wiseguyusa Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 I was just wondering what Retrogame programmers did for a living. I assume programming or IT, but that begs the question if someone writes code all day for a living, why would they want to do it for a hobby? The one guy that I knew that could program a 2600 game started, but lost interest before it was finished because that is just how he is wired. The only other Homebrewers that I "Know" are in here. No need to get defensive, I realize that making a homebrew is a lot of work, and I am not implying otherwise. I just know that no-one makes a living writing Atari games in 2014, and I am curious what their actual vocation is. Now I will see if my sensitivity training paid off, or if I still managed to piss someone off LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Iacovelli Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 I was a utility clerk at local grocery store before the parent co. closed down the chain 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linville Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 My only Atari 2600 game is unfinished and unpublished. But, I have dabbled in other platforms and have a number of public projects involving the Tandy Color Computer. FWIW, I am employed as a software developer working primarily on the Linux kernel. I was drawn to my profession because I loved working with computers in general and I particularly loved programming close to the hardware. As you suggest, once this becomes a profession there is a tendency for such love to fade. There are many great things about working on a retro platform. The systems are small enough to be comprehensible and controllable by a single person. The limited power still presents a challenge to develop and optimize efficient code. Getting things done on the system often requires exploiting skill and knowledge that feels almost like solving a puzzle! Also, for the most part no one cares (or even knows) what I am doing, so there is no one to pester your or to scold or admonish you if you decide to change a project or drop it altogether. In short, for me retro programming is a way to maintain that connection to something I love despite the pressures and constraints that doing it as a 'day job' imposes. Hth! John 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gemintronic Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 I think "in IT" is a fair answer for many people. Many use nicknames to seperate activities. Work, personal life and hobbies are easier to sort out that way. We don't get tired of using the English language when off work. Same thing with programmers. When off-duty personal game projects can be a great stress relief. Programming is a form of creative expression. The "why 2600?" question is more one of opportunity for me. Making games has always seemed the natural next step after playing them. AtariAge and batari BASIC made that goal within reach. Hopefully 7800BAS will allow 7800 development along those same lines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 I'm an electrical engineer but have slowly transitioned into mechanical design and for the last year have been doing mostly project management. The only programming I did professionally was many years ago when I programmed 8bit embeded controllers using assembly language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr SQL Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 I wrote video games professionally in the 80's - today I design innovative Database technologies that Microsoft attempts to acquire and enjoy turning them down I also like to eat pizza, smoke cigars, drink coffee, play pong and write 8-bit video games and dev kits, like it was the 80's What do you like Wiseguy? Do you play pong? How long have you been an IT manager? What do you think of open source? H-1B visa developers? How about Offshoring? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Andrew Davie Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I work as a research engineer in a large science oriented organisation. I mostly spend my time with a robotic submersible, and explaining to people why things went wrong. Again. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiseguyusa Posted May 31, 2014 Author Share Posted May 31, 2014 IT manager? No, 90% of what I do all day is tell morons to turn their stuff off, then turn it back on again. It is low stress and there are lots of gamers and programmers at the office when I have to go to the "brick and mortar" office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaGtGruff Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I mostly spend my time with a robotic submersible, and explaining to people why things went wrong. Again. It sounds like there's a video game idea in there somewhere! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 IT manager? No, 90% of what I do all day is tell morons to turn their stuff off, then turn it back on again. http://youtu.be/C2Ph8zwpNyI 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DZ-Jay Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I'm a Data Architect/Data Modeler/Solutions Architect for a large global investment bank. I enjoy my job very much, but unfortunately it does not involve any 8-bit games programming. For that, I spend my week-ends balancing between my personal life and my hobby. dZ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atarius Maximus Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I've had just about every technical job you can have in IT as I worked my way up. I'm currently the senior SAN administrator for a Fortune 500 company. Game programming is a hobby and a creative outlet for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I don't need a job. All I need is my Atari 2600, batari Basic, the ashtray, paddle game, remote control, matches, lamp, chair, and this magazine. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I did an interview with Good Deal Games back in 2009 that may answer some of your questions. They have a whole bunch of interviews that can be accessed from this page. Some are with other homebrew programmers, some are with people in the industry, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I'm a student working on getting a degree in electrical engineering. One more year! Right now I have an internship at an auto supplier working in their electronics lab. Haven't done much 2600 programming in a while, need to change that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 I am a software developer who, after all development got offshored, is forced to do business analysis. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylearan Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 I am a software developer who, after all development got offshored, is forced to do business analysis. Ouch. I'm an IT security researcher, among other things doing malware reverse engineering and analysing embedded devices. Programming the VCS isn't very different from that. For example, malware uses tricks like self-modifying code or jumping into the middle of an instruction to make reverse engineering harder. My latest VCS kernel does both, although not for obfuscation, but to squeeze out more cycles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Andrew Davie Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Ouch. I'm an IT security researcher, among other things doing malware reverse engineering and analysing embedded devices. Programming the VCS isn't very different from that. For example, malware uses tricks like self-modifying code or jumping into the middle of an instruction to make reverse engineering harder. My latest VCS kernel does both, although not for obfuscation, but to squeeze out more cycles. You might enjoy this... http://codegolf.stackexchange.com/questions/28786/write-a-program-that-makes-2-2-5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylearan Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 You might enjoy this... http://codegolf.stackexchange.com/questions/28786/write-a-program-that-makes-2-2-5 Haha, thanks for the link! That Java solution is hilarious, and some of the other contests (display 42!) are very cool, too. I was following the obfuscated C contest for a while (http://www.ioccc.org/), but that's getting too oldskool... Damn, now I'm wasting time reading that site instead of coding my next demo or *gasp* work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithbk Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Well, I have done one game (Another Adventure) and have suddenly been inspired to work on a new title (Beyond Another Adventure). In the real world, I own Who North America ( http://www.whona.com ), online retailer of Doctor Who merchandise. I also write as a hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yllawwally Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I've worked on several games, that never got good enough to show anyone. Tumulus is not quite finished, but is coming along. Although very slowly due to kids, wife, job, etc. My paying job is doing quality assurance for a slot machine manufacturer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetroFiends Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 "What is your "Real job" ?"What real job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roland p Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Real job: Making web-based applications, mostly for non-profit organisations (hospitals, government). I prefer programming in a database environment (stored procedures, queries etc., pretty 'bare bones') somehow in the same way I enjoy 6502 code. Tables on the vcs are read 50 times per second instead . I also do java/xsl/css and I dislike javascript Programming for the vcs is nice because you can do whatever you want (opposed to a job). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gemintronic Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I also do java/xsl/css and I dislike javascript You could switch to coffee and pretend it's not javascript Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roland p Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 You could switch to coffee and pretend it's not javascript I don't know. The whole idea of having another language (besides the one you are using on the server) built into the gui part just puts me off. I guess just for visual stuff it's okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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