Requirements to be a game DESIGNER?? (not programmer)

[CodeMonkey666]

Hey maybe this is a weird question, but I am wondering, could a person with a computer science degree get a job as a game designer if they possessed good art skills as well, or journalistic skills? I say this because it is my intention to get a job in the videogame industry, but, despite my name, I don't know if I want to be a code monkey per se. Designing games, like role-playing games, and being involved with the artwork or storylines, characters, etc....of such games I find very interesting as well.

 

So I mean does one need like a journalism degree or something for game design jobs, or can a computer science person, provided they have the proper skills, do so as well?

 

I have read that these days to be professional games programmer, unless you are very smart, you need a computer science degree because it will cover some stuff that you just may not learn on your own.

 

I don't know though if that is necessarily true, but if it is, does the same apply for game design positions? I wouldn't think journalism or art requires the same in-depth technical knowledge as programming 3D computer graphics.

 

UGH I swear, for any young teenagers reading this, don't believe your parents when they say, "Oh, by the time you get to college, you'll know what you want to do career-wise."

[Atarinvader]

There are degree course especially for this sort of thing, I know because I applied for one. But generally the industry looks more for experience than qualifications. Most game 'designers' or producers worked their way up from either a coding, testing or modeling jobs.

 

That'd be your best bet. I know here in the UK that there are agencys that specialise in finding work for people in the industry, and I expect, that the States has something similare. You'd be good getting in touch with one of these. Also if you have experience with words then you maybe able to get in on a scripting job, a position which is relatively new to most code houses.

 

What's the US equivilent to Edge?

[CodeMonkey666]

I C, thanks for the info.

[tyranthraxus]

Yeah I'm sure the games biz is a lot like the movie biz. Experience is the

only thing that matters (of course the exception is nepotism). And how

do you get experience when no one hires inexperienced people?

 

I'd find the best coding school you can afford to go to, master

programming and become a mook for some company and work your

way up and it sounds like you are in the position already

 

And on the side you should be working on your own simple little games

so when you start looking for work you could show them some of your

stuff (do clones of card games, 80s arcades and board games to start).

Perhaps if you managed to make a good freeware RPG that would get

you going too.

 

I also bet taking a course or two on learning to draw or writing would

help you in your designs especially for RPGs. I'd also get a book on how

to copyright your stuff so they don't steal your designs.

[Nukey Shay]

Yeah I'm sure the games biz is a lot like the movie biz. Experience is the

only thing that matters (of course the exception is nepotism). And how

do you get experience when no one hires inexperienced people?

 

The same way that it's done in the movie biz. Stay visible (i.e. right place at the right time). Work with stuff on your own. Take part in public productions. Just make a mark...even if it's a small one.

[CodeMonkey666]

I C; well, Digipen I believe is the best coding school for learning to program videogames. They are a hard school though. But they say the videogames industry is like that, which is why they are so hard.