Hello Gamedev!

1st of all sorry if this is not in the right place, but i do believe that beginners starts here!

Anyway, before i ask you guys the question i am about to ask, i think i should just explain a bit about myself of what i want to do.

Well to get started, i still have not decide as whether to take a Game Design Course or Game Development, because as a person and a gamer who really have an interest in Games and it's community, my wishful plan is to create a 2d and 3d games for Mobile and Web platforms, as the market for Web and Phone is rapidly growing, i feel that it's a challenge for me to enter this industry as a game enthusiast, to be able to participate and know how to in making better games as well as to learn it's mechanic, and to improvise the current genre, we are all gamers, we have passion for games, but making games is another level of challenge for me, which is what i have never done before and hope to create my own game for other people to play, be it on Web, Phones or Console, or even PC. so i am not sure which course is right for me, a Game Design, or Game Development?

Also, just for reference, i do have a 3D Animation background in me, as i have took College for 3D Animation back in 2008 and have worked for several Local Animation Studio for International Clients. i dont know if having an Animation background would benefit me on a Game career.

Ok, so after a thorough search, i have filtered and listed down the possible School that i might take

It is:

http://www.fullsail....re-ii-GDD%20463
or
http://www.fullsail....logy-PPE%202110
or
http://www.becker.edu/pages/246.asp
or
http://recordingarts...rse-description
or
http://www.hass.rpi.edu/pl/bs-degree-games-simulation-arts-science
and
http://www.vfs.com/c...culum.php?id=14

-----

Ok, some of you might ask me why i didn't include Digipen and Tribeca Flashpoint, well, the reason is simply because of Budget, and the length of the course for Digipen, and as for Tribeca, they cant accept International student yet

Ok with that 6 college i listed, which one according to you, experts, are the best for me to take?

because i honestly dont know which one to take, which course out of the 6 list i give, will allow me able to make a Complete game from the Course? like from Zero to a Finished Products

like let say, i take Fullsail's Game Development, will i be able to make a Web/Mobile games as opposed to the one the Recording Arts Canada offer?

please, i need some guide, this will be a very vital decision in my Life, this is my only chance to enter this Industry, My Parents are only going to give this one chance with that huge tuition fee, and i cant afford to take the wrong Course

I hope you guys can help me!

Thank You!


Oh, if you guys have another recommendation of Game School for me, go ahead, it will be much appreciated, and i could even expand my choices!

Check out the Breaking In Forum FAQ especially sections 2 and 3.

Thank you Frob

that is one amazing piece of compilation of all the answer to questions that even i never think about!!

Ok, i have another question, it's just to see what people will choose

You are only given 1 chance to take a Game Design Degree, and only 1!

which of those 6 schools would you take? and why ? lets not go for the sloperama's article, i just want to know your choice of the school that i listed, which one would you go?

thanks =)

Guys, anyone? i just want to know what would people choose, please help =)

This thread is moved to Breaking In.
Please read this forum's FAQs, and when asking follow-up questions, show by what you ask and how you ask it that you have read the FAQs.

First off, I am not an expert at all. I have just picked things up from general lurking.
To clarify: A game designer does not make games. He (or she) is the person who decides that Steve should give you the garlic so you can defeat the vampire. A game designer would not have any part in physically making the game. A game developer is a general term that includes both game design and game programming.

Second off, you seem to think that taking a course is the only way to make games. This is wrong. I am not even out of high school (or equivalent of, I'm just 16) and have been making games for 4 1/2 years in my spare time. You would want to consider this a lot further than 'I like games'. There's a hell of a lot more to it than that. Actually try and create something first, and see if you're still into it then.

I'm not entirely sure for game design exclusively, but for game development/programming:
There is very, very little point in getting a specific degree. Not only is the industry very competitive, there are few places. Say you've graduated from uni. However, you can't get a place at a game studio and you can't get one at a software place since they want a computer science degree. Bit stuck now?

It is almost always better to go for a more general degree rather than something incredibly specific in a case like this, where the specific is a subset (i.e. a CS degree will help you greatly for any programming job; a game dev degree won't)

Noted, Tom, sorry for that

@ Cummunist Duck

Yes, i am very aware that taking only Game Design / Dev wont guarantee me in the Industry, i am, trust me

and i do understand that there's more than the " i have passion in games and like games "

Honestly, [font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]Though I haven't always known that I wanted to create video games for a career, although i have been thinking of it since i was 13 or 14, playing games has been one of my passions for as long as I can remember, and it's the only thing i like to do, i like analyzing games that i play with my 2 big brother, [font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]we talked about everything from storylines to gameplay dynamics, and i always have ideas that i would love to implement on a certain games, and even i have created many stories for my dream MMO, and yes i have this obsess on making my own MMO

Also, i agree, there are many things i can take other than the specific Game Dev / Design Course, which might also take me into the Industry, but let say i am using this opportunity for me to be able to understand and operate my own Indie Studio in my Country where there are less than 2 available at this time around, and the game Industry here is wayyy behind US and Europe, though it's growing.

I wont know what will the outcome be, but while i have my parents backing up my dream job and giving me some funds to go study, i feel that i should take it, even if it's the only shot that i've got

i was about the same age as you when i wanted to jump into this industry, even younger, i was 13, but my parents were still not very supportive about my career path, and called it bullshit, but now that i am 21, i feel that i must execute it as i have been wasting a lot of years doing what i didnt like.

in the end, the decision is in my hand, but my original intention is to ask which of the following school that i listed, would you take, and why would you take it based on your perspective ?

Thanks

[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"] 1. for me to be able to understand and operate my own Indie Studio in my Country
2. which of the following school that i listed, would you take, and why would you take it based on your perspective ?

1. Then you should study Business, Management, Marketing, and Law.
2. PLEASE READ THE FAQS!