Comments on: The Sunday Papers

By: Krupo

Krupo — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:34:57 +0000

I’m glad to hear there’s an explanation for why full-feeds are not on – that they’re broken – rather than it being RPS-spite.

Since spite is the default explanation for anything.

By: Cibbuano

Cibbuano — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:43:54 +0000

I’d like to see the full catalogue of LucasArts adventure games… Monkey Island, DotT, etc…

By: Jonas

Jonas — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:42:17 +0000

Erlam and Okami: Thanks for the answers, but I guess I should’ve been clearer. I’m not actually a 17-year-old high school dropout myself, I’m a 22-year-old university student. I just think it would’ve been pretty sweet if I’d already been working in the game industry for 5 years instead of still being on the outside looking in ;)

On the other hand college can be lots of fun, and not getting a university education was never really in the cards for me. As reflected in your differing opinions, I’ve heard quite different things about the benefits of starting out in QA. Personally I’m hoping to break into the industry through the (massively entertaining) shortcut of modding.

Erlam, out of curiosity: Vancouver – EA? Hothead? Relic? Rockstar?

By: Okami

Okami — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:44:10 +0000

@Erlam: You did game design work and get no credit for it? That hurts. You should get recognition for what you do, it’s only fair! And you’re right of course, in a small studio you can start in the QA department and have people recognize your worth.

But I’d still advise anybody to pick one aspect of game development that they have talent for and apply for that role.

@Nick S: Yup, these same mods. GoG sure are great, I want to marry them when I grow up!

By: Bozzley

Bozzley — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:26:42 +0000

I’d like to see something on MDK if that’s at all possible. It’s a classic.

By: Diogo Ribeiro

Diogo Ribeiro — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:01:59 +0000

Y’know, I *was* going to bring up Matt and Kim this weekend as a suggestion to the next (being introduced to them thanks to good ol’ Stuart Campbell at his forums), since my previous one didn’t get through. If you have the time for something, consider Housemartins – understated but spiffy Brit band with real pop gems from the (gasp!) 1980’s – for next weekend.

As for GoG games… C’mon, Giant was – and still is – phenomenal. It’s a crime not to give it a go and a thinky :)

By: Nick S

Nick S — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:41:44 +0000

Will: At a guess, probably the ones mentioned here. That's one of the nice things about gog. Their staff collect links to some of the best mods for each game, test them, and post a list in the forums before each game is released.

By: Will Tomas

Will Tomas — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:05:10 +0000

I hate to be cheeky – but what are the links for the Giants fan-made graphics patches?

By: Erlam

Erlam — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:50:44 +0000

I have to disagree about QA leading to nothing. If you go into a huge company, yes it can be a dead end. But small, even medium companies will have ‘tiers,’ I.e. QA->Dev support->Lead QA/Dev Support->Design/Audio/Artistry, etc.

I’m currently stuck in the Dev Support (at least in tasks, the company is trying to refuse the title) / Design jump. I designed half the weapons for our game, but will likely not get credit.

Oh well, soldier on.

By: Okami

Okami — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:41:43 +0000

If only it were still possible to get a job in the game industry as a 17-year-old high school drop-out.

You wouldn’t believe the kind of people that work in the games industry. If you’ve got half a brain, you can make it, if you really want to. Of course, if you got a full brain, you’ll get a job that actually pays your rent.

For starters, find out if you’re any good at programming or modeling or texturing. If you suck at all three things, try and find a level editor you’re good with.

Do not get a QA job. Don’t. It sucks. Really, you do not want to test video games for a living. And though there are stories of testers rising above the unwashed ranks of QA and becoming designers, they’re the exception, not the rule.

And do yourself a favor and go back and finish school. You’re not missing out on anything. Life doesn’t really start to get interesting until you’re 25.

Is Giants good?

Yes. Bought it from GoG on friday, downloaded the fan made graphic improvement patches and played it the whole weekend. Play it for the single player campaign and I’ll guarantee you hours of fun.

Every modern video game should aspire to be more like Giants and less like.. well, less like any other game that gets made these days..

By: Erlam

Erlam — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:15:23 +0000

“If only it were still possible to get a job in the game industry as a 17-year-old high school drop-out.”

Just wanted to add that, you’re in luck! 90% of the people hired here in Vancouver are either completely non-schooled in the industry at all, and the other 10% of us were stupid enough to go to school for it.

Get into Focus testing if you can. It’s a good foothold into the industry proper.

By: Erlam

Erlam — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:12:15 +0000

Is Giants good? I seem to recall one side tended to win far more often than any other side. Never got around to trying it though.