Tim Sweeny: Game Programmer

I wrote this essay back in Junior year in HS. I don't know how good it is. I don't really care if it is any good. This essay is on Tim Sweeny, a famous game programmer. Anyway, here goes.

Game Development

written by: Darkd

Game Development is the process in which video games are created and introduced to the public. This industry creates many products such as simple time wasting computer games, complex first person shooters, or small mini games on a bonus DVD. The most common types of games created are home console games such as those released on the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, or the Sony Play Station 3.

One of the more specific jobs in the game development process is the Game Programmer. Game programming is the programming of computer games, arcade games, or console games. In the field of Game Programming, there are many various sub divisions. Some of those being: AI Programmer, Graphics Programmer, Sound Programmer, Game Play Programmer, and etc. Game Programmers use various different programming languages and tools to write and create the actual aspects of the games. Most commercial games are written in C++, C, and some still in assembly languages.This programming is necessary in all games in order to play them. Also, among the various jobs of a programmer, many programmers are also designers and help create the various parts of the game. Experience in the gaming world is varied, and some older game programmers actually have no formal education in the gaming field. Many of these people started out as hobbyists, and eventually succeeded due to homegrown experience. Most job solicitations now specify a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, physics, computer science, or equal experience. Many companies ask for about three years of experience, but exceptions are usually made if the person has shown talent in the field. The amount of experience affects the salaries of Game Programmers. Salaries of programmers vary from place to place and from company to company, however, the average salary for programmers is about $83,000 a year. Most game programmers are very accomplished people. One person who is a very accomplished game programmer is Tim Sweeny.

Tim Sweeny is a famous game programmer, and the founder of Epic games. Over the years, Epic games have been responsible for the creation of many new bestsellers and some good classics. Sweeny founded Epic games while he was studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland. Epic Games started its roots in Rockville, Maryland, 1991, under the name of Potomac Computer Systems. Soon after the company was created, they released their first game, ZZT. ZZT was an ANSI-based computer game built around the ZZT-OOP scripting language.

At the time of this games release, it was already obsolete, but the functionality due to ZZT-OOP was groundbreaking. The use of ZZT-OOP allowed the users to create new levels, and interact with the program itself. This game became quite popular, and due to the large number registrations worldwide, Sweeny was able to finance and create a new game called Jill of the Jungle. Jill of the Jungle was not as advanced as ZZT at the time of its creation, but it gained market recognition and allowed Epic Games to become indoctrinated into the mainstream. A few years late, Sweeny and a team of developers astounded the gaming community with the release of the game Unreal, and the Unreal Engine. The Unreal Engine is a game engine written in C++, which allows the creators to change large parts of game play, without changing the engine’s code. The Unreal Engine has been used in a number of games in the past years. A few games developed using the Unreal Engine was: Unreal Tournament, Mass Effect, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas, Bioshock, and Gears of War. Since the development of the first Unreal Engine, Sweeny has taken a back seat and has become a Technical Director. His duties now include jobs such as: doing research for further engine development, setting the engines overall direction for each game, and meeting with software and hardware vendors to develop work relations.

I believe that the Unreal Engine is one of the best game engines, and inventions for the modern gaming society. The Unreal Engine makes developing and programming games much more time efficient. Instead of changing the engine code, the programmers only have to do a limited amount of work. This saves time, and effectively allows games to be produced quicker. As for Tim Sweeny, I think he is a very good programmer, and developer. In his past he created many groundbreaking games, and technologies along with developing a multi game engine that has been used for over a decade, he created and still manages one of the most popular gaming companies in the United States. Tim Sweeny is a great man, and in my opinion a genius of the programming world.

I claim all rights to this work. No one may plagiarize my work, and claim it as their own. You may use parts of the essay, but you must reword or cite my work. I will take screeny's of the post along with the date and time. Thank you for not cheating, because only losers cheat.