🚀 go-pugleaf

I assume the following questions have been asked hundreds of times but I'm new
to this group. Anyways, bear with me while I ask :
1. Has someone compiled a list of addresses of companies that make games?
     If you could send it to me - or post it - I would appreciate it.
2. What are the chances of getting hired at these companies?
3. What is the standard background of most game programmers (i.e. Do you
     need a computer science degree? Do you need an art background?
     Are the big name programmers today the same people that started out
     programming commercial Atari games?)
4. Do you need to have a shareware game to get looked at?
5. Are there any computer game making companies in Canada?
6. Do I have a hope in hell of getting into the video game industry?

Any information at all on anything (I'll even take unsubstantiated opinions)
would be fantastique. I (along with everybody else here I presume) would
love a job programming computer games.

Thanks a million,
Jim 'I'm doomed to work at a bank' McGinley

P.S. Thanks for all the help everyone gave me about redefining characters!