via Bethblog.com
Shawn Casey
It’s RAGE launch week and this week Shawn Casey steps up to the plate to answer questions…
What do you do at id Software (or more specifically on RAGE) and how long have you worked at the company?
I’m a Generalist Programmer and currently responsible for the save games and achievements across all platforms. I joined the team January 2010.
When did you decide you wanted to get into game development?
Like most developers, it’s been a lifetime dream to work in the games industry. When I was ten, I bought a VIC-20 and started to tinker around with it. COMPUTE magazine had BASIC programs in the back of the magazine that I would type in so I’d have something to play on the system. It’s crazy, but at the time, I had no way of saving the programs so I’d keep on the computer for weeks at a time. That got old pretty quickly, so I started learning how to program things on my own. We eventually upgraded, bought a C64 with a 1541 floppy drive and I was finally able to play cool games like Summer Games and Bard’s Tale. Aside from the Atari, we never had any of the other popular consoles. Most of my gaming experience growing up was with computers. I think this is what helped me more than anything to lean more towards developing rather than just playing games.
Why do you think working at id is the best job in the world?
We truly have some of the top talent in the industry. Working at id is working in a state of perpetual challenge. I thought there would be too much pressure, crunch, overtime, but it’s not too bad, even though we’re in the middle of, what did Tim call it, “super-crunch”? It’s nice having group of extremely talented, level-headed engineers who check their pride at the door and are able to have deep technical discussions. Equally important is the ability to communicate with the other groups and have your input valued. At id, the designers and producers are keenly aware that all of us here are gamers and there is a lot of professional respect across the groups. Also, not everyone can say they work with the creator of the FPS genre.
What’s your proudest accomplishment at id?
Skippable single-asserts. Sometimes it’s the little things that matter most.
Do you remember the first game you ever played?
It was either Christmas ’78 or ’79, we got an Atari 2600 as a family gift and one of my older sisters cried hating it so much. We played Combat for quite a while that day and every day after that.
If you’ve got a dinner reservation for two and you can invite one game developer to join you?
There are a lot of folks here that I enjoy talking with and hearing stories about the old days, but if it had to be someone outside this studio, I’d have to choose Chris Taylor. His innovations with Total Annihilation were ahead of its time..
What games have you been playing lately? Anything in particular that stood out?
I’ve been playing more Wii games than anything else with the kids. The latest Donkey Kong game was excellent, Kirby was good, but playing Kirby with a 6-year old can get pretty frustrating with its character collision and interactions. I’m enjoying the trend of FPS games pulling in more RPG elements though. There is a definite feeling of convergence between the two. RPGs are feeling more FPS-ish and FPSs like RAGE are starting to pull in more things like quests and other traditional RPG mechanics.
What are your non-gaming hobbies?
I try to spend as much time with the family as I can, playing frisbee, baseball and riding bikes are their favorites. We also have a Friday game night and try to play a board game like Ticket To Ride, Clue, Pandemic. I also do some programming on the side and our family is pretty active with our local church.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Formative childhood movies: WarGames, Tron and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Robert Memmott
Today we meet RAGE programmer, Robert Memmott…
What do you do at id Software (or more specifically on RAGE) and how long have you worked at the company?
I’ve been a Programmer here for three and a half years. I’m responsible for large sections of our game play code. At times including the player weapons, the mission system, the GUI’s, and I’ve dipped my toe into most of the systems we have.
One of the best things about working at id is the creative freedom and responsibility all the developers have. I have also been allowed significant input into the design of our mission system and other areas of our game.
When did you decide you wanted to get into game development?
I’ve always been completely fascinated with games. I have invented my own table top games and played with designs since I was old enough to read. I have been fortunate. I figured out that I have the mindset and a talent for programming, which became my ticket into the video game industry. I’m lucky I get paid to do what I love.
Why do you think working at id is the best job in the world?
It’s hard to imagine a more stimulating environment. I’m surrounded by some of the very best developers in the industry, and they expect better than the best. The variety of challenges I face each day, make it exciting to come to work.
What’s your proudest accomplishment at id?
Just being a part of the group that has brought RAGE to the point it’s at is the highlight of my career.
Do you remember the first game you ever played?
Space Invaders at the pizza parlor. The process of thinking about it brought a lot of great gaming moments to mind however. The time I skipped a final in order to upgrade my machine to get it ready for QUAKE on the LAN. Loading up Fallout 3 and learning that they’d actually made it better than the series I already loved so deeply. At one point, living with five other gamers and only having one working computer in the house, we had to setup a white board and schedule time slots in which we could play. That first game started something that has been a focus of my life ever since.
If you’ve got a dinner reservation for two and you can invite one game developer to join you?
That’s hard… I’m lucky enough to already work with Carmack… I have to cheat and name four: Sid Meier, Todd Howard, Tim Cain, and Richard Garriott. I would love to add twenty more people to the list. I won’t, but asking for just one is too hard.
What games have you been playing lately? Anything in particular that stood out?
I’ve been working my way through the New Vegas expansion packs. Very interesting and a lot of fun. Gears of War 3 looks great, and I’m excited to try that next.
What are your non-gaming hobbies?
I like to take photos. I have a guitar I haven’t spent enough time with lately. Showing my wife how special she is.
Jeremy Mitchell
We’re back with another developer profile for RAGE. Today we meet Jeremy Mitchell…
What do you do at id Software (or more specifically on RAGE) and how long have you worked at the company?
I’m the Lead Visual Effects Artist on RAGE, which means I’m responsible for anything that explodes, burns, glows, zaps, drips, shoots, or bleeds. I get to build on all the fantastic art and design work done by our team, and add the finishing touches like muzzle flashes, dust, blood, water, etc. All the little moving bits that make the world come to life. I’ve been with id since July 2009.
Read more after the break…
When did you decide you wanted to get into game development/specific area of focus (programming, design, testing, etc)?
I was fairly active in modding Quake 3 and Half-Life. After goofing around on message boards for a few years, I started noticing my friends getting jobs. That’s when I realized “Hey, I can actually get paid to do this!” I was always interested in the technical side of things, so I naturally fell into my role as VFX artist.
Why do you think working at id is the best job in the world?
I honestly believe id software has the best art and programming talent in the industry. The things these guys are able to do is absolutely mind-blowing. Everyone here is at the top of their field, and care deeply about the game. It really is a privilege to work here.
What’s your favorite story from the office?
This photo says it all: http://twitpic.com/4hs5nk
What’s your proudest accomplishment at id?
Sweeping up the awards at E3 2010 was pretty exciting for the whole team. I also really enjoy going to QuakeCon and hearing the excitement of our fans in person.
Do you remember the first game you ever played?
The first game I remember playing is Q-Bert on my cousin’s Atari 2600. The first game I remember enjoying is Super Mario Bros. on NES.
If you’ve got a dinner reservation for two and you can invite one game developer to join you?
I’ve always wanted to meet Chris Delay of Introversion Software. I’m a huge fan of their work, and I’d love to hear all the crazy ideas that never make it into their games. I know you said only one, but I’d also sneak in Todd Howard of Bethesda. He has a special way with words – he can talk about anything and make it legitimately interesting.
What games have you been playing lately? Anything in particular that stood out?
Lately I’ve been playing the new Deus Ex and Fallout: New Vegas. I also try to play as many indie games as I can. I love the blockbusters as much as anyone else, but I like to explore a lot of the smaller, experimental games too. A few I’m playing right now are Black Market, Super Meat Boy, and Jamestown.
What are your non-gaming hobbies?
When I’m not hanging out with my wife and kids, I’m likely on my computer messing around with various art and game-related experiments to keep my brain busy.
Erica Stead
We’re back with another All the RAGE profile. This week we meet QA tester Erica Stead…
What do you do at id Software and how long have you worked at the company?
I’m a QA tester. I’ve been at Id for over a year.
When did you decide you wanted to get into game development?
When I was in high school, I spent most of my weekends alone with the Playstation, thinking about how cool it would be to work on games. But it didn’t really seem like a realistic goal, so I don’t think I ever mentioned it to anyone. It was a long time later, after I had gotten a degree in something else, moved to Texas and went to QuakeCon for the first time that I realized I really did still want to work with games.
Why do you think working at id is the best job in the world?
On a typical day, I get in almost a full eight hours of video games – and that doesn’t count playing when I’m not working. Aside from the obvious appeal of being around not yet released games, QA is an enjoyable job to me because I enjoy coordinating with different people to get a task done, and I also enjoy trying to eliminate different factors to figure out what is causing a bug or a crash. It’s sort of like detective work. I also do get a kick out of having impacted the final game, even in a small way.
Working at id in general is awesome, because the people, the perks, and the benefits are great, and its good to work for a company that’s known for producing a quality product.
What’s your favorite story from the office?
I can’t say for certain, but it likely involves nerf weapons.
What’s your proudest accomplishment at id?
Bug regressions are sort of my specialty – when someone fixes a problem, they send it back to QA for regression, and we test it to make sure the issue is truly gone. I’ve been helping coordinate the regression efforts for awhile now, and I always feel a bit of accomplishment in making sure they are done thoroughly and efficiently. Its a little cheesy, but its one of my favorite parts of the job because I feel like I’m the last line of defense, protecting the consumer from bugs. I’m considering getting a super hero outfit with a cape just to add to that effect. (I usually don’t admit to the cape ambitions.)
Do you remember the first game you ever played?
I am not entirely sure, but I suspect it may have been Ms. Pac Man. I have a very vague memory of my dad holding me up to play at an arcade. I also remember not being any good at the game.
You’ve got a dinner reservation for two and you can invite one gamer developer to join you. Who do you pick??
Roberta Williams from Sierra Entertainment.
What games have you been playing lately? Anything in particular that stood out?
I always have a bunch of games in progress at once, but right now Total War: Shogun 2, Fallout New Vegas, Resonance of Fate, and Doom 3 are getting the most hours logged.
What are your non-gaming hobbies?
Sewing, writing, and rock n roll.
Matthew Michler
As we close in on RAGE’s release, we’ve returned with new Q&As with the members of the RAGE team at id Software. Today we meet programmer Matthew Michler.
What do you do at id Software (or more specifically on RAGE) and how long have you worked at the company?
I have been working at id Software for about two years as a programmer on our automated build and testing infrastructure.
Why do you think working at id is the best job in the world?
Professionally, working at id Software is like being born with a pedigree. There are few studios in this industry that can say they are a true pioneer and innovator of gaming and id is one of them. On top of that, the leadership and veteran developers at id are very welcoming to us newbies and our ideas. They are great at finding the “diamonds in the rough” and polishing them up into new and exciting gameplay.
Personally, the team at id is insanely fun to be around. We have an incredibly diverse group of people from all over the world with a wide range of personalities and interests. Social gatherings at id are always entertaining.
What’s your favorite story from the office?
Telling Dan Martinez on his first day at work that he’s not welcome to our daily team party (we call them parties because its much more fun than a meeting) unless he brings cake. The next day he came in with a cake.
Do you remember the first game you ever played?
The first video game I remember playing was the NES version of Back to the Future. The first PC game I played was Wolfenstein 3D with my dad.
If you’ve got a dinner reservation for two and you can invite one game developer to join you?
Jessica Chobot. She has a “Special Thanks” credit on a couple games. That counts in my book.