Interview With Crytek With Crysis Online
Interview With Crytek With Crysis Online
Vinnie: How did you get into the game developing community?
Michael: It had nothing to do with my education first of all, in fact, I didn’t graduate. My physics teacher called me in one day and said “if you don’t stop drawing in my classes, I will kick you out and you will never achieve anything!”
Vinnie: So you were good at drawing?
Michael: Not amazingly good, just enough to impress. I managed to graduate from a graphic design college. That’s my professional education. Then I worked for like 3-4 years as a designer and then art director in the multimedia industry. I was 22 when I graduated.
Michael then posts a link to his portfolio which I will not share at the request of Michael.
Vinnie: Wow, those are awesome. So you made these with photoshop or are these hand-drawings?
Michael: I used 3ds max and Photoshop
Michael: so you want to be a coder?
Vinnie: hmm, not really.
Michael: Well what position do you want?
Vinnie: I don’t really know yet, but coding graphics, AI and Physics is what I’m looking into.
Vinnie: But about your progress. Did you show your work to Crytek and then just join them?
Michael: Kinda. I also worked on some 3d stuff. I sent a resume with some 3d stuff, real-time too, and I guess they liked it. Back then, Crytek was a different studio.
Vinnie: So that was a long time ago. Even before FarCry came out?
Michael: Yes, it was Xisle back then. It was like this dinosaur island. Let me tell you how it all started. Crytek had created a demo for Nvidia, with a huge island and dinosaurs walking all over it, with bump maps and refractions.etc Back then it was a big achievement.
Vinnie: I do know about an ATI demo which Crytek made?
Michael: Come on, dinosaur island demo. It was super well known 5 years ago. But then again, you were only 11
Vinnie: Does Crytek use Max or Maya?
Michael: We use max here, not Maya.
Vinnie: Could you tell me what programs Crytek uses? And what programming languages?
Michael: Well, we use 3DS Max, Photoshop and sometimes Xsi. I have no idea what coding languages and things like that are being used. All that is like another universe to me.
Vinnie: hehe, I didn’t realize Crytek was THAT big.
Michael: It’s big. It takes about 2 minutes to cross the office. We have 150 people of 24 nationalities.
Vinnie: I guess it grew a lot when the development of Crysis begain?
Michael: Yep. When I came here there were only 8 people or so.
Vinnie: So what do you recommend me to do if I want to work for a company like Crytek?
Michael: First finish school. I think?. Be good at what you do. No one cares about certificates and diplomas.
Vinnie: Really?
Michael: Yes.
Vinnie: So I have to send Crytek my portfolio?
Michael: Yes, sure.
Vinnie: Is it possible for me to make a trip to Germany with my dad and take a look at the Crytek office, to see what the people at Crytek do, and see if this is what I want to do?
Michael: Not really
Vinnie: Who should I contact about that?
Michael: I have a better offer… You send in an amazing portfolio one day, and if it’s good, Crytek will bring you over for an interview and pay for the trip
Vinnie: And in that portfolio there must be?
Michael: Whatever is appropriate to the position you want to apply for. Or an overall demonstration of your skill.
Vinnie: haha, well here’s the point. I only just started learning c++
Michael: Well give it some time then. Just send it when you’re ready.
Vinnie: What kind of computers are being used at Crytek?
Michael: Man, everyone has a different machine here. I don’t even know the specs of my machine. I honestly have no idea. Well I've got an NVIDIA 7800GTX, I know that much.
Vinnie: haha, same card as me.
Michael: So, you will enjoy Crysis
Vinnie: You really think so?
Michael: Well it runs here, and there is no amazing secret hardware or software I have
Vinnie: So you think my pc will run Crysis fine. Maxed out at 1024x768?
Michael: I think so
Vinnie: So Crysis runs fine for you? At the highest details?
Michael: Sure, but it’s not even optimized yet
Vinnie: Do you know the specs of the rigs at E3?
Michael: No, I’m not sure.
Vinnie: So Crysis is in the last stage of development right now?
Michael: Yep
Vinnie: How is the optimizing and bug fixing done.etc Or is that to much coding related?
Michael: Phone… Hangon…
( Michael returns… )
Vinnie: So, where were we? About the optimizing, how is this done? Do you know?
Michael: From the coding side no idea, from our side its LODs, textures stuff like that.
Vinnie: What texture sizes are used for models? What’s the maximum texture size?
Michael: Depends. Some are 4096 pixels, while others are only 32 x 32 pixels.
Vinnie: So the max is 4096?
Michael: I guess so, I haven’t seen anything bigger so far.
Vinnie: What about the maximum map size? In square kilometers for example?
Michael: I got no idea how big they are in KM’s, but they are ****ing big
Vinnie: Is there a tool like CryEd included with the game? ( When it’s shipped )
Michael: I’m not sure, I don’t make such decisions. Don’t forget, my job is to make Crysis look good
Vinnie: Have you ever heard of Speedtree?
Michael: Yes, I considered it in the beginning.
Vinnie: Are the trees in Crysis rendered with this program?
Michael: No, speedtree is based on sprites. It’s a different approach. It’s not suitable for us.
Vinnie: Do you know how the “fully destructible environments” are done in Crysis? Like cutting down trees.
Michael: Yes, it’s very simple. All the trees are REALLY breaking
Vinnie: What features will be added with DX10?
Michael: Too technical for me
Vinnie: I really didn’t know Crytek was so big
Michael: Yeah, same here. It gets bigger everyday.
Vinnie: It’s really a big dream for me, to work at Crytek
Michael: It depends on you
Michael: Anyway vinnie, I got to run soon.
Vinnie: Thanks, I’ll leave it here then. Thanks for everything
Michael: No problem.
Vinnie: You’re a really nice guy. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. It’s been an honor.
Michael: I hope we release Crysis soon so all you guys can enjoy it. After all, we are making this game for you.
Vinnie: That’s awesome. Hopefully there will be a beta
Michael: hopefully
Tom: Thank you also Michael for participating in this chat and giving vinnie a possible life changing opportunity.
Michael: No problem. I’ll catch you guys later
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