What is the ideal job for an Atari retro-programmer?

[+Propane13]

So, I've got a dilemma:

- I like coding in assembly language

- I enjoy coding games

- I don't think that an industry satisfying these ideals exists anywhere anymore

 

I am trying to figure out what industry a retro-programmer should get in to. I've thought about PDA or cell-pone game design, but it's probably primarily in C, C++ or Java. As an alternative, newer game platform systems may need kernal design, which could be in C or assembly, but I believe that it is really hard to get into these jobs (i.e. you either need a contact at the workplace, or you need 2 or 3 games written for a modern system under your belt first). Since I'm not up for freelancing it up in the outside world in order to get 3 modern games under my belt, maybe that is not the industry I should look into.

 

The only real thing that I can think is even close is compiler design. Compilers will always be around, because in general, people cannot stand assembly, and like to program in a language more native to English. With more processors coming out every day, I figure eventually the assembly-programming jobs will end up only in this field. Agree/disagree?

 

I can see doing DSP algorithms as an option, since that is tight, MIPS-intensive code, and needs to be done in assembly. Are there other algorithms that need to be tight?

 

So, that's where I'm stuck. Should I go off and pursue an embedded career in C and Java, or are there other options where my skills could be used that anyone can think of?

 

Thanks,

-John K. Harvey

[Paul Slocum]

I tend to think that the coolest programming projects you do will be your own. So my strategy is to not be too picky about the type of programming work I do, and find the job that affords me the most time to work on my own projects. That is, one that pays really well and allows me to work part-time. There is more interesting programming work out there than what I do, but most of the more interesting jobs I've looked at pay less and require more hours. Especially game companies.

 

But it's really hard to find a job at all right now!

 

-paul

[Thomas Jentzsch]

So my strategy is to not be too picky about the type of programming work I do, and find the job that affords me the most time to work on my own projects.  That is, one that pays really well and allows me to work part-time.  

That's my current strategy too.

[Heaven/TQA]

well... try Nintendo Gameboy Advance...cool system and easy to code and commercial successful... and of course best results in assembler...

 

 

hve

[eric_ruck]

You could get into programming FPGA's in VHDL, it's kinda fun with what you can do. DSP's are neat.

 

All of which is clearly going somewhere. Embedded systems are everywhere and they are still by and large written in C and Assembly (and VHDL). You can still find systems designed to be inexpensive or legacy systems with fun little processors like the HC11 and H8 out there.

 

Not too long ago I did a lot of embedded work for a company that makes semiconductor equipment. Fun stuff to play with. My crowning achievement there was to figure out how to take an existing card used to control the beam that etches the microchip and squeeze 1000% better performance without changing the hardware. In involved redesigning the code on the FPGA (had to learn VHDL) and adding some jumpers.

 

Oh, also device drivers. For the most part written in C and C++ but it helps to know assembly (as well as understand the signals flying around modern PC's).

 

Eric

[atarifan49]

well... try Nintendo Gameboy Advance...cool system and easy to code and commercial successful... and of course best results in assembler...

 

 

hve

 

 

John Harris is an excellent person to talk to on this. Don't know what his current email is.

 

He's done talks at CGE where he has indicated that programming on the Gameboy is the closest he get's in today's world to programming on the 8bit Atari computers (where he achieved his initial fame working for Sierra On-line Systems).

 

He said this because of having to program in assembly and the constraints on memory (around 48k). He loves the challenges that environment provides.

 

And the mention of doing embedded systems is also something to look at. Knowing how to work in tight environment, programming in assembly, and able to interface with hardware. Some that retro game programmers can excel at!

 

 

Glenn

[Cap5750]

Well the ideal job would be that of a video game tester where you MUST sit and play video games all day long and tell them what you think.

 

Seriously though, I don't think it makes a big difference. Heck, for years I thought I would one day open my own repair shop to fix computers and stuff. When I entered college they showed me an average salary of a CRT (Computer Repair Technician) vs CPE (Computer Engineer). So I gave up the CRT and entered the CPE program before realizing I really liked coding and switched (after 3 years!) to CS (Computer Science). Now, my job is as a senior systems analyst and database administrator for a custom-written Oracle application.

 

Cap

[CPUWIZ]

So, I've got a dilemma:

- I like coding in assembly language  

- I enjoy coding games

- I don't think that an industry satisfying these ideals exists anywhere anymore

 

I don't quite understand this comment, I program in R5900 all the time and you can go lower level than that, which I also do: microcode ! In case you don't know, the R5900 is the CPU of the PS2 and the vector units are DSP's which run microcode. I wish there were more people like you still around, I interview programmers all the time and barely anyone knows assembler anymore. How the hell do you debug something you can't read ?

 

Take care and good luck with your search.

-R

[CPUWIZ]

Sorry, I didn't answer your question. I would go with Gameboy Advance as well because you can get tons of homebrew hardware and software tools to get started. Hell, you could write a game and then approach a company to publish it for you.

 

Just a thought ...

[Heaven/TQA]

hehehe.... i showed to 2 of our main coders some of numen's source code (the rubik's cube...) and they were blowed away... "How fast is the machine??? what? 1,79 mhz? 320kb ram??? hmmm...3 registers? hmmm... no gfx card??? hmmm...how to draw lines??? oh....you have to do this all onyourself??? and what about the rotation??? hmmm....and how has fox done the hidden line detection???" it was interesting...one of the programmers has done c64 stuff in the past so he understood most of the code (not how it worked really)...but the other one... 10 years younger than i am... is a pure "pc" grown coder...knowing opengl, visualc++ but no assembler...

 

nowadays assembler is still needed...even just to have it in mind... when doing console stuff...you definitly need some assembler routines... f.e. on PS2 (V0,V1 of the emotion engine...) and what about the vectrex shaders microcode in geforce gfx cards? directx9 stuff???

 

i have the impression that most of the hardcore c64, amiga, etc. people have moved to playstation or gameboy, GBA....because that is what it was...

 

small systems, 100% specific hardware, limited resources and ram...and this is the challenge at the end...not the challenge to beat microsoft...

 

hve

[OldGuru]

Check the job section in the following URL, you may find something of intereset there:

http://www.gamasutra.com/

 

Goodluck,

OG.