The good news is that you've already taken the best step towards a job by starting a computer science degree. I took a similar path (though studied Cognitive Science - a mixture of psychology and computing) and then applied to firms for graduate IT jobs. Strangely, most weren't that interested in specifics of what I had learnt, but more that I had the correct aptitude. I did numerous logic tests, and also a load of group games to show that I could work with others (an example: we were told that we would all be given a number and be blindfolded, and would then have to sort ourselves into a line in numerical order without speaking. We had 5 minutes to discuss how we were to do this. Of course, the tricks were that there were negative numbers, floats as well as integers, and they moved us to random start points around the room so we weren't even in a line to start with).

Of course, if you go for a more specific role, like a games developer, then I imagine that at some point you may be asked to show some code. I didn't go down this route, but one of my coursemates did and applied for a job as AI programmer. Before he went he wrote a game of Tic-Tac-Toe that used Neural Networks for the computer AI. They loved it, and he got the job.

Uh, I hate to be the voice of doubt here, but making games and playing games are two activities that lie orthogonal to one another ie they're completely different.

It's good that you're enjoying your classes but games are HARD and the industry is in a pretty abysmal state with regards to innovation and creativity. You should have the skills now to build a tetris in java; do that. Then make a platformer. If you accomplish these two goals and still want to make games and get into the game industry then good for you it probably is your path.

All I know is it's a long road from here the there. Good luck!

I know that many have had the same dream as me and failed, there is a difference between wanting to make games and actually doing the work to get there. And yes I realise making games is different from playing them :) It is ok to tell me stuff like that, no need to sugar-coat things. Thank you for your honest opinion!

Hey,

Here is a list of some game developers in Finland, check them out :
- Frozenbyte (finishing their first game)
- Sensegames (not yet a company, they are just starting)
- Housemarque (the oldest one, I think)
- RedLynx (you maybe have seen their games in TV, and they have made the path way to glory)

There are some courses about game development in Finland. Check out the neogames.fi. (also if I remember right there were one course at Jyväskylä, analyzing, designing and developing a game).

Start from small and never give up! :)