KINGSTON UNIVERSITY – 2 NOVEMBER 2011

1. KINGSTON UNIVERSITY – 2 NOVEMBER 2011

2. SO YOU WANT TO BE A GAME DEVELOPER? TIPS FOR GETTING INTO THE INDUSTRY Paul Wedgwood CEO and Game Director @PaulWedgwood KINGSTON UNIVERSITY – 2 NOVEMBER 2011

3. About Me 1986: Expelled from school 1987: Disqualified from driving 1989: Achieved no qualifications, whatsoever  1991: Declared personally bankrupt !!! 1998: My first business was ‘Dissolved’ omfg 1999: My second Business was ‘Struck Off’ ffs 2003: Achieved Worldwide Critical Acclaim & Commercial Success! 

4. About Splash Damage Founded 2001 Expertise: “Multiplayer Actions Games with Depth” Over 330 Awards and Nominations Average rating of «««« for all titles ..and most recently, a worldwide #1 hit!

5. Do you even have a chance? Yes!

6. The Games Industry’s Future Ignore the doom-mongers, naysayers and beggars ‘AAA Blockbusters’ are BACK in the UK

7. Opportunities in the UK 1,490 jobs available right now 10% are graduate positions!

8. AAA Studios in the UK

9. No experience required • All major developers hire inexperienced staff • Pursue your obsession • Only apply to your dream company • Take whatever role you can get • Better to be a play-tester at Splash Damage • …than Lead Artist at ‘Naff Startup UK Ltd’ • Or start Naff Startup UK Ltd!

10. Be Aware of Trends! The rise of smartphones and tablets …and the return of the desktop A new digital distribution model – a revolution! New models – F2P, C2P, Subscription, PWYW, & IAPs Greater opportunities than EVER for Indies & Modmakers

11. THE PRACTICAL BIT CASE STUDIES

12. Case Study: Paul Greveson BA (Hons) Computer Arts at University of Abertay Dundee Portfolio included a selection of high poly and low poly 3D models Took the SD art test and was rejected Applied again after incorporating advice from SD’s Art Director Helped create Brink’s character customisation system

13. What You’ll Need (For Artists) • Create a portfolio website to showcase your work • Be selective about what you show • Your site will be viewed by Busy People With Little Time • Pick your best and most recent work • Consider specialising in the field that fits you best • 3D art, concept art, animation, etc • Join an art forum or website • Peer reviews are a great way to get your work in shape • Art competitions hone your skills and provide portfolio material

14. Case Study: Jamie Manson Studied Architectural Design & Computer Science Created maps for Team Fortress 2, including cp_steel and cp_freight SD contacted Jamie after seeing his TF2 work Created Security Tower and Founders’ Tower levels for Brink

15. Case Study: Dave Johnston 1stMEng Software Engineering Created de_dust for Counter-Strike Portfolio included screens and descriptions of known work Hired after reading about us on Shacknews.com Created Container City and Refuel maps for Brink

16. What You’ll Need (For Designers) • Make use of the many free SDKs out there • StarCraft II, Half-Life, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory • Build a single player or multiplayer map • Focus on a single, original twist and design around it • Focus test your work • Iterate, iterate, iterate • Showcase your work on the web • The recruiter probably won’t have time to load up your map • Screenshots are good, videos are better

17. Case Study: Arne-Olav Hallingstad BA Computer Science at University of Oslo Created Last Man Standing mod for DOOM 3 and Weapons Factory Revolution mod for Quake 4 Portfolio included code samples from mod work Applied at SD twice before getting hired Helped write Brink’s S.M.A.R.T. freedom of movement system

18. What You’ll Need (For Programmers) • Create a website to showcase your work • Focus on showing off finished projects • Tech demos, game mods, iOS games, Flash games, etc • Use code samples to show off your style and skill • Need more material? Find and join a mod team! • Many mods are in need of programmers • Closest thing to actual, factual game development

19. Our Indie Start - Q3F High Quality Total Conversion for Quake III Arena Most popular platform Hugely active team Highly professional Worldwide success Real-Life Interaction

20. Tips for Successful Indie Games & Mods • Don’t just make a mod • Shoot for an ‘AAA’ total conversion or a stunning mini-game • Start, as you would a professional company • Talented people are your greatest asset • Run a mod or indie team as a professional ‘studio’ • Study every waking minute (Gamasutra.com was good) • Practice community management & PR • Make a name for yourself • Finish it!

21. Where Can I Start? • Uses venerable idTech 3 • Lots of active players • Completely free • Uses more recent idTech 4 • Supports huge outdoor maps • It’s cheap! • Mod Toolkits available on splashdamage.com • Lots of editing documentation at wiki.splashdamage.com • Active editing community in our forums

22. Conclusion – Go for AAA Constant self improvement Focus on your real passion Create a killer portfolio Only pursue your dream companies & titles If unsuccessful, get feedback, iterate, reapply Don’t compromise on where you work Never stop studying.

23. Think You’re Ready? We’re always looking for exceptional talent Current list of positions, benefits, and more advice available at www.splashdamage.com/careers

24. Questions? www.splashdamage.com @PaulWedgwood @splashdamage /splashdamage