Basically I recently graduated from the Uni of Man in the UK and i'm in the process of applying for a graduate entry-level position in the industry.. I spent the first 4 months after graduation (june) working on a directX 9.0 based game; a 3D board game (http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=414440) with full sound & support for upto 2 players (with an AI for the singple player game). I've had some interviews (with excellent feedback) so far but i'm still waiting for agencies to get back to me (does anyone else have such crap luck with agencies for entry-level jobs?) and the interviews that i've had so far were from companies i'd applied to directly. I'm currently looking to get into primarily gameplay programming but saying that, I don't wanna limit my options since I know how hard it can be to get your foot in the door in this industry.. So I would like to get some helpful advice on what I can do for my next sample demo which would enhance my portfolio further and show that i'm 450% dedicated to making it in the games industry..? Hopefully some developers could give me some ideas on the kind of things they'd look for in an applicant in my position..? Thanks for your help!!

Quote: Original post by ArchangelMorph
.....but i'm still waiting for agencies to get back to me (does anyone else have such crap luck with agencies for entry-level jobs?)

You should never use agencies for entry level posts. There are always a glut of applicants for entry level positions and it makes no sense for an employer to pay an extra 15% to an agency to take you, when there are so many other applicants for whom they won't need to pay an agency.

I agree with Obscure, agencies while they seem good are often a waste of time. Some of the worst ones advertise saying things like "over 10,000 qualified professionals to choose from", which leave you wondering why all those professionals don't have a job yet. I would say start direct applying to palces where you would like to work.

As for your portfolio, start diversifying. Take the game you have already made and use it as a framework to make other games, and try go for different styles of game. If you want to be a gameplay programmer then you will have to show you are able to tackle all sorts of different styles of gameplay. Of course your focus here would be on the different styles of game you could produce, so keep your focus away from graphics and content, but still leave enough to be worthwhile.

A good idea is to check out other independent projects and see what they are doing, especially those that end up getting hired. Research is the key.

Anyways, I hope this helps, and good luck. :)

How is your CV? Most places won't look at your demos if your CV isn't what they are looking for.

I'm in the UK, and I was offered a graduate entry-level games programming job which I found through an agency, and generally they seemed a good way to find games companies which were looking to employ people. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the agency now so that's not much help, but just to say that I disagree that they're necessarily pointless. At the least, I don't think there's any harm in putting a CV on an agency as well as looking for and applying to places directly.