Hiya.

Today I figured I’d talk about one of the questions most frequently asked of game developers: How does someone (masochistic enough to want to do this) get started in the game industry?  Lots of variables weigh on the answer – everybody I know in this industry came here by a different path, but there are a few points we all share in common, and I’m going to talk about these.

At the most basic level, it works like this: Three things have to be true for you to get in:

1) You need to know how to do the job you want to do.

2) The people who could hire you to do that job need to know you’re there, what you want to do, and what you know how to do.

3) You have to be fresh enough in their mind that you’re the person they think of when they’re in enough of a jam that they need to hire someone they haven’t worked with before.

Let’s talk about each of these.

Learning how to do the job…

First off, this advice will vary depending on whether you know what it is you want to do.  The path is different for aspiring engineers or artists than it is for designers, but the underlying principles aren’t that different.

Whether or not you’re sure about where you’d like to focus, I recommend beginning with a practical, hands-on overview of the game development process.  If you’re still figuring out your path, this will help you do that, and if you already know where your interests lie, knowing how all the pieces fit together will still deepen your understanding of the craft.  To do this, I suggest that you begin by building simple games in a relatively accessible development tool.  Unity3D (http://unity3d.com/) is a great choice for this.  It’s powerful, flexible, well-documented, reasonably comprehensive, and its toolset is masterfully built.  Start out by doing the tutorials. You’ll learn a great deal that way about the component parts that make up any game and how they’re built.

If your interest is in game design, I’d recommend that you then strike out from here to build a small game of your own design.  Keep it simple – don’t try to build Skyrim on your own.  Minimize your dependence on art and animation and stick with a simple, well-executed design.  Remember, you can play Chess with bottlecaps, and Go with rocks.  You don’t need great art to execute a great design.  What you need are well-considered rules that encourage your player to make meaningful choices in their approach to an understandable goal.  At the design level, games are systems, and players are central parts of these systems.  Come up with a simple but clear design, see if you can make it work, and see if you can make it fun.

If you’re specifically interested in level design or RPG design, you can diverge a bit once you’ve done the basics.  I still recommend beginning with the overview I just described, but as an aspiring level designer, your next step should probably be to download the modding tools for a game you know and like, and begin building your own levels.  The Unreal Development Kit (http://www.udk.com/) is a great place to begin learning about first-person and third-person shooter construction.  Build levels, and then – here’s the important part – get your friends to play them, and watch your friends as they play them.  When they get stuck, resist the temptation to help them out – instead, write notes to yourself about where they got lost or frustrated.  This is how you’ll learn the most important part of the game designer’s art – communicating with the player.  And trust me, you won’t get it right the first time out.

For RPG quest design, I’d recommend that you pull down the Elder Scrolls Construction Set (http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Main_Page), which allows you to design environments and quests for The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion.  Oblivion is a tremendously flexible game with a very active mod community.  It’s relatively easy to learn how to create new environments and quests, and you’ve got a ready-made game system in which to play them.

The key is this: if you want to become a good designer, you must build working games and/or game levels, and test them on real people.

Books I generally recommend for designers:

A Theory of Fun, by Raph Koster (http://www.amazon.com/Theory-Game-Design-Raph-Koster/dp/1932111972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305068596&sr=8-1)

The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, by Jesse Schell (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Game-Design-book-lenses/dp/0123694965/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305068596&sr=8-2)

Rules of Play, by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman. (http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Play-Game-Design-Fundamentals/dp/0262240459/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305068605&sr=8-1)

There are other great books out there as well, but these do a great job of setting up your mind to think about the structure and operation of a game’s design.  A few people have recommended Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design, by Scott Rogers (http://www.amazon.com/Level-Up-Guide-Great-Design/dp/047068867X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305068611&sr=8-1).  I haven’t yet read it myself, but I trust these peoples’ taste.

If you’re interested in learning game programming, XNA is a good place to start. (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/aa937791), and you can also learn a lot by developing for Unity or Unreal. On the book front, I’m a fan of Jason Gregory’s Game Engine Architecture (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568814135/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=14WQ8WAS31VCMN4V42FR&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846) – it’s a reasonably comprehensive overview of a game engine’s component parts, and approachable to a beginning developer.  I highly recommend Bruce Eckel’s Thinking in C++ for a general introduction to object-oriented programming in C++, available in print (http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Introduction-Standard-One-2nd/dp/0139798099/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305068796&sr=1-1), or free here: (http://www.mindview.net/Books/TICPP/ThinkingInCPP2e.html).  Since my own background is in design, I don’t have quite as much to say here as I did for design, but these recommendations are a good starting point.

If you’re interested in art, work on mastering 3ds max, Maya or Softimage. For PS3, 360 or PC games, Z-Brush will be an essential tool as well, less so for Wii or mobile.  Other artists can give you more specific advice, but here’s one thing I’ll insist on: whether you’re learning to build characters, environments, or both, test your stuff in a game engine.  Game engines are unforgiving masters, and you will at some point in your career create a piece of art that looks magnificent in the DCC, and bogs your game down to a slideshow.  Make that mistake early.  Test your stuff, and learn how to make things look great at a decent framerate.

Okay.

We’ve talked a bit about learning how to do the work.  Let’s move on to the next point.  I’m going to spend a little less time here, since, truthfully, getting good at the craft is the important part.  Lots of people want to do this, but most haven’t taken the time or effort to get really good.  Distinguish yourself by doing that.

Meeting people.  If you live in a city with a lot of game development going on, like LA, Seattle, Austin, etc., it’s a little easier. It can be harder if you’re elsewhere, but far from impossible. Seeking out a local IGDA chapter (http://www.igda.org/) can sometimes help, but you’d be surprised at how many people in the industry will  answer an email from someone who shows genuine interest. Here, however, comes a big caveat: don’t open communication if you’re not prepared to do the work. Just about every pro will tell you the same thing when you first contact them: It’ll go something like, “okay, send me something and we’ll talk about it.” That’s a test. 90% of people will never follow up with a working game level, character model, etc. If you seriously want to develop games, do the work to get good at it, and that means putting in the time to practice the craft.  It also means learning how to take direction and criticism well, and learning how to respond to it with genuine improvements that show that you’re really engaging and developing. It’s entirely possible to forge a relationship remotely, and if you show that you’re serious about the work and have potential to get good at it, things could progress from there. Remember, this part of your self-presentation is as much about demonstrating your professionalism as it is about demonstrating your talent and potential.

Point 3 arises out of point 2. Be around, even if virtually, be visible, show good work and improvement. Don’t pester people, however.  Just show them what you’ve got when you’ve made something you genuinely think is worth showing.  At this point, you’re hoping to get lucky, and it may take a while, but there’s truth to the old aphorism that “luck is a function of your preparation for it.”  If your work is good, and you’ve given the impression that you wouldn’t be so bad to work with, you’ll be given your shot sooner or later.

On the topic of game design and development schools, I’ll say this: they vary widely.  If you’re considering a school, learn about the program and the people teaching it.  Look for a program that teaches genuine design principles, and shy away from those that focus too much on teaching specific tools that’ll probably be obsolete by the time you graduate.  You can learn the tools on your own.  Look for a program that will teach you how to think.  There are some outstanding programs out there that’ll get your mind reeling in exactly the right ways, and equally important, that will kickstart the network that could get you hired later on.  Nobody, however, will ever ask you for your degree in this business.  They’ll want to see your work.

Finally, be aware that this can be a hard industry. Just about everyone who’s made games for a while has suffered through a deathmarch crunch at least once. Most of us have poured our heart into a project that met a sudden death in a marketing meeting. Most of us have had the experience of seeing something being done wrong (at least to our belief), and not having the political clout to change it. That having been said, lots of us love it, and wouldn’t want to do anything else. Part of this process for you should be to figure out whether that’s you.

Let me recap with what I believe to be the most important point from all of this: Do step one before step two.  Take the initiative to learn the craft before you start banging on doors.  We’ve all been accosted numerous times by people who wanted to make games but hadn’t done the work to develop their craft.  Don’t be that person.  You wouldn’t try to join an orchestra if you didn’t play an instrument.  That having been said, if you do work diligently on your craft, your chances aren’t as daunting as they might seem.  For all the people who claim to want to make games, only a few do the work beforehand to get good at it.  Do this, and you’ll be ahead of all of them.

Good luck!

WhiteMoon is officially calling Downtown LA home these days and we couldn’t be happier.  We are  now just a hop, skip and a jump from Pershing Square, the Downtown Central Library and just about any food you could even imagine (We’re looking at you Doner Kebab!).

With all the awesomeness in tow, there are is a whole new education that one learns while becoming a part of the LA metropolis. Included below are some highlights of what we have learned:

• Who Needs Restrooms? There are all kinds of people downtown and that what makes LA great. What does not make LA great sometimes are the numerous amount of people that use the sides of buildings as their own private toilet. Lesson learned? If you see someone “in position” just keep walking, staring only embarrasses you both.

• Public Transportation-Good for the Earth, BUT With a Warning: We love public transportation here at WhiteMoon! In fact, more than half of us take the train or the bus to work everyday as the train stop and bus stop are right in front of the building. This makes for great convenience and also benefits the Earth which is something we care about deeply here at WhiteMoon. However, the smells you can encounter are sometimes so bad you didn’t know any place could small like that. Also, you see stuff stuck on seats that you don’t know if things like that existed in nature. Lesson learned? if you’re going to take the bus or train, do so with the highest of caution and the strongest of stomachs.

• Purell is Your Best Friend: The weirdest thing when you move somewhere like Downtown LA is that your hands end up on everything. You touch streetlight posts, railings, public counters, questionable surfaces-EVERYTHING! Then you wonder why you develop a cold 2 days later. Lesson learned? Purell your hands like they are going into combat because the germs down here are vicious.

• Make New Friends, but Don’t Let Them Follow You Home: So funny anecdote (well it is now, that I am not dead). The other day while coming back from lunch, I was waiting to cross the street to head back to the office. To my left? A man with a suitcase. I nodded and said “Hello”. What does this mean to this man? Apparently it meant it was an invitation for him to follow me all the way back to the office while trying his hardest to get me to talk to him and “go hang on Broadway”. Now, my lingo is pretty good, but for all I know when someone wants to take you to “hang on Broadway” that could be code for “let me take you back and cut you up in pieces for my people collection”. Yeah, no thanks. Lesson learned? While it is good to be friendly to your fellow man or woman, be cautious of how friendly you actually are. You could end up as inspiration for an episode of Criminal Minds.

• Food is EVERYWHERE-Even in That Shady Looking Place! Literally, there is food everywhere! Just when you thought you had tried everything there is you find another little hole-in-the wall that serves up the best tacos to ever grace your stomach. The best part is the most tasty places can also be the shadiest looking from the outside. What looks like a front for something unsavory can end up being one of the best sandwiches with the best service you have ever received. Had you not gone in there, you might have paid triple the amount for a place where the food sucks and is being served to you by a bitter wannabe actor named Dave. Lesson Learned? Don’t be afraid to try new things and places-you might be surprised.

• No You Are NOT Interested! Seriously, I know times are rough for a lot of people. It’s a tough world right now and honest people are trying to be enterprising. But if I had a dollar for every person who offered me a flyer for “making money quick-with a small investment”, pyramid scheme or “deal of a lifetime”, I would end up broke. You have people out here with some serious tricks up their sleeve who are wasting a lot of paper. Lesson Learned? As nice as you might want to be, learn the calm way of saying you’re not interested. In the end you’re saving some paper and yourself from a manure salesman position with the latest multi-level marketing scheme.

Downtown is definitely a place of adventure. Even with all the sidewalk ranters and strange smells, it is one hell of a place to call home. With these lessons in your pocket and some trusty hand sanitizer, you are on your way to becoming a true Downtown LA explorer. Cheers and see you next time!

After one heck of a job that our awesome staff did with the Canned Food Drive for Hope House, we said, “Hey, how else can we help this holiday season?”

The answer came in the form of Friends & Helpers. Founded by Melissa Ryder, Friends and Helpers is a non-profit organization that assists families in need throughout Southern California. Many of the families are  survivors of domestic abuse trying to start over, but need the basics to do so. The organization sponsors their yearly Adopt-a-Family Program where individuals and companies can adopt some of these needy families and provide for them by purchasing items on their Christmas wish list.

We thought there would be nothing cooler than being a part of this special program and doing what we could to make sure that we provide a little bit of Christmas for some of these families. We decided to adopt five families and in the end, it was a terrific decision. Just as our team went above and beyond in our previous activity, they came back and purchased all the toys, clothes, and gift items listed on the wish lists of the families we adopted. The result was our Office Manager’s Elantra being completely filled to cart the items to the Friends & Helpers Wrapping Party on Sunday.

Oh Elantra!

The Elantra made its way to Weber Elementary in Tarzana for the Friends & Helpers Wrapping Party. Once there, we were greeted with unlimited baked goods, friendly faces, wrapping supplies and enough soda for an army. Not to mention…unlimited In-N-Out.

From there, we were energized to wrap the tons and tons of gifts purchased by our amazing Dreamers here at the studio.

At the end of the day, we wrapped over 100 items. Nevertheless, it was for one awesome cause.

For more information on Friends & Helpers, visit http://friendsandhelpers.com/

WhiteMoon knows how to party! That is why we threw one bomb.com kind of party for Halloween at the studio. There were a lot of treats and an equal amount of tricks just to keep things balanced. Check out some of the highlights below!

Hey Guys: I’ve been following all the chatter going on here and to put it simply – I had to join the conversation. Who Dat, you ask? At a very high level, I’m the one whose job it is to help “ship the product on time, within budget and of the highest quality, with 100% retention of all team members after the product ships.” Oh, is that all? Piece of cake, right? Ah yes, the Producer. But if you must know my role as Producer here at WhiteMoon isn’t as bad as it sounds. In fact, it’s more like herding cats around with a spray bottle helping to keep our projects on track and our team healthy and focused. I’ve been called LadyBug, QueenBee, DeadlineMaker in the past, but these days I’m channeling my inner Ninja because a good ninja is never seen by others but is always watching others, knowing exactly when to strike! Know what I’m saying? So what have we been up to, you say? Well, since GenCon we took a step back, reflected on our demo via a post-mortem and are now using this critical time to really focus and study the Warmachine universe. We’re using the next couple of months of Pre-Production to identify our overall game development goals since it’s not an exact science, you know? No easy task to say the least, but with the group we’ve got here we’re on our way to being a finely-oiled machine. Wish us luck!

/ninja smoke!