The weakness of that law may have helped decide Veronica Guerin's fate

The weakness of that law may have helped decide Veronica Guerin's fate.At least two gangs may have been involved in the three gun attacks on her. By early last year she was unearthing exclusives about the biggest-ever cash raid in Irish history, the north Dublin Brinks- Allied Security depot robbery, in which pounds 2.9m was stolen.The raid was pulled off, it is believed, by a highly-organised and abstemious young gang leader known as "The Monk". At a leading Dublin gangster's funeral two years ago she knew the exact identities and crime records of a host of those gathered around the grave.Few of her stories failed to make the front page, with a further page of riveting detail inside. Within two years her knowledge of the Dublin underworld, obtained from both other criminals and front-line detectives - some of whom were in tears on Wednesday after her shooting - was encyclopaedic. Names could not always be used, but this only increased public intrigue and speculation as to who was who.Crime magnetised her. The story ran over three issues; her departure to the Sunday Independent soon afterwards prompted a board meeting at the Tribune.As crime correspondent of the new paper she began describing in meticulous detail leading criminals' spheres of activity, from armed robbery to manufacturing ecstasy or importing boat-loads of cannabis. I had been informed that he was a liability, past it, should have been dropped; terribly unfit he was, they said.

"We can train someone to use software, but we cannot train them to be artistically talented," points out Jeff Bramfitt, a senior artist.Psygnosis does not just recruit from art school, it has graduates with a background in industrial design, and quite a few without a degree But formal qualifications are more important in programming. This does not have to be in computer science, but the company wants a numerate discipline and good grades at A level. "A degree demonstrates their approach to problem- solving," says Dave Rose, head programmer.Nick Trout, 25, studied computing at Manchester University and joined Psygnosis after a period travelling. He specialised in computer graphics, and now develops tools that convert designers' images into part of a games programme. He turned to the games industry because he wanted a job that was not "in a cosseted business environment".Leisure software programmers have the challenge of collaborating with artists and musicians, as well as the latest equipment and games.

"We are working at the leading edge of technology," Trout says.John Harris, 30, joined the company as an artist after a degree in industrial design and a period working for a furniture manufacturer. Now he develops artwork for Psygnosis titles: his job is to create the look and atmosphere of a game. Harris worked in the film industry, on science fiction, before going to university. Games give him the chance to build fantasy worlds, but the work is more stable than in film. "It is creativity beyond what I could achieve as an industrial designer," he says "I can't think of anything I would rather do.". "There are lots of opportunities for exciting, interesting and satisfying jobs," says Michael Shoolbred, course tutor in Information Studies at the University of Central England. If you thought librarianship was all about classifying books and ordering copies of Who's Who, think again.