abit off topic but still relating to games....

[PS2Hawk]

I want to go in videogame development, currently I go to uoft, I am in engineering but I am thinking of transfering to computer scinece.

now going to computer science I will get some credits but will have to do all the programming courses from scratch.

my second option is to go to private college and get a diploma in Video game design & development. the diploma is way faster, 18 months but costs alot, almost as much as computer science degree.

But my main concern is the employers. I want to get a decent job, work for few years and then start a small company. Not alone with friends ofcourse.
Does anyone has any advise for or any experience. I just dun wanna rush in and dump alot of money with no future.

thanks for reading!!!!

[EnemyZero]

ive looked into this many times, it really depends on your location or where your willing to locate...i mean the only place i can say safely you can probably get a job is if you went to DigiPen which is hosted by the big N, and most the students go right into nintendo, if your not near seattle, then i dunno, but other than that, most places are in cali and texas (since cali is a swift flight across the ocean from japan most of the japanese suites locate there american HQ on the western seaboard)

[Iron Draggon]

There's specialty schools for stuff like that here in Texas? Where? I thought they were all in California. All the ones that I've heard of are in San Francisco or Los Angeles. I wish I could go to one of those schools, but I'm too poor. I'm lucky I can even go to tech school to learn PC & network maintenance.

[yuppicide]

Check out Full Sail in Florida. They are amazing. I toured the campus in 2004 and loved it. Originally my friend and I wanted to go for Computer Programming, but then he decided on Computer Animation and I said I'd go for music production.

When you graduate from there you are able to go back at ANY time in the future and take courses! They are always expanding and manufacturers always send them new stuff first. So, when they get new stuff you can go take the course for free.

When I toured the music production studios it was awesome. They have a mobile recording studio, a full stage where they sometimes have bands come and play, they classroom had like 8 or 9 full Protools setups which are very expensive, plus they had a full recording studio.

[pacmanhat]

In a few days I'm starting a Game Design degree at Brown College here in Minnesota...the program seems excellent and they're very helpful when it comes to getting you a job once you're out the door. It'd be a long way to go for you (and it isn't cheap), but I submit it for your consideration anyway.

[Porkchop]

ive looked into this many times, it really depends on your location or where your willing to locate...i mean the only place i can say safely you can probably get a job is if you went to DigiPen which is hosted by the big N, and most the students go right into nintendo, if your not near seattle, then i dunno, but other than that, most places are in cali and texas (since cali is a swift flight across the ocean from japan most of the japanese suites locate there american HQ on the western seaboard)

I have spent a bunch of money sending my son to DIGIPEN for 4+ years. He will finish up in August and I hope he gets a job. Ask again in August and I will let you know how he did.

I would agree with EmemyZero the majority of game companies are on the west cost so moving there to go to school gets you in the right area for a job. I would disagree that the big N give jobs to most of the grads. My son says some go to NOA but not most. NOA does provide the building and classrom space for DIGIPEN and at one time the President of the college also worked for NOA in some capacity.

If you go to DIGIPEN you got to love programming and video games, because it is a lot of work. Long hours working on projects. Every course in the 4 year degree in Realtime Interactive Simulation is geared toward video gaming. Even the courses like History and English that the state made them put in the degree program relate to video games. They require you to take more computer courses than you will see at any other college programs and there are also some hard math and physics courses.

Also the school is almost all guys. I think there are about 6 girls in the whole school.

On the good side if you go to school there you can go to E3 and the Game Developers Conference each year. They schedule spring break for the same week as the GDC.


Oh, almost forgot the cost for DIGIPEN is about $12,000 per year plus things like room and board. Once you get past the first two years there a few books to buy because most of the stuff they teach in not in books. That will save you a little over a normal college.

Good luck!

[Crazycarl]

well im currently going for my local community college for video game design. im going to tranfer (hopfully) to Digipen, or NYU. from what i've been hearing if u want a job get the education. especially with companies going to outside sources (in the US) to find cheap labor, you have to have a lot of education behind you. atleast this is what i've hurd. but good luck i want the compatition :D

[CartCollector]

There's specialty schools for stuff like that here in Texas? Where? I thought they were all in California. All the ones that I've heard of are in San Francisco or Los Angeles. I wish I could go to one of those schools, but I'm too poor. I'm lucky I can even go to tech school to learn PC & network maintenance.
Yeah, The Guildhall at SMU. (http://guildhall.ecsrv.smu.edu/welcome.php)