Seriously considering a career in video games?

Question

I'm 24 and want to make video games my new career.
I've been going to college for the past 5 or so years (last major was science so I'm used to hard work and studying) and recently dropped out for some health issues not to mention did not like where I was headed.
I thought to myself, if I won the lottery, what would be my ideal career...video game design.. so why not do what I love even if I didn't win the lotto?

I have zero experience, but would love to go to a school. Maybe even work for Nintendo. Can anyone tell me what kind of career path there is?

I have heard things like there isn't much job security, which I'm not all that much worried about at the moment but I always figure if I work hard I'll be one of the best and won't have to worry about being one of the ones to get laid off. I'm ambitious and want to make it to the top anyway.

Of course this would be a career in doing something I love for a living, so I only ask for a means to have a comfortable life...

what kind of salaries are there for starting, intermediate and advanced/expert game designers?

Today I'd like to get my feet wet and buy a book at barnes n nobles or borders, can anyone recommend on that would probably be there? Is there a type of programming language that would absolutely be essential (and not be a waste to learn)?

What schools and programs can you all suggest?

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

First things first, congratulations on working towards your dream job : ) It's always nice to see someone have the gumption to drop what they're currently doing and strive to learn something new, especially if it's something they'd enjoy.

However, I will warn you (though you've seemingly heard it before), the gaming industry is one tough cookie to crack. You either a.) make it or b.) don't, especially with the current competition. Couple that with the fact that videos games are now more mainstream than ever, and you'll be looking at one of the most saturated markets in the next 10+ years.

First things first, starting from the basics, I'd HIGHLY recommend Deitel's series of programming language books. They have every single language you could possibly want to learn (to start at least) in a very "from the ground up" perspective. These books are made with the new programmer in mind, and introduce you to the basic concepts of computers, all the way up to the advanced topics. Couple that with the fact that the books are almost entirely full color (a true blessing when you're first learning languages) and that the in-book examples all have "real-world" functionality, there's absolutely no better place to start. They do however carry a pretty hefty cost to them (about $100 a pop give or take) but as a former college student, I'm sure you're quite used to that by now : ) Check my resource section below for a link to their website.

As for languages, I'd recommend C to start (a non-object oriented language) and then learn C++, and C#. Most major programming companies expect a full background knowledge of C/C++ at the very least, and with the help of Microsoft's Game Studio, C# may very well be the next "big" gaming language.

You'll also need some compilers, and you really can't get much better than Microsoft's free Visual Studio IDE's at the moment. (Check the resources section)

Again, congratulations on working towards your dream job. I myself am currently working mine, and I have to admit, there's nothing more satisfying than doing what you love to do on a day-to-day basis.

Oh, and if you need any help getting started or want further direction, shoot me an e-mail at:

[e-mail]

Good luck!

Answer 2

My question to you would be: why game design? There are a lot of jobs in game development. The more specialized knowledge and skills you have, the larger the area of opportunity. There's also a lot of overlap between the worlds of cutting edge game development and digital effects and computer graphics.

Now, here's the reality of the situation: there's a lot of competition out there. Like anything the way you establish yourself is to build a portfolio. How do you do that? Well these days the best way is the world of mods. You create or get involved with a mod project. This will provide two things: experience and a portfolio.

Since you mention science, developers with a strong match, physics and AI background are always in demand, but in particular, for console development, being able to quickly establish an understanding of individial hardware can often differentiate you as someone who can adapt to the constant change.

There really aren't a lot of rules out there: I've seen people come from all sorts of backgrounds, and establish themselves in the game world. The important thing to understand is that you can't afford to wait around for someone to drop an opportunity in your lap. You need to make your own opportunity

Answer 3

The main aspect of being within the sport enterprise is ardour to create new and progressive video games which are pleasurable and a laugh to play. So lengthy as you will have that ardour , Qualification does not particularly issues. However Art is likely one of the primary aspect of a sport, Imagine you will have a best of the road sport engine however Graphics that don't seem to be as much as usual. The possibility of the sport promoting good is rather low. Although you could no longer draw good a minimum of attain a few knowlegde on those main points as it is going to aid you're making Great Games :). Good good fortune for your targets :)