6/19    Jobs available at Sony Computer Entertainment of America.  Learn the
        PlayStation2 architecture, meet lots of game developers, and write
        your own ticket in the game industry!  See /csua/pub/jobs/SCEA. -mogul
            \_ isn't this system "already dead" before it's even released
               in the U.S.?
                \_ You're funny!  -mogul
                        \_ No.  It's already dead.  Xbox is going to destroy
                           ps2 across the U.S.  Release it fast and sucker in
                           as many v1.0 victims as you can.  You'll need a new
                           job by Xmas of 2001.
                        \_ The Best scenario for the X-Box as a gaming
                           console is for microsoft NOT to lose their shirt,
                           on selling a unit which cost $50-100 more then
                           it should to manufacture. -nweaver
                           \_ uhh nick, we all know you area dumbass but I
                              just want to point out that the money is not in
                              the consoles.  The money is in the games.
            \_  in clear laymen's terms, why is it harder to develop
                games for the ps2 than let's say...the dreamcast.  the
                "difficulty" for making games for this unit is supposedly
                higher than the saturn, which was already THE worst
                nightmare platform.
                \_ It's not harder, just requires people to learn more and
                   think differently.  Take the job and find out.  -mogul
                   \_ Translation: you didn't release a SDK.  Thanks.
                      \_ You could look at it that way. -mogul
                         \_ Always have to have the last word, eh?
              \_ Supposedly it is tougher than the Saturn.  Mainly because
                 Sony didn't bother to develop any guildlines for the best
                 way to impiment a given effect. So apparently programmers
                 will get halfway through doing something in way X, when
                 they figure out they should've been doing way Y and have
                 start completely over.  (Note:  I can't imagaine the PSX2
                 is worse than the Atari Jaguar though, talk about
                 nightmare systems...)
                 \_ Sony put out a library for PS that developers hated.  They
                    said they'd rather have the raw metal and specs and write
                    their own libs; eventually Sony gave out the specs and the
                    games got a lot better as a result.  For the PS2, Sony
                    skipped the libraries and gave developers what they said
                    they wanted.  Unfortunately, they didn't count on the
                    number of super-lame PC programmers fleeing their
                    shrinking share of the games market; these are people
                    raised with DirectX, with no idea how to program a
                    graphics pipeline on their own.  These are the same people
                    who are complaining the loudest whenever they're
                    interviewed.  I was a PC game developer, and I made the
                    switch.  It's NOT that hard.  -mogul
                        \_ Hey, good way to do developer relations!!  I can't
                           wait to join up with an attitude like that.
                                --super-lame PC programmer staying in shrinking
                                  market
                           \_ I didn't say all PC game programmers are
                              super-lame... Just that there are a lot of them.
                        \_ Why not release a library to placate the super-lame
                           programmers, and also release the specs? Seems like
                           the right way to go, even if you accept the thesis
                           that only people that can program the bare metal are
                           going to turn out worthwhile games. -brg (not a game
                           programmer, or even a game programmer wannabee)
                           \_ That was my logic, and apparently it just
                              occurred to someone in Japan where
                              (unfortunately) all such decisions are made.  A
                              lib will be released shortly. -mogul
                                \_ So this is a heavily top-down org-chart sort
                                   of place good for drones but bad for anyone
                                   who might stand out?  Get a new watch after
                                   20 years of making the company millions each
                                   year?
                                   \_ This is just for what goes in the
                                      official devkit.  Sony treats its
                                      employees extremely well. -mogul
                                      \_ "Hi!  I am Dilb^Wmogul, loyal peon."
                                   \_ Welcome to the japanese way of doing
                                      business.
                                        \_ Microsoft seems like a great place
                                           to work... I'm sure they'd love to
                                           have you on the X-Box, and they're
                                           not very top-down... -interviewee
                                           \_ Microsoft is a shitty place to
                                              work and has an uncertain future.
                                              \_ Over there, they ride linux
                                                 and run bikes over with suvs