This is a presentation that I use to tell my story of how I broke into the game industry and what it takes to work and live as a game programmer and indie studio director.

1. From Reality to Dream
How Becoming a Game
Programmer Saved My Life!

2. The Path Less Travelled
 30 years in Information Technology
 Computer Operator
 Programmer
 Techncial Writer
 Data Security
 Disaster Recovery
 Independent Consultant
 Game Programmer
 Studio Director

3. How I Became a Geek
 Taught myself BASIC in high school
 On the job learning
 Computer Science Degree
 Played games!

4. So you want to be a rock star?
Saying you want to be a
game developer is kind of
like saying you want to be
a rock star—only the best
will succeed and
everyone asks what you
do for your ―real‖ job.

5. Revelation
 In 2004 I went
to E3
 ―The Disneyland
of Gaming!‖
 It was a
religious
moment

6. Learning the Ropes
 Read, read, read - every game
development related book I could get my
hands on.
 Internet sites:
 Gamasutra.com
 Gamedev.net
 Gamespot.com, etc.
 Wrote lots of game programs on my own.

7. Preparing for a Job
Networking
Resume
Portfolio
WebSite

8. Getting My First Job
 Initial phone call – 1 hour
 Formal phone interview – 2 hours
 Game programming test – 2 days
 Face-to-Face Interview – 8 hours
 Waiting – 2 weeks

9. The GD Rollercoaster
Job
Job
Layoff
Layoff

10. My Solution
 After 2 jobs and 2 Layoffs I started my own
studio
 We do contract work and work on our own
games
 Past clients have included
 MTV/Nickelodeon Games, Microsoft
 DreamQuest, 21-6
 Big and small

11. A Day in My Life
Task Hours
Reviewing and responding to 100+ emails 3 hours
Searching various forums for contracts 2 hours
Writing Proposals 2 hours
Meeting with clients and potential clients 3 hours
Ongoing Learning 2 hours
Coding 4 hours
Miscellaneous 2 hours

12. Our Current Game
 http://MarsCorp.net
 Facebook: MarsCorp.Net
 Twitter: @Mars_Corp

13. Where Do You Fit in?
 Producer
 Programmer
 Artist
 Designer
 Quality Assurance
 Audio
 Marketing
 Management

14. Living the Dream!
 http://SynapticSwitch.com
 Facebook: SynapticSwitch
 Twitter: @SynapticSwitch