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Colleges/Info For Game Industry, Help!
rawRzorz
Member Posts: 130
Below is a list of colleges which support Game Design Courses. I am hoping some of you might have knowledge of which is best, and if so, which did you choose and why?
http://www.adigitaldreamer.com/game-design-schools.htm
***I am personally looking for a college/university in CT, America.
Top names included in the list which you might have heard are schools like DeVry and ITT Tech, which I have been looking at.
Thanks guys.
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Hey Guys. After reading everyones responses, which i am very glad you all gave me sopisticated and logical answers, I decided I will go for the Computer Science major with possibly a engineering or art minor.
I live in Connecticut and I have to go instate i just learned. So I will browse around for schooling.
When I mean I want to become a game designer I mean I want to be the guy that starts with the idea and gets a team to work from that idea to turn into a game. To start my career, I was hoping that I would go for some modeler or graphic designer. However I heard someone say the market is flooded with them, and programming isn't for me either.
Can anyone tell me which are the highest payed jobs in the industry? I know game designers make like 65k+ a year, how about other stuff like graphic designer or level/character modeler?
***I read up that engineeers make mad dough too. Is it possible for software engineers to get into the game industry? I imagine there is right?
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You led a great life.
Rest in Peace.
Laura "Taera" Genender 2008
Mount and Blade. Great Game
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/mountandblade/index.html?tag=result;title;0
Comments
it's been my experience at the 3 game companies I worked at, and the one I ran, that people who go to "Game Design Schools" such as Full Sail are sub-par and often think they're entitled to more. It's because of this that only one of the companies hired such a person and kept them on for any length of time.
I'd suggest a real University and major in the degree of your chosing. After all "Your 'Game Degree' isn't worth the paper it's printed on. It's not even worth the ashes should you burn it."
- CaesarsGhost
Lead Gameplay and Gameworld Designer for a yet unnamed MMO Title.
"When people tell me designing a game is easy, I try to get them to design a board game. Most people don't last 5 minutes, the rest rarely last more then a day. The final few realize it's neither fun nor easy."
So your telling me that if i want to become a game designer, i should go to a regular university and major in american history and civics? I do not understand?
--------------------
You led a great life.
Rest in Peace.
Laura "Taera" Genender 2008
Mount and Blade. Great Game
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/mountandblade/index.html?tag=result;title;0
Hardknocks U.
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im to lazy too use grammar or punctuation good
So your telling me that if i want to become a game designer, i should go to a regular university and major in american history and civics? I do not understand?
Computer Science would be a good start. If you can't get a job at a game company, you could always write firmware code for a fabless IC design company.....fun, fun, fun!
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im to lazy too use grammar or punctuation good
So your telling me that if i want to become a game designer, i should go to a regular university and major in american history and civics? I do not understand?
Computer Science would be a good start. If you can't get a job at a game company, you could always write firmware code for a fabless IC design company.....fun, fun, fun!
Is it really?
--------------------
You led a great life.
Rest in Peace.
Laura "Taera" Genender 2008
Mount and Blade. Great Game
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/mountandblade/index.html?tag=result;title;0
So your telling me that if i want to become a game designer, i should go to a regular university and major in american history and civics? I do not understand?
Computer Science would be a good start. If you can't get a job at a game company, you could always write firmware code for a fabless IC design company.....fun, fun, fun!
Is it really?
lol why would you wanna design games? what a thankless job that is. :-D Just ask the guys at SOE.
Computer science degree is your best bet. Not an easy degree however.
This is very accurate advice. If you wish a future in game design do NOT go to a college for game design. Go to a university and pick up Computer science. From there pick up associated skills and classes. You can pick up some "Game design" courses in your spare time. Considering most "Game design" colleges will offer courses that offer beginning degrees in only a few months, if you have serious interest in gaming industry, pick up a Computer science degree. When you enter "Game design" colleges, they teach you very specifically how to use the programs and technology of today. If you want a solid FUTURE, you need to kno how to develop with the times and use the technology as it progresses. Comp Science and the courses that accompany and compliment that are what give you a job tomorrow. Simple enough.
I also wish to note not to use community colleges to an extent. Pending the position you're looking for, it can show a lack of drive, not to mention master's > bachelor's > AA. Check out your local state universities if you can't afford the $20,000 a quarter + (average here for private universities), usually state universities are only two to three times the cost of community colleges ($2500ish vrs $1000ish here quarterly).
Also, you can usually transfer basic courses such as math, english, science, etc. from a community college to a state university at full credits. Saving you some cahs, and hopefully some time.
This of couse varies per area, but worked for me.
http://spellborn.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
And, if you really want to get into the creative/design aspects of game design (rather than just being 1 of a 100 code monkeys on an EA project), get started doing independent projects.
Work on some game mods etc. and keep a portfolio of your work.
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im to lazy too use grammar or punctuation good
Computer Science works, but there's definitely other majors that can get you into the game industry such as graphics artist, writing, etc... However, if you want to actually be able to write your game in code then Computer Science is the major to pick, assuming you like programming.
And I agree with the others. Regular universities are the way to go. Awhile back,I read on Capcom's website in a Q&A thing they had, and they apparently said that the regular 4 years universities was the best when someone asked them the question at their booth.
DeVry, ITT - MUAHAHAHA I almost feel sorry for anyone who gets suckered into those schools.
I work with a guy that graduated from DeVry. His sense of entitlement far exceeds the weight his toilet paper degree carries.
Seriously go to a real university. Study Computer Science and Graphic Design. It's pretty obvious what you need to focus on if you want to code and create mmo's. You might also want to seek an internship at a company that makes mmo's. Take that into consideration when deciding on which school to go to. The internship will be just as valuable to your future as your degree. I see free labor and lots of studying in your future :P
Make a difference!
Quick off topic question. You name yourself Copeland after the band?
--------------------
You led a great life.
Rest in Peace.
Laura "Taera" Genender 2008
Mount and Blade. Great Game
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/mountandblade/index.html?tag=result;title;0
Go for a college for website design, graphics, and php coding...to simplify it, lol. ECPI In North Carolina where I live, is a good small college to take such courses.
LOL at game design/programming schools. In these degrees the entire class is literally footing the bill for the best 3 or 4 of the class who will actually get hired(out of a class of 40 at the start of the program and 9 at the end of it).
Then after those people do get hired they go LOL when they realize they could have joined a business corporation and work on data management design/programming, basically getting paid more(or atleast the same) for less work and stress(in the business corp).
The game industry is so messed up that EA programmers were literally thinking about unionizing... Do you have any idea how much that goes against the core beliefs of most programmers(I'll give you a hint a lot, much more so when they're the ones thinking about setting it up).
I find it amazing that by 2020 first world countries will be competing to get immigrants.
Yar, and free thinkers need not apply, you wont last long, because big ideas = big money to the investors. No point in going in thinking you're gonna change the world. They only want robots.
I'd say the best university is DigiPen Institute of Technology (and incidentally also the most challenging), they share a building with Nintendo of America and you could probably get an internship with them. If only I lived closer to Washington.
Much truth in these words. My experience is between the Art Institute and Academy of Art. Both schools offer their gaming degrees as computer science. Therefore when you graduate, you can choose to put computer science, or game design as your degree on your resume.
Between the two, the Academy has superior equipment and resources. they go by a semester system.
The Art Institute has better teachers, (because most of them are pulled right of the gaming market), but they don't have very good resources for students to use.
Also the Art Institute wll brag about landing you a job in the industry. DO NOT BELIEVE THEM. When it comes to multimedia, fashion, interior design, they are very capable of helping you land the first job. When it comes to the game market, well lets say they are learning a hard lesson right now.
Take your general education courses at a junior college. Be warned if you go to a private gaming school, they may play a little game and try to say your classes wont transfer. So before you sign up with these colleges, make sure that your credits from your junior college will transfer.
The game market is absolutely saturated with competition. It's been a year after my graduation, and all I got were a couple of contract game test and graphic design positions. Many of my teachers in in school warned me about the chances of landing a job and how much you will be bounced around. Your skills have to be top notch. Average skills will work if you have friends in the industry to reference you for a job. You gotta brown nose to companies, which means at a convension, it is in your best interest to not talk bad about EA and Sony. The game market is small, and doing something stupid will stay with you for a long time. Do not expect to leave school and grab a job in the field you specialized. Learn backup skills. Graphic Design is a very important skill to use as a crutch when job hunting.
As for skills. Start learning Maya, 3DSMAx, and all Adobe art programs. You will become an expert in Photoshop, whether you like it or not. If you draw anime, dont expect to land a concept art job. If you draw in your own unique style, then you have a chance if you are able to draw as good as the guys who did the Warhammer Online concept art.
Read this
www.developmag.com/news/28360/EA-still-unconvinced-by-game-design-degrees
The only Game design degree I would go for would be Digipen's degree. They have a good job placement rate compared to other game schools. However they are expensive and I think you could do just as well if not better by getting a computer science degree for a quarter of the cost. If you do decide to go for a computer science degree start making games in your free time right from the start. It is tough to get into the game industry right out of college without some nice work to show off.
If you have never done any programming before I would try it out on your own in order to make sure that is what you really want to do. You can also go the artist route as well.
You will look like a much better employee with a 4 year degree from a real university more so than one of those crap colleges seen on late night telivision. I'd recommend computer science with a minor in business if possible. While you are there try like hell to intern at a well known game design company and you should be a great future employee. Good luck.
Savannah College of Art and design is a regular 4 year college that has a game design course.
Vancouver might also have a game design side.
Otherwise I'd get some programming down and then take a game design course.
This article talks mostly about Designers. DO NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP OF TRYING TO SOLELY BECOME A DESIGNER. A person without art skill will have an extremely hard time trying to find a job as just a designer. Get some art skill. Game modelers are in high demand in all companies. If you find end up being good in modeling, you are set. There are always opening for game modelers, texturers, UV layout.
Everyone here is suggesting Computer Science. But do any of you realize that computer science ONLY coveres programming and scripting?
The largest opening in any game company are artist. Modelers, UI Designers, Graphic Designers, Lighting and Special effects, Texture artist.
Computer science won't help you worth crap if you plan to make 3D models in Maya. I tried to go the computer science route, and found out the hard way that I was not going to even touch a modeling program.
If you want to do more artistic work, you must take an art degree of some sort and minor in computers (or AA). I would suggest you find a degree in Multimedia and Design. This degree (if listed under that name) covers all technical art at a general level. You will learn to Image manipulate, texture, animate flash, maybe 3d model, special effects for film, and graphic design.
OP. Please specify what game design you mean. By coding and making virtual content or by game design as in designing the games world? Because the later is what these so called game design colleges teach. You never get the info and training you really need for making a game from ground up from these colleges.
What happens is they throw you into a course and show you how to make a game with designing aspect only in mind, not to mention they are doing it on a editor that nobody is using in the game creation process. Most companies will make or buy a proper game editor (engine) to create the games world and adding those object to the world the coders and graphical artists make.
You need to get a computer sciences degree if you want to persue game design as in making a game from scratch. Learn as much as you can about C++ and C# which is the new generation which will be used more in future game creation. It never hurts to also learn older code for problem solving.
Unless you want to do game design which by that definition means sitting at a computer with a editor in front of you that you place object in the game world from a list and make the terrain with tools and adding vegetation then you are still better off doing computer science degree. The main reason is game design is really simple and comes quickly, anyone can learn that if they take a quick tutorial on whatever editor they are using. Most game companies will give game designers the tutorial on any new engine they build from the ground up, on tools within that editor and whatnot.
The coders are the real game developers, and are responsible for all the hard stuff. Scripting and coding to get object and animations to work within the game and more.
WARNING Game development and creation aka the coders is a hard thing to learn, if your not young and your not good with memorization then you will have a hard time with this.
The industry is also hard to get in and game designers are a dime a dozen. But good coders always get hired.
edit: I left out graphical design because for the most part you would just go to a regular art school in graphical design, any will work. Also the industry is flooded with graphical artists and the coders make so much more and are harder to find.
Who let you in the VIP section?
If your a good 3D artist why would you want to join the game industry. The pay is crap, better off joining a law firm or getting into movies. Another good degree to take in the Art area is Architecture. Many of the concepts translate into environment design. Also alot easier to get a job with an architecture degree.
Edit- I went to one of these Diploma Factories and they really aren't a substitute for a real education. Most of the students don't have the dedication to progress far, and you really have to teach yourself. This leads to the thought why even go when you are going to teach yourself most of it anyway? The main problem being the professors don't offer a university level challenge to acadamia. They actually fire instructors who are too hard or fail too many students. As long as you pay your tuition you pretty much pass. It would be different if the teachers were all harsh and made you work hard; where there is a pass fail and people are expected to have a certain knowledge when progressing to the next class; when you aren't held back because half the students are still stuck on rudimentary stuff covered in the first quarter; while you take a B.A. instead of a B.S. to reduce the amount of crap gen eds that usually clog this curriculum.
In the last 2 years I learned eons more about working with 3D in a mod-group creating its own engine then at this type of school. I am working with technology and techniques only in the experimental stages for games. Which makes it difficult because I have to come up with the techniques to work with them. Still it beats the instructors stealing the techniques you developed as thier student.