So, are these degrees that people actually get? Surely a CS or Design or even a fucking media degree is worth more. What are your thoughts /v/
People actually get them but that doesn't make them useful as anything other than toilet paper
>>255489818
Yeah, they're fucking worthless. Ran into someone who got one the other day, unsurprisingly he's stacking shelves and hasn't had a single good job since he graduated 3 years ago.
>>255489818
Yeah. I live by DigiPen. It's real.
The issue is that they put you in a serious compromise after you graduate; you have to get a job in the industry, because nobody else will respect you, no matter how hard you studied or how much you learned.
And, it can be a pretty shit industry. Just look at contemporary games.
If you can sell yourself–if you can discuss what you've learned in detail, I suppose you can get a job outside of vidya with a vidya degree, but at that point you should've been getting a CS degree instead.
>>255489818
I'm getting a computer science degree with a specialization in game development......is that bad?
>>255490228
Isn't DigiPen the exception? My perception is that they actually deliver.
>>255490478
no, that will actually get you a job
Want a coder?
>Computer Science.
Want an Artist?
>Art / Graphic Design related degree.
Want a Story?
>Hire an established author.
Want models?
>CAD / 3D Design degree.
Want some one who can do all of the above to a mediocre level?
>Games Design degree.
>>255490863
I heard from one of my professors that Physics students are highest in demand in the industry actually, we get a lot of coding experience relating to physical simulations so a Physics student is almost always a better option to design a physics engine than a Computer Science student.
>>255490482
For sure! Nintendo's right the hell next door–Redmond. The curriculum is brutal, from what I've heard. A degree from there isn't worthless.
But, the point is–the tuition is shit, and because the tuition is shit, you risk wasting a substantial amount of cash that you could've been applying towards a more broad, well-rounded degree that people won't glare at you for having.
I go to UW–if you can handle the rigor of DigiPen, you can handle the rigor of our CS department (if you get in). I just think that going to DigiPen is a very expensive way to pigeonhole yourself into an industry that you might not want to work in, given 5 years or so.
Studying something else keeps your options open.
I have a masters in interactive entertainment (basically game design). Its pretty worthless.
Here's the deal with these schools. They're usually split up into 3 groups, artists/programmers/producers.
If youre a programmer you will get a job if youre good and the school will probably help you because often game companies will recruit from there. Its basically paying 30-40k for an interview.
If youre an artist you will get picked up same as the programmer if youre portfolio is great. Same thing, paying for an interview. You have to be good though.
If you're a producer, good luck. You MAY get picked up as a "manager" by some startup phone game company that will die a few days later.
I went in like an idiot wanting to be a designer. Luckily my undergrad was in comp sci. and I could already model animate and program myself. I already had made a few games by myself as well. I got picked up as a programmer by a good company so I was happy.
tldr; Learn to program or model/rig/animate yourself and make a game. If you enjoy it and for some reason cant get an interview, then go to one of these schools just to get recruited.
>>255491143
If every single coding job was designing a physics engine you would be correct
not sure about game design degrees, but there are applied computer science degrees for game design in my uni which does at least involve programming
game design is only useful for people who have some artistic or creative sense, but since it's only strictly game design, it basically is only really useful as toilet paper
i have two game-based electives under my belt and that's one intro to game design course and the other is game programming one, and both involved some level of actually programming, and none of them used unityi'm a CS major
The trick is with all applied sciences is to do side projects to make your resume look good.
>>255491238
I'm doing 3rd year in CS atm. Most likely, will get some generic soft dev job. Really want to make vidya, but there aren't any studios here nor I can find someone to make art with.
>>255491648
Oh shit me too.
What school?
>>255491926
george mason uni, in fairfax virginia
Damn. SFU for me
>>255491870
I've heard that the bureaucracy's disingenuous and a little corrupt–this true?
Also–got any ideas? Aren't there any artists there to collaborate with?
Getting a CS degree with a cert in a certain tech is okay, but anything else is pretty much pointless, imo.
You need to either be a programmer or artist to get in, there are plenty of "idea guys" who think that they are getting in so don't think you can suddenly rise above them
>>255492205
Ideas are one of the worst kind of applicants. They are a drain on the company.
>>255489818
If you are half good at programming, you don't waste your skills making video games.
Fucking idea guys always thinking they can succeed in life with a piece of paper telling me you have an imagination. Common sense should tell you it's useless.
Well, there's some schools where a strict game design degree is actually sought after. However, they're really only master's programs from schools like Guild Hall at SMU.
But really, at the end of the day you're going to get hired if you're good at what you do, not your degree. Unless it's programming then you really do need a degree.
>>255489818
What's that pick from
>>255491503
Also most people are using pre existing engines. Unity is everywhere
>>255492437
Except on the side.
>>255492654
Wait, you mean that some schools actually offer a Game Design degree? Holy shit that's funny.
>>255492785
>Except on the side.
Yes, of course.
I have a degree in game design. Guess what, it's worthless. I knew this from the start and did it anyway because of my previous work experience as a programmer, mainly because I wanted the connections to shill my own games. It also gave me a transitional period to deal with depression without having a huge-ass gap in my resume, but if I could do it all again sans depression, I'd have gone into computer science just to have more wage negotiation leverage.
Don't get me wrong, these courses are fun, but unless you live in a country with free tuition like I do, they are NOT worth it.
I repeat: DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR A GAME DESIGN COURSE.
I've released a handful of games on my own, outside of the course, and guess what? Those releases have taught me more than anything I learned during the course. If you want to make games, just make games. If you want to be a programmer, study CS. Don't be some jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none because nobody wants those in the gaming industry.
>>255492754
just because you're using unity doesn't mean your game will be awesome if you don't understand why it behaves as it does
that's why a lot of unity projects are shit
>>255491143
Physics students aren't good at programming engines all alone, though. They have to work with actual programmers. Both are necessary.
>>255492785
I think UCLA even offers one. Granted, one from a place like that is much more likely to be a specialized software engineering degree, and might have some weight outside of applying for game dev jobs.
>>255489818
Don't get a game design degree to follow someone elses game design. You get a game design degree to make your own games.
So stop trying to make baby simulator, and make a game yiu want to make. Something you can be proud of.
I work for vidya. I am on lunch right now. Wanna know how I got in? I used to edit Starcraft maps. I made my own sunken defence map, and debugged the shit out of cops and robbers. No degree, I dropped out of college. However I could point to content and say "I made this" thank god the manager was a huge starcraft fan.
>>255491870
If you're a student, it should be easy to find art students and shit that would be willing to work on something like that to build up a portfolio
>>255491143
If someone is proficient at physics and programming, they probably won't have trouble finding a job in any industry. In my experience, 9 out of 10 people don't even have a full grasp of the fundamentals of one of the fields, but that last person out of 10 has his pick of the job market.
I sincerely hope people actually don't do this.
>>255489818
I was in a digital media course, but I switched to a animation/illustration course. Both are essentially the same, just less bullshit art classes for the animation/illustration course. 3d modeling and animation is a requirement though, and I love doing that shit. Avoid any and all types of degrees that are geared specfically towards game design. Get something similar that you can use outside the game industry - animation/illustration and digital media is a fucking huge business. Go for that instead.
>>255493131
>Don't be some jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none because nobody wants those in the gaming industry.
You keep saying that but this game was made by 1 guy alone. From art, programming, design, everything and it turned out great and praised by critics.
>>255492754
Unity has many limitations, especially when it comes to physics. It's an entry level engine. Yes you can make good games with it, but you have to know what you're doing, same with any other engine.
I am so fucking sick of videogames and the games industry in general. Problem is, I've just finished getting a first degree in CS specialising in games-related stuff. I'm well versed in Python, C++ and OpenGL.
Please for the love of fuck tell me I can just use my programming knowledge to get into a relatively comfier programming job (ie. not fucking crunch-tastic, grind-to-the-dirt videogame development).
Surely a portfolio of OpenGL stuff and competent C++ will get me through most programming interviews?
>>255491143
While I can respect the mathematical backround that physics students have, unless they actually program and study on the side they're not going to be able to stand alone in a computer field like a CS or CE student.
Working together with actual programmers, however, would work great.
>>255493879
I have no idea what that is, and this thread is about getting jobs in the industry, not making games on your own.
You can make a game on your own without any knowledge of art, music, coding or even story-telling. Just look at Zoe Quinn and her Twine novel that she got on Steam.
Does the rank of university really matter?
Like everyone talks about Harvard in the US Cambridge and Oxford in the UK as the highest ranked and sought after graduates when jobs are recruiting but does the rank actually matter? Will it affect your job search in anyway if you put your achieved degree on your CV?
>>255493879
I enjoyed it but that game is a jack of all trades, master of none, backgrounds are great but faces are terrible, gameplay flows well but it's a two button masher and there's a decent lore to the world but the writing is weak
>>255489818
Study something else then apply that to videogames, stuff like art, architecture, programming, music.
>>255494059
>>255493879
This. Whoever made that probably had some kind of lucrative job and made this as a hobby on the side with spare time.
>>255493879
Why would you need to go to game design school for that? If you want to make some indie furbait game by yourself, the best way is to just do it. The reason people take the course is to get into industry, where they want people who are good at their one job.
>>255494135
If you get an associate's degree from a community college, it won't matter to a lot of employers. Bachelor's degrees are usually attained at the higher level schools.
>>255493983
Think about it this way, if you're a CS Specialist with a focus in Game Design, you've still got ALL the education of a CS major, with a bunch of Game design shit thrown on top. While you may not be as appealing as some other specialists, you're still more appealing than a normal Major in most scenarios.
>>255494135
People go to harvard, cambridgec oxford and etc to make FRIENDS, who will be powerful/influential/rich.
Literally no one goes to harvard because they "teach" better.
>>255494135
It really depends on what field you're looking at. If it's CS then I think the university you got the degree at doesn't matter as long as it isn't shit like DeVry or ITT Tech or whatever. Of course if you got one from fucking MIT that would be different.
Rule of thumb though is you should only go to huge top tier schools like that if you have scholarships. It's never worth going into debt over.
>>255489818
A CS degree only teaches you programming and math (and most CS graduates are completely worthless programmers anyway). It teaches you absolutely nothing about making a video game.
What the hell is a design degree?
But yes, video game degrees are worthless, anyway.
I took a degree in Games Programming.
I'm now a well paid programmer for a mid sized (non-games) company.
You can't get a job with a games degree if your average at what you do, but if you're genuinely very good, it's certainly possible.
Unfortunately, most people are average. Despite having high opinions of themselves.
>>255494135
Say you get an accounting degree from an Ivy League school. You can probably work for a big company right out of the gate.
At the same time, if you get the same degree from a tier 2 university, there's nothing stopping you from still getting a comfortable job.
You might not be filthy rich, but you're not going to struggle.
>>255494643
You've never worked on a video game, have you?
Programming is THE most important task in it
>>255494059
Oh god Twine is the easiest shit ever.
You could make a fully fledged text adventure without even using the HTML, CSS and JS functionality or even using twine's own language other than to use the link function.
Which is a shame most people don't take advantage of it. You can make a really good CYOA text adventure with some basic fucking variables.and RNG.
>>255493879
>Shitty simplistic combat with SPARKLES EVERYWHERE
>Shitty level design that doesn't understand what makes good metroidvanias good
>Shitty voice acting
>Shitty health pickups system with too many repetitive items.
>etc
At least the animations are nice. Other than that, poor example to use. You should have thrown out Cave Story or something, at least a few retards would have defended you to the death.
>>255494805
>Programming is THE most important task in it
>programmers overvaluing themselves as usual
>>255493879
Because if you are making the game yourself you need to be able to do everything. In the industry if they want an art guy they'll get one. If they want a music guy they'll get one. If they want a code guy they'll get one. They won't care if you can do both code and art. If they must want you for code, they'll interview you and judge you based on how well can code, your art skills during this mean shit all.
>>255494453
>The rich get richer.
I went past a university the other day that was in the top 25 in rankings. Nowhere near the top ten but goddamn you could feel the upper class aura around them. They're the sort of people who looked like they've never been in an Aldi and think Waitrose is cheap/
>>255494953
>Cave Story
Pixel really isn't a jack of all trades, though. He's a pretty good programmer, a surprisingly decent musician, and a mediocre pixel artist. He's got his main trade, a hobby, and does everything else so-so.
I don't know of a single game where one guy did everything, in which everything was AMAZING.
That's not to say single people can't make great games, but single people can't be awesome at everything.
>>255493983
If you can answer in-depth programming questions at interviews and show employers that you're an active learner through an ever updating portfolio, you can definitely get a good job in the CS industry regardless of what you specialized in.
So what is the most fun and rewarding area?
Programming
Music
Art
?
>>255490863
my major isGameam i okProgramming
>>255489818
I actually have one of those. I'm not using it.. the only useful thing I got out of my education is a bit of a network. I'm still jobless though, working on my own game 'cause no better options.
>>255495360
Didn't say that it was perfect, just that more people would have agreed with the guy trying to argue that 1 man team games can be masterpieces.
Amusingly enough, Touhou almost fits the bill. Aside from abysmal character art that is.
>>255495568
Game/Level Design
>>255495360
>Studio is called Pixel
>Pixel graphics is their most weak area
>>255495568
Programming.
>>255489818
any degree is good if you are dedicated to the job and show it. Just hoping you'll get a job doesnt do jack shit. Nag the fuck out of the manager and remind him/her that you are someone who is there to WORK.
This WILL get you any job in the world. Doing this shows dedication and resolve. Traits that a boss looks for the most in an employee
>>255495065
Without programming your little drawing wouldn't be able to move, your world would be confined to a book and your music to a mp3 player.
>>255495667
This is hard as shit to get into though. You basically have to have made super popular mods/maps and shit to get looked at.
>>255495568
Level Design
>>255495716
>Studio is called Pixel
Pixel is the name of the guy that made it you retard it's not a studio
>>255495667
>Level Design
Nah. Most people who play video games dont even know what that means. You can make a great level and nobody is going to notice or care.
>>255495568
Honestly they're all pretty damn rewarding. Though ranked by how easy it is to live comfortably from them it's Programming>Art>Music
>>255489818
It's worth 5 cents on the market, not a single game developer cares about your fucking degree when you apply for work. All that matters is your fucking portfolio.
>>255495858
Same shit. Why call yourself Pixel if you are shit at it?
>>255495851
>>255495667
I wish I could agree but level design today is nothing like what it used to be. It seems to be more artists' territory now. Just compare Bioshock Infinite to its predecessors.
>>255489818
Go into graphic design instead of illustration weaboo training. You'll learn more than how to draw your mother's tit. There are only 250,000 professional Graphic Designers in the US and they design everything for you fat slobs.
>Video game covers
>Logos
>User interfaces
>ETC
Look at steam. Do you think video game designers made that site? They had to employ a couple of graphic designers to draw those thousands of cards and design the layout of the website.
I hope you faggots don't read this. You're not competitive enough for the degree. Playing video games all day does not prepare you for life.
>>255493983
>competent C++
Any idiot has competent C++. You need to be better than average, or you've wasted everyone's time.
> Python
Pointless. It's 2014. The only people looking for python are maintaining legacy systems.
> OpenGL
Still fairly pointless unless you're in an incredibly specific role.
>Want to become an artist so I can make pictures for video games
>Don't even know where to go to apply for said job
>One of my programming modules in my second year was to make a game
>Ok sounds cool
>Module was changed at the beginning of the year to make mobile games
>erm sure
>Module was removed and replaced before we even started
>Did interactive web design with a focus on responsive design instead.
Not entirely if this was better. Has the mobile game/app market crashed or something?
>>255495858
And he calls his "studio" Studio Pixel.
>>255495858
>>255495335
Try living close to the Mexican border.
I have no idea why, but rich mexican parents send their rich mexican kids to attend the same school I'm going to.
I see a lot of brand new luxury sedans in the parking lot throughout the year.
It's a weird sight.
>>255494691
what college
>>255496193
..fuck he's right
Electrical Engineering degree here.
I can do everything a "game design" major can do and more. I can program the game, I can program the engine, hell, I can even DESIGN the console/pc you play the game on. I outclass you in every aspect, and I have far more job opportunities if shit hits the fan.
"Video game design" majors is the most useless degree. You are the laughing stock of the job world. Even Classics majors can get employment with museums and book companies at least.
game design courses teach you how to put microtransactions into games that don't have them
not even joking
>>255496251
To be fair though there's pretty good money in maintaining legacy systems. Can you imagine how rare people are who know COBOL today compared to how many servers still run off that shit?
>>255489818
i actually did media engineering
which had some game design elements in it but for the most part was programming.
i can actually give you a great tipp that will set you above all the other trash.
if you want to study gamedesign go for it but focus on either art or programming.
design in itself is worthless and you wont get a job.
when i did my engineering course i primarily focused on c# programming. due to my teachers actually being competent i learned proper coding practices and got the right mindset.
i now am actually a java programmer and maintain an android app to deliver our cloud storage solution to our clients.
tl;dr:
go for it but not for the game design.
learn programming or art.
git gud at stuff. you might actually be better
one list thing though.
learning to code through games can have an extremely good impact on your skills.
gameprogramming is actually considered one of the hardest cs fields(not shitty casual game or webdevs. real engine and graphcis programming).
most cs graduates dont even know what pointers are or know how to properly program object oriented. you will have so much knowledge if you dedicate yourself to programing and stay after classes are over.
>>255489818
I took a course and dropped out after the first year after I realised it was completely worthless. The sad thing is that there were some really talented people on the course just wasting their potential.
>>255496326
Mid-league. Really nothing to write home about.
>>255496193
>fat slobs
Yeah okay anon. I'm not that fat.
>>255496193
>mfw paid 3k to make a small butcher chain logo.
>mfw did it in 5 minutes.
>>255496193
Aside from logos, graphic designers don't really do much artworking
>>255496193
b-but muh gaimz. i hav so many ideas tho
>>255496616
>mfw I dropped my face
>>255496193
>wanting even more blue and orange covers
No thanks. You are part of the cancer killing vidya.
I've recently picked up programming, I chose C++. I'm currently learning through a book I bought by Herbert Schildt but it seems a bit outdated.
I want to get this code to work with the 'cin[dot]get();' function, but can only get the desired results with the system("pause") function (which I read on the internet I shouldn't use because it isn't C++). I've searched for a solution elsewhere and I've unfortunately hit a brick wall.
http://pastebin.com/FjxJrfVQ
>>255493879
>art
That games art is really crude.
>>255496616
>Get paid a sack of cash with a dollar sign on the sack for making a 3 page website with no interactivity beyond a navigation bar
It goes without saying that a bunch of people on 4chan probably know how to make a website from scratch with ease but it boggles my mind how much people will pay for a basic as fuck website.
>>255496193
A guy that used to work at my safeway designed a logo for underarmor. He's retiring at 34.
>>255496616
Nice job.
>>255496193
Mind explaining what the hell they teach at graphic design that's better than illustration?
>>255496478
When I was still job-searching, there was a position for a Ruby expert with several zeros in the wage packet.
But it's not, always, about the money. Maintaining a legacy system for any amount of time just grinds you down. These languages just aren't designed to modern standards, you're constantly fighting against it and going ass-barckwards hacky-as-shit ways through even the simplest of tasks.
>>255489818
Ask yourself this OP:
How many of the big names in the vidya industry do you think has a degree in "Game design" rather than going CS, grafix design or being self-learned?
>b-but it didnt exist until recently
Thats true, but however 90% of what schools teach in "Game deisgn" is nothing more than in par with making shitty flash games for Facebook/smartphones while not learning the fundamentals of programming, design, etc (cause that would take up way too much time and effort from the shitty teachers in the subject).
Its nothing more than a degree created by failed indie developers to leech money of retards that think after they are done they are gonna work with for Nintendo or Valve.
just finished mine
it was fun, first time in a while I've enjoyed school
I'll get a job doing whatever and make enough to be happy, I don't feel the need to minmax my life and do something I hate just for more dosh.
>>255496781
You have to have a character array to assign get() to.
>>255496256
Its heavily saturated
>>255496853
Part of the problem is that people are getting dumber and dumber and either can't learn or don't want to learn new things.
>mfw Deviantart "muh graphics arts" majors ACTUALLY think their degree is worth something
>>255496856
I knew a guy in college who decided to sell off wholesale stuff that he bought from ali baba on ebay and he can more or less retire if he wanted to right now. His only fucking limit is storage space. He isn't even near his 30s yet. Bastard.
>>255496521
>most cs graduates dont even know what pointers are or know how to properly program object oriented
My end of comp sci bachelor's degree class had people that didn't know how to indent properly (or set up a beautifier) and kept their code on dropbox instead of using a proper version control tool.
You'd expect people like this to fail in their first year but there you go.
>>255496616
Where are you going where people charge that much? I get like a couple grand per website not logo
I mean sure, I'm only pasting their info on a template...
>>255496853
So many white kids slaving away thinking that they will make games on day. Just get a bfa in graphic design. It's really fucking hard, but it was worth it for me. It's a broad field and you can do whatever you want, including game design.
Who computer engineering here?
I want get into Level Design. How do I get a job there?
If the answer is only my portfolio, what game should I make maps for to get popular enough? Is Quake OK?
Besides portfolio, does degree matter? Is CS OK?
>>255489818
I actually was on one of these courses for two years OP. It was pretty much full of cunts, smug ideaguys and weebs.
I hated it and eventually fell into depression toward the end. I fully recommend any course in any college then VGD
Got one or two stories if anons are interested
>>255496853
Cause alot of people aint computer literate.
Have a friend that works as a IT-security guy for a bank.
Which basically means all he does every day is work for 1 hour while playing vidya the rest of the time.
>>255497249
Yo. Haven't really moved into the actual core classes yet though, spent the first few years getting gen-ed and basic programming shit out of the way. About to take CS1 this semester, and a bunch of digital systems chasses
>got my degree in game design
>have many ideas for games, documents
>6 years later i am still a NEET.
>>255497169
I met the man through my father, its a kosher deli and I have some curly hair so I figure he must of paid me more than he had too, but hes happy with the design so I'm alright with taking the money.
>>255497308
Do it for whatever game you are familiar with that is relatively popular
Source games are a good idea to design anything for because the Valve overlords can and will pluck you if you show promise
>>255496883
It's more about learning how to solve problems, organise information, work with clients, design concrete things based on vague ideas, etc. There's still illustration involved depending on the kind of work you do but you don't really need to be an artfag to do it.
Check out >>>/gd/ if you wanna learn more, there are a lot of shitter children who think they're designers because they make Youtube banners but it's a pretty alright resource.
>>255496256
Pretty much. Pic related.
>cousin got a bachelors in graphic design
>got hired by a local school to do their presentations
>gets hired full-time
>lives comfortably with his hot wife in a nice neighborhood playing video-games all day when not at work
That is some damn good luck what the fuck
I mean he's not raking in the dough but I don't think that matters too much to him
>>255497070
Or to put it in a less retarded way, the function get() requires a character array and length inside the parenthesis. Otherwise you get an error saying that it doesn't know what the fuck you're talking about because it doesn't have a definition of get() like that.
>>255496883
Graphic Design is more technical than Illustration.
It's like you're already an illustrator, but you learn 100xs more than one.
They learn how to print, design, illustrate, web design, concept design, game design, logo design...
the list goes on. The lazy kids go into illustration at my college. I feel bad for them. You can't get a job drawing amateur goku or hentai drawings all day
>>255497308
1. Make a mod for a game
2. Hope it gets really fucking popular
That's really your only 'in', but the days of the Mod are waning.
>>255497308
>I want get into Level Design. How do I get a job there?
You don't. It's not the 80s.
Level designs will generally be done by the art/design team rather than as a specialized position.
>>255497431
why dont you make an indie video game with waifus
>>255497175
Shit I made a game on newgrounds a few years ago in less than 15 days and it got me around $1000 total in ad revenue.
As a hobby it was worth it.
As a job....that $1000 was over the course of several years. The game at the time was in between the border of mid tier and high tier popularity. I can only guess modern app stores are similar. Got to get lucky.
Just be better than other programmers. Its not that hard. We brought in a bunch of interns from the CS masters program and USC, and exactly zero of them were capable of programming anything useful.
>>255496853
I do minor repairs on computers throughout the day and undercut other big brands that do repairs and I still make bank. Its kinda sad but tons of people don't understand how to operate a computer. their brains go to mush when something wrong happens, and when it does, they call me.
>>255489818
Practice art and study mathematics. Why math? Because it is the universal language in coding.
Game Design is for losers who think that they can do something vidya related like this guy >>255497431
>>255497512
It doesn't matter to most of us graphic designers.
You won't find a lot of info about us on youtube, maybe the occasional nig nog that wants youtube money. Just try it out. There are a lot of famous graphic designers. People don't like this field because it's time consuming (fun)
>>255497308
You should really go for a CS degree and try making some mods/maps on the side. Source is a pretty sure bet, but you have to make something really fucking cool to separate your shit from the masses.
>>255497432
So did you ask for that much or did he offer? I've only just started getting work so I'm charging £20 per hour and then inflating the hours spent for more money
I think I should start charging way more. It's incredibly easy work though, the only road block is you need to be properly educated or your stuff will look like half assed shit. But then you can get properly educated online, it's fantastic
>>255497162
you dont even know
when i was in my third year of my media engineering course they stuck us together 3rd year cs students.
we had to pick a project and i suggested we try to do something with ai(since you can branch off into robotics or game ai. and its a respected field).
everyone agreed and the teacher made some suggestions. and i suggested we start off with something easy like an ant colony simmulation in c# and xna.
me and my buddie imideatly started working on it and i designed a fsm with modular and adaptable states that can add states by itself.
and we showed it to him the next day.
thats when we realised that the cs faggots never actually really programmed in their life.
i can excuse not knowing specific commands or needing to look up the documentation when coding as long as you know what to do.
but these faggots struggled to work with variables and statements.
they didnt even know what a fsm was in the first place.
i swear even the faggots from the game design course could program better.
and apearantly this has been like this a long time ago.
cs graduates cant programm for shit.
>>255497249
>tfw starting with algorithms next term
>>255497769
source is shit. Go into unreal engine you worthless swine.
>>255496193
>steam
>ugliest goddamn thing
steam was definitely not made by graphic/UI designers, at least not competent ones
>>255497519
>>255497070
Thank you for your help. I still haven't a clue what I'm supposed to do, so I suppose I'll have to read over the basics again.
>>255497842
What school? That makes a difference. It could be your uni is just utter shit.
>>255496251
>Pointless. It's 2014. The only people looking for python are maintaining legacy systems.
>python
>legacy
This dude obviously has no fucking clue about the industry at all. Python was only invented in the 90's for fucks sake, and there's still tons of companies programming in it now.
>>255489818
I'm getting a bachelor of fucking science with my game design degree. Get on my level.
On top of that, it's about building a portfolio and networking when it comes to getting a job.
>>255489818
They are a low tier degree but not COMPLETELY worthless. If you really want to get into videogames you are better off getting a more specialized education like programming, or animation.
>>255497409Do they involve a Yoshi?Cause otherwise I've heard them
Fuck. I just started a course on game design and I regret it so bad. I paid 20k on this shit. Fuck.
>>255497975
You're right, then again, you don't pocket 100k+ a year like they do. They make that much in one day selling 1 card from one series.
What does CS stand for, anyway?
>>255497797
I gave him a flat price of 1.5k and I guess he was feeling generous that week and decided to double it and just threw a check at me. The man is pretty much retired and is just running the deli chain to have something to do, I think he inherited a lot from his mother.
So lets say i want to make an indie video game by myself. What will get me more far? Programming? I cant draw for shit.
>>255498253
Counter-Strike
>>255498253
Communicative Systems
>>255498230
>b-but you gotta do wat u lov
>b-but muh gaimz
Leave the sciency programmie shit to the asians and get gud
>>255497419
>>255497894
It's my fourth semester and I'm stuck in those crazy math things that I'm never going to use.
There are people in this world who are willing to turn your ideas into games, even if ideas are all you have. These people are few and far between; chivalrous knights in a world of lowly peasants.
Treat them with respect, share your ideas with them, and always remember: you're lucky to even be associating with them.
>>255498253
Counter-Strike
>>255498410
Fuck off
>>255498417
Thanks
>>255498253
current successions
>>255498253
Computer Science
>>255498392
Programming. Bar none. You can't even do a good game in fucking Game Maker if you can't program.
>>255498392
You need to know design, programming, how-to-music, and more...
>>255498254
Sounds pretty cool, I'm not too bothered if I don't rake in big money right now, I just want enough work so I can move out and get a car and shit
>>255498253
Computer Science.
Which is a terrible name for it.
It has nothing to do with science, it's more akin to magic.
It has even less to do with computers.
>>255495335
I went to a top 20 university. People were mostly from the middle class. I even had a number of friends who were also from the ghetto. I did know a couple richfags though. I suspect they were largely concentrated in the business school. I mostly hung out with pre-meds, so maybe my social circle was just more down to Earth.
>>255498523
oh anon
>>255498230
Don't be lazy and suck off your professor nonstop, the whole reason to even go to college is to get connections anyway. Don't regret it, try as hard as possible, basically become a shut in to other students and impress your professors. Meet other shut ins and make a boss game
>>255498392
Progamming + learning industrial tools/sdks. A number of them offer free artwork/assets to fuck around with. Use those for a bit until you have the basics down and then start soliciting artists and other specialists to work with. Or offer your services to random indie projects that often occur during game jams.
>>255498523
Cyanide Smoke
>>255498461
What classes? Linear Algebra? Diffy Q?
>>255498523
It's computer science, both of them lied to you.I was thinking about lieing to you as well.
>>255498420
I did it for a free alienware and to get my parents and gf off my back. Now I have to travel to some shithole office building full of weird, weird cunts and learn UDK for 2 years. I guess I'm just gonna have to make the best out of it and... and try.
>>255498464
>being the idea guy
>not becoming the maker
>>255498420
>Visit the university I'm going to so I can get some info on the halls
>Doing a computing degree with some business thrown in for shits and giggles
>Ching chongs and nips everywhere in the department where I'll be studying
THIS IS JUST LIKE MY JAPANESE ANIMES
>>255498230
what school
>>255498082
leeds in the uk
and that uni actually has good reputation on the outside regarding cs.
all lies.
>>255498410
>>255498417
>>255498496
>>255498525
>>255498540
>>255498597
>>255498616
>>255498658
>>255498717
Googled it like I probably should have from the start. It's computer science. Thanks to the cool anons who weren't faggots.
Here is one story of my game design horror course
> First few days into the course, we're still learning the UI for Unity and Blender
> For some reason, the teachers barely know anything past the shortcut keys, we mostly are set tasks to make objects at home to improve our own knowledge then the teachers actually helping us
> A week later
> Teachers get a notion that we are suddenly masters, they ring up a local elementary school and commission us to work with the kids to make a full blown video game
> Give us like half a month to build the whims of a 8 year old
> Hand us some incredibly basic printed Javascript code and tell us to download GIMP
> They shout at us when none of us actually made a working game within the time
> We ask them to buy Photoshop and download Unreal Engine 3
> They've literally never heard of either
> The course was described to be run by industry professionals
> The head course-manager has made some shitty fucking iPhone bubblepop reskin
> "Industry-professionals"
>>255498761
>paid 20k for an alienware
At least you only got one of their cheap models.
I am NEET. I have tons of free time. I spend that time masturbating. I masturbate more than 30 times a day. I masturbate every single day. I need something else to occupy my time. I have considered learning an instrument or learning to make simple vidya. I have an acoustic guitar that I found at a duck pond where a dead baby was also found earlier that year. I do not know how to play. I have no idea how to get into making simple vidya. I have no idea how vidya is even made.
What do?
>>255489818
>vidya design degree
The one subject you can truly learn just by browsing the internet.
>>255498828
k, it's still cyanide smoke tho.
>>255498828
Congrats on learning how to use the internet gramps
>>255498828Google lied
>>255498090
Python has been completely eclipsed. If you're using python it's because it's still inexplicably taught heavily at schools, not because it's the correct language choice.
A video game design degree or whatever would INCLUDE learning coding, modeling, drawing, etc, as well as the design process needed to make a game and its resources come together into a playable experience.
Getting a degree in CS alone isn't going to teach you how to do many of the things needed to make a game.
I took several classes, had a lot of fun, made friends, learned important content creation and public speaking skills and decided I never want to be in the video games industry.
Richard Garfield (created MtG) and Jordan Weisman (created Shadowrun, Mechwarrior, Crimson Skies) taught some of the classes which was pretty neat.
Everyone wants to be the "ideas guy" and all their ideas usually suck.
>>255498618
This. College/certificate programs/whatever the fuck you attend, you don't go there to learn. You go there to make connections and pick up a few skills on the side. Even if you're in some god awful shitty degree mill program, you can make a difference. Notice that everyone around you is a fucking retard? Become the de facto leader and shepherd them into being your programing slaves for group projects.
Isn't working in the video game industry pretty shit anyway? Being overworked, underpaid, possibly fired after the game is complete. Most likely you'd end up working on some shovelware, or shitty FPS. If you can even find a job at all.
>>255498761
technically I don't have to pay the 20k till I get a salary of over 50k. So I could just be a NEET for the rest of my life in a fuckload of debt that doesn't really exist. at least, I like to think of it that way
>>255498940
Continue masturbating.
Live the good life.
>Ctrl+F "superior limb-based movement"
>No results
Dammit /v/.
>>255498392
>by myself
You have to know everything. You can't be deficient in a single area if you're going to make a game all by yourself. You have to be competent in:
>Programming
>UI design
>Level design
>3D modeling
>Animation
>Art in general (textures, concepts, etc.)
>Sound effect generation and recording
>Music (writing, playing, production, all of it)
>Voice acting (optional)
>Writing
It's extremely rare to find an individual who can make a game from scratch all by themselves, though they do exist.
>>255498940
Meditate
>>255497249
I'm studying CS in an engineering school in France.
It's all right, I don't feel I'm working at all but apparently I will be able to ask for 30k/year for my first job.
>>255498940
this is sad as fuck. just kill yourself, respawn, and chop your dick off.
>wut do?
>>255491489
>learn to program
can't
>model/rig/animate yourself
I've always wanted to do this, where do I start?
>Video game design
Isnt that basically when you get to play around with those expensive art/design programs in a pre-rendered engine to make a shitty game that is no better than the shit in RPGmaker except it costs you around 100k in student loans?
>>255498901
What school is this?
>>255498940
Try masturbating
They are simply "Interactive Media Design" degrees which have existed for a while, with "Game Design" being a focus.
It's like a middleground between CS and Graphic Design.
I went to a college which offered it (transferred out after a year after I realized it was a fucking joke)
The problem is that the fucking retards who take it have no prior experience in actually designing games. The people who break it big (or used to) in the industry was programming when they were 13. Those who enter these majors don't know shit and are autistic fucks who just play LoL and TF2 with "a cool idea for a game." Everyone at this college was the reddit-browsing fedora-tipping faggot we so jokingly poke fun at. I'm not even joking. It's pathetic.
The other problem with this major is finding a job. These kids don't want to go in the industry being a slave to big companies like EA, but they are too fucking spoiled and retarded to make games themselves, so they can barely survive as indie devs. And, if you give up on the game industry, what can you do? The programming skills they teach are too weak to do anything like software engineering, and the art skills they teach you are entry-level. You can probably do something like web design, I guess, but good luck with anything else.
Basically, if you want to make games, learn it yourself. Learn real shit instead of just enough to get by. And be dedicated. Buy books and use online resources. If you don't start early you'll never get there.
>>255493983
C++ is not as widely used as it once was. It is more common to use higher level languages that can run multiplatform, such as Java or C# (With Mono), or interpreted languages like Python or LUA (which is used in goddamn everything)
>>255499138
meant for
>>255498913
>>255499168
>movement
>>255498808
http://blog.codinghorror.com/why-cant-programmers-program/
its real
programming is an lost art.
around here(britain) people actually want game design graduates since they have a reputation of being good programmers.
shit most unis offer several game related courses.
>my dream job is to make somebody else money
>>255498901
please say the school
>>255499242
Plymouth College
>>255499218
By starting...
You have google in front of you laddy...
>>255498940
Do both. Learn how to guitar (tons of guides on the internet) and start learning programming. I'll get hate for this, but start with C. It's hard to dive into and not very user friendly but it will teach you pretty much everything, including what other languages automate. You can't truly appreciate objects until you've had to malloc() things for a while.
>>255498940
learn a progrumming language and make a waifu fighting game
it's a nice waste of time
Is graphic design worth it?
>>255499171
That is the dumbest shit.
Literally the dumbest shit I've read all day.
>>255490228
>The issue is that they put you in a serious compromise after you graduate; you have to get a job in the industry, because nobody else will respect you, no matter how hard you studied or how much you learned.
There's a reason NoA and DigiPen share a campus.
>>255498695
Statistics, Calculus B, Linear Algebra are my nemesis..
Diffy Q was fine.
To hard to keep up with video games and graduation at the same time.
>>255499314
TOPKEK
>>255499072
But the problem is Anon it's extremely superficial in all of those areas. Secondly, knowing all of them isn't useful unless you're making a game all by yourself. Which isn't something you want to do if you're getting a job.
>videogames used to be made by brilliant individuals ranging from savant dropouts to MIT PhDs.
>videogames now are made by fuckheads who want to work for videogames when they grew up.
This is the real reason behind the decline of videogames. Nowadays a studio is filled with so many "by the book" college grads that they couldn't make a good videogame even if they tried.
>>255498765
Most of the makers are actually looking for ideas guys; they need you almost as much as you need them.
Unfortunately, the proportion of noble programmers to idea guys is very lopsided, with idea guys obviously vastly outnumbering programmers. Anyone can be an idea guy. It takes a true hero, devoid of greedy ambition, not clouded by selfish ideals, to be a programmer. If you choose to be a programmer, and actually manage to have the skills to pull it off, I solute you.One of the more sure-fire ways to meet them is to post a kick-ass game idea on 4chan, but it has to be REALLY good.
who Cyber Forensics here?
>>255498901
but anon, he's a professional if he made any money :^)
>>255489818
It depends entirely on the course
If the course is titled "video game design" then it is fucking worthless
If you actually learn a transferable skill like 3D modelling, animation or programming, they can actually be pretty decent.
When I was at uni there were some other guys enrolled on some games courses, specifically in games art, games animation and games programming
one of the art guys I knew works at a AAA studio now, another one went into architectural visualisation and earns mad dolla, one of the guys who was on the animation course fucked off to prague to work at some slav studio but he was a slav himself so I guess that makes sense. The programmers did pretty well for themselves too, one of them is working in china now and the other is working in the UK.
They can be worth while degrees, but again make sure you're learning some sort of practical, transferable skill, some form of art or programming. One of my friends back home enrolled on a "game design" course at some shit tier university, needless to say he's doing fuck all now.pic sort of related, one of the art guys I mentioned is probably doing this now
Everyone says university is to get connections but who do you get connections from?
Your peers in the hopes they get a well paid job and they can fit you in?
Your lecturers who can point you to their industry friends?
>>255498808
Everything in the UK is literally garbage tier, I'm not surprised
The way the applications are done is like first 50% applied are auto accepted, then a certain percentage is reserved for higher paying foreign students, then they keep a few spaces left for actual good students, who fight tooth and nail for them
>>255489818
>game design
>>255499405
He isn't exactly wrong..
I'm studying IT and they offer game design as a level 3 BTEC and a Degree. The only people who go for it are these skinny 18 years olds. I'm 27 so one of the mature students, and they all seem to stick with IT or computer science. I.e they're studying to get a job out it, not to be a retard.
>>255499520
It connects me to my suicidal thoughts everyday.
>>255489818
I work in video games. I have a degree in Psychology. I love my life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXul4ENEYOA
>>255499585
He isliterallywrong.
You could make a game right now and not know any of those. Although programming knowledge would be recommended.
>>255497548
This. Devs give no shits if a level is fun to play or not, just as long as it ferries a player to the next cutscene. Good level design is probably frowned upon because it would confuse the Cowwadooty audience.
>>255499405
What's wrong with it then? If you want a 1 man team to make a video game that you can actually sell, you're going to have to do everything by yourself. If you can get a large amount of start-up money then I suppose you could buy/commission your assets but then you'll be sucked dry by royalties.
>Vidya design thread
>Everyone talking about coders and graphic artist
>No one ever mentions the sound guys
They're just as important but are always left the by the wayside in these discussions. Why is that?
>>255495582
should be, you can at least make your own shit
>>255498230
You'll do well. The college hopefully has the resources to get you an internship at a decent studio.
If you already have even a little prior knowledge of art, programming, whatever, or even a little common sense you'll be fine.
What college is isn't a place to learn, it's a place that gives you a piece of paper that says "I know how to do this"
>>255499520
finger your professors ass and give him a reach around, earn their respect and they'll reward you, unless of course their an asshole.
>>255499690It's the only copy I could find on youtube
>>255499520
There is like one fucking University where vidya game design actually makes connections and its in Canada
Its basically run by Ubisoft.
>>255499856
Who said anything about selling?
He said he wanted to make some shitty indie game.
>>255499458
What's the point in doing calculus if they don't let you use your graphic calculator.
>Hurrrr durrrrrr waste your time like a I did
>>255499458
I kick Calculus' ass. Linear Algebra and DiffyQ are next. Shit, do you really need to take Statistics? I can't see how that applies at all
>Devs give no shits if a level is fun to play or not, just as long as it ferries a player to the next cutscene
>>255490863
>coding
>computer science
All my fucking hate.
Computer science is a field of mathematics, not a learn to make games or be a programmer.
>>255499949
university of montreal?
If you want to learn programming do NOT take a degree on it. Do a more useful degree (most companies just use Indian code monkies anyway) and learn/get some experience with programming on the side. It will make you far more employable.
>>255499520
Both
Also working with peers to build your portfolio/make teams to do projects on your own to get experience
>>255499949
>implyingBiowareregularly recruits from the universities around here, I went to school with the dude who did most of the weapon models for ME3.
>>255500136
Quebec
Shit has been going on since 2005
>>255500018
You don't need Statistics. Unless you plan on using what's on statistics in your vidya.
>>255499260
> Everyone uses Python
>>255496251
> Nobody uses Python
If there's something I really cannot fucking stand about programmers, it's their obnoxious compulsions to present themselves as absolute authorities
>>255500018
>Statistics? I can't see how that applies at all
Neither me.
Those are fucking excel monkey jobs not mine.
