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Denver, 12:50 AM
Mon Nov 30
8 posts in the last 24 hours
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Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
10/04/09
10/04/09
Game Production is such a diverse field, with SO MANY different people working there, that it's simply a joy working in such a team. Everyone's different, with different backgrounds.
That's what I personally enjoy the most in my job as a lead programmer in a professional game studio.
So while it is flattering to see how people think game development = programming, I think the talented artist and designer guys out there deserve being included.
10/04/09
Plus, I learned a lot of other stuffs next to university, mainly artistic graphic design, including 2D/3D/Animation. While that isn't that relevant to my job as a lead programmer, it certainly does help me see if one of my colleagues from the animation or art department is simply lying to me when they give me estimates on how long they need for a certain asset that we programmers need ASAP :)
10/04/09
Good game designers/programmers etc will be designing and programming games, so where do they get all the people to teach these courses? They're either not very good or they're not in productive work. Not a good sign either way.
It's like the huge rise in media studies courses - taught by unemployed journalists.
(or maybe that is just a touch too cynical?)
10/04/09
I really don't want to jump into college with no experience in making videogame development... so
Does anyone out there know where i could download any game development software? preferably for free.
10/04/09
Otherwise you should try learning a programming language. If you have never learned a programming language before then I suggest you start with C# or Java.
10/04/09
Unreal and Crysis both include fairly decent level editors too.
There's XSI mod tools (dunno if it's still around, I know Autodesks Game version of 3D max got taken down a while back)
[usa.autodesk.com] [developer.valvesoftware.com]
And I think XNA is free. [creators.xna.com]
Though your college will assume you have no game development skills (why would you need to go to uni :P) so you'll get taught the basics anyway
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10/04/09
As with all creative areas, you cant produce an artist or craftsman, you can only become one.
10/04/09
but the students think they can do anythin, learn they cant because they may not be artistically inclined, and then they give up, or didnt even try in the first place on finding work
programming can be easily taught, if you can program you can program, same thing with writing collisions and that sort of thing. learning how to do this stuff at home and perfecting your own creations is a far better idea than going ot school, with your own portfolio you can find work faster than a 4 year degree will.
10/04/09
That's the entire problem: universities are not supposed to teach you how to make things, they're supposed to teach you how to think.
10/04/09
10/04/09
nevertheless that's where you start off. i remember meeting dan didio (IRL!) of dc comics and his reply to all those "can i work @ dc" questions is: DC is not the first step. I'm thinking many game companies think the same. internships and small devs, get.
10/04/09
And alot of students going to work at McDonalds with a degree.
The uni I'm at offers 6 Gaming degrees;
Games art, Games Animation, Games Design, Games Programming, Games & Animation.
And nobody I know on the Games courses are going onto placement because (as well as bad economy) it's just so saturated.
Also makes you wonder if the universities aren't offering these courses just to pull in more students(and the cash they bring in), yet maybe don't have the qualified staff to teach it.
Cos 250 colleges/universities with 3-4 specialist staff per degree pathway you got 1-2000 ex-games developers. and that's alot.
Oh if you want a higher chance take up the Games programming, they all got placements ( though theres only like 20 or so here)
Edit "dean b with Something Negative" :P
Don't wanna scare folks off though, if your good you got a shot, but make sure you pick a good university, preferably one that specializes in computer courses.
10/04/09
10/04/09
The only jobs you'll find with gaming degrees are jobs as commissioned salesmen. For those jobs, companies don't care what degree you have as long as you have one
10/04/09
It's about your talent, your dedication, and your networking.
One thing I like about Trade schools like Westwood and FullSail (If you can survive the workload at Fullsail, I mean) is that you can go back whenever you want for free and retake classes related to your field once you graduate.
10/04/09
10/04/09
Having to deal with the constraints of realtime visuals are what separate movie artists and game artists, at the moment.
10/04/09
10/04/09
A photo of the buildings that actually house the program would be comparatively boring -- I see them on a daily basis.
That said, I'm not in the game development concentration, but in regular Computer Science, which I feel will be more useful. I'd like to make games, but since there's only a very slim chance that I ever will, I feel like most office jobs would rather you have the regular Computer Science degree.
Lastly, Go Pack!
10/04/09
FullSail.
10/04/09
I've seen the school, it's pretty sweet tho
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10/04/09
Fulltime work is 10x easier than fulltime school, and doing school more than full time
10/05/09
10/04/09
10/04/09
Indeed. All dev's will learn how to turn up the graphics by a bit and the world will be a better place.
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10/04/09
And it's spelled "loose" @Tom Clancy
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10/04/09
Most inspiring words I've heard.
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10/04/09
I concur with DP's comment. Don't encourage the guy.
If he can comment here, then this entire convoluted approval system is completely useless. They might as well open the floodgates. There are a lot of unapproved commenters out there who actually have funny or insightful things to say.
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10/04/09
aka
I have seen a few about, I think they are using translationparty. And if not then Kotaku is an englsih language site, if they are going to post they get a better translator.
Of course if they are using translation party, well Mighty Thor bring down thy Banhammer!
10/04/09
This finds you certainly nice. To laugh man, who strange translations.
Pure comedy gold right there.
10/04/09
just wait and see when aliens arrive on our planet and at first contact: "my balls, suck them"
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09/06/09