Game development schooling....

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:15 pm

I've been thinking about this for about 2 years now, but what I let hold me back is the math. I don't know if I could the calculus and trig. that these programs require, yet I'd love to go back to school for this. I haven't taken a math class in over 10 years, though.

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:46 pm

Get a calculus textbook from a library and take a look. The basic concepts and operations aren't that bad, even if you have trouble following the proofs. Probably the single hardest thing in calculus is accepting the concept of limits. Trig (to the extent that you need it for calculus courses) pretty much consists of understanding the unit circle and memorizing some identities.

UnscathedFlyingObject · Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:52 pm

Just remember that game development is just another job and working sucks.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:02 pm

Basically game development is the crappiest field imaginable, if you even manage to get a job there's 12-16 hour days and no pay.

Read up on it, you'll change your mind.

Bonemaster969 · Post by **Bonemaster969** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:08 pm

You could always stick to making doujin games instead

themachinist · Post by **themachinist** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:37 pm

Do you like programming? Activision had a talk at my uni that I sat in on and game development involves alot of programming and that just doesn't sound that appealing IMO.

Udderdude · Post by **Udderdude** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:21 pm

If you work for a big company, you WILL be slaving away working on someone else's game design ideas, and you probabally won't like whatever it is you're working on.

If you try to strike it out on your own, you have to do everything yourself (including marketing, etc) And it is extremely difficult. Most don't succeed at making a living doing this.

If you just want to make your own games, I would suggest trying to learn prorgramming yourself and seeing where you go with that.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:06 pm

What about Game Art and Design, or other professions within the gaming industry? Gaming is just SO much at the core of who I am, I'd like to go professional with it, if possible. I do have a book called "Pay to Play", which is good on game jobs, as well as another one.

Davey · Post by **Davey** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:12 pm

If I understand it correctly, jobs in the industry are extremely hard to get, and most of those jobs suck. And since most games suck, you'd probably be working on games you don't even like.

You could make your own games as a hobby, but it's pretty difficult and requires tremendous devotion. I'd bet 99% of people who ever try game programming as a hobby quit before they ever produce anything.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:14 pm

At this age, if you don't know how to program, don't bother. You're going up against people far younger, who are computer ninjas. Learning to program proficiently takes years. Learning to program well takes even more.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:32 pm

Yeah, your only hope is probably PR or advertising or something like that, but you wouldn't go into those for the love of gaming.

Gungriffon Geona · Post by **Gungriffon Geona** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:40 pm

graphics is a pretty decent place to start. it's not too terribly hard to get into, though it can have a steep learning curve at the start.

Herr Schatten · Post by **Herr Schatten** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:31 am

dave4shmups wrote:What about Game Art and Design, or other professions within the gaming industry? Gaming is just SO much at the core of who I am, I'd like to go professional with it, if possible.

Trust me, you don't want that. Ever since I started working whithin the games industry it sucked a lot of enjoyment out of actually playing the games, because...

Davey wrote:jobs in the industry are extremely hard to get, and most of those jobs suck. And since most games suck, you'd probably be working on games you don't even like.

If you spend all day working on some shitty product, always pestered by self-infatuated marketing monkeys, who can't tell a game from a can of rancid mackerels but who act like their latest product will revolutionize the gaming world (of which they have no grasp anyway), you simply don't want to sit down with a game when you come home. It doesn't matter how good the game in question is.

If you love games, stay away from the games industry.

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:41 am

I wouldn't mind having the absolute minimum skill needed to make a game like NES Batman (with an awesome score system, of course.) I'm just worried it would cut into my figure drawing time and I would end up sucking at both things.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:54 pm

If you love games, stay away from the games industry.

That's why porn actors don't feel any pleasure having sex with their wives at home.

You could make your own games as a hobby, but it's pretty difficult and requires tremendous devotion. I'd bet 99% of people who ever try game programming as a hobby quit before they ever produce anything.

Yes, it's hard. Even harder when you actual job is actually related to programming (Though sometimes it feels like a relieve, I sit in front of MY computer and I code something that's important and makes sense to ME).

But if you have low expectations and can afford to keep working on the same game for like 5 years without ever seeing it finished, it can be fun. I actually love it ,even though on the last 5 years I only finished like 2 or 3 projects.

If you really feel like desiging games, I think that's the safer route.. do it as a hobby and keep the games you do at a low profile. The desigining part is really lots of fun, and programming something *YOU* designed feels really nice if you do like programming.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:34 pm

Shatterhand wrote:
If you love games, stay away from the games industry.
That's why porn actors don't feel any pleasure having sex with their wives at home.

You could make your own games as a hobby, but it's pretty difficult and requires tremendous devotion. I'd bet 99% of people who ever try game programming as a hobby quit before they ever produce anything.
Yes, it's hard. Even harder when you actual job is actually related to programming (Though sometimes it feels like a relieve, I sit in front of MY computer and I code something that's important and makes sense to ME).

But if you have low expectations and can afford to keep working on the same game for like 5 years without ever seeing it finished, it can be fun. I actually love it ,even though on the last 5 years I only finished like 2 or 3 projects.

If you really feel like desiging games, I think that's the safer route.. do it as a hobby and keep the games you do at a low profile. The desigining part is really lots of fun, and programming something *YOU* designed feels really nice if you do like programming.

I wouldn't say stay away from the industry; I love GameStop-in fact, I'm going back to work for them this week once I get over this stomach problem left over from a short one month stint at 24 Hour Fitness. Tried it, didn't work; I hated it. (You would think there wouldn't be much stress there, but I could tell stories.) I like the employees there, and talking to customers about games.

I would agree with Gaijin about programming. What I'd really like to do is start writing game reviews; I've spent enough time playing games that I might as well write about 'em.

Once I get my own transportation, Retail Merchandising Rep. positions are something I'd like to try. I've knocked on www.ibeta.com 's door more times then I can count, but Beta testing might be another option-I'm really skilled at research, and did a TON of it in college.

For now, though, it 's back to GameStop, and I can't wait to see everyone there again!

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:25 pm

Games testing sucks. Believe me, I've done it.

So those ads you see from time to time, "Make money testing games", "Be a video game tester" blah blah... No F-ing way.

The maturity of the people you will inevitably be working with is like (early) high school too. Stay the Hell away, you will get nowhere with testing.

My maths are not strong either, but hey, maths can be learned if you spend enough time busting your brains over it.

Having some math and programming skills, there are better things you can do rather than do the grunt work programming in video games.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:50 pm

iatneH wrote:Games testing sucks. Believe me, I've done it.

So those ads you see from time to time, "Make money testing games", "Be a video game tester" blah blah... No F-ing way.

The maturity of the people you will inevitably be working with is like (early) high school too. Stay the Hell away, you will get nowhere with testing.

My maths are not strong either, but hey, maths can be learned if you spend enough time busting your brains over it.

Having some math and programming skills, there are better things you can do rather than do the grunt work programming in video games.

iBeta is MS certified, and I have a good friend who took a 3 month testing job with them and tested Sniper Elite. You could end up with a Barbie Doll game, of course, but it's a more individualized job then retail, and, if you get enough experience, perhaps you could work as a QA tester for SCEA, or some other big gaming company.

At any rate, I've got to find something to do as a career job (GameStop might not cut it); I'm almost 31 and still living at home.

it290 · Post by **it290** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 2:04 am

What about Game Art and Design, or other professions within the gaming industry? Gaming is just SO much at the core of who I am, I'd like to go professional with it, if possible. I do have a book called "Pay to Play", which is good on game jobs, as well as another one.

Do you have any art/design skills? Do you actually care about these things? It's not something you just start doing because you think it's 'cool'. I see so many designers wash out because the field is just not what they thought it would be. If you don't have a strong reason to be doing it -- and games aren't the significant factor here -- then it's probably not the right thing for you. BTW, if your interest is design, it's much easier to get a job in any other area of the field, and the pay will probably be better, too.