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A Half Life in Game Development
This document summarizes the career of Dietmar Hauser, an Austrian game developer. It describes his education in computer science and early jobs developing workflow applications. It then outlines his career in game development, where he worked on games for platforms like Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, and mobile. Over nearly two decades he progressed from programmer to lead roles on titles like Cursed Mountain and worked for studios like dion-software and Sproing. It concludes with him going freelance under his company roborodent after Sproing closed.
A Half Life in Game Development
- 1. Dietmar Hauser |roborodent e.U. | 2018 (nearly) two decades of games made in Austria (mostly) Didl - A half life post mortem of a Game Dev
- 2. Facts & EarlyDays • Ing. Dietmar “dIdl” Hauser • Born 1979, Eisenstadt • Education & Computer History • VS Eisenstadt • BG Eisenstadt • HTL Wr. Neustadt EDVO • Informatics + Business • Pascal, C, C++, x86 Assembly • Cobol, dBase, VB6, SQL,… • Zivildienst Rotes Kreuz Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 3. First Job • JobApplications • Ikarus Software • JoWood Wien • Neo Software • BAT • 100% RZB daughter • Lotus Notes • Workflow applications • Websites • ÖTV, Konzerthaus, RZB, Raiffeisen, … Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 4. Retrospective I Likely stoppedschool too early… … but got me a head start Work & life experience is invaluable… … but never stop learning Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 5. First Game DevJob • Found on jobpilot.at by accident • dion-software GmbH • Hired as Senior Developer… • … despite < 2 years experience • Took slight pay cut • Joined “Power Games” dept as GBA programmer Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 6. Work @ dion-software •GBA Demos, Level Editor (in Java) • Devil Dentist PC • PC Demo, Power Games shut down • Photo Play “Tulcham” • Added 3D games • Added multiplayer games • Implemented large parts of framework • Field test in Finland • Games: • Hearts, Billiards, Minigolf, Quickball, Backgammon Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 7. MOAR Work @dion • New product “SWP” • Exclusive for UK market • Visited many pubs • Implemented • Framework • Devices • Coin reader, hopper, printer, … • Games • Sudoku + Quiz • “Yeti Sports” + Quiz Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 8. The end ofdion-software • Steady decline • From 30 to 6 employees • Job Applications • Rockstar Vienna 2x • Sproing 3x Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 9. Retrospective II First twojobs weren’t ideal… … but I definitely learned a lot Working in a failing company… … is a unique experience If you don’t get hired… … apply again later! Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 10. My Riding Stables •PC & Nintendo Wii • Implemented • Animation system • Character customization • Outdoor levels • Collision & racing • Parts of rendering system • Gesture controls • Wii Remote & Disc error handling Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 11. Technology & Oddities DietmarHauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 12. Legacy • Still available •Mostly positive reviews • Featured in Jim Sterling video • Person with 160 hours requests a Mac version • My favorite review of all time! Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 13. Dietmar Hauser |roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 14. Scotland Yard • NintendoDS • Implemented • Gameplay logic • Multiplayer • Hot seat • WLAN • Or any combination • Up to 6 players • Single card play Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 15. Tech, Oddities &Legacy • Nintendo DS has 4 MiB RAM, no ROM • First Sproing NDS game at 60 FPS • NDS magical Wifi mode • Great reviews from fans of the board game… • … less so from regular players • Zelda’s “Fold to continue”… • … is actually forbidden! • IMHO a perfect board game port Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 16. Dietmar Hauser |roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 17. Dietmar Hauser |roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 18. Cursed Mountain • NintendoWii (later PC) • First lead programmer role • I was the 3rd choice… • First AAA game • Multiple dev studios • Very stressful and crunchy… • … but also very rewarding Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 19. Technology • Based onMy Riding Stables • Advanced rendering • Streaming system, PVS • Implemented • Effects • Prayer flags, third eye, bad zones,… • Spirit walls, weapons, smashables,… • Gestures • One of the more controversial features • Skinning optimization • WGP, LC, PS (Assembly) • 5x speed increase Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 20. Legacy • One ofthe most technically advanced & "mature" Wii games • Appears in many "hidden gems" lists • Made me appear on IMDB Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 21. Dietmar Hauser |roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 22. Dance! – It’sYour Stage! • A completely unremarkable game • X360, PC, Wii, later PS3, NDS • My role: Xbox Expert • Oddities • XBLA – Digital Distributions • 60 FPS (on X360) • Legacy • Picked up by Funhaus in 2017 • Became a Meme • Recently delisted from X360… :( Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 23. Dietmar Hauser |roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 24. Dietmar Hauser |roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 25. Retrospective III Games don’tneed roaring commercial success… … to build an impressive legacy The best thing about game dev… … are reactions of the players We so rarely see them! Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 26. MOAR Work @Sproing • My Fitness Coach Club • PS3, Wii, with Blue Byte • Wii camera support • Schlag den Raab 2 • Your Shape 2013 • WiiU launch title, with Blue Byte • Best rated game I ever worked on • Became Head of Console Technology • Talks at GDCE, GC, Making Games,… • Switch to mobile games… Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 27. Mobile Games @Sproing • Sigils – Battle for Raios • iPad (Yes, really!) • Last game as Lead • Realtime multiplayer • 4:3 aspect ratio again.. :( • Head of Programming • ~40 programmers • Time taken up mostly by managerial duties • I grew a full beard Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 28. Intermission: Beard Grooming101 Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 29. The End ofSproing • First insolvency • Letting go ~30 of my people • I try to leave to save one • Get sucked back in • Worked on KISS Rock City and secret project • All in all, still a good year • Second insolvency • Sproing closes for good this time • Purple Lamp rises from its ashes • I decide to go freelance Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018
- 30. roborodent Dietmar Hauser P ro g r a m m e r Dietmar Hauser | roborodent e.U. | 2018 Software Solutions | Creative Consulting http://www.roborodent.com @Rattenhirn dietmar.hauser@roborodent.com http://slideshare.net/DietmarHauser https://fb.me/roborodent https://github.com/rattenhirn/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rattenhirn/
Editor's Notes
- #2 1
- #3 3 Gen X, Burgenland Celebrating my 10th 29th anniversary I leave it to you to guess which one I liked better Zivildienst: learned great social lessons
- #4 5 Y2K + Euro craze, many many job offers Oddities: Internet Explorer vs. Netscape IE was winning Most interesting project: Connect calendar + access control to phone system (CTI) Moved to Vienna Got bored quickly
- #5 6
- #6 7 Dot com bubble war bursting
- #7 9 UI, "Actions", Parts of multiplayer
- #8 10 With a quite shifty partner company
- #9 11 Along with the parent company I let you guess how many of these were successful
- #10 12
- #11 13 My Riding Stables - Life With Horses Started as Senior programmer the day dion-software was shut down Sproing at ~30 employees My first “proper” game that was actually released
- #12 16 Athena 1.5 - brand new rendering engine 16:9 vs. 4:3 Wii disc error handling Test story
- #13 18 Not originally available for Steam
- #14 19
- #15 21 Had extensive round based multiplayer experience from PhotoPlay
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- #19 27 Took over from Stefan Reinalter after about half the project
- #20 28
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- #23 32 XBLA: Probably my first digitally distributed game Mothers be aware – soundtrack sells quite well
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- #27 39 The secret of talking: Easier than you think Know what you are talking about When suffering from anxiety and alcohol helps, see a doctor to get medication
- #28 40 And then…
- #29 41 If too long, chop it off If too springy, oil it up It didn’t prepare me for what came next
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- #31 45