Being one of the few, if not many by now, people who decided to get an education in video game art & design, I sit back and wonder if my decision was worth the time, money and effort. Are you in the same mindset? Honestly, I don’t think I have the answer yet whether the schooling was worth it as I sit here, still not hired at any of the dozens of game studios I have applied to. Had I known that the world economy, and even the “recession proof” video game industry would have taken such a nose dive, along with studio closures and acquisitions, I might not have decided to put all my life savings into a video game related education. But how could I have known? I can’t live in regret, and if you’re in a similar situation as I am, neither can you.
I refuse to give up. I’ve come too far, and changed my life too much to stop now. Breaking into the game industry is 10 times tougher than I had thought. However, helpful resources on how to finally “get your foot in the door” (which could possibly be a 5 foot thick steel door that can survive multiple nuclear explosions) are being produced and updated all the time. There are so many ways of learning the tools you need to succeed in gaining a great job in the video game industry. So many websites, tutorials, articles, schools, training sessions with industry professionals, personal industry contacts.. all there for you to take advantage of. You just have to know where to find them, and once you do, you have to figure out how to take the knowledge you gain, and apply it to your own experience.
Like I have mentioned many times in past articles, GameCareerGuide.com and Gamasutra.com are two such sites that I visit on a regular basis. I haven’t posted anything regarding those sites in a while but I found one article today that I wanted to share with you all. It’s written by an experienced industry professional, Matthew Baxter. In the article, he discusses taking coursework that is heavy in game theory and compares it to other coursework that leans more towards industry related skills. Which is what I always thought was the way to go. Go to a school with game industry links, learn the technical programs needed and you’re well on your way. Maybe too hopeful on getting by with just the basics? However, the skills Matthew takes on at his University in the U.K. provided him with a whole other skill set that many art and tech schools don’t really provide. I found it pretty interesting, especially since he refers to Flow as one of the more unique games that were created because of a different way of thinking taught by the theory courses:
Game Career Guide excerpt:
“Games such as Flow come from the mindsets that theory-heavy courses sometimes create. These courses push students to move away from creating generic games, such as shooters, and consider new ideas focused on real human aspirations and feelings. So, more games that make you think about politics, and less where all you need to think about is your ammo levels.”
That is something I’d like to see more of. I love me some shooters, don’t get me wrong. Firt Person Shooters provided the gateway to taking this path I am currently on but as time goes by, my creative side has surpassed my love for shooting up the bad guys. There are more to video games than that and well, I guess I’m just growing up. The game industry, although shooters will always be around, is growing up as well. Games lilke Flow and Portal are perfect examples of this.
Check out the article for a good read: Coursework vs The Real World
The Gamer Report 