Tammy Yap

Current project:
Unannounced PlayStation 2 game. I programmed gameplay and interface elements and design scripting systems, character entities and artificial intelligence system.

Academic Info

College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Degree: Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering, both in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Were there any particular projects or areas of study that you pursued?
Concentrations in Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms.

Did you do any internships?
No.

Career Info

Tell us about your first job in the industry. How did you get the job? What was it like? What were your responsibilities?
I'm still on my first job. I basically found it through Interact Jobs, a recruiter specializing in game companies, and they set up a number of interviews for me, which was very helpful because I was in Singapore at the time. I flew over for 2 days and they coordinated everything.

The job itself is a great learning experience. When I came onto the project, the game engine was already in place, so I could get straight into programming higher level game elements, instead of low-level systems. It is a platform game, much like Mario Brothers, and I was in charge of basically everything in the game that did not have to do with the main character - enemy characters and artificial intelligence, game treasures and inventory, interface elements. I had the chance to write scripting systems for designers to implement these various elements.

It's a small company, so the working environment is more relaxed and less bureaucratic, but also, there's more of the element of urgency to work hard to ensure the company's survival. I far prefer this to working in a larger company, albeit more stable, but perhaps more impersonal.

What jobs have you held in the games industry thus far? Briefly describe the career path you took to get where you are today.
As I said, this is my first game job, although not my first programming job. My last employer was the war games department of the Ministry of Defence in Singapore, and I had a chance to work on large group software projects there. Prior to that, all my programming experience was obtained either through schoolwork, or personal software projects.

Advice

What fields of study, specific courses, or life experiences would you recommend to students interested in your field?
A college degree is practically mandatory these days. To be a good programmer, I would recommend studying computer science with emphasis on algorithms and system design. A good math foundation is especially useful for graphics or physics modeling.

There is also no substitute for the experience of executing a project from start to finish, be it a solo or group effort, or as a school assignment. If school does not afford you the opportunity, learn a language on your own, then design a game, or even pick something you've played, like Tetris, and program it. It will prove a very valuable exercise, and something that interviewers will be interested in hearing.

Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you got into the games industry? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I actually did a fair amount of reading up before embarking on my job search, so not too much has caught me by surprise. Only thing I might have done in addition is to have studied computer graphics in greater depth, since that's where so much emphasis is currently placed.

It's definitely very important to be informed before looking for a game job. Know the games on the market, what's popular, what's good, what the games are like, what's new, what you personally like, the industry sentiments. Know the companies, what they've written, their general emphasis. Know the kind of jobs available and how your skills can apply to the position you're seeking. All this information can be gathered from game magazines, game websites, company websites, Game Developer magazine.

As games increase in complexity, what are the various kinds of jobs that you foresee development companies needing in the next five years?
I may be biased, but my opinion is that the areas of emphasis in the near future will be better artificial intelligence and massive online gaming.

Do you have any other advice or recommendations to share with students who are interested in doing what you do?
Pursue your interest, whatever it might be, and act upon it. If you like programming, learn a language, write a simple game, do it well. If you like artwork, create cool stuff, and build up your portfolio. Just make sure to do stuff.