Comments on: Is Bachelor’s Degree Necessary In Game Development http://www.gameproducer.net/2007/09/01/is-bachelors-degree-necessary-in-game-development/ I bake games. Indie style. Thu, 16 May 2013 13:23:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Peter http://www.gameproducer.net/2007/09/01/is-bachelors-degree-necessary-in-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-116229 Peter Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:42:03 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/2007/09/01/is-bachelors-degree-necessary-in-game-development/#comment-116229 Get the degree... School, for me, was fun. But that's not the reason I would recommend a degree. A degree helps because when you are interviewing for a new job, or if you are being considered for a promotion, you'll have that degree. I think that's important because this industry puts a high value on experience. So, if you're up against someone with comparable experience, the degree is what might very well separate you. It's not the end-all-be-all, but it's certainly another tool. Ultimately, if you just want to make hidden object games, skip the schooling. If you want to work for studio, they'll probably want you to have a CS degree. Get the degree… School, for me, was fun. But that’s not the reason I would recommend a degree. A degree helps because when you are interviewing for a new job, or if you are being considered for a promotion, you’ll have that degree. I think that’s important because this industry puts a high value on experience. So, if you’re up against someone with comparable experience, the degree is what might very well separate you. It’s not the end-all-be-all, but it’s certainly another tool.

Ultimately, if you just want to make hidden object games, skip the schooling. If you want to work for studio, they’ll probably want you to have a CS degree.

]]> By: Chris Pelling http://www.gameproducer.net/2007/09/01/is-bachelors-degree-necessary-in-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-115826 Chris Pelling Mon, 03 Sep 2007 11:24:42 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/2007/09/01/is-bachelors-degree-necessary-in-game-development/#comment-115826 Put me in the "don't bother" camp. A degree is expensive, and there are other (faster) ways to learn the skills you need for a hidden object game. The foremost of which is to learn by doing. Will your code be well-designed? Heck no! But it'll be <i>finished</i>. And a hidden object game doesn't sound that difficult code-wise, provided you use existing tools as much as possible. (Don't write your own engine!) The other advantage of this approach is that if you finish the hidden object game and then discover that the grass in the promised land is not as green as you thought it was, you'll only have invested 1-2 years instead of 4-6. Now, if you were planning on making a MMORPG, my answer might be different. Also, if you want the degree for other reasons (perhaps you want to have a fallback career in AAA gamedev, or software engineering) then that might trump the considerations I've mentioned. Put me in the “don’t bother” camp. A degree is expensive, and there are other (faster) ways to learn the skills you need for a hidden object game. The foremost of which is to learn by doing.

Will your code be well-designed? Heck no! But it’ll be finished. And a hidden object game doesn’t sound that difficult code-wise, provided you use existing tools as much as possible. (Don’t write your own engine!)

The other advantage of this approach is that if you finish the hidden object game and then discover that the grass in the promised land is not as green as you thought it was, you’ll only have invested 1-2 years instead of 4-6.

Now, if you were planning on making a MMORPG, my answer might be different. Also, if you want the degree for other reasons (perhaps you want to have a fallback career in AAA gamedev, or software engineering) then that might trump the considerations I’ve mentioned.

]]> By: Michael http://www.gameproducer.net/2007/09/01/is-bachelors-degree-necessary-in-game-development/comment-page-1/#comment-115392 Michael Sun, 02 Sep 2007 01:58:30 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/2007/09/01/is-bachelors-degree-necessary-in-game-development/#comment-115392 I'd say go for the degree! We're not talking about game development with this one - we're talking about learning to learn, meeting and growing with like-minded individuals and giving yourself the best possible chance to succeed in life. There are a million ideas out there (of which I've contributed my share) but there are only a handful of people smart enough to know what to do with them. I know there are plenty that have made it big without a degree, but I bet if you got the stats on educated vs uneducated success stories, the learned folk would come out on top. In my opinion - whilst I appreciate that this fellow wants to get this done in a hurry - if he's serious about building the right foundations for a prosperous career (whichever field that may be in) he's first got to get his head in the right space. Choose the right degree and get it done. I’d say go for the degree!

We’re not talking about game development with this one – we’re talking about learning to learn, meeting and growing with like-minded individuals and giving yourself the best possible chance to succeed in life.

There are a million ideas out there (of which I’ve contributed my share) but there are only a handful of people smart enough to know what to do with them.

I know there are plenty that have made it big without a degree, but I bet if you got the stats on educated vs uneducated success stories, the learned folk would come out on top.

In my opinion – whilst I appreciate that this fellow wants to get this done in a hurry – if he’s serious about building the right foundations for a prosperous career (whichever field that may be in) he’s first got to get his head in the right space. Choose the right degree and get it done.

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