This book is the result of the experience of a great many friends in the game industry who have shared their generous advice and a space with us in this wonderful community. Thanks is also due to the many people hoping to enter the game industry who have asked us the questions which, once answered again and again, became the inspiration for this book.
[...]... you want to get into the game industry, learn from the people who have been there That said, depending on your ultimate goal, there are multiple programs at the forefront of game studies, too So, if your aim is to study games and their cultural (or other) relevance, look for faculty who are active and publishing n Does the school have an actual game lab, and are the students making games there? n What... own Mozarts, and the majority of the legends in games are still alive Some are still making games They have pioneered a great many genres, mastered programming algorithms and design patterns, and have learned to adapt to platform after platform When I study a master and his or her games, I always learn something from their process It surprises me, then, how few aspiring game developers know the history... graduate were already pretty damn close to cream when they entered the program You can recognize the programs by their professors—they are involved, making games or contributions that matter, and are known within the game industry All major game companies have employees whose job it is to reach out to colleges, establish relationships with key departments (programming, graphic design, digital art, game. .. year? n Are they active in the game space? Is the faculty attending and presenting at game industry or game studies conferences, or are they content to—semester in, semester out—rehash the same old thing? Are the conferences that they’re attending actually relevant to what you want to do? Is there just one superstar faculty member who s carrying the load and conferences for the rest of them, or has the. .. Brenda’s performance in her early college years required her to do some explaining in the early going and even 20+ years later as she applied for a master’s program Heading out of college, students with a low GPA will face the same task The reality is that it will likely come up during the interview at some point So, if you have a poor or just an average GPA, prepare to explain it should the questions arise... general, there are three kinds of degree programs to consider One is a general, liberal arts degree in a field that’s related to games (Computer Science if you want to be a programmer, Digital Art/Animation for an artist, and so on) Then, some schools offer traditional degrees with some kind of game- specific add-ons: game development classes, possibly a game track within the major or even a game development... Choose a School? education requirements for a year, and get those classes out of the way at a fraction of the price of a private school (just make sure ahead of time that they’ll transfer) If you do know what you want to do, make sure the program you’re signing up for is actually what you’re getting—some game programming or game art degrees mistakenly call themselves game development” or game design,”... up of having no money and got a job in a computer shop, where I built PCs (and first played DOOM on a 486) and learned about Windows I did that until I was 21 (1996), and then I got a job making business software, which I did successfully for nine years, before I finally quit and began making games as an indie (almost six years ago) I still make games today and I love it! It s sad to think that it took... recruiters It also matters greatly how well connected the professors are Some professors are out there in the industry, going to GDC, networking with and gaining respect in the game industry And remember that all schools will tell you that it matters greatly, that they have the staff, that they are exactly what you are looking for because they need your tuition Shop for a college with the same discipline... institution balanced itself with multiple good faculty members? n Does the faculty have industry experience? Preferably, it s more than just one faculty member with that experience, too Are they running their own indie studios? There are many programs with a faculty member who made a single game in 1980 or whose view of games is narrowly limited to a subset of games they worked on for a couple years .