Get a Degree

First, get a bachelor's degree at a reputable college. The degree serves three purposes:

• First, it establishes your credibility in the eyes of employers.

• Second, it gives you a saleable skill that you can use to launch your career.

• Third, it will teach you how to learn.

These are some of your options:

• Technical school: These schools provide students with a highly focused, narrow education concentrating on the specific skills necessary for success as game programmers. There are a number of schools that operate under this philosophy, and they are turning out a goodly number of graduates each year. These graduates will find good positions as programmers and will play important technical roles in many games projects. Some of these will likely become great game designers, but it will not be due to their schooling. The reason for this is simple: almost all their coursework is in programming. As I stated in the introduction to this book, game design and game programming are different fields.

• Computer science plus game design: Computer science departments all over the country are rushing to bring game design into their own fold. Most of the early efforts have started small, basically little more than a regular bachelor's degree program in computer science with an emphasis on graphics techniques and a few special courses thrown in. With the passage of time, I would expect these programs to broaden, adding more courses from the arts and humanities, as well as special courses specifically about game design (as opposed to game programming).

• Cinema (or media studies) plus game design: The flip side of the computer science approach is the media studies approach. An existing media studies program is broadened somewhat to include computer games. These programs have suffered from the same difficulties that beset the computer science programs: With a dearth of expertise on games in particular, they are forced to approach game design circumferentially. Moreover, these programs are just as weak in the science and technical areas as the computer science programs are weak in the arts and humanities. Academic institutions in the USA are still hobbled by a certain amount of "two cultures" antagonisms the science and engineering side and the arts and humanities side just don't understand each other. These difficulties hurt both sides when it comes to game design.

For some reason, the European academics are not so deeply caught up in these "two cultures wars." I have seen several academic programs at different European universities that achieve a good balance between the science and engineering side and the arts and humanities side. The students seem to be comfortable with both programming and artistic considerations. This model, I think, will work better in the long run.

Eeeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo

So, how do you choose among these options? If your true interest is primarily in games programming, then the technical school or a program at a computer science department will likely serve you best. If you take this approach, however, you must be under no illusions that you will become a game designer. You will likely become a good games programmer and you might might become a game designer if you continue your self-education to make up for the gaps in your education.

LESSON 23

Don't get a job in the games industry unless you really, really love games.

If you are less interested in the technical side, then you should pursue a media studies degree, but you should still supplement your degree program with some courses on programming.

Lastly, you should seriously consider the possibility of studying in Europe. There are a number of programs at European universities that tackle software design in a genuinely multidisciplinary style. Moreover, you need not worry about language problems: Many of these programs are taught in English as the "best common denominator" language.

Unrealistic Expectations

All over the world, millions of kids aspire to be game designers. Many are so intent that they go to special schools for game designers. What's sad about this is that very, very few will ever be game designers. The games industry can support perhaps 10,000 creative workers, the vast majority of whom are programmers and artists who will never design a game. This industry cranks out a few hundred games a year; that means that there are only a few hundred working game designers. Moreover, people in the games industry are paid substandard wages because there are always plenty of eager young kids ready to replace the old pro who's getting tired of living on macaroni and cheese. The only ones who climb high enough in the hierarchy to become game designers are those who are brilliant, talented, and willing to endure a lower standard of living for years.