I just have a few questions about the Game-Design Industry, and becoming a Game Designer. I'll start off just explaining myself. I just graduated from High School this year. I have no prior experience in designing video games. I have very little knowledge of using C++ Programming. The most experience I have with video games, is playing them, and having an undying desire to continue playing them. I love playing any video game, really. I even enjoy playing bad ones, just because I enjoy pointing out what is bad about the game to myself, and to whoever else is around at the time. Now for a while, I have narrowed down the opportunities I wish to reach into three things. Writing, (Outside of Video Games.) US Coast Guard, Video Game Design. Now I know it is not an easy business by all means. I realize if I am to get myself into Game Design, my desire, and my work-ethic need to be very strong. The biggest thing I want to do, is Video Game Design. I have not narrowed down what I wish to do in VGD, but I am speaking in a generalized manner here. So anyways, going on. I have considered the Coast Guard, simply because I love exploration, and new things. I enjoy the water, I love to swim, and I have a few family members either retired, or still enlisted. The biggest reason I thought about the Coast Guard, however, was the stability. It is obviously a stable career. Nice benefits, and a stable income. The income however, barely fluctuates what-so-ever. It will never sky-rocket through the roof, nor even come close. ***I am not getting into Game Design for the money. I realize POTENTIALLY, there could be a large paycheck, but that is irrelevant to my decision making. ________ (My apologies for the unorganized post. My thoughts are spread out across the table in no particular order, so stay with me here.) So here I am, a nineteen year old graduate from High School. I have not yet gone to college. I have been talking to a person on the phone, who is involved with the (Name Escapes Me), program. Basically, he is talking me through getting a Bachelor's Degree online for Game Design. He has talked me through the courses and such, but the conclusion to our conversation(s) is still pending. So blah, blah, blah. I know I've bored you enough. I still have much more to say, but I am going to suck it up, and just lay it out short-and-sweet from here on out. Get ready. Take a seat. __________ The following questions are based on the hypothetical situation that I choose to go the Game Design Career: QUESTION #1: It is inevitable I am going to go to College, either for a Master's, or a Bachelors. Would it be better for me to go through the courses online, or rather in the college itself? What would you recommend? QUESTION #2: So great. I graduate from college. I now have a [Insert Degree Here] in Game Design, or whatever. Speaking statistics, or opinion, either works -- How easy is it to hop onto the career boat from this point on? QUESTION #3: Fantastic! I just landed myself a career in Game-Design. (If it be with a big company, or I'm free-rolling it with some friends, etc). How stable are careers in game-design? Do they pass on through designers every few years? Or will I be pretty safe for a good twenty years. QUESTION #4: Is it safer to hop onto the Corporation ship, and try and work for a company like Ubisoft? Or would it be safer, and more rewarding to try a hand with a smaller group. I am sure you catch my drift on this note. QUESTION #5(Final Question): Would it be better for me to focus all of my time-and-energy into one thing involved in Game-Design? E.G: Instead of sharpening my skills in Character Modeling, Object Animation, and Life Drawing all together, I focus on one thing. Well, I apologize for the lengthy post. I respect those that dismiss these questions and get on with their lives. I surely hope, and thank you in advance, for those or he/she that answers. Thanks again. PS. Not sure if this is in the right section or not. If not, please move. ;D PSS. Give me your uncensored thoughts. Throw your criticism at me for my questions. Judge my character. I can take it. Thanks a lot everybody. PSSS. Props to all. ;)

Quote: Original post by CMFordham
QUESTION #1: It is inevitable I am going to go to College, either for a Master's, or a Bachelors. Would it be better for me to go through the courses online, or rather in the college itself? What would you recommend?

It shouldn't really matter. The reputation of the college and/or the course itself on the other hand, might be a small deciding factor. However, if you are hired, it will probably not be on the strength of your degree.

Quote:
QUESTION #2: So great. I graduate from college. I now have a [Insert Degree Here] in Game Design, or whatever. Speaking statistics, or opinion, either works -- How easy is it to hop onto the career boat from this point on?

While it's possible to go straight into Game Design from college, it's pretty rare - it's a case of being in the right place at the right time.

A more usual route is to get a different job in the industry and move in to Game Design from there. QA is probably the most popular route.

Quote: QUESTION #3: Fantastic! I just landed myself a career in Game-Design. (If it be with a big company, or I'm free-rolling it with some friends, etc). How stable are careers in game-design? Do they pass on through designers every few years? Or will I be pretty safe for a good twenty years.

One thing you need to remember is that everyone can design games. (Or at least, everyone likes to think they can [grin]). A game project will survive more easily without a dedicated game designer than it will without dedicated programmers or artists. Valve for example, do not hire any dedicated game designers, as I understand it. There is also quite a high number of aspiring designers for quite a small number of positions.

Quote:
QUESTION #4: Is it safer to hop onto the Corporation ship, and try and work for a company like Ubisoft? Or would it be safer, and more rewarding to try a hand with a smaller group. I am sure you catch my drift on this note.

It's swings and roundabouts. Big companies are more stable as an entity, and will be able to offer better overall packages, but you as a person are more expendable. Small companies may value you more as an individual, but that doesn't help if the whole company goes under.

For the time being, if Game Design is your goal, don't be too fussy. Get your foot in the door where you can.

Quote:
QUESTION #5(Final Question): Would it be better for me to focus all of my time-and-energy into one thing involved in Game-Design?

E.G: Instead of sharpening my skills in Character Modeling, Object Animation, and Life Drawing all together, I focus on one thing.

Do you want to be a Game Designer or an Artist?
Game Designers do not need any of those skills. Game Designers need to be good communicators, they need to have a good critical eye for gameplay mechanics, and enough mathematics ability be able to create them as desired. They need a broad range of experiences to draw inspiration and ideas from, both in the games industry (you play a lot of games), the entertainment industry in general (you watch a lot of films and read a lot of books) and real life (you participate in a range of other activities)

Of course, being able to draw and/or program doesn't necessarily hurt a Game Designer, and may provide you with that foot in the door job that eventually leads you into game design - but they are not required skills.


Finally, the obligatory sloperama link.

Quote: Original post by CMFordham
I'll start off just explaining myself. I just graduated from High School this year. I have no prior experience in designing video games.

So you have never even designed a game, not a board game, or a D&D game session, or your own card game, or any other game.

Having never done the task, you have chosen it as a career choice.

That seems like a very strange decision.

Quote: The most experience I have with video games, is playing them, and having an undying desire to continue playing them. I love playing any video game, really. I even enjoy playing bad ones, just because I enjoy pointing out what is bad about the game to myself, and to whoever else is around at the time.

You did not describe a game designer.

But you did describe video game addiction.

Pointing out what is bad is easy. Identifying and clearly stating how to correct the flaws or how to improve the entire system is more difficult.

Quote: I have narrowed down the opportunities I wish to reach into three things.

Writing, (Outside of Video Games.)
US Coast Guard,
Video Game Design.

Some questions:
How much writing have you done? What do you write? How passionate are you about writing? How skilled are you? Do you frequently identify flaws in texts you have read? Do you frequently identify ways to improve texts you have read? How much do you write for fun? How much do you read for fun? How much do you read about writing, for fun? The quality of writing in your post leads me to believe that you will need a lot of skills development before becoming a professional writer or editor.

How much time have you spent on the ocean? How well do you know your way around ships? How much do you know about seamanship and nautical sciences? Are you prepared for law enforcement duties? How do you feel about performing daily military patrols, and being separated from your family (including future wife and children) for several months at a time? Since you have friends and family who followed this course, how much have you talked about it with them?

How many board games, card games, role playing sessions, maps, levels, and gameplay elements have you designed (not necessarily implemented)? How many fantasy play sessions have you organized with your friends? When you play a game, do you frequently identify flaws in the game design? Do you frequently identify ways to improve on the design? When you play a game, do you say things like "I wonder what level 7 would have been like if they changed these three things?"

Quote: I have considered the Coast Guard, simply because I love exploration, and new things. I enjoy the water, I love to swim, and I have a few family members either retired, or still enlisted.

Loving to swim does is not a qualification for the military. You have relatives and friends in the USCG, so talk to them about the career.

Quote: QUESTION #1: It is inevitable I am going to go to College, either for a Master's, or a Bachelors. Would it be better for me to go through the courses online, or rather in the college itself? What would you recommend?

A traditional college grants many unique experiences. There is much more to college life than lectures and homework.

Quote: QUESTION #2: So great. I graduate from college. I now have a [Insert Degree Here] in Game Design, or whatever. Speaking statistics, or opinion, either works -- How easy is it to hop onto the career boat from this point on?

Most game designers are promoted from within. If you have not demonstrated that you can design great games then you will probably never get the job. Designing a game is fairly easy. Completely designing a game (with ALL the game details) is hard. Completely designing a great game is hard and requires talent. Designing an excellent game is very hard and requires both talent and experience.

Quote: QUESTION #3: Fantastic! I just landed myself a career in Game-Design. (If it be with a big company, or I'm free-rolling it with some friends, etc). How stable are careers in game-design? Do they pass on through designers every few years? Or will I be pretty safe for a good twenty years.

This depends entirely on you.

Quote: QUESTION #4: Is it safer to hop onto the Corporation ship, and try and work for a company like Ubisoft? Or would it be safer, and more rewarding to try a hand with a smaller group. I am sure you catch my drift on this note.

Safer? More rewarding? Those are questions only you can answer. Something I find fun and exciting may be something that you find tedious or risky.

Quote: QUESTION #5(Final Question): Would it be better for me to focus all of my time-and-energy into one thing involved in Game-Design?

Yes, if that one thing is following your own passions.

It would be a sad thing if you finally get your dream job only to discover that it is NOT your dream job.