How respected is a BA in Interactive Arts/Entertainment by the gaming industry?

Question

If I were to get a BA in that instead of, say, Fine Arts, would I have a better chance of getting a job at a development studio or not?

Answer 1

You definitely need a Bachelor's degree to get into the game industry, but what degree is best depends on what area of development you want to get into. There are four basic areas of the development team: design, programming, art, and level building, which are supported by production, Quality Assurance, customer service, sound design, marketing, business development, etc. Designers write up the details of every tiny aspect of the game and come up with the math to support it. Programmers take the written details from the designers and implement it using programming languages like C++ and/or in-house tools. Artists create the 3D art, animations, textures, etc for everything in the game. And level builders take assets created by the artists and create the physical layout of the world.

For programming, get a degree in Computer Science. For art, get a Bachelor's of Fine Arts at a school that offers classes in 3D/computer art and animation. Level designers can go a similar route. For game design, it doesn't matter what you get your degree in. A BA in Interactive Arts and Entertainment is as good as a degree in English Literature, or Psychology, or Theatre, etc. So you should definitely not pay more to go to a school that offers a BA in Interactive Arts and Entertainment, but if the school you like offers that major and you enjoy it, then it is just as good as any other major when it comes to game design.

Whatever area of development you decide on, if at all possible go to school near city with a lot of game studios, like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Seattle, etc. Most game companies will not pay for relocation for an entry level job, and some won't even interview you if you don't live in the area, so it'll be a lot easier to find a job after college if you already live near several studios. There's a map here: http://gamedevmap.com/ that lists every game studio by city. Try to find a college in a city with at least 10 game companies.

Answer 2

umm no i dont believe so. What video games are you speakme approximately? given that i kinda like video games with a good storyline. But If you desire a sport that practically IS an interactive film, get heavy rain. I imply relatively, you simply take a seat there and watch almost the entire sport however press unique buttons as they look on display. The entire subject and kind of the storyline and the way its instructed is precisely the identical as a film too.

Answer 3

This is one of those fields (as is music and theater) where your portfolio is far more important than your degree. The degree is nice but in the arts, we hire the applicant that can produce not the one with the best degree.

So, what you need to find is a degree program that will help you become a better artist while developing a solid portfolio that shows off your skills.

Answer 4

No matter what job you are trying to get a BA looks good. It puts you above the other people appling for the job.