Questions related to my future and gaming

[Firemac]

I've always had tons of ideas for games starting since I was a little kid. I've never gone out of my way to make one or anything, but now that my life is reaching that all important time of obtaining knowledge for my career I wanted to find out what I should do.

If I wanted to look to other game companies what type of classes should I take in college? I'm currently taking AP Computer Science in my 12th grade year, and I thought I should major in Computer Science, but I really don't want to just program, I want to deal with all aspects of designing a game.

So to restate my question. What classes should I take to get on a good start for my gaming career?

Also, does anyone know how exactly does one get the chance to direct his/her own game? I mean I know pretty damn well that no one is gonna hire me and then let me automatically create a game as my first job.

[Blank]

Well firemac, you sound like you want to be a lead designer. Unfortunately, you won't be able to create everything in the game universe. However, the lead designer has the ability to add and cut and make decisions on what needs to be done. Now, this freedom is limited by a producer, who basically hands you the funds you need to develop the game. He can tell you whatever he wants in the game and you pretty much have to do it, unless A) You want your funds cut off or B) You never want funding from them again.

Also, does anyone know how exactly does one get the chance to direct his/her own game? I mean I know pretty damn well that no one is gonna hire me and then let me automatically create a game as my first job.

Well, it basically works like any other job. You make your way up the ranks, usually starting at an entry job such as a texture artist, concept artist, programmer, or tester. As you become more accustomed to your field (and hopefully better) oppertunities and jobs will arise that give you more freedom in the overall design of the game, such as lead artist, lead programmer, or level designer. These jobs begin to also give you freedom to lead a team, which will hopefully reflect your strong leadership skills and possibly offer you the chance to be the lead designer of a project. It may not be your game, but you will be making the calls.

Now, on to directing your own game. This can happen three ways:

1. You have a strong track record for leading projects (Shigeru Miyamoto, Fumito Ueda, etc.)

2. The game is developed in-house without the higher authority of a producer. Still, I'm sure whoever your making games for wants to see a track record as well.

3. You have your own studio.

Three is probably the least realistic. Choice one is more likely.

So to restate my question. What classes should I take to get on a good start for my gaming career?

Depends on what you exactly want to do. You seem to be going down the path of a programmer, which means you should probably take a C++ and Basic class. GH33DA's thread (http://forums.allgames.com/showthread.php?t=9453) has some more insight into this. After you have a grasp of those two languages, look into other programming languages. Whatever you can find.

I would also like to add to that and say you should deffinantly take a theatre or public speaking class as well. You're going to need it when your trying to obtain funds from a producer or get a job in the industry.

Mine as well scan through IGDA (http://www.igda.org/) as well. Sign up for the free newsletter and read a few articles here and there.

Hope that helps.

[Firemac]

I guess I should probably take that public speaking class, because I'm pretty bad at just talking to a person on a one-to-one basis.

[Blank]

You're deffinantly going to need it if you want to lead a game, let alone work on a team.

[Chris-Michael]

Sorry if I'm derailing the thread a bit but will sculpting get me anywhere in this industry? I've always designed my own characters by sculpting since I was a little kid and I've always been commented on it, but will it actually be of any use in game design? I'm thinking not but who knows. :/

[Blank]

Sorry if I'm derailing the thread a bit but will sculpting get me anywhere in this industry? I've always designed my own characters by sculpting since I was a little kid and I've always been commented on it, but will it actually be of any use in game design? I'm thinking not but who knows. :/

Modeling. So yes.

[Captain N]

I want to be just like Itagaki. He's my hero <3

[Firemac]

Yeah, because you see Blank, I totally, want to design some characters, decide on the music, program it a little, get the story down, deal with level design. I really want the game feel like it was mine ya know.

[Terminal]

lol you wanna be Kojima.

[Blank]

Yeah, because you see Blank, I totally, want to design some characters, decide on the music, program it a little, get the story down, deal with level design. I really want the game feel like it was mine ya know.

No offense meant by this, but that will be seen as incredibly selfish on your part. You're on a team and you need to respect the team and share their vision. If you don't do that, you'll have huge problems.

Nevertheless, the lead designer and producer are the ones that deal with all of this. You won't be working directly in every aspect of the game, but you can say what stays and what goes.

[Firemac]

Don't think I'd just toss my team's ideas back in their faces. I'd consider them. That's how I like to work anyways. I'm just saying, I definately want to be a part of as much of the game as possible.

[Blank]

Don't think I'd just toss my team's ideas back in their faces. I'd consider them. That's how I like to work anyways. I'm just saying, I definately want to be a part of as much of the game as possible.

Of course, who doesn't? :)

Any other questions?

[Firemac]

As of now, no. I may reuse this thread to ask anymore questions though. =D

[Blank]

As of now, no. I may reuse this thread to ask anymore questions though. =D

Please do, I'm sure GH33DA and anyone else in or "getting in" the field would be happy to assist.

[Oomba]

{
int input=0;
cout<<"Do you want work in the gaming field?";
cin>>input;
cout<<"Go to college";
return 0
}

Dim you as string
you = inputbox ("Do you want to work in game design? y or n", "Yes or No")
If left$(you, 1)= "y" then
msgbox "Go to college"
Elseif left$(you, 1) = "n" then
msgbox "Pick a different job"
Else
msgbox "Please type y or n"
End if

[Firemac]

is that C++, at first i thought it was Java, but then I noticed certain things were different

[Oomba]

is that C++, at first i thought it was Java, but then I noticed certain things were different

C++ up top, Visual Basic on the bottom

[Firemac]

I had a crappy teacher when I was supposed to be learning Visual Basic, so I know diddly squat of Visual Basic.