Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
assets used to demonstrate the functionality of a game. That being said, do the best you can to make
a good first impression better. It's okay to use assets from the Asset Store or collaborate with an artist
to up the quality of your demos, just be sure to give credit for items that you did not create yourself.
Since you are now a game developer, your portfolio must include
source code
. When you take a
look at entry-level job openings, you will see desired skills such as these:
“Design, implement, test, debug, and maintain code to required coding
standards.”
“Test, debug, and extend other Software Engineers' code.”
“Port existing technologies to new platforms.”
Game development is a team sport where you will be working with other developers, you may be
picking up where a previous developer left off, and others will be building on your code. Organized,
efficient, easy-to-read code is vital to a professional developer. A potential employer will not take the
time to decipher your brilliant solution to a game development problem if it is buried in sloppy, hard-
to-read code. Remember, they receive many inquiries from applicants and only the best are going to
get a closer look.
Web Site
A web site is simply a means to provide public access to your portfolio. While emailing a
.zip
file of
your portfolio tends to lead to a host of trouble, including files that may never be received or cannot
be opened by the intended recipient, emailing a link is simple and straightforward.
If your intent is to get noticed professionally, either as a potential employee or freelancer, your web
site must be professional, too. Don't mix in personal blogs or private information, but do always
make your contact information easy to find.
The web site design should be streamlined, so your demos are easy to access with minimal clicks,
and the layout and background art should not distract from the demos themselves.
Tailor Your Presentation
Tailor your portfolio to feature the demonstrations that are most relevant to the job description. Your
portfolio should emphasize the primary skill set required for the position. As you can imagine, there
is a difference between various entry-level positions beyond general Gameplay Programmer such as
Multiplayer Gameplay Programmer, Graphics Programmer, or Tools Programmer.
Research the company and its products. Research the developer who will be interviewing you
and familiarize yourself with their work. Game developers are super-enthusiasts. so you should be
familiar with their games and be prepared to discuss what games you like to play, too.
Get Honest Feedback
The game developer community can be a great source for feedback to polish your games and
can give you guidance on good coding practices. Unity provides professional support services at
https://store.unity3d.com/products/support
(Figure
13-19
).
