever! Surely you wouldn't do that, no matter what I say...? (^_^)

>With what I read, would the best way to pursue this be finding a way to mod a game into it, finishing a (4 year) degree and then rushing headlong into a position in the industry? It still sounds that if the above were true, that the game would be tossed to a pack of wolves as they ravage it.
You would be foolish to give away your idea to that team before you were in a position to protect its vital parts. My point is that the game job would give you knowledge, creds, and contacts, and while you're working you can save money so you'll have the wherewithal to apply for a business loan when you're ready to do your startup. Read FAQ 29 yet?

>May I say I contacted a team that worked for Blizzard and Sierra, but it's not the production company, or anything, it's the development company. If that makes any minute difference then great, if it doesn't,
It doesn't. They're not in any position to do anything with your Ultimate Idea. Besides, ONE idea (ultimate or not) is not enough. Ideas are nothing. You need to be a professional game designer, not a cook, in order to be able to do anything about your game ideas.

>The Test
The answer needs to be an unequivocal YES on all counts.

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 23, 2008

I'm looking to build the world's premier 1v1 RTS.. What do I do?

>Subject: About game design
>From: Erich Ulmer (blurrymadness
>Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 1:36:54 PM
> Where should I begin this email... I guess yesterday is a good a place as ever. I had (now realizing in all probability) foolishly contacted my favorite coding team with regards to hoping I could speak my idea. (Though unmentioned) I would even be willing to fly out there if I thought I would be seriously listened to and granted some opportunity to produce the work, or a temporary work based on a current platform as a mod. I don't imagine I'm the typical person requesting your attention, because I wish to be a game designer, and I wish to build this 'dream game' because nothing compares. Nothing will. As a gamer, I am disappointed again and again, and the game industry is becoming more industrious, and less creative. A quick batch of sparkle on the new product in the form of special advertising and snazzy graphics, and every crappy idea is made good enough to render the "same ol' " or forget worthy ideas used in previous games, or that could have evolved from previous games.
> I sit here typing this because I desperately want to create this game, and be thoroughly involved in the process. It's like a painting that I can't paint. I've tried my hand at a few years of programming for college etc, and I can't enjoy, nor comprehend some of the majesty of programming that I've seen. I'm still working on a degree, but it's for an un-founded major. I stand on a couple years of college no closer to creating and fleshing out these ideas in 3d than I started, at least not closer in terms to having a convincing resume or being able to build it myself. Back to the painting. I know how it should look, feel, what it should be like in it's exact. What needs highlighting, what needs touch-up, where the light comes from, and how it all flows together, which things are proportioned, and yet, my hand with the paintbrush is not steady, nor is it exacting. I can only watch as every fool in the industry comes up with the same black-and-white image rendered from before with a new frame, a few sparkles, and possibly a badly photoshopped addition to it. I see the degradation of the original art, rather than a new piece.
> I read some of your advice, and rather than becoming inspired, I see that little could possibly come from my contacted person, than a "who cares" or as thus far, no reply. I don't wish to make something close, or something with a few of the same features. I don't want to sit in a cubicle making another crappy production of the same piece. "Great another WWII shooter with invulnerable helpers, easy gameplay, and 'uncontested realism' with our great graphics", or "Great another build-your-base RTS that has a new finish, with grand balance issues, linear gameplay style and more "new weapons" than you can shake a stick at".
> Absolutely not. If that is what the idea is doomed to become part of, I'd rather watch the game industry deteriorate, than become part of the deterioration.
> I have not a storyline, not a batch of rough concepts, but the balance, the playstyle and the types of units. Any good writer can wrap the fancy (as it's called) 'fluff' packaging around a good game to add immersion, but to start with a story is to start with the "immersion" and put a bad game to it.
> I care not for wealth and fame, but for the game. I care that it gets made and that I and the strategy-lovers the world over can play it and say "this is what it's supposed to be like".
> On the separate note of what I've been trying to do outside of my education to forward this, there have been attempts from me and a friend to get a mod rolling, but every time we think of an ingenious way to utilize features of one game's engine, we run into the problems that were hardcoded into it that hinder the effort to make it into what I want. We had some things we could do, but it won't be the masterpiece I imagine, but a mediocre attempt to show the ideas. Many give us nothing but a few extracting tools and no source code, no way to reach the source code, and therefore no way to truly make the game but from scratch or from a team of coders with the engine to modify. The closest thing to it all is Massive Entertainments' "World In Conflict". They are my favorite developers and team of guys, but this game is difficult to mod, still missing some key pieces, and the style of gameplay is limiting. The units available and the strategies available are linear and obvious, rather than realistic, free, and worst of all was the campaign, which I won't go into, because that's neither here nor there.
> I am Erich Ulmer, and I'm looking to build the world's premier 1v1 RTS.. What do I do?
>Thank you for your time

Hi Erich,
How old are you?
What's your level of education?
What's your current occupation?
Which particular game development skills are you planning to contribute to the development of games?
Also, I gather you haven't read my FAQs yet?
See especially FAQs 1, 11, 21, & 31.
The FAQs are at http://www.sloperama.com/advice.html
Standing by to help when I know more about your particulars, and when you've read those FAQs. When I answer questions, they're posted at http://www.sloperama.com/advice/bulletinbd.htm
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 23, 2008

Appreciation

>From: Scott
>Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 9:15 AM
>Subject: Good Afternoon - Read your responses from Gamedev.net
>Mr. Sloper,
>I am writing to you to express how much I enjoy your information and experience about the game design field. Your website itself is very informative. Your background is incredible.
>Currently I am going back to school (online actually) for game art & design. I am have a degree in mechanical engineer working as a design engineer and single father of 3 children.
>I am finding your information to be a great asset and inspiration for me.
>I just want to say thank you!
>Scott

Hi Scott,
Thanks so much for writing. It's good to get appreciation once in a while. Good luck with your studies, don't let it get in the way of quality time with your family. Maybe I'll run into you at GDC someday. Happy Equinox, by the way.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 22 (Autumnal Equinox), 2008

Belated appreciation

>From: Denzal Zarinelli
>To: Tom Sloper
>Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 11:28 AM
>Subject: Join my network on LinkedIn
>LinkedIn
>Denzal Zarinelli, a Friend, requested to add you as a connection on LinkedIn:
>I did a Google search on my name, and this link popped up.
>http://www.igda.org/Forums/showthread.php?postid=176261#post176261
>I remember asking you those questions. At first I was not so happy with your answers, but I thought there had to be a reason for it. After reading the comments it made sense to me why. I don't think I properly thanked you for the interview you gave me. In fact, I'm not sure why you took the time to even answer some of those questions. I think I appreciate it more now, then I did then. So thank you for your time.
>I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
>- Denzal
>View invitation from Denzal Zarinelli
>DID YOU KNOW you can conduct a more credible and powerful reference check using LinkedIn?
>Enter the company name and years of employment or the prospective employee to find their colleagues that are also in your network. This provides you with a more balanced set of feedback to evaluate that new hire.
>© 2008, LinkedIn Corporation

Ah yes, February 2007. Good times. Nice to hear from you, and to hear that now you can see that "It was for your own good, young Jedi."
I didn't think it was odd that you never posted again, BTW. Most people just go away, and we can't even tell if they ever came back and saw any replies to their questions. But we post answers anyway, for the benefit of other young Jedis. May the force be with you, or something.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 20, 2008

I'm stuck! What do I do now?

>From: johnb******
>Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 7:31 PM
>Subject: Game Development
>Greetings Mr. Sloper
>If you could allow me i would like to discuss 2 subjects:
>
>SUBJECT1:
>· Before more than 1 year i was planning to enter PC gaming world, so i wanted to start with a small project.
>1. THE EASY STEP: i have invented a new board game idea which is similar to chess but with different rules.
>2. THE HARD STEP: because i already had programming skills, i had improved my skills using new programming technologies like C#, and 3D modelling like 3D Max and i have developed my own game.
>You could watch a demo movie of it from:
>http://www.johnbaljian.bravehost.com/royalist.avi
>3. THE HARDEST PART: i have tried to distribute it via publisher (Which they ignored it) or by myself online, either ways was failure.
>Could You please help me what to do?
>
>SUBJECT2:
>If i decided to develop new game (a very big project) and started programming it.
>In this case i CANNOT develop everything Music, Movies ... that requires huge development which cannot be done by one man.
>Is there any big chance that the companies would cooperate with me in finished that game?
>
>Many thanks in advance
>Ohanes (John) B
>Bournemouth, England

Hi John,
You didn't happen to mention (as requested above):
How old are you?
What's your level of education?
What's your current occupation?
Which game job, if any, do you aspire to or plan to study for? (I'm guessing programming?)

The reason I ask is so that I can give you the best possible answer, tailored to your individual situation. So I'll try the best I can, given that I don't know those things. You wrote:

i have developed my own game.
Very cool. Good job.

You could watch a demo movie of it
Sorry. Like it says above, I don't do that. I give advice about general concepts. You have to figure out the specifics for your individual case.

THE HARDEST PART: i have tried to distribute it via publisher (Which they ignored it) or by myself online, either ways was failure.
>Could You please help me what to do?
Read FAQ 60.

i CANNOT develop everything Music, Movies ... that requires huge development which cannot be done by one man.
Right. You've learned that to make a larger game requires a team.

Is there any big chance that the companies would cooperate with me in finished that game?
You have asked Frequently Asked Question #50, but for more specific information read FAQs 11 & 21.

So John, what's your intent, and what's your plan to achieve it? If your intent is to become a lone wolf game designer/programmer/publisher, you have to figure out how to do it all, all by yourself. And I won't be able to advise you.

But if you want to work in games cooperatively with others, you should prepare to get a job in the game industry and build creds and contacts and savings. Then maybe someday later, you can start your own company. I recommend that you read more articles here on my site -- it sounds like you haven't read any of them yet.

I'm always here to answer more questions, after you've read those articles. See links above left.

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 18, 2008

My name is znine, part 2

>Subject: Re: Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>From: - - (sharky-9)
>Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:28:47 PM
>semimasen if you confuse why i used znine m(-_-)m
>i born lonely in this world tom.
>i grew up in old orphan in kiev, moskow.
>name that i got from orphan was ???? sergey but my burn mark in my left arm written z9. dunno what it mean but all my friends in orphan called me znine ^^ that's why i prefer "znine" than киев sergey.
>even my adopted family in moskow prefer znine than kiev sergey 'coz the family heritage name was Vladimir. hope that can satisfy you.
>my nationality is russia but my position right now in indonesia for vacation and visiting some friends.
>my native language was russian but i prefer english since that was global language.
>'bout your saying Read article #5 for specific programming language that maybe use in testing, i can't found it. what i found was several programming language in article #15 and it was use for game progamming. is that related?
>in article #5 'bout The bug-writing exercise, i've writing a bug report in nds and already make a screen shot + publish it in below
>http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p205/6h05t/Game_Bug%20Shots/
>but still dunno where i can report it.
>'bout your article #48, maybe i can make it for my final destination since i found in Square Enix website that they need q/a in El Segundo, CA location.
>last,semimasen if my word were confuse you m(-_-)m
>and thanks for your help tom ^^
>--

Hi Sergey,
I'm not big on nicknames. I won't call you by your hated last name, though.
You say you prefer English as your primary language, but unfortunately you don't write it very well. I strongly recommend that you work to improve it. Take some evening classes or something. Seriously - if that's going to be your primary language, you need to be fluent, and write it fluently as well. Did you read article 5?

'bout your saying Read article #5 for specific programming language that maybe use in testing, i can't found it.
Think, now. For what reason might that be?
You don't have to be a sushi chef to work in QA, but article 5 doesn't say that...
You don't have to be an auto mechanic to work in QA, but article 5 doesn't say that...
You don't have to be a cosmonaut to work in QA, but article 5 doesn't say that.
Article 5 doesn't list all the skills you don't need to have, to work in QA. It only lists all the skills you do need to have, to work in QA.

what i found was several programming language in article #15 and it was use for game progamming. is that related?
Read article 7.

i've writing a bug report... but still dunno where i can report it.
There is nothing to be gained by submitting a bug report now. For one thing, you aren't in QA, so you won't get paid for that report. For another thing, that game has already been released -- it's too late to fix that game now. There is no way to submit this bug report and have anything useful happen thereby.

'bout your article #48, maybe i can make it for my final destination since i found in Square Enix website that they need q/a in El Segundo, CA location.
Article 48 is about working in Japan. The point of that article is that you have to be living in Japan, and fluent in Japanese, before you can get hired in Japan. You, Sergey, cannot get hired at Square Enix's El Segundo office unless you immigrate to America and obtain an American work visa first. You also have to improve your written English, as I unkindly mentioned above.

It's very important that you do more reading, and learn the facts about working in the game industry. Then work to make yourself suitable for the job and make a realistic plan for getting into the industry. QA is a fine way in, if you're qualified, and right now you aren't.

Right now you're in Indonesia. But if you don't have an Indonesian work visa, you can't get a QA job in Indonesia. I assume you aren't going to stay in Indonesia permanently -- maybe you'll return to Russia? Maybe you can get a QA job in Russia, if your written Russian is better than your written English.

I'm just outlining the realistic facts, Sergey. Do more reading, and keep working to improve yourself, and work to make a realistic plan.

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 17, 2008

My name is znine but you can call me "- -"

From: "- -" (sharky-9@....
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 9:12 PM
Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>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: 22
>The level of education I've completed is: 4 Year Degree (information System )
>My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: part timer
>The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: Game Tester
>My game biz question is:
>hi there tom,
>my name is znine.
>I was fascinated with games(whether console or pc) since early childhood. I am dedicated player, well aware what games are released when and how. I constantly update on any changes in game world (mostly in FPS,RTS). when i'm nearly graduated, i found some news in gamestester.com that being game tester is available. not a dream. since then, i'm looking any info about how testing should do and found your page in gamestester.com today.
>my question is:
>1. is being a q/a require specific programming language for pc?
>i'm used in visual basic and java when in college. still dunno if any specific language need to know for testing.
>2. is it need a certification for a testing ? like MCP for microsoft or OCA in oracle maybe ?
>3. is gamesrecruit[dot]com can be trust ?
>4. is there any link for Square Enix ? i'm fan of front mission and if there was a need tester for testing it, i would like to apply it because i found bugs (Frontmission nds) but dunno where for show it. already make some screenshot about how the bug produced n according your type in lesson 5, it was 'B'bug. it's not ruin the game but if we exploit the bug (in advance playing), it can make a different result and experience for playing ^^
>hope my question not bother you so much ;)
>Regards,
>znine
>--------------------------------------------------
>\ ____ /
> \____________________( __ )______________________
> \ / /
>\_______________________ /______________________/

Hello Sharky, you wrote:

hi there tom,
Where do you live, Sharky? That is to say: What country - what's your native language?

my name is znine.
No, it isn't. Your parents did not name you that. It's a moniker you chose for yourself on the Internet because you think it makes a good impression.

i'm looking any info about how testing should do
Then you should read my article #5.

is being a q/a require specific programming language for pc?
Read article #5.

is it need a certification for a testing ?
Read article #5.

is gamesrecruit[dot]com can be trust ?
I don't know, Sharky. I never heard of it until you mentioned it just now. It's probably safe to use it, as long as they never ask you for money. If they do ask you for money, just use something else, like PlanetRecruit.

is there any link for Square Enix ?
I don't know what you mean. Their website is very easy to find. I tried a Google search just now, and their website was at the very top of the search results list...

if there was a need tester for testing it, i would like to apply it
Is there a Square Enix office near where you live? Read articles #24 & 27 (see "Location, Location, Location"). And maybe you should also read article #48.

You can link to my articles above left. After you have read my articles, I am always here to answer questions anytime.

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 16, 2008

Starting a new company and seeking insight and any assistance, part 2

>From: dan@game*****.com
>Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 5:21 PM
>Subject: RE: Industry Info
>Tom,
>Thanks for your response. I definitely will check out your book. I have been researching the game industry for a while now. I have used IDGA as a primary reference point. I was just looking for some insight from some veterans of the industry. I have entensive experience in the music world, and in the software world as I worked in Professional studios for years and have worked for a top ranked software company for 5 years now as Information Systems manager.
>A few questions that I was curios about:
>1. How many game developers would you say there are in the US, the world?
>2. With the current business models, it seems as though the publishers have the ball in their court, do you feel that with the emergence of the new platforms such as Wiiware, Xbox arcade , and PS network, that the indie developer can now attain more success without big budgets?
>This is a good start. Thanks for your help.
>Dan *****
>Game*****
>www.game*****.com

Hi Dan,
I have no idea. I think you should spend some time doing serious research. Start with the lists of game developers, the game developer map sites, stuff like that. See the Game Biz Links page on my website.
Well, those are intended to reduce the barriers to entry, but even with those options now available, the barriers to success are still very steep. And even small XBLA budgets are too high for an indie developer to bear without assistance.
You are going to have to do a lot of research yourself. You should subscribe to GamaDaily and GameDailyBiz, and you should plan now to attend every conference you can, like the newly announced IndieCade. Google is your friend, too. And I repeat my previous advice that you should get involved in game development yourself as a prerequisite before you can possibly have anything to offer to your intended clientele.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
The Ides of September, 2008

Starting a new company and seeking insight and any assistance

>From: dan@game*****.com
>Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 1:00 PM
>Subject: Industry Info
>Tom,
>I am starting a new internet company that focuses on game development. I am looking for some insight into the game development world, specifically the game development process, and the business of the gaming world.
>Any assistant is appreciated.
>Dan *****
>Game*****
>www.game*****.com

Hi Dan,
It wasn't clear from your email what you are looking for from me, or what your business is, so I looked at your website. I see that you are a recent college graduate and are presently in grad school. It isn't clear from your website what your business is -- some kind of business assistance for game developers. But you don't have any game development experience yourself, so I don't see what you could possibly offer developers.
If you want insight into the game development process, I suggest you read the book "Introduction to Game Development," for starters. It's edited by Steve Rabin, and published by Charles River Media; ISBN: 1-58450-377-7. I wrote the chapter on Production.
Then I recommend you get involved in mods and indie game projects, find out what your potential market actually does and deals with on a daily basis.
If there's something you want me to help you with, give me specifics and we can go from there.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
The Ides of September, 2008

Your lessons are very helpful

>From: A. G
>Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 4:16 PM
>Subject: Your lessons are very helpful
>Hello Mr. Sloper,
>I wanted to thank you for writing all the lessons on your website. Especially "Lesson 2: Sample outline for a game design" has been very helpful to me.
>I'm going to go to the Games Academy in Berlin in half a year. However before that I have to try my best to lead a small team of students to create a game, because my previous school asked me to. I have many interests and spent a lot of time programming and designing, but I never made a game design document. It seems very difficult to make a design document if one does not know any format whatsoever. And it made me very happy when I discovered your website, as I did not expect to find such good quality text online on this topic.
>So thanks again and have a good one,
>Antoon G

I appreciate your writing, Antoon.
Best of wishes for you in your studies.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 14, 2008

I didnt want to post this in my thread because it is a offtopic a little so i sent this directly to you..i hope you dont mind..

>1 New Private Message
>GameDev.Net Discussion Forums > Private Messages
>From: xraven13, Grad Zagreb,   Croatia [ Add to Buddies ]
>Subject: I got new artists!!
>Date: 9/14/2008 12:09:22 PM
>Hi..
>I didnt want to post this in my thread because it is a offtopic a little so i sent this directly to you..i hope you dont mind..
>i got new artists,one is making backgrounds and one is making animations..they are good ,fast and love to help =)
>anyway i started more programming with my team and i noticed that they are programming more now also..and i got one new idea - i post each two days 8 little programming jobs and each member must select 1 of them and do it..there is no punishement if they dont do it because i dont pay them,but they i will just tell them they need to work like all other team mates work because that is fair :)
>and of course if someone would not work at all and other members would agree to throw him out he would first get warning and if we would be the same like before then we would kick them out..but that is for some other story :D
>bye bye

Hello X,
You're referring to the thread at http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=507590 (GameDev.net » Community » Forums » The Business and Law of Game Development » Starting own company and selling the game), in which I gave you some advice. I don't see why this is so off-topic that you couldn't have posted it on GameDev. As you can see by the instructions at the top of this page, I don't engage in private free advice conversations. I wish you well in your endeavor, but as I said on GameDev (and in my current IGDA column), it's unlikely your game will make money - and I recommend that you focus on building a portfolio instead.

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 14, 2008

It's taking me like forever to move up from QA!

>Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>From: Alexander
>Date: Saturday, September 13, 2008 4:39:09 PM
>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: 25
>The level of education I've completed is: 4 Year Degree (BSc Business Communication Systems)
>My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: QA Tester
>The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: Designer
>My game biz question is:
>Tom
>I'm Alex, a QA Tester for a large games publisher residing in London, England.
>
>Right now I feel somewhat lost, I don't really know what the best direction to go next is. I have taken QA work with publishers (this is my second tester job, my experience totals over a year) in the hopes that I could use the experience to get into QA for a developer and, from contact with a dev team, work my way into design. My intention was to take a two-pronged approach, trying to work up in QA whilst putting together a portfolio. However after all this time I have been unable to find work elsewhere, leaving me very unhappy where I am. I am still a regular tester, and though I work hard and well, that is unlikely to change for various reasons. I seem to struggle to accomplish anything worthwhile for my portfolio, where once I loved sitting down to learn a new tool or writing pieces about game mechanics and concepts, for a while now most things I start go unfinished as I struggle to keep my focus or interest.
>
>So I'm working difficult hours for bad money (even by QA standards) perhaps in a 'rut' creatively, but also at a point that I worry I will struggle to find something I could do outside of the industry. I'm afraid I'm not even really sure what I'm asking. I would like to know what you think my next course of action should be, if there is something I could do to help me get my mind back on track. I know I should stay in my job if I have nothing else, even if I feel it's harming me right now, but as long as I'm doing it I think I will struggle to find the time to work on more useful things without worrying about money and being a graduate making so little whilst younger people have the jobs I want.
>
>Maybe all I need is to be told I'm being dumb and which of the 10 Stupid Things Wannabes Do I have done.
>Many thanks
>Alex

Hi Alex, you wrote:

I have taken QA work with publishers (this is my second tester job, my experience totals over a year)
Hmmm...*

[the plan is to] use the experience to get into QA for a developer and, from contact with a dev team, work my way into design.
I don't know that the publisher QA work is a necessary step in that plan...

My intention was to take a two-pronged approach, trying to work up in QA whilst putting together a portfolio. However after all this time I have been unable to find work elsewhere
You lost me there. So your plan involves quitting one place before you've gained sufficient experience? How's that supposed to work? I don't get it.

I am still a regular tester, and though I work hard and well, that is unlikely to change for various reasons.
Hmmm...*

I seem to struggle to accomplish anything ... most things I start go unfinished as I struggle to keep my focus or interest.
That's a problem only YOU can fix. What's your plan for fixing that?
You say you made a 2-part plan. Part 1 of the plan could be working, but you aren't giving it time to play out, and part 2 of the plan isn't working because you can't motivate yourself.

I worry
Stop doing that! It's a waste of time. Do research, find facts, revise plan if necessary.

I would like to know what you think my next course of action should be
I'm happy to do that...

Did you ever hear the "patience, Jackass" joke? It's about a Forty-Niner (or a prospector in the Australian Outback, maybe) who's got an impatient mule. The joke drags on and on with the Forty-Niner periodically exhorting the impatient mule, "patience, Jackass." The joke-teller's goal is to make the joke drag on so long that the listener finally says something like, "is this joke going anywhere?" At which point the joke-teller says the punchline directly to the listener, and now the listener is the "jackass."

Or maybe you remember the old TV show, "Kung Fu," with David Carradine (later of "Kill Bill" and "Wild West Tech"). Carradine's character's monastery nickname was "Grasshopper." The wise old Master Po was always exhorting him, "Patience, Grasshopper."

You say you've been working in QA for "over a year," as if you think that's a long time! I'm here to tell you it isn't. If you're really applying yourself to your work and working as enthusiastically and effectively as possible, it can take another two years before your talents are recognized and further doors open to you. Not only that, but if you apply yourself enthusiastically and well to the work, you'll enjoy the process of learning the game industry.

So... your existing plan is perfectly fine. But it's up to you to make it happen.

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 13, 2008

Networking, beta testing, and art, oh my!

>From: Defeated (penticwing)
>Sent: Friday, September 12, 2008 3:19 PM
>Subject: GAME-BETA TESTING
>Hi TOM,
>This is Mathew and I am a student at W******* College.
>I have a whole bunch of problems and your website is wonderful for giving me information.
>
>(i) I do not know how to network.
> - I have an account on igda.com
> - I have an accound on help.com to put up material, in the future, to show off my portfolio. I do not have anything right now because I am not yet that great of a drawer.
>
>(ii) I need to get into beta testing
> - I have already signed up and purchased a game on Beyond Protocol for beta testing, however I do not have internet access on my computer becuase it was infected. I had it repaired; but it cost me a bundle.
> - I do not have any money for console games; basically I am a starving student.
> - I do have a job, but I am paying for necessities.
>Could you please offer up some advice please
> - I looked off of your website on bluesnews.com
>(iii) I do not have any contact information to contact employees of or game companies themnselves. How do I do that?
>
>(iv) I am a terrible drawer and the professor at my art school will not and does not help me. He does not show nor provide any techniques. He just gets mad, annoyed, angry, and frustrated at me and he knows I am a new student. The staff and faculty at Westwood promised me that I did not have to draw well but be willing to learn. How do I deal with this?
>
>I am truly sorry for inconvincing you and giving you all of these problems. I am sorry. But I would appreciate it more if I had more support than the "fools" at my school.
>Signed,
>Mathew
>P.S. Thank you very much.

Hi Mathew, you wrote:

(i) I do not know how to network.
That's not a question. I assume your question is "how does networking work?" I've written about networking in my FAQ 54 (above left) and also in my IGDA column. Go to http://www.igda.org/games-game and check the archived February 2007 and March 2006 columns after you've read FAQ 54.

(ii) I need to get into beta testing
Why? Did you see what I've written about beta testing in FAQs 5 & 28?

I have already signed up and purchased a game on Beyond Protocol for beta testing, however I do not have internet access on my computer becuase it was infected. I had it repaired; but it cost me a bundle.
> - I do not have any money for console games; basically I am a starving student.
> - I do have a job, but I am paying for necessities.
What is the point for telling me all these extraneous things? Please just give me necessary information that I need in order to answer your clear questions. Extraneous information doesn't help me give you your answer.

Could you please offer up some advice please
> - I looked off of your website on bluesnews.com
I'm sorry, I don't know what kind of advice you're asking for. And I don't know anything about bluesnews or its relevance to your question.

(iii) I do not have any contact information to contact employees of or game companies themnselves. How do I do that?
What is your purpose for contacting employees and/or companies? You're not expressing yourself very clearly here. I can easily tell you how to do this, but what is it you want to do, and why?

(iv) I am a terrible drawer and the professor at my art school will not and does not help me. He does not show nor provide any techniques. He just gets mad, annoyed, angry, and frustrated at me and he knows I am a new student. The staff and faculty at Westwood promised me that I did not have to draw well but be willing to learn. How do I deal with this?
In college, it's expected that a student would only sign up for an art class if he's got basic ability in art. Are you in just one art class? Or are you in an art degree program? Because if the former, then the next question is, do you need that class to get your degree -- and if not, why don't you just drop the class? But if the latter, then maybe you should reconsider what degree program you ought to be in. Like I told "Bob Bob" AKA "Vin" just the other day (below), art talent is pretty much a prerequisite if you're going to enroll in an art school or an art program. And as I wrote in FAQ 34, if you don't have art talent, you shouldn't try going for an art degree.

Standing by to help if you have more questions after reading those articles and FAQs...
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 12, 2008

What about Story Design, part 2?

>From: blackwolf5842
>Sent: Friday, September 12, 2008 3:26 PM
>Subject: Re: A Game Design Question
>Hi Tom,
>Thank you very much for replying to my e-mail. I really appreciate the help. Although I'm probably being a pain in the butt, but I have just one more question for you about game story scripts. Should they be in the GDD format: 10-point Sans Serif font, or in the traditional film format: 12-point Courier New font? I'm not really sure since this is for a game.
>Rich

Hi Rich,
Personally, I wouldn't use a 10-point sans serif font for a GDD. I prefer a 12-point serif font like Times New Roman. I've read that serifs make text slightly easier on the eyes. And 10-point is a little small... in my opinion.
If your story involves voice actors, then absolutely use Courier New for the dialogue - yes!
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 12, 2008

What about Story Design?

>From: "blackwolf5842
>Sent: Friday, September 12, 2008 1:07:18 PM
>Subject: A Game Design Question
>Hello Tom,
>My name is Richard, and I am hoping to get into the games industry eventually. I am currently a sophomore in high school. I've read most of your lessons, which I find to be very helpful. There's something I'm confused about, though. With help from the lessons specifically addressing "game-design", I've written a game design document over the last three and a half months, including the cut-scene scripts. I hope to develop this game eventually, most likely after graduating college and gaining experience in the game industry. My confusion is how to include the scenes, and how to write them. Although I've already written the scenes, I'm not quite sure if I did them right. Also, I'm not sure if I should place them throughout the design document between game-play paragraphs, place them in order AFTER all of the game-play, or just let a professional screenwriter write them? If you could help me solve this little predicament, that would be great.
>Thanks,
>Richard

Hi Richard,
There’s no set format for how to handle your story script. Why not make it a separate document. The difference between a game story script and a movie script (for instance) is that your game story script has to begin each scene with the entry requirements and exit requirements. That is to say, “the following scene occurs after the green goblin has given the player character the red sword, provided that the player character has already met the blue alien. Otherwise, if the player character meets the blue alien after getting the red sword, it’s presented as a flashback at that time.”

That could have been written better, but you get the idea.

Also, the game story script probably needs to have names for the various elements of the scene that will exist in the game as separate assets. For instance, if the story scene has several parts, and which parts are seen depends on game actions, then each scene needs to have a separate name. Keep the names short – don’t name one “the scene in which the alien is met afterwards thus this is a flashback” (much too long!). Name it “alien met after sword” (much better short name).

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 12, 2008

NEW FEATURE! Now you can read old posts going back to late 2007!
Just scroll down, enjoying reading progressively older Q&A posts as you normally would... then click the link at the bottom of the page to see even older Q&A posts!

On tenterhooks for my dream job application

Subject: QA clarification.
From: Sergei
Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 7:10:53 AM
>Dear Mr. Sloper !
>My name is Sergei Miroshnikoff - I am a professional QA, I am 29 year old.
>I Live in Israel since 1992, before that I lived in Ukraine.
>I will try to be brief.
>
>I was fascinated with computer games since early childhood, but the
>idea of becoming participant in this busyness never crossed my mind. I
>always thought this area as something beyond my reach even in theory.
>I am dedicated player, well aware what games are released when and
>how. I constantly update on any changes in computer game world for
>last decade.
>
>And then at age of 29 I accidentally find out that company that
>produces my favorite game is looking for testers.
>Testers that speak Russian and is offering relocation. I was in
>SHOCK...seriously, all those years this was my dream and now I needed
>to apply.
>I have experience in writing cover letters, resumes passing/failing
>interviews for QA - I am in IT busyness for 3 years already, before
>that I was in CAD R&D 4 years.
>I also hired professionals to review my resume and cover letter.
>So I applied. 2 weeks ago, normally I would apply to 20-30 companies
>(each one with personal cover letter and appropriate resume of
>course); the problem is that I want to work within that specific
>company. Anything else is not an option if it was the salary I wanted
>I can stay in Israel working where I work right now.
>
>But this hope, this anticipation, this waiting....its killing me. It's
>like someone tells you " -Here this is dream of your life maybe ill
>give it to you...just wait".
>I do not approach to things lightly I consider everything very
>seriously. I read many advices you posted on your website before I
>write this.
>
>So here are my questions:
>
>- How long it usually takes for serious large scale company to reply
>(in Europe) ? (In Israel it's usually 7-12 days from my experience)
>- Company replies only if applicant is interesting to them, negative
>answer is not mailed? (In Israel applicant is usually notified.)
>- I have serious concerns that company I applied to might consider me
>over-qualified for Game-tester position and overlook my resume.
>- I don't mind my resume posted on the BULLETIN BOARD if you are
>willing and have time to look in it, I also would love to have your
>opinion on my cover letter but unfortunately that is something I will
>not agree to post in public.
>
>Thankfully yours
> Sergei M.

Hi Sergei, you asked:

How long it usually takes for serious large scale company to reply (in Europe) ?
I can't speak for Europe. I once interviewed with a German company, and I heard from them a couple of weeks later. I believe that this is not something that can be generalized or predicted.

Company replies only if applicant is interesting to them, negative answer is not mailed?
I can't speak for Europe. I believe it varies depending on the company and the HR person in charge.

[Not a question]
[Not an answer]

I don't mind my resume posted on the BULLETIN BOARD if you are
>willing and have time to look in it, I also would love to have your
>opinion on my cover letter
I'm sorry. I am sympathetic with your hopes of getting this job, but I just can't take the time to review resumes and cover letters. Besides, I really don't think I could have that much to add. In the classes I teach at USC, I sometimes get students' resumes and cover letters - and I usually don't have much to add. "Fix the spacing, change the headings, revise this wording slightly, put the most relevant thing above the least relevant thing." Cosmetic stuff like that is all I can usually add. Either your resume is suitable for the job in question, or it isn't.

I hope you get that job, Sergei.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 10, 2008

I just wanted to know if you have heard of full sail

Subject: (No subject)
From: "Theo
Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 4:53 PM
>I was looking at this college called full sail and I just wanted to
> know if you have heard of it and if you have heard what's your opinion
> about the schools game development program, basically the pros and cons.
> Theo

Hello Theo, you asked:

I just wanted to know if you have heard of it
Yes.

what's your opinion
> about the schools game development program, basically the pros and cons.
Read FAQs 44 & 34. You can link to the FAQs above left. After you've read those 2 articles, if you have followup questions for me, please preface your followup questions with the information I need to give you the best possible answer for you:

How old are you?
What's your level of education?
What's your current occupation?
Which game job, if any, do you aspire to or plan to study for?

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 4, 2008

What if I suck at drawing? (Part 3)

>From: Vin
>Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 5:20 PM
>Subject: Will Read...
>I will do some reading later on (I've been busy lately) and I will see if that answers my question. The person that told me about the drawing was a visitor from the Art Institute of *blank* (major city) who came to my school (yes, I'm in high school) and told us that drawing was a required skill for classes involving game development. I guess it was only for the programs they offered...I'm in no way interested in that school I was just worried that all professions in the business (besides sales, testing, etc.) required some type of artistic ability. Also, I'm still undecided on exactly what it is I'm going to do. I just happened to be looking into programming (as well as other aspects) right now.

Hello Vin, you wrote:

I will do some reading [of those FAQs] and I will see if that answers my question.
Yes. You sure will!

The person that told me about the drawing was a visitor from the Art Institute ... who ... told us that drawing was a required skill for classes involving game development. I guess it was only for the programs they offered...
Yeah. Here's the thing. Ready for a shock? The Art Institute is an art school. Artistic talent pretty much a requirement to go to art school.

I was just worried that all professions in the business (besides sales, testing, etc.) required some type of artistic ability.
Worry later - after you do that reading. (And then just remind yourself that worrying is a waste of mental energy, and skip the worry altogether.)

I'm still undecided on exactly what it is I'm going to do.
Reading those FAQs is still an important first step in making any kind of decision. You have to have information before you can make an informed decision.

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 4, 2008

How do I know if my table game Idea hasn’t been thought of already?

>Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>From: "gambles
>Date: Wednesday, September 3, 2008 10:13:05 PM
>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: 37
>The level of education I've completed is: Dilpoma
>My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: Information Technology
>The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: _
>My game biz question is:
>Hi
>I'm sure you have probably had this question before.
>I’ve just finished developing a game that I think adds something that’s missing in all strategy board games (Risk etc) However it doesn’t require a board.. so I guess its classified as a paper or card game (like Uno I suppose). I’ve made a prototype and have spent lot of time play testing it. However the one thing that is bugging me is.. How do I know if the Idea hasn’t been thought of already? What happens if I go through getting my game published and then someone says that there’s a game that already has a similar concept? Will I be breeching copyright? As far as I know there is nothing out there with the same concept that I have. However there are so many games its near impossible to tell.
>Thanks for your time.
>Phil

Hi Phil,
The way you find out if your table game is similar to something that's been done already is by doing research. You can have a patent attorney do a patent search, and you can dig through board game websites and forums.
If your game is a card game, you can look up games by play mechanic at pagat.com. If it isn't exactly a card game and doesn't have a board, it's still probably going to be generally regarded as a "board game" because the term "table game" isn't widely accepted to encompass games played around a table.
To address some of your specific points:

What happens if I go through getting my game published
If you publish it yourself, then you have liability. But if you license your invention to a game publisher, they'll vet the concept before spending money on it.

and then someone says that there’s a game that already has a similar concept?
People say that all the time about a lot of games - it's very difficult to make a new game that's totally unlike any other.

Will I be breeching copyright?
Copyright is the wrong form of intellectual property law to worry about. You have to worry about patent and trademark - not copyright. Read FAQ 39 and buy that Nolo book I rave about in FAQ 8. The FAQs are above left. I assume you've already read FAQs 20 & 38 & 60...?

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 3, 2008

What if I suck at drawing, part 2

>From: Bob Bob
>Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 4:03 PM
>Subject: suck at drawing
>Well, I'm only a teenager right now, but I've been doing some research on video game development and I just trying to gather information on all the possible jobs in this field. Afterwards, I can make a decision, but right now I'm leaning towards video game programing to be honest. After I spoke to a few people who have classes in this area they told me that drawing was a major requirement for this. Is that true?

Hello hello Bob Bob,
Let's try to put this together. In order for me to give you the best answer for your particular situation, I asked you some questions, and you answered as follows:

Teenager
Maybe I'm in high school. I'm not telling.
Maybe I'm a student. I'm not telling.
Programmer.
No, I don't want to read your FAQs 7 & 34, above left.

So just to make sure I give you the best possible answer for your particular situation, just a couple more questions:

Who are these advisors who told you that being artistic is a major requirement to be a game programmer? I don't need names - I just want to know in general. You say they "have classes in this area." I don't know what that means. You mean they're teachers, and they teach in your neighborhood? You mean they're students and they are also studying to be game programmers?
WHY do you not want to read FAQs 7 & 34, above left? You'll find the information you need in there!
Could you perhaps reconsider your refusal to read FAQs 7 & 34, above left?

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 3, 2008

What if I suck at drawing?

>From: Bob Bob
>Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 2:22 PM
>Subject: Video game development
>Do you have to excel at drawing in order to get a job in video game development? Which jobs, if any, don't require you to be an artist?

Hello hello Bob Bob,
I'm going to have to answer your question with more questions:

How old are you?
What's your level of education?
What's your current occupation?
Which game job, if any, do you aspire to or plan to study for?
Are you willing to read some of the FAQs? Like for instance FAQs 7 & 34? The FAQs are above left.

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 3, 2008

School interview assignment, part 2

>From: Jason Flanagan
>Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 9:27 AM
>Subject: Re: Interview?
>Thank you, I read through the site, and I think that actually covers all information I would have asked anyways!
>Thank you for your time.
>- Jason Flanagan

Cool.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 2, 2008

Suggestion for FAQ 28

>From: Marco
>Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 4:03 PM
>Subject: Glossary suggestion
>Hi Tom,
>I though you could add the word ‘HUD’ to you glossary. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HUD_(computer_gaming)) I guess pretty much everyone knows what it means, but I could very well be wrong.
>Take Care,
>Marco
>Student, aspiring game designer

Hi Marco,
Good suggestion. I'll add that one of these days.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 1, 2008

trying to find websites that will show my pupils how board games are manufactured

From: "iain welch"
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 3:02 PM
Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>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: _26
> The level of education I've completed is: _ Higher degree
> My occupation (if student, enter 'student') is: _ Teacher
> The type of game job I aspire to (if applicable) is: _
> My game biz question is: _ Hello, Im trying to find a good website or set of
> websites that will show my pupils how board games are manufactured and
> produced. Your own site is of great help but I am looking for a little more.
> Any ideas? Sites with large photos of printing presses and people gluing
> boxes together would be fantastic. Any help would be great. I hope you have
> a nice day, Iain.

Cheers Iain,
All the websites I know of are listed at the bottom of FAQ 20. If you find one that shows printing presses and gluing, please let me know.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 1, 2008

Any reasons why I shouldn't make games while I'm in college?

>Subject: Game Industry Q+A
>From: Étienne
>Date: Friday, August 22, 2008 1:43:15 PM
>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: _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 Designer (eventually)
>My game biz question is: _ Well first off, let me say that my native language isn't English (I'm Dutch) so if you don't understand something, just ask and I'll try to clarify.
>
>I'm going to college starting this year, taking a course on programming/game design. However, I've already looked at the books I'll be using, and it doesn't look like much of a challenge. I'm still going to take the course, because it seems fun, but I won't need a lot of time to study. So I've been thinking about starting up a garage game project, find some people who would be interested in making a game for fun, and who like me, aren't in a position to actually work at a game company.
>
>Note that I have no intention of dropping out of college if the game is a success, and I fully realize I might simply not succeed to get a 'garage band' together. I won't ask you to tell me what to do (not that you would if I did ask,) I'd just like to know if you think this is a good idea? You usually oppose making indie games instead of entering the industry normally, and I can completely understand why, but is there any reason why it could be a bad idea for me to try it while I'm in college? I'm only asking because I can't come up with any reason not to do it, myself, and I'm not perfect, so maybe I'm just missing something.
>
>Lastly, your site is awesome and has helped me a lot, keep up the good work!
>Étienne

Greetz Étienne,
As long as the project won't interfere with your ability to complete your degree, by all means - go for it.
You said "You usually oppose making indie games instead of entering the industry" - I'd like to clarify my current position on this. I think making indie games before entering the industry is a great way to build a portfolio. But yes, it's no substitute for entering the industry, not if you hope to make a living at it. Making indie games is also good practice for starting one's own game company. In fact, for anybody who wants to start his own company, I recommend (1) getting a degree; (2) making indie games; (3) working in the industry. All as a prelude to (4) starting one's own company. If you can do #2 while also doing #1, that's fine by me! Not everybody will find the degree as easy as you seem to find it.
Just remember that while you're in college, your primary job is to graduate. The indie project(s) has to be second priority.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
August 31, 2008

School interview assignment

>From: Jason Flanagan
>Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 10:22 PM
>Subject: Interview?
>Hello, my name is Jason Flanagan.
>I'm a student at the California Art Institute of San Diego, majoring in Game Art and Design, and I have been having trouble finding someone to interview for a speech I must make for class this coming Tuesday (the 2nd.) My Game Design and Gameplay teacher, Mr. William Volk, suggested asking you.
>I would only need basic information (the speech is about meeting a professional in my field) and some sort of proof that I have contacted/spoken to you, and I would very much appreciate it.
>Thank you for your time.

Hi Jason,
Sure. Go ahead and ask your question(s).
But please read my site first (best not to ask any question that I could answer by saying "read FAQ 37," for instance).
PS - Say hi to Bill for me.

Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
August 31, 2008

How do I make changes to my PS2 game, part 2

>From: Joseph Price
>Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 8:04 PM
>Subject: Re: ? about editing an existing game
> Thank you for posting my question, the response, although negative, did tell me I will not be able to do what I hoped to do. Anyway, If not for your bulletin board, I would have never known. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!

You're welcome, Joseph.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
August 18, 2008

How do I make changes to my PS2 game?

>Subject: ? about editing an existing game
>From: Joseph Price (gaungisama)
>Date: Monday, August 18, 2008 11:04:47 AM
> Hello Tom, my name is Joe Price. I'm in a little dilemma here, I have a PlayStation2 game that I play over and over and over. The reason for this are my physical limitations make hard to play games that require action oriented attention. And also there is the " how much you like the game " bit.
> Anyhow, the game is called " Star Trek Conquest " , and although I enjoy it, the programmers made several errors in the game design. So I do not believe I will have enough time to go through all the scholastic bit to learn how to write my own, and the game has all it needs within it, just miss-placed. So I need to no if there is a way to put the game CD in my PC and see the programming so I can rearrange as needed the lines ? I'm not looking to break any laws or market it, I already own it, I just want to fix it so I can further enjoy it with what time I can.
> Thank You

Hi Joe,
There are two problems with your idea.

The game is in the form of "object code," not "source code." Object code is machine-readable -- not human-readable. If you look at it, it's nothing but one huge string of hexadecimal numbers. Since you don't know the machine language of the PS2 CPU, you can't read the object code to figure out where to make edits.

Even if you could somehow "decompile" or reverse engineer the object code and turn it into human-readable instructions, and were able to make edits to the code to fix the bugs you perceive, you'd need a PS2 SDK to recompile the code and play it. An important part of the software development kit is the modified hardware, which could be used to play a game that hasn't been encrypted by Sony. And the SDK costs about $10,000. And Sony won't sell one to you anyway.

So I'm sorry, but there's no way to do the thing you want to do. Either enjoy that game the way it is or don't play that game anymore. Those are your only two options.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
August 18, 2008

How do you make a tile-matching game solvable?

>Mah-Jongg Solitaire Game Developement Question
>Billy van Graan
>Monday, August 18, 2008 12:41:06 AM
>Hi Tom,
>I am currently busy creating my own version of Mah-Jongg Solitaire. Since you have a lot of knowledge on this I would like to ask some questions if you don't mind.
>1. The games you created, where every game solvable?
>2. If it was how did you go about to accomplish this? Did you test the layout after you built it to make sure it was solvable or did you have a special way of laying out the board to ensure that it would be solvable?
>If you could just point me in the right direction I would be a great help.
>Regards,
>Billy

Hi Billy,
With the Shanghai games, we usually offered the players an option. Hardcore players could choose, if they wanted, to turn "guaranteed winnable" off.
Some players were confused as to what the option meant. "Winnable" doesn't mean winning is inevitable, and I had to explain that more than a couple of times.

Before I answer your 2nd question, let me define a couple of terms. "Layout" is the structure built from the tiles. You can turn the tiles face-down if you want, and build a structure with them. "Arrangement" is the term I use for the placement of specific tiles within a layout. A layout can be built with many different arrangements. Layouts aren't a factor in winnability - arrangements are.

Checking winnability (solvability). The computer randomly arranges the tiles within the layout, then very quickly in human terms, the computer verifies that the arrangement is winnable before revealing it to the player. There are a couple of ways the program can work. The computer can just "play" the game, removing matching pairs, and see if a win occurs or not. If a win doesn't occur, you have choices - either have the computer play it again, making different choices this time (in which case you actually have to keep track of choices made), or have the computer just scrap the arrangement and try again.

Building winnability in while creating the arrangement. One way I know of is to have the computer build the arrangement a pair at a time. Having built the arrangement that way, you know there is at least one guaranteed path to clearing the tiles.
Tom Sloper  /   トム·スローパー   /   탐 슬로퍼   /   湯姆 斯洛珀
Los Angeles, California, USA
August 18, 2008

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