Alien Invader interviews Andre Lamoth

    Alien Invader - What made you decide to develop games ?

    Andre LaMoth - When I first played pong 20+ years ago I knew that games were the future
                   and something that I wanted to be involved with.

    Alien Invader: How long have you wanted to be a game programmer ?

    Andre LaMoth: I've been making games professionally since 10 yrs old, so forever :)

    Alien Invader: Where did you learn game programming ?

    Andre LaMoth: Self taught.

    Alien Invader: What type of games do you like to develop ?

    Andre LaMoth: Personally, 3D shooters, but professionally value games are more
                   profitable and easier to bring to market.

    Alien Invader: What type of skills is required to be a game developer ?

    Andre LaMoth: Math, physics, biology, mechanics, art, music, design, writing,
                   willingness to learn everything, and a lot of stamina and disipline.

    Alien Invader: What programming language do you think is the best for game
    development

    Andre LaMoth: ? C++ and assembly here and there.

    Alien Invader: What is your opinion about using DirectX technology to develop games ?

    Andre LaMoth: I think that it's the single most important technology of the late 90's,
                   it has brought the power of "acceleration" and device independant coding to
                   everyone.

    Alien Invader: What is your opinion about using other people's libraries and 3D
                    engines?

    Andre LaMoth: If they work for you then great, personally, I like to make my own. In a
                   professional point of view though, sometimes, it's the only way to get a
                   product to market on time.

    Alien Invader: How did Xtreme Games LLC originate ?

    Andre LaMoth:I have always wanted to start a big game company, so this was my 3rd game
                   company since 15 yrs old, looks like its hanging in there hopefully.

    Alien Invader: What is Xtreme Games LLC's mission in game development ?

    Andre LaMoth: To be the world's largest developer of games for all conceivable
                   platforms, do research, and give the small guy a chance.

    Alien Invader: What is the money like in Game development ?

    Andre LaMoth: Depends on the game, my tetris clone neted 500k in one year, on the other
                   hand some much better games make nothing. It's not the game per se, it's
                   what the buyers of the chains and the customers want. You can make a living
                   off of making card games, but get slaughtered doing Quake clones.

    Alien Invader:What made you decide to write books about game programming ?

    Andre LaMoth: Because no one was doing it, and it was a good way to make a substantial
                   "difference" in the world of computing and to people interested in the field
                   that had no where to find information.

    Alien Invader: Do you have any advice for wannabe game programmers ?

    Andre LaMoth: Read everything you can get your hands on, do it all yourself, working in
                   groups is fine, but 9/10 times everyone flakes, so save yourself the
                   headache and work lone wolf at first -- AND the most important thing is
                   FINISH WHAT YOUR START. I have known very few game programmers that made it
                   from the wannabe to BE, the single reason is they can't finish anything!

    Alien Invader: Do you know of any good game programming books and URLs ?

    Andre LaMoth: All of my books, Real-time Strategy Game Programming, Inside DirectX,
                   Principles of Interactive computer graphics, OpenGL  Programming for Windows
                   95 and Windows NT, Petzold's Programming windows, and the main URLs
                   www.perplexed.com, www.gamedev.com.  And everyone make sure to check out the
                   ARMAGEDDON 1999 Xtreme Game Developer's Conference at
                   www.xgames3d.com/armmain.htm