Janos has been programming for more than 20 years now, from DOS PC games to 3D engines. He is passionate about hardware and music and he joined Sponge Hammer back in 2018. On our blog, he will be sharing thoughts about hardware and I thought it would be great to introduce him.
Here we go.
Hi Jani, Can you tell me a bit more about your background?
Well, I always wanted to make games. To give people an unforgettable experience. To create something that people can enjoy. This motivates me the most.
Kids love to examine everything, break them apart and reassemble them again. We were no different, with my twin brother. We had a computer and we experimented with it a lot. Moved circuits around to see if that changes anything. That’s how my journey started.
We loved games too, all the game mechanics and how convincing they were at that time. This passion became the reason for me choosing a career in programming.
How did you end up working for Sponge Hammer?
The short version is, the Sponge Hammer train arrived at the same station where I was at the same time, and I hopped on it.
I worked with Csaba in the past, and we had a good relationship. When he offered me a position, I said yes without hesitation.
At Sponge Hammer, I started to fulfil my dreams.
What kind of games do you like to play?
Multiplayer games. Competitive or cooperative, doesn’t matter. The community experience is equally important for me in games as it is at work. The other reason I choose to play with actual players is the AI. I very easily get bored by the AI. When I play, I want to experience the unexpected reactions of the enemies or co-players.
How about your free time?
You will say I’m a boring person, but I do game development in Unity. When you are at work, you learn many things. Those things can help you reach your dreams. I learn a lot during work and I will use all the experience one day to create my very own game.
Apart from gamedevelopment, I love drumming too. I won’t be the next Johnny Rabb, but it doesn’t stop me from enjoying the music. And I run as well if there’s no lockdown.
So how did you develop this deep connection to hardware?
Other kids had Lego and wooden bricks. We had a computer with my brother. We took it apart and reassembled it. Again and again. We moved a chip from here to there to see the changes. We bought parts and used them in our config. This was our ‘Lego’.
Winning a country-wide coding competition (3D object designing software created in Turbo Pascal) with my brother led me to my first job in a hardware shop. I was writing review articles mainly, assembled PCs and learned all the tricks from experienced colleagues. Truly that time deepened my connection to hardware.
Any challenges at work?
For me, nearly everything is a challenge. The reason behind that is I want to do quality work and always try to do it better. I am incredibly critical of myself and my performance.
I do work better in a team: we share ideas, we have more input and I receive more feedback on my thoughts. It is easier to solve problems or come up with unique concepts. The others’ input helps me a lot to rethink and discover new solutions.
Where would you go right now for a holiday?
Haha, you would be in trouble. As you invited us many times, we would love to revisit Majorca. We’ve been there with my wife, but it would be different experience with friends.
I hope you enjoyed hearing a bit more about Janos. He will talk about hardware on our forums in the future so don’t forget to follow us
