working from your talents?

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4 comments, last by Drewish 19 years, 6 months ago
Greetings everyone, this is my first post here so my apologies if i'm in the wrong place or somehow failed to abide by the proper forum etiquette. Anyway, this is my situation; i'm the artistic type. I enjoy story writting, role playing, drawing, creating concept art, brain storming, and generally coming up with new and innovative ideas. My question is this; If I wish to break into the game-designing genre will I have to start out as a programer? I am very aware that basic knowledge in any feild is completely necessary, and that of course I must have some basic fundamental concepts on how a game is put together. But it makes no sense to work in an area that I have no interest in nor do my talents lie. (Also might I add, I am aware that schools like Fullsail do exist for people like me, but as i'm sure you know, its very expensive!) If the answer is no, then how would you suggest I start?(consider I have no "real" experience) Any tips, comments, ideas, and so forth will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Quote:Original post by Bedlam
My question is this; If I wish to break into the game-designing genre will I have to start out as a programer?


No. From the Game Design forum FAQ:

Quote:Q: How do I get a job as a Game Designer?

A: Unfortunately, very few companies advertise for Game Design positions, and those that do almost always look for someone for several years of experience. Game Designers are usually promoted from other positions within the game industry, e.g programmers, QA testers, level designers, artists, etc. The other way to turn your game ideas into reality is to develop them yourselves.


Do you want me to move your thread over to there?
"Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it." — Brian W. Kernighan
Quote:Original post by Bedlam
My question is this; If I wish to break into the game-designing genre will I have to start out as a programer? I am very aware that basic knowledge in any feild is completely necessary, and that of course I must have some basic fundamental concepts on how a game is put together. But it makes no sense to work in an area that I have no interest in nor do my talents lie.

(Also might I add, I am aware that schools like Fullsail do exist for people like me, but as i'm sure you know, its very expensive!)

If the answer is no, then how would you suggest I start?(consider I have no "real" experience) Any tips, comments, ideas, and so forth will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Knowing how programs are written can only help. But you're right - if your passion is art/design, stick to it - there are quite a few places on google you can start.

*Most importantly*, though, as far as Fullsail goes, there are a plethra of community colleges now offering degrees in all aspects of Game Design. A cheaper, but nonetheless viable alternative.

Personally, I would try and get enrolled before taking steps at getting employment, as it will open up many more internships as well.
If you're the artistic type, the best thing to do is start learning art applications like Photoshop, 3D Studio Max, Maya and so on. Build up a portfolio of work. Learn how to texture map, rig & animate models.

Some basic knowledge of programming will help too - I wouldn't necessarily dive into C++, possibly try to get your head around Java though - it'll give you insights into the programming side of things. There's an absolute wealth of articles on Gamedev and Gamasutra that would be good to read if you're thinking of breaking into the industry :)

Good luck, and always follow your dream! ;)
---PS3dev
Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the feedback!
No, but if you do get into design it would probably be wise to learn a bit about programming. Nothing to complicated, just enough to understand how exactly a programmer goes about making a game and their limitations, that way you won't be in the dark when it comes to technical matters.

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