Digital Dave

Musings on projects, business and life.

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Aug 14, 2008

iPhone Development, Job Hunting, and California

The first rule in iPhone development is apparently that you don’t talk about iPhone development.  It’s still ‘hush-hush’ in apple land when it comes to their fancy touch technology to the extent that they try to rip down anything that is put up. That is, if they find your stuff of course.

So, not only am I still getting used to using a Mac (dear God…), and Objective-C (God?), but I’m developing a rather simple game that I’ve made before in C++ back in the day, and adding some twists to it.  When I get some more progress on it, I’ll fill in the journal space.  I really hope to get this thing done by the 25th (school starts), but we’ll see.  I’ve decided to work on an iPhone game for my next semester independent project.  I have so many ideas on iPhone applications that it isn’t even funny.  The beautiful thing is that these things are all casual.  I love casual games.  I hope I can get some distance with this thing.  Independent game development FTW.  I deployed a test version of my game to the iPhone today (what a pain-in-the-ass process) and it blew my mind. Very cool.

I have a programming test with a company next week, so I’ll have to spend some time getting ready for it. It’s an in house programming test and I’m not looking forward to it at all… Well, I am… But I just fail pretty hard (depending on the structure) with exam-like conditions which makes this job hunt that much more interesting.  I wish I’ve been programming for 10+ years, but that just isn’t the case.

Speaking of the job hunt.

I’m starting to get denied from places out in California due to the distance between Kansas – California… It’s only 1,550 miles (I know, I’ve driven it in (almost) a day *yawn*). Anyway, I might have to move out there for a few months if things don’t look to be going my way.  Luckily, I know 2 people in San Diego, 1 in Burbank, and 1 other in long beach. I wish I knew somebody from the bay area… But that won’t stop me from camping out in a Hostel ($12 a night! Pfft.).  I want a job in California if you couldn’t tell.

Category: Career, Coding

Tagged: , ,

  • Daniel

    Well it looks like you’ve been busy :O.

    Good luck with the hunting, let me know how it all turns out. I’d also be interested in the various interview questions / programming tests you’ve had to do.

    I’m sure if you just keep at it, it’ll turn out well.

  • Daniel

    Well it looks like you’ve been busy :O.

    Good luck with the hunting, let me know how it all turns out. I’d also be interested in the various interview questions / programming tests you’ve had to do.

    I’m sure if you just keep at it, it’ll turn out well.

  • http://itmayevenbe.com A. Ortiz

    Ever since I got an iPhone I’m likewise fascinated by iPhone development. I just can’t come up with any ideas for a game. I’m very terribly bad at coming up with scratch ideas–I’d rather work on pre-existing ones and give them flourish–and I’m particularly awful at casual games. I can’t helpo but stare at the iPhone and want to design an RPG somehow, which is just awful for the battery life.
    By the way, keep that battery life in mind. The iPhone isn’t designed to have its screen on more than an hour or so. It can play headphone music and capture signal for quite a long time, however.

  • http://itmayevenbe.com A. Ortiz

    Ever since I got an iPhone I’m likewise fascinated by iPhone development. I just can’t come up with any ideas for a game. I’m very terribly bad at coming up with scratch ideas–I’d rather work on pre-existing ones and give them flourish–and I’m particularly awful at casual games. I can’t helpo but stare at the iPhone and want to design an RPG somehow, which is just awful for the battery life.
    By the way, keep that battery life in mind. The iPhone isn’t designed to have its screen on more than an hour or so. It can play headphone music and capture signal for quite a long time, however.

  • http://www.david-mcgraw.com david.mcgraw

    Yeah, I really, really loved the idea of developing on the iPhone… My main issue has been that I never had a Mac to develop on. I got a buddy to loan me his for a bit so I could tinker.

    The iPhone is such a small, focused, development platform that it seemed to help me come up with ideas. Gamers don’t want to use it to play long sessions, they just want something that they can pop out while they are waiting in line, sitting in an airport, or meandering behind their girlfriends while shopping. ;p

    Granted, my first idea is nothing revolutionary. It takes a simple concept and adds a little spice to it to give the player an incentive to play with friends or alone. Sometimes that is all you need to build a fun game. But some of these other ideas I have sound like they’ll be fun, and I haven’t seen them implemented yet. I wish I could code faster. ;)

    Making a story based, even small episodic RPG. I could see that being possible.

    Hell, I thought of Koi Pond right before it came out. I guarantee you somebody is making an RPG work on this iPhone. The base of potential ‘curious’ people is too large to miss.

  • http://www.david-mcgraw.com david.mcgraw

    Yeah, I really, really loved the idea of developing on the iPhone… My main issue has been that I never had a Mac to develop on. I got a buddy to loan me his for a bit so I could tinker.

    The iPhone is such a small, focused, development platform that it seemed to help me come up with ideas. Gamers don’t want to use it to play long sessions, they just want something that they can pop out while they are waiting in line, sitting in an airport, or meandering behind their girlfriends while shopping. ;p

    Granted, my first idea is nothing revolutionary. It takes a simple concept and adds a little spice to it to give the player an incentive to play with friends or alone. Sometimes that is all you need to build a fun game. But some of these other ideas I have sound like they’ll be fun, and I haven’t seen them implemented yet. I wish I could code faster. ;)

    Making a story based, even small episodic RPG. I could see that being possible.

    Hell, I thought of Koi Pond right before it came out. I guarantee you somebody is making an RPG work on this iPhone. The base of potential ‘curious’ people is too large to miss.

  • Ian Hughes

    Hey there devil dog,

    Former Marine and C# developer out here in SF, CA. Write me offline and see what I can do to help you out.

    –Ian Hughes

  • Ian Hughes

    Hey there devil dog,

    Former Marine and C# developer out here in SF, CA. Write me offline and see what I can do to help you out.

    –Ian Hughes

David McGraw

Founder of iGotIt Games. Trader. Runner. Warrior. Motivator.