Friday, December 14, 2012

Graduation Time!!!

Well, good news is I graduated from the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy today.  Hey, let's go to commencement...loads of fun but it made my parents happy.  Went to a showcase for our capstone games then went home.  Of course, graduating was a foregone conclusion starting in the 3rd (of 4) semester.  From then it was all about ramping up to jobs and getting fired and sitting on our ass in bewilderment.

I have mixed emotions.  It's good to achieve a milestone but change is coming (again).  I no longer have any obligation to go to FIEA ever again.  I no longer have school to rely on (even if it's just some place to hang out).  But worst of all I think I'm going to lose most of my friends.  Just about every friend I made starting in first grade, once we parted ways, that's it--we just stopped talking to each other altogether.  And yes, there's Facebook, Skype, all that crap but unless you're talking face-to-face, it's does little good.  The reason why this really sucks more than ever before is because for the first time in history, I knew multiple people who understood what I was talking about.  People I could talk to without reverting back to "crappy old Eric" who couldn't socialize his way out of a wet paper bag.  You go through high school & undergrad and most people are like "you want to make vidya games, lol, I'll be a more sophisticated person at my lawyer/doctor/businessman job."  I can always make new friends, I know...

But those guys are cool...and some of them are reading this and well, you always know where to find me.  On this lousy blog nobody reads, rofl.

Now about jobs.  Well, I'm still unemployed.  A month ago, I sent out applications to two places.  Sumo Digital turned me down for the second time quoting my lack of experience and I was seriously bummed but not shocking in the least.  Firebrand went "full retard" and has yet to reply to any of my e-mails.  Why they wouldn't hire me I don't know.  Then there's some local studio which had offered me an interview in a few days (again, won't say who but it's in the Orlando region) and because their folks are on such good terms with my school, unless I go there and you-know-what the bed, I will probably get the programming job.  If not, then I'm temporary up the creek without a paddle but I can still talk with the FIEA people so not all hope is lost.  After the interview, I'll make the painstaking 9-hour drive home for Christmas, make the usual pilgrimage to the mall, look at Christmas lights, etc.

My long-term Plan A is this.  Stick around the Orlando/New Orleans region (well NO has Gameloft but I don't like em too much) and get experience.  In this experience phase, I don't plan on moving unless it's a studio I really, really like.  Then spamming Sumo (or any other Sega-related offers that pop up).  Get the job offer then we're "in" with Sega.  As for Plan B, well...if Sumo flat out doesn't want me for a multitude of reasons (I'm not smart enough, they onto my Sega antics, I can't drive on the left side of the road, etc.) then I'm s*** outta luck.  What do I do then...I do some soul searching.  Maybe I will have a change of heart and love to work elsewhere but I'll probably do something drastic like start an indie studio or roll back on programming altogether and attempt a "career" at auto racing or some other nonsense.  I just don't see the point in working into my 30's-40's on games I have no interest in.  What's the point?  Patience, yes, but at some point, enough's enough.

I hope it doesn't come down to this and I'm probably in worry mode...that's not good but I'll probably shake it tomorrow after I get some rest.  Running against the's gonna be fun and exciting anyway.  Whatever happens, it's gotta be part of God's plan somehow.

Seriously though, I've said this many times but if it weren't for Sega, I probably wouldn't be in the game industry in the first place.  I mean I'm tired of playing cheerleader..."ooooo racin gaems!!!"  I'm always candid with my readers.  If not then this blog will flat out suck.  So let's go make some f'n games already.  I'll get around to more Sega All-Stars Racing stuff as well as Super Sprint...maybe as a Christmas present for you all.  Again, thanks to the all the FIEA guys that gave me fuel to persevere.  Later....


  1. I extend you my congratulations. Best wishes to you in whatever you want to do for the future.

  2. Hey Eric, I only found your blog a few weeks ago and didn't realize you had just graduated. Congratulations. It looks like you're in Florida as I recall your post about visiting EA Tiburon. It's too bad seeing how there aren't that many studios here. Have you considered getting on XBLA?

    1. Hey dude. Orlando/Maitland/Central Florida was originally EA's turf but since then it has changed. There's now many studios in the area, most of which staff ex-EA people: Firebrand, Iron Galaxy, 360ed, Lockheed Martin (they do "simulation" games), N-Space, Row Sham Bow, Phyken Media, Sky Parlor... Not "super studios" like Rockstar, Blizzard, Bungie, or Activision but they're a good start for your career. I am also on XBLA occasionally though I have been playing Sega All-Stars Racing lately. "Eric4372" though the the gamercard is in the green panel on the right. Where are you from BTW?

  3. My congrats on graduating. =) And my sympathies toward your future career worries, on the same boat myself. CO's not known for any big studios, and a lot of the ones my instructors are suggesting are rather pretentious with their reputation. Mostly indie studios, and I'm mixed on that. Went to an indie developer's conference some weeks ago, and maybe it's just me, but even the self-proclaimed veterans didn't strike me as serious or ambitious at the least. More like making games was a hobby on the side, and a lot of sites for the developers have nothing to show. But if that's what's gotta be done, I hope God guides me in the right path too. I was the top of my class, but there's so much we weren't taught. So much.

    Best of luck, man. Really. =)

    1. Good luck to you too...if you're ever in the Orlando area and need a reference or a job, let me know.

      I just completed my interview with some company, now to see if I get a message back.