Schooling and Schools...

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8 comments, last by _Lloyd_ 17 years ago
Being that this is my first post, allow me to introduce myself and say hi! I hope this question fits into this forum. I'm going to be entering into the college world soon, and Game Development is one of passions (yay!); however, I'm not exactly sure what kind of classes I should be taking in order to get into such fields. I figured general Computer Science, but some colleges like the Art Institute O` Orange County offer specific Visual Game Programming majors, but unfortunately the Art Institute isn't a viable option (mostly because I got a scholarship to CSULB that pays for two years). So, would just a Computer Programming and Software Engineering course help toward the gaming field? Thanks for reading.
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I took the route of going to a school that offered a program specificly designed for game development(UAT: Arizona).

but to be honest, programing is programing. as long as you take classes that give you a good understanding of OO programing you should be fine.
Quote:
So, would just a Computer Programming and Software Engineering course help toward the gaming field?

General computer science degrees are excellent, and in fact, all things considered, it's often better than getting a degree oriented specifically towards game development.

There are pros and cons of both. Do your research.
Moved to For Beginners.
Yes even I would like to know what should I study to get a job in games industry [rolleyes] I am studying computer science and engineering. I know little bit about my subjects but that litle bit is not enough I guess [sad].

What are the subjects we should master? Programming in C++, data structures, Operating sysyem, Computer architecture, Software engineering ?? Are there any specified courses available that trains use in making games and we can get a job [help]
General Computer Science is a good subject, but I'm afraid you're gonna have to specialise if you want to get in to the game industry. Nowadays, big game companies use a good engine in which the general programming's already done.
Whatever it is, you could always use a good math background.
Er, that's somewhat misleading. While you might ultimately specialize in a particular subject area after you get a job, there's no need to specialize in terms of your degree. Specializing in terms of degree can be extremely limiting. No game development studio in existence will turn you away because you have a "computer science" degree and not an "AI degree," (which doesn't exist at the undergraduate level anyway, which reinforces the point that you should not specialize without first obtaining a solid general foundation).

Whether or not the "general" programming is "done" at a particular studio is irrelevant. Computer science isn't really about programming.
OK, thanks for replies [cool].I just thought I need some training or game development course as I am not skiled programmer, and drawing, 3D models are beyond me.

I will just improve my maths and subjects that should help me I guess.
Honestly,

Understanding linear algebra, data structures, algorithms, and C/C++ (I still think that learning C/C++ well is valuable even if you don't use it) is probably more important than anything. Especially if the school offers a program in 3D graphics or game programming.

I got to spend a semester essentially building up my own little game engine in a regular Bachelors of CS degree program. This way I got to learn what I wanted to in between learning what I NEEDED to.

I have no actual experience with the art institute programs out there so I don't know if they're bad or not. Although I work with two guys that did and they said it wasn't great. Both are great engineers though.

Oh, and specialization doesn't really matter. However if you want to jump into say the Artificial Intelligence field out of school, you're going to have to prove that you know your stuff. I wouldn't hire someone to build the AI of a game for me if I wasn't confident they could do it with minimal assistance. Usually demos and being able to explain problems are better for this than a piece of paper though.
Neat, thanks all.

I was planning on becoming a software engineer anyways, and it looks like that's a field that can easily spill over into the games industry.

It is right?

o.o

Thanks.

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