Video games degrees: 95% fail to hit skills target

[DennyCrane]

Yes, and far overdue for a derailing.

[Tulkas]

Official Man Card Dot Com

[Kage]

Yeah im looking to become a Game Designer and my original plan was to go to the Guild Hall at SMU. But i have been talking to the Husband of a lady who is in a Musical with me right now and he works at the company that is making Doom 4, and basically they look for the people who spend their lives playing with games and working on the newest technology, not with the people who go to school for that stuff. So instead im just going to stick with Graphic design and keep playing as many Video Games as Possible. Yay Self Education!

[Craig]

doom 4!?! Nice!

[jdeegz]

yeah ID is working on show boating their new game engine, game will most likly suck again.

[Dopefish]

As far as jobs, degrees may look nice on paper, but employers want experience. They want someone who can come in, do the job, and make them money. They're not really looking for a student fresh out of school because they'll just end up having to train them.

[VincentVega]

I didn't learn shit in school. what little that I did I've long since forgotten. you're either good at what you do, or you fail

[FuzzyLogik]

I'm not surprised in the least - even with my field (Computer Science) about 75% of people who get into the school actually manage to pass it. I remember my professors always talking about this because the dean and the president/board were always getting on them for having such a high drop-out rate. It's normal. People have the desire to learn, but just don't have what it takes to make it through all the classes.

Two years experience is as important if not more important than a freaking degree. not that a degree isn't useful - if you really want advancement you need to have one. but it doesn't help with finding and getting a job - just makes you look 'qualified.' Seen many areas that if you have two years experience they'll take it instead of a degree... four years? masters. A degree with two years experience...? masters. etc.

If you want to get into games, go for programming AND graphics design/art degree - then you'll look like a tasty prospect. But then again most of the big companies hand pick their employees since so many people want to work in the field... and quite frankly if you have a family or want to have one and be able do anything else in your life besides work - yeeaaahh... have fun with that. Probably the main reason why I stopping working toward that (and it's been a life long dream. and I love computers and art) - I want a typical 9-5 job where you leave your crap at work and don't bring it home. not 80 hour weeks all the freaking time (unless you work at 3DR, I hear they're pretty good about that) - and I went to school in Napa Valley - anyways, i'm blabbering now...

They really don't have a standardized curriculum for this industry - not sure what the government can do to force standards... I think it's probably needed to be done by the industry getting together with the schools to work out what's necessary to get a cert. or whatever that is applicable. Government doing it for them is bound to be complete fail.

[FuzzyLogik]

speaking of which... 3DR is hiring again!

[DennyCrane]

But in the end, given 2 identical candidates, and one has a degree but the other doesn't? The dude with the degree gets the job (unless it's from DeVry).