I've decided to change career directions, and am considering game development. I sent in an application to the school Full Sail for one of their programs, but the estimated cost is nearly $70K even before housing! I've already got student loans to pay off, so this program seems impractical. No income for its 21-month length plus uncertain job prospects after that makes it seem a bad bargain. As I see it, the little game demos I do for fun and skill-building on my own are not enough to land a job in the game industry unless they're outstanding, which they're not, and seeking a job in writing for games (something I might have the skill for) is also unlikely to succeed because there are few such jobs. Is there a way to develop the skills (in coding and/or design) and earn the attention of potential employers without becoming extremely broke? Does it make any sense to hit a dozen companies with a small portfolio -- maybe some writing and a CD with an ugly-but-interesting game demo -- or is that a waste of time unless I've got a shiny degree from Full Sail or the like?

Quote: oes it make any sense to hit a dozen companies with a small portfolio -- maybe some writing and a CD with an ugly-but-interesting game demo -- or is that a waste of time unless I've got a shiny degree from Full Sail or the like?

You haven't really said what you do. Are you a graphics guy? A programmer?

A programmer will not benefit from Full Sail. They're a very poor programming school and teach little to no fundamentals; there are numerous companies that out-and-out refuse to hire Full Sail graduates.

If the code and ideas behind your portfolio are good, send it out. Worst that they can do is say no.

Quote: You haven't really said what you do. Are you a graphics guy? A programmer?

Good point. Writing is my main skill, and I know enough of coding to have some neat experimental game ideas implemented, so -- writing and design would be my main interests, coding third. I've been working mostly in Python for code, so I'm a lightweight in that respect, and I don't particularly do graphics.

Quote: Original post by Kris Schnee

Quote: You haven't really said what you do. Are you a graphics guy? A programmer?

Good point. Writing is my main skill, and I know enough of coding to have some neat experimental game ideas implemented, so -- writing and design would be my main interests, coding third. I've been working mostly in Python for code, so I'm a lightweight in that respect, and I don't particularly do graphics.

Design...hrm. The "generally accepted" wisdom is probably to try to get into QA/testing and work your way up...without any serious credentials on the coding front, there's probably not a lot for you.

That said, even Python is very good for coming up with fun games, using pygame. Graphics don't matter if you make the gameplay amazing.

Kris, you wrote:

>I've decided to change career directions, and am considering game development.

Then you should read my articles on switching careers into games.
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson41.htm
And I talked on this topic at E For All's Game Career Seminar in the summer of 2007. The talk was entitled "Switching It Up: Changing Career Paths" and you can download the slides at http://www.gamecareerseminar.com/.
And I've written on this topic a few times in my IGDA column, "The Games Game," at http://www.igda.org/columns/gamesgame/.

>seeking a job in writing for games (something I might have the skill for) is also unlikely to succeed because there are few such jobs.

Read my article 32.
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson32.htm

>Is there a way to develop the skills (in coding and/or design) and earn the attention of potential employers without becoming extremely broke?

I suppose there might be. But of course it'll take a lot of time. What ideas you got?

>Does it make any sense to hit a dozen companies with a small portfolio -- maybe some writing and a CD with an ugly-but-interesting game demo -- or is that a waste of time unless I've got a shiny degree from Full Sail or the like?

Read:
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson44.htm
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson51.htm
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson24.htm
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson27.htm