Many individuals are looking to break into a video game designing career, and it's no surprise. A $9 billion industry, the video game designing business has appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike. High salaries and high rates of job satisfaction are typical in the field.

In order to design video games, however, you need a certain skill set. Computer programming is first on the list. While games are made using almost all languages, the most popular programming language for video games is C++, because of its object-oriented nature and because it compiles to binary. The next most popular languages for games are C and Java, but others such as C# and assembly language are also used. A strong background in math is usually required to learn these languages. Individuals wishing to design games should also have an extensive knowledge of both PCs and Macs.

There are many colleges and universities that offer classes not only in programming but also classes specifically on game design. Some of these schools have alliances with game developing companies, leading to jobs for students upon graduation. Programming video games can be lucrative. The average game designer's salary is $62,500, with $55,000 at the low end and $85,000 at the high end.

Programmers are not the only individuals needed to make a video game, however. There are multiple career paths within the gaming industry, including specialists in audio, design, production, visual arts and business.

Designing a video game can be an long, expensive process. The average budget for a modern multiplatform video game is $18-$28 million, with some high-profile games costing as much as $40 million. Making the game, from conception to sale, can take several months to several years. Some games have taken a notoriously long time to make; for example, 3D Realms' Duke Nukem Forever was announced in April 1997 and did not make it to shelves until July 2011.

Video game programmers have a high level of job satisfaction. In a March 2013 survey conducted by Game Developer magazine, 29 percent of game programmers were very satisfied with their jobs, and 39 percent were somewhat satisfied.

If you're interested in a game development career, now's the time to get moving. Take advantage of the many online resources available regarding these careers and start learning right away.

How to use a global variable in Python

[Mar, 28, 2014] |
Tags:

The python keyword global is used in a function to distinguish a local representation of a variable with the same name.

glbvar = 0

def setglbvar():
    global glbvar # include this declaration so that updates to glbvar are NOT LOCAL to this function
    glbvar = 1

def printglbvar():
    print glbvar     # No need for global declaration to read value of globvar

setglbvar()
printglbvar()       # Prints 1

H-1B Visas, the Dance Between Large Corporations and the Local IT Professional

[Apr, 29, 2014] |
Tags:

Controversy was recently courted as Southern California Edison (SCE) prepares to cut their own staff while looking to meet their staffing needs with offshore employees skilled in the field of “IT” or Informational Technology. This has been the second major utility company in the United States to take this path towards providing services to its consumers while holding current rates at consistent levels. SCE does not disclose the exact numbers of expected lay-offs, but the LA Times reports that it is in the hundreds. Utility companies tell their consumers that these moves are necessary as a hedge against inflation and to keep their services at rates that their customers can easily afford. Critics claim that the use of foreign workers is the first step to using an entirely foreign workforce and promoting large scale unemployment amongst American citizens. Often this has been seen as a conflict between national and international workers for the same jobs, salaries and careers.

It has been noted that this State of California utility company, much like other corporations that hire foreign workers does so primarily when there is a shortage of national citizens that can perform these jobs well. IT workers that are brought in with H-1B Visa work permits usually are college educated and hold expertise in technical areas and studies that local employees may not be especially trained in. Once again, critics decry the fact that these employees are not hired directly. On shore contracting companies operating in the continental United States are directly hired by the utility companies. These contracted companies then serve as “middle-men” and hire a wide range of foreign workers with H-1B paperwork so that they can move to the United States. The workers then perform a variety of jobs instead of American workers who were either born in the country or have achieved American citizenship on their own.

Needless to say, the amount of visas issued in a given year is a concern for U.S workers in various fields but particularly in Information Technology. As large corporations stack the employment deck with foreign workers who put in the hours for a fraction of the pay-rate for local employees, local IT professionals are finding it more difficult to find work nationally. They encounter rejections, endless interview processes or low –ball offers from companies and recruiting agencies looking to fill positions at a bare minimum cost for coveted skill-sets.

Meanwhile, an H-1B worker is a worker brought in on a temporary basis with a visa allowing them to work freely in the United States. Much like a student or travel visa, it is issued for on a calendar oriented basis. Applicants who successfully renew the visa for an extended period of time can expect to work in the United States for up to ten years. Although U.S companies hiring these employees may pay them less than their local employees, the salaries earned by H-1B Visa workers are almost always higher than these workers would earn in their own country of origin.

Both sides can agree on several issues. When it comes to these H-1B Visa workers, their assignments are generally of a contractual nature and require them to reside in this country for a period of months to years. However it is also an accepted fact that while they are in this country, they are responsible for paying rent, utilities and all other living expenses. As residents of the United States on a permanent basis, they are also liable for taxes on any salary they have earned while living here.

Dr. Norman Matloff, a professor at the University of California, Davis and writer on political matters believes the shortage to be fiction. In his writing for the University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, he claims that “there has been no shortage of qualified American citizens to fill American computer-related jobs, and that the data offered as evidence of American corporations needing H-1B visas to address labor shortages was erroneous. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) agrees with him and describes the situation as a crisis. Likewise, other studies from Duke, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Georgetown University have disputed that in some years, the number of foreign programmers and engineers imported outnumbered the number of jobs created by the industry

iPhone-Maps

[Oct, 27, 2012] |
Tags:

One of the most recent updates to the iPhone, and more specifically the operating system that is packaged with the iPhone, iOS, brought one of the most fantastic and phenomenal updates ever: an update to Maps. Maps has been used as an application that provides an easy way to find routes, and (obviously) maps about certain areas, businesses in the local vicinity, and also leaving pins on favorited locations, or pins where you have explored, and for many other reasons. However, although Maps has always been a great way to travel with, it has always been redundant to travel with, also. When you used Maps a while ago, you had to route your map, and then manually click each next button as you reached each turn or freeway exit, and the like. So, if you had to turn left on a certain street, you had to tell your phone you had done so, so it would give you the next directions. As a result, it could become very dangerous to always have your phone out, looking at it, while you are on a high-speed freeway. But, the newest update solved that, and brought a great amount of new features.

Using Maps GPS

Using Maps is as easy as it gets. Most of the time, when you are using Maps, you are using it to search for a location, and finding a way to get there. To start off, let’s search for the nearest mall, and routes to get there. Simply search a nearby mall you know about, or search the general word “mall” by tapping on the top text box, and typing in mall, and searching. Pins will drop down on the screen, and locating the mall by zooming into certain streets and locations will help you find the mall you want. Once you find the mall you desire to go to, click on the blue arrow, and scroll down, and tap on the button that says “Directions To Here.”

As a result of tapping on that particular button, a new window should show up asking where your starting location is. On default, this location is your current location; if it is anything else, simply type in the starting location into the top address bar, such as your house. Once you are ready to go, tap on route, and you should be ready to go. Well, not exactly. One of the best features that has been implemented in the new system is suggested routes, and alternative routes. If you don’t like to drive on certain streets, or roads, the system provides you with different methods to get to your destination, which may avoid a road you don’t feel like driving on that certain day, or time, or you simply don’t want to take the freeway. It’s all okay, as Maps provides you with many different routes to take. Once you find the route you want (by tapping on the certain route’s outline), click start, and you should be ready to go. Make sure you turn up your volume so you can hear the directions!

Maps for Alternative Transportation

Tech Life in California

Largely influenced by several immigrant populations California has experienced several technological, entertainment and economic booms over the years. As for technology, Silicon Valley, in the southern part of San Francisco is an integral part of the worldâ€™s innovators, high-tech businesses and a myriad of techie start-ups. It also accounts for 1/3rd of all venture capital investments.

The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance: it is the illusion of knowledge. ~ Daniel J. Boorstin

other Learning Options

Software developers near Elk Grove have ample opportunities to meet like minded techie individuals, collaborate and expend their career choices by participating in Meet-Up Groups. The following is a list of Technology Groups in the area.

eLearning Experienced Developers (eLEDs) · Los Angeles LAMP Developers (PHP/Perl/Python/Mysql/Apache) · Santa Barbara Makerspace ·

Fortune 500 and 1000 companies in California that offer opportunities for .NET developers

Company Name	City	Industry	Secondary Industry
Mattel, Inc.	El Segundo	Retail	Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book, and Music Stores
Spectrum Group International, Inc.	Irvine	Retail	Retail Other
Chevron Corp	San Ramon	Energy and Utilities	Gasoline and Oil Refineries
Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.	Pasadena	Real Estate and Construction	Construction and Remodeling
eBay Inc.	San Jose	Software and Internet	E-commerce and Internet Businesses
Broadcom Corporation	Irvine	Computers and Electronics	Semiconductor and Microchip Manufacturing
Franklin Templeton Investments	San Mateo	Financial Services	Investment Banking and Venture Capital
Pacific Life Insurance Company	Newport Beach	Financial Services	Insurance and Risk Management
Tutor Perini Corporation	Sylmar	Real Estate and Construction	Construction and Remodeling
SYNNEX Corporation	Fremont	Software and Internet	Data Analytics, Management and Storage
Core-Mark International Inc	South San Francisco	Manufacturing	Food and Dairy Product Manufacturing and Packaging
Occidental Petroleum Corporation	Los Angeles	Manufacturing	Chemicals and Petrochemicals
Yahoo!, Inc.	Sunnyvale	Software and Internet	Software and Internet Other
Edison International	Rosemead	Energy and Utilities	Gas and Electric Utilities
Ingram Micro, Inc.	Santa Ana	Computers and Electronics	Consumer Electronics, Parts and Repair
Safeway, Inc.	Pleasanton	Retail	Grocery and Specialty Food Stores
Gilead Sciences, Inc.	San Mateo	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech	Pharmaceuticals
AECOM Technology Corporation	Los Angeles	Real Estate and Construction	Architecture,Engineering and Design
Reliance Steel and Aluminum	Los Angeles	Manufacturing	Metals Manufacturing
Live Nation, Inc.	Beverly Hills	Media and Entertainment	Performing Arts
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.	Sunnyvale	Computers and Electronics	Semiconductor and Microchip Manufacturing
Pacific Gas and Electric Corp	San Francisco	Energy and Utilities	Gas and Electric Utilities
Electronic Arts Inc.	Redwood City	Software and Internet	Games and Gaming
Oracle Corporation	Redwood City	Software and Internet	Software and Internet Other
Symantec Corporation	Mountain View	Software and Internet	Data Analytics, Management and Storage
Dole Food Company, Inc.	Thousand Oaks	Manufacturing	Food and Dairy Product Manufacturing and Packaging
CBRE Group, Inc.	Los Angeles	Real Estate and Construction	Real Estate Investment and Development
First American Financial Corporation	Santa Ana	Financial Services	Financial Services Other
The Gap, Inc.	San Francisco	Retail	Clothing and Shoes Stores
Ross Stores, Inc.	Pleasanton	Retail	Clothing and Shoes Stores
Qualcomm Incorporated	San Diego	Telecommunications	Wireless and Mobile
Charles Schwab Corporation	San Francisco	Financial Services	Securities Agents and Brokers
Sempra Energy	San Diego	Energy and Utilities	Gas and Electric Utilities
Western Digital Corporation	Irvine	Computers and Electronics	Consumer Electronics, Parts and Repair
Health Net, Inc.	Woodland Hills	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech Other
Allergan, Inc.	Irvine	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech	Biotechnology
The Walt Disney Company	Burbank	Media and Entertainment	Motion Picture and Recording Producers
Hewlett-Packard Company	Palo Alto	Computers and Electronics	Consumer Electronics, Parts and Repair
URS Corporation	San Francisco	Real Estate and Construction	Architecture,Engineering and Design
Cisco Systems, Inc.	San Jose	Computers and Electronics	Networking Equipment and Systems
Wells Fargo and Company	San Francisco	Financial Services	Banks
Intel Corporation	Santa Clara	Computers and Electronics	Semiconductor and Microchip Manufacturing
Applied Materials, Inc.	Santa Clara	Computers and Electronics	Semiconductor and Microchip Manufacturing
Sanmina Corporation	San Jose	Computers and Electronics	Semiconductor and Microchip Manufacturing
Agilent Technologies, Inc.	Santa Clara	Telecommunications	Telecommunications Equipment and Accessories
Avery Dennison Corporation	Pasadena	Manufacturing	Paper and Paper Products
The Clorox Company	Oakland	Manufacturing	Chemicals and Petrochemicals
Apple Inc.	Cupertino	Computers and Electronics	Consumer Electronics, Parts and Repair
Amgen Inc	Thousand Oaks	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech	Biotechnology
McKesson Corporation	San Francisco	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech	Pharmaceuticals
DIRECTV	El Segundo	Telecommunications	Cable Television Providers
Visa, Inc.	San Mateo	Financial Services	Credit Cards and Related Services
Google, Inc.	Mountain View	Software and Internet	E-commerce and Internet Businesses

training details locations, tags and why hsg

the hartmann software group advantage

why take .NET Training with the hartmann software group?

A successful career as a software developer or other IT professional requires a solid understanding of software development processes, design patterns, enterprise application architectures, web services, security, networking and much more. The progression from novice to expert can be a daunting endeavor; this is especially true when traversing the learning curve without expert guidance. A common experience is that too much time and money is wasted on a career plan or application due to misinformation.

The Hartmann Software Group understands these issues and addresses them and others during any training engagement. Although no IT educational institution can guarantee career or application development success, HSG can get you closer to your goals at a far faster rate than self paced learning and, arguably, than the competition. Here are the reasons why we are so successful at teaching:

Learn from the experts.
1. We have provided software development and other IT related training to many major corporations in California since 2002.
2. Our educators have years of consulting and training experience; moreover, we require each trainer to have cross-discipline expertise i.e. be Java and .NET experts so that you get a broad understanding of how industry wide experts work and think.
Discover tips and tricks about .NET programming
Get your questions answered by easy to follow, organized .NET experts
Get up to speed with vital .NET programming tools
Save on travel expenses by learning right from your desk or home office. Enroll in an online instructor led class. Nearly all of our classes are offered in this way.
Prepare to hit the ground running for a new job or a new position
See the big picture and have the instructor fill in the gaps
We teach with sophisticated learning tools and provide excellent supporting course material
Books and course material are provided in advance
Get a book of your choice from the HSG Store as a gift from us when you register for a class
Gain a lot of practical skills in a short amount of time
We teach what we know…software
We care…

learn more

page tags

what brought you to visit us

Elk Grove, California .NET Training , Elk Grove, California .NET Training Classes, Elk Grove, California .NET Training Courses, Elk Grove, California .NET Training Course, Elk Grove, California .NET Training Seminar

training locations

California cities where we offer .NET Training Classes

·Hesperia, California · Long Beach, CA · Victorville · Lodi, CA ·Pomona, California · Lake Elsinore, CA ·Chino Hills, California · Clovis, CA · Cathedral City · Huntington Park, CA ·Corona, California · Pleasanton, CA ·Simi Valley, California · Monterey Park, CA · Sunnyvale · Arcadia, CA ·Petaluma, California · Norwalk, CA ·Indio, California · Tracy, CA · Lake Forest · Citrus Heights, CA ·West Covina, California · San Francisco, CA ·Torrance, California · La Habra, CA · Oakland · Chino, CA ·Richmond, California · Apple Valley, CA ·Folsom, California · Hanford, CA · Pasadena · National City, CA ·Colton, California · Burbank, CA ·Merced, California · Porterville, CA · Hawthorne · Redondo Beach, CA ·Turlock, California · Whittier, CA ·San Rafael, California · Rosemead, CA · Westminster · Tulare, CA ·Escondido, California · Murrieta, CA ·Huntington Beach, California · Garden Grove, CA · Temecula · Walnut Creek, CA ·Santa Barbara, California · San Marcos, CA ·Montebello, California · San Mateo, CA · Paramount · Carlsbad, CA ·Union City, California · Moreno Valley, CA ·South Gate, California · Ventura, CA · Milpitas · Watsonville, CA ·Tustin, California · Vista, CA ·Alhambra, California · Sacramento, CA · Irvine · Santa Clarita, CA ·San Leandro, California · San Bernardino, CA ·San Jose, California · Santa Ana, CA · Santa Monica · Hemet, CA ·Daly City, California · Yuba City, CA ·Yorba Linda, California · Lakewood, CA · Fresno · Carson, CA ·Glendale, California · Ontario, CA ·Visalia, California · Anaheim, CA · Fullerton · El Cajon, CA ·Upland, California · Redding, CA ·San Diego, California · Fairfield, CA · Perris · Rancho Cordova, CA ·Elk Grove, California · Redwood City, CA ·Newport Beach, California · Palo Alto, CA · Davis · Antioch, CA ·Laguna Niguel, California · Livermore, CA ·Santa Cruz, California · Palm Desert, CA · Vallejo · Bellflower, CA ·Hayward, California · Concord, CA ·Fountain Valley, California · Chula Vista, CA · Alameda · Rialto, CA ·Mission Viejo, California · Inglewood, CA ·La Mesa, California · Lancaster, CA · Compton · Rocklin, CA ·Rancho Cucamonga, California · South San Francisco, CA ·Modesto, California · Oceanside, CA · Novato · Manteca, CA ·Salinas, California · Thousand Oaks, CA ·Baldwin Park, California · Oxnard, CA · Cupertino · Orange, CA ·Pico Rivera, California · Stockton, CA ·Riverside, California · Santee, CA · Diamond Bar · Gardena, CA ·Fremont, California · San Clemente, CA ·Redlands, California · Madera, CA · Berkeley · Napa, CA ·Fontana, California · Camarillo, CA ·Downey, California · Lynwood, CA · Costa Mesa · Cerritos, CA ·Mountain View, California · Santa Rosa, CA ·Encinitas, California · Los Angeles (la), CA · Woodland · Highland, CA ·Roseville, California · Bakersfield, CA ·Chico, California · Delano, CA · Palmdale · Pittsburg, CA ·Buena Park, California · El Monte, CA ·Santa Maria, California · Vacaville, CA · Santa Clara

.NET Training Classes in Elk Grove, California

Learn .NET in Elk Grove, California and surrounding areas via our hands-on, expert led courses. All of our classes either are offered on an onsite, online or public instructor led basis. Here is a list of our current .NET related training offerings in Elk Grove, California: .NET Training

.NET Training Catalog

subcategories

C# Programming Classes

Design Patterns Classes

F# Programming Classes

JUnit, TDD, CPTC, Web Penetration Classes

Microsoft Development Classes

Microsoft Windows Server Classes

SharePoint Classes

Course Directory [training on all levels]

Blog Entries publications that: entertain, make you think, offer insight

Using Maps GPS

Maps for Alternative Transportation

Tech Life in California

training details locations, tags and why hsg

Interesting Reads Take a class with us and receive a book of your choosing for 50% off MSRP.