In my (limited) experience: computer science is a real degree that will be respected by both games and non-games companies, while game degrees are a joke. YMMV.

haha yeah i hear alot of ppl say that people look down on you if you major in game programming as oppose to computer science and the question i want to know is why?? if the only thing i want to learn is programming specifically for games.

Many game programming courses miss a lot of the theory behind programming. They'll also sometimes just skip it all together, having you make games only using an engine like Unreal. Either way, it can work for a job at a higher level, like a level scripter. But you'll miss out on a lot of the information that a CS + EE course will teach about compilers, operating systems, assembly, embeded systems, parallel programming, etc. This means the game degree is often, by itself, useless for getting a job on an engine or tools team. And it is also useless for getting a job an any other computing field.

A lot of people will say, perhaps rightly so, that a "pure" CS degree, or even a 4-year degree in a related technical field (mathematics, physics, CE, EE, etc) is the better degree -- certainly they are more versatile, and certainly they are more appealing on a resume in some cases. Like any industry, you will find certain organizations which prefer or poo-poo certain applications coming from grads of a certain school based solely on the perception, or past experiences, of previous applicants from said school. There are organizations which more-or-less blacklist, for example, Digipen grads, and there are also organizations that have had great experiences with Digipen grads, and snap them up readily. If I had to characterize the reception of, again, Digipen grads as an example, it opens some doors more widely, while closing some others -- while how widely doors are opened to graduates of university programs largely depends on the reputation of the school, and doors are almost never closed off entirely.

That said, not all "game-programming" degrees are worthless -- Any game-focussed degree offered by a traditional 4-year state school ought to be just as good as their standard CS program. Also, Digipen has a very serious program which, although the program sacrifices *some* breadth and *some* depth in tangentially-related subjects, gains a great deal of depth in hands-on game implementation, team work, planning and project-management skills, as well as having a shear amount of applied programming that most university programs don't touch. In my opinion, having been there myself (so *disclaimer*), Digipen is the only "game school" worth attending that is not affiliated with a 4-year university.

As a general rule, avoid any tech-school which runs ads during episodes of Jerry Springer (University of Phoenix, Devry, ITT, etc) -- many of which offer game development degrees amount to not much more than a high school diploma -- preparing grads for an exciting career in game testing and a lifetime of crushing debt. These programs exist only to exploit young adults desperate to get into what they perceive as a "party" industry, which, by the way, it is assuredly not -- as well as parents equally desperate to get little Timmy away from the XBox and give him some direction in life.


There's also FullSail, which straddles a sort of wierd middle-ground that exists beyond the tech-schools, but fails to achieve the theoretical soundness of even Digipen, let alone a University program. I can characterize them, mostly, as turning out game-industry footsoldiers -- ready to hit the ground running, but a long way from being leaders. I have real problems with their style of curriculum, and the fact that it's "accelerated" -- which is, as far as I can tell, merely a way to charge people 4 years worth of tuition, for 3 years time, to learn less than what I got in just 2 years at Digipen.


The bottom line, from my perspective, is that you should consider good 4-year universities, universities with gaming or media-focussed programs, and Digipen. None of the other gaming options are worthwhile, in my opinion.

I think that the most important is not to close too many doors behind you. If you choose game programming school, you will probably miss a lot of theory about programming etc., as already stated. In such a case you will not be able to work in other fields than game programming. And believe me, in most cases a job as a programmer in typical business company is:
- easier to find
- easier to progress when you're in
- better paid
- less stressfull (fe. crunch time is really smaller if not completely eliminated)

I don't want to say that such jobs are better in all aspects, but if you will not be able to find a job in a game company, wouldn't it be nice to have other options?

Game programming degrees just smell weird and unnecessary to me. Imagine taking "Library architecture" rather than an architecture degree, or "Stomach surgery" rather than medicine. Most people specialise later on, either in their choice of career or in further education.

I think any good CS course, with lots of independent learning and practical work* (focusing on games if you wish), is a superior solution.

* [size="1"]This is vital even outside games, if you want to become a good programmer

The bottom line, from my perspective, is that you should consider good 4-year universities, universities with gaming or media-focussed programs, and Digipen. None of the other gaming options are worthwhile, in my opinion.

I would have to agree with Ravyne.


In my opinion, your ability to learn about game programming and computer science related material is usually only hindered by your drive and motivation to excel.
Being in any university will provides you the guidance and direction, but ultimately, the rest is up to you.

However, the one one thing I feel that people don't bring up enough when asked the "game or regular university" question is what you can learn out of the classroom.
I would say that the greatest benefit to studying at a gaming focused course is NOT about the math, physics or CS material they teach - it is the experience of producing a game.
You would not likely get this opportunity at any other university and no structured course can ever teach you how to effectively and efficiently work in a team.
Learning the dynamics of performing in a game development team is invaluable and I feel it's essential skill to work in the industry.

I'm biased towards DigiPen because I'm currently a student there and the experience has been fantastic so far.
They teach you the lower level hardcore stuff and you don't have the liberty of using commercial or open source engines for any of your projects.

Plus, being able to find a group of other students who are as passionate about you as developing a game is amazing - which extremely difficult to do in other schools.