I''m very enthusiastic with learning game design/programming, well, I''m pretty new in the field. I''m searching a college/school that teaches game design course. I''ve read an article about Full Sail and Digipen. Well... Full Sail offers a Game Design Associate of Science Degree for about $30,000!!! Well... do you guys it''s worth it? is Associate of Science Degree the same level as B.Sc. or is it just a diploma? What do you think, guys?

A Bechelors in Science is higher. Generally an Associates takes 2 years and a bachelors takes 4 years (give or take a few months). and B.S. make more money than an Associates Degree.

You can learn game design at a wide variety of colleges and institutes. Don''t be fooled by an add in a magazine advertising "the best game design school". UACT has a nice Game Design Program as well. It really depends on what your looking for.

There are a lot of little colleges and schools that will teach you the same stuff those big budget schools are teaching. Don''t be fooled by prices, courses.

I hate the fact that most people think the degree makes you more money (in this industry anyways). In the very beginning it might gain you more respect amongst employers, but after a few years people will stop caring what kind of degree you carry (if even) and start looking at the amount of experience you''ve had, your past job history, etc. Degrees don''t earn higher salaries, but they can make it easier to find a good job, hence along comes the better money. Just don''t think the degree alone is what''s getting you that money otherwise down the road you''ll be pretty screwed.

Sorry. Little rant. I hear that the UCLA is starting up a game development course, and there''s a school in Texas that does some hands-on work in addition to the classes.

_________________________________________________________________

Drew Sikora
A.K.A. Gaiiden

ICQ #: 70449988
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Blade Edge Software
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Getting a degree (any degree) does also illustrate collatoral qualities a candidate may have that might be considered valuable from an employer''s point of view. It''s usually people who don''t have degrees that seem to feel they aren''t necessary, or speak out most against them. Nobody can say there aren''t game developers out there that have been very successful without having acheived any post-secondary degrees (most of them self-taught), and I''ll be the first to admit that a university degree is not a cureall, but personally I put a lot of stock in the fact that someone has shown an ability to carry out an extended period of study with success. If I were looking to hire game developers, I would place those with degrees and evidence of passion for the industry above those with passion and a portfolio of busy work.

Whether having a degree will get you more money or not in the long run I can''t say, but I don''t think it''s particularly relevant either. You shouldn''t get into games for the money.

R.

quote: I would place those with degrees and evidence of passion for the industry above those with passion and a portfolio of busy work.

Yeah, but would you rather have a person with 2 years busy work plus 3 years real industry development than someone that spent 5 years on their Bachelor''s degree?

The real question starts after that though, would you rather have someone with 2 years ''busy work'' plus 6 years real experience in the industry or would you rather have someone with a Bachelor''s degree, 1 year ''busy work'' and 2 years real experience?

It''s not getting the job to program that the Bachelor''s degree will help you with, it''s getting the supervisory position. Just look at Ion Storm... their head was degreeless (I believe) and he really was without the skills that would be needed to head a development house. You will probably get more jobs by getting real-world experience, but you''ll have better chance at getting actual design, production and lead positions getting your degree.

It''s just what you want to do.

Bad choice in picking Romero. For many reasons, Daikatana not withstanding.

I don''t believe that Warren Spector (the Ion Storm-Austin, the name''s probably changed by now, head - he worked on System Shock I think, and Ultima Underworld) had a degree in computer-related stuff. I may be wrong, though.

feel free to go on with this, but it has been discussed before at length!

--- krez (krezisback@aol.com)

Of course if someone has a few years of game industry experience in a particular field then they are a more attractive option then someone with only the degree. My example was comparing someone with a degree and passion to someone with ''busy work'' and passion, as a response to Gaiiden''s post.

R.

Full Sail for Malaysia is a big nono except for to dumb richie rich spoilt kiddies. Your gonna have to make it the hard way like me