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Old Boys at Career Day - Alex Hyder '77
Alex Hyder ’77 admits that when he was a kid, he couldn’t even imagine that it was possible to have the high-quality video games we have today, let alone that he would have a career producing them.
Alex Hyder ’77 admits that when he was a kid, he couldn’t even imagine that it was possible to have the high-quality video games we have today, let alone that he would have a career producing them.
Back when he was at Selwyn House, Alex realized that he loved physics, especially the experiments related to movement. “It was my ‘so-cool moment,’ when I learned you can predict in many ways what happens in the world.”
Alex went on to get his BSc and his MSc in mechanical engineering and worked for NASA in Houston for several years. Although, he enjoyed his work with robotics, he knew he didn’t want to settle down in Texas and realized that he loved the programming side of the job much more than dealing with the bureaucracy of NASA.
Now back in Montreal, Alex has now been working on video games for six years. “I love that I can wear jeans to work and I have lots of variety since each game we make is different and challenges me in different ways,” he says. As a project manager of the software development team at Electronic Arts (EA), Alex says that his job is fun but very demanding with lots of pressure. “There is so much competition out there for the best game. If you aren’t number one or two on the market, the return on investment goes way down, usually below 30 per cent.” Production costs can run high. Depending on the game, there can be 40 to 150 people working on it over 1.5-2 years.
Alex told the students that even if they get a job they love, they should always be looking to the future. “In 10 years, I don’t think the video game market will exist like it does today,” he predicted. “Already, we are seeing the mobile gaming industry grow compared to games played on consoles like Xbox and PS3. I have to be prepared to do something new.”
When asked what he has learned from producing games, Alex admits: “I used to criticize the way things were done in movies all the time, now I know how much work goes into every detail from sounds to lighting to design. Now that I’m aware, I’m not so critical anymore.”
Back
Back when he was at Selwyn House, Alex realized that he loved physics, especially the experiments related to movement. “It was my ‘so-cool moment,’ when I learned you can predict in many ways what happens in the world.”
Alex went on to get his BSc and his MSc in mechanical engineering and worked for NASA in Houston for several years. Although, he enjoyed his work with robotics, he knew he didn’t want to settle down in Texas and realized that he loved the programming side of the job much more than dealing with the bureaucracy of NASA.
Now back in Montreal, Alex has now been working on video games for six years. “I love that I can wear jeans to work and I have lots of variety since each game we make is different and challenges me in different ways,” he says. As a project manager of the software development team at Electronic Arts (EA), Alex says that his job is fun but very demanding with lots of pressure. “There is so much competition out there for the best game. If you aren’t number one or two on the market, the return on investment goes way down, usually below 30 per cent.” Production costs can run high. Depending on the game, there can be 40 to 150 people working on it over 1.5-2 years.
Alex told the students that even if they get a job they love, they should always be looking to the future. “In 10 years, I don’t think the video game market will exist like it does today,” he predicted. “Already, we are seeing the mobile gaming industry grow compared to games played on consoles like Xbox and PS3. I have to be prepared to do something new.”
When asked what he has learned from producing games, Alex admits: “I used to criticize the way things were done in movies all the time, now I know how much work goes into every detail from sounds to lighting to design. Now that I’m aware, I’m not so critical anymore.”
