d3t welcomes Michael Ennis, Programming Intern
25th Jul 2023
Tell us a bit of information about your experience/career background?
I have completed three years at Abertay University on the Computer Games Applications Development course, where I worked primarily with C++. I have worked with numerous different API’s, including DirectX 11, SFML and Opengl, alongside the Unreal game engine.
During my spare time, I have helped develop a game for a game jam using Unity, which was very fun yet challenging as I had never worked with C# or Unity before, though a lot of the principles of programming were transferrable.
Alongside university, I also worked part-time as a Deliveroo rider, as a cyclist.
Why d3t?
I was extremely excited to join d3t as a Programming Intern after learning about it through an email from our module leader. Originally when I first saw the email, I assumed there was no chance of me getting into this internship, as all the students in Abertay had also received this email, but I decided to apply anyway, and I am very grateful to have been accepted.
After the challenging interview process, I knew that I had to choose d3t as I learned new programming knowledge from the interview, which was extremely interesting and enticed me to accept the offer. During the interview, my old programming from university was questioned with constructive criticism, making me approach it from a completely different, efficiency-focused mindset. This peek into the expert knowledge of the d3t team inspired me to join, as I know I have so much more to learn, yet I am incredibly eager to rise to this challenge.
What do you love about games?
The best part about video games to me is the ability to be completely immersed in an entirely different world. The mechanics, narrative, graphics, audio and more, all come together to create this unique experience that is completely different from any other form of media.
Also, I love that games range from being extremely relaxing to highly competitive, allowing anyone to have access to and enjoy this amazing hobby.
What games are you currently playing, and what is your favourite game?
My favourite game series must be Spyro, as I used to play a few of them on the Wii and PlayStation as a kid. The recent remastered games have also been amazing, as they have brought back lots of positive memories.
A game I am currently playing is Project Zomboid, an indie zombie-survival game that specialises in realism. The game has an impressively immersive world, as a single bite from a zombie ends the entire run.
Do you have any fun facts or hobbies?
I love socialising and hanging out with people, especially whilst playing board games. I have quite a sizeable collection of them, including classics such as Dune and Betrayal at House on the Hill. I am also a WW2 Tank history fan, as I used to play a lot of the games such as “WarThunder” and “World of Tanks” when I was younger.