One Year Anniversary
by Anton Bursch · 03/15/2007 (4:07 pm) · 14 comments
March 15, 2006 was the day I was hired by Big Time Games and began my career as a full time game programmer. Today is my anniversary. In this year I've gone from $10/hr to $30/hr. I've got my name on the credits for 2 published games. I've had the best time of my life. I've also had the biggest struggles of my life. I wouldn't trade this year for anything.
If you ever dreamed about this game development as your real job... I highly recommend doing whatever it takes to make that dream a reality. It's totally worth it. You'll work more than you ever have in your life, but you'll be happy. Also, it's great how fast you can give yourself a raise as you get more and more credits. :P
What's up for this year? So far... contracts for a soccer game and a sci-fi fps. I'm also doing prototyping work for games going on consoles like the Wii and 360! Very cool. I'm also doing some Flash game programming. Suprised by that. But games are games. Meanwhile... on my own... I'm making a space racing game with a couple artists I've met this year and a composer and I've got a studio interested in it already. I love this career!
Catch you all around the forums! Keep on Torque'n. You work hard enough... next thing you know... you're getting hired to make games with Torque. :)
If you ever dreamed about this game development as your real job... I highly recommend doing whatever it takes to make that dream a reality. It's totally worth it. You'll work more than you ever have in your life, but you'll be happy. Also, it's great how fast you can give yourself a raise as you get more and more credits. :P
What's up for this year? So far... contracts for a soccer game and a sci-fi fps. I'm also doing prototyping work for games going on consoles like the Wii and 360! Very cool. I'm also doing some Flash game programming. Suprised by that. But games are games. Meanwhile... on my own... I'm making a space racing game with a couple artists I've met this year and a composer and I've got a studio interested in it already. I love this career!
Catch you all around the forums! Keep on Torque'n. You work hard enough... next thing you know... you're getting hired to make games with Torque. :)
About the author
#2
03/15/2007 (5:21 pm)
Congrats. =) Getting that first good-paying job doing something you're good at is a great experience. 
#4
Or, well... whatever. Congratulations man!
03/15/2007 (9:13 pm)
Can you get me a job? I live in Redmond, so i'm in the same area, unless you moved since last time i checked. :-DOr, well... whatever. Congratulations man!
#5
03/15/2007 (9:25 pm)
Congrats Anton! Love your stuff, keep it up.
#6
Funny, I move to Seattle to that land of computers... and I've never worked for anyone here. Not as a business programmer nor game programmer. I've always worked remote since I lived here.
If I had any leads, I'd certainly send them your way. Keep your eyes out for the jobs that post in the job area here. There's a pretty decent flow of work that comes thru.
03/15/2007 (10:20 pm)
@Andrew HullFunny, I move to Seattle to that land of computers... and I've never worked for anyone here. Not as a business programmer nor game programmer. I've always worked remote since I lived here.
If I had any leads, I'd certainly send them your way. Keep your eyes out for the jobs that post in the job area here. There's a pretty decent flow of work that comes thru.
#7
03/16/2007 (1:07 am)
Congrats!! :) 
#9
03/16/2007 (5:31 am)
Congratulations Anton, glad to see someone make it through the first year. I can't wait to post my "1 Year" blog, because so many instructors in my school said the burnout rate for programmers in their first year was overwhelmingly high.
#10
--clint
03/16/2007 (8:39 am)
Congratulations, Anton! I was trying to make the jump into full-time game dev this year, but it didn't work out this time around. Still looking into it as an option for the future, but so very glad to hear that stuff is working out for you!--clint
#11
03/16/2007 (8:54 am)
w00t congrats Anton! Good luck with your future projects! 
#12
even $30/h is not much for Seattle with their real estate cost...
Anyway, I started with $6/h :) 7 years ago... Happy times... :) Now, when I have a family, it gives you more preasure to earn more, and less opportunity to go indie on your own... :(
I salute you, Anton.
03/16/2007 (9:26 am)
Wow, $10/h... that reminds me of my student part-time jobs... :/even $30/h is not much for Seattle with their real estate cost...
Anyway, I started with $6/h :) 7 years ago... Happy times... :) Now, when I have a family, it gives you more preasure to earn more, and less opportunity to go indie on your own... :(
I salute you, Anton.
#13
The more I raise my price, the more I feel like I am making less and less. :P Definitely pressure to earn more and more. I pretty much did a starving artist thing to get this job. Now I have a few years to make up for. I won't be retiring early, that's for sure. :P
03/16/2007 (12:36 pm)
Alexander "taualex" Gaevoy,Quote:Anyway, I started with $6/h :) 7 years ago... Happy times... :) Now, when I have a family, it gives you more preasure to earn more, and less opportunity to go indie on your own... :(
The more I raise my price, the more I feel like I am making less and less. :P Definitely pressure to earn more and more. I pretty much did a starving artist thing to get this job. Now I have a few years to make up for. I won't be retiring early, that's for sure. :P
#14
03/18/2007 (7:48 pm)
Congrats Anton, you've had a difficult year! I'm glad things worked out.
Torque 3D Owner Todd Pickens