Is being a video game programmer as bad as everyone says it is?
5 11 Apr 2016 04:32 by u/Pwning4Ever
While going in that direction seemed interesting, I read that these people are literal code monkeys who just sit there all day playing crunching code non-stop. It is very stressful and what not.
Just wondering if any of you guys have any experience? Also how much harder is it to get into this field compared to others?
3 comments
2 u/a_of_s_t 11 Apr 2016 07:49
Being a video game programmer is a labor of love. You will work long and hard, programming, testing and debugging trying to mert deadlines. When things don't work, it's stressful. When deadlines loom, it's stressful. If the game isn't fun, or an animation isn't slick, it's stressful.
The entire thing is stressful, more so than your normal peogramming job.
1 u/WhiteRonin 11 Apr 2016 08:10
From what a bunch of hentai programmers told me about their jobs I'd say it sucks.
They barely get by and just make enough to roll their next project.
0 u/tame 11 Apr 2016 10:19
It depends hugely on who you work for, but generally it's high pressure and low pay compared with other commercial software development. You're solving much harder problems than your standard business application, and more of them, with less budget (in both time and money) to do it in. Your game is probably at the mercy of studio or VC funding and could get cancelled at any time (and your job along with it). And there's always an army of university grads willing to do your job for peanuts just so they can work in the game industry.
On the plus side, company culture is usually fun (obviously varies) and you learn a lot.
If you're going to be a professional game developer, do it before you have kids.