   I want to get into Game Development... Schools?
  If this kind of post dosent belong here, please move it or delete it.Playing video games have been my passion for as long as I can remember.  I have also made a big influence beta testing a few of today's MMORPG's.  I've taken classes in school such as Animation, Visual Basic 1 and Visual Bacic 2... Advanced HTML, etc.  I am also taking Computer Science 1 and 2 next year which I hear all you do is pretty much learn Java. I also tought myself BASIC at about the age of 12, and I currently know Visual Basic, HTML, and the tinyest bit of Java.  I picked up two "Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days" books and I plan on starting those 21 days soon. For the longest time, I also made scripts for a program named Scar 2.03.  I have also worked with Morrowind's world editor to make my own house in the middle of Balmora when I used to play it :-P.  I am 16... a month away from 17 in my junior year of high school and I want to get into Game Development.  Anyone suggest anything I should be doing?  Once I take those two Computer Science classes next year I can claim that I have taken every computer course I can.  Im starting to think maybe I should start trying to get into the closed beta testing of some bigger games?  I'm also going to start trying to teach myself C++...  what else should I try to get under my belt?  I was hoping to maybe start doing some things that I could actually put in a portfolio.Also, I've been thinking about schools and such. Should I attend a school such as Full Sail or DigiPen?  I was reading around and some people seem to think a computer science degree would get you further... I'm not sure what to do.  In my opinion, a school like full sail would help me make my portfolio through the projects and stuff that I do there, but a computer science degree would make a job much easier to get because its so general. I'll probably be going down to viset Full Sail and DigiPen this summer...  anyone know any other good schools or have any suggestions?I'm not going to be on until tonight, but if anyone wants to AIM me... my screen name is 'GNeon'.Thanks :-)   
  If you have read through the hundreds of previous threads on this subject, then you already know what all the issues are and what people think about them. There isn't much more that can be said. So, rather than going over it again, I'll just say this: get the best education you can afford.One more thing: being a beta tester or playing lots of video game shows that you are enthusiast about games (for what that's worth), but it doesn't count as experience.One more thing: don't worry about a portfolio now. You still have 4 or 5 or more years of school ahead of you.   ;  start as modder as your hobby, and try learn programming on the side.Just aim for a general computer science degree so you don't get a too narrow education. Specialize later.   ;  Get a computer science degree.  You'll learn a lot more about computers, and will thus be better prepared for programming, both games and non-gaming software.  And it's a good backup for non-computer jobs, if you're ever in that situation.Don't worry about not having a portfolio with a CS degree.  You'll have 4 years, which is plenty of time, to do what you want in your spare time, including a portfolio.   ;  First off, are you sure that programming is the area of game development you are most interested in? Aside from engineers there are lots of artists, testers, audio artists, etc needed to make games.Do you really enjoy building 3D worlds? Maybe you should think about taking art classes and pursue being an artist or level designer.If you really want to pursue a career in programming video games here are my opinions on the matter (I know people who are employed in the game industry that have gone to both University and game dev schools so their experiences as well as mine are responsible for my opinions):-University/College gives you everything you need to be a great programmer provided you are willing to put in the effort. The problem is that it is up to you to take courses that will help you build experience for the game world (this is easier done at some schools as opposed to others).-Game schools allow you to focus on games! The people that I know that went to game school were not happy with it. They said that the program was very unorganized, the teaching staff was underqualified and the work assignments were not relevant (although they were allowed to do their own projects over work assignments). NOTE: This is only one school. I don't know anyone that went to any of the big game schools.The biggest thing I could tell you about becomming a programmer is that you're going to have to drive your own education no matter what school you go to. It takes a special kind of person to be a programmer (and an even crazier person to want to work in games). You already said that gaming is a passion of yours, but before you pursue a job in the industry, make sure that PROGRAMMING games (or being a game artist, or being a QA Tester, etc) is also one of your passions. It is a tough job and you'll work long hours at a lot of studios.   ;  ok, i am going to a place called Full Sail which is located in Florida. I don't know about their staff but their campus has the most high tech stuff and if you don't want a degree in game dev then u can switch to music and the such. look it up in google, its really nice. then theirs brown computer science school which is another one ive seen but i have not done my research on that one.   ;Quote:The people that I know that went to game school were not happy with it. They said that the program was very unorganized, the teaching staff was underqualified and the work assignments were not relevant (although they were allowed to do their own projects over work assignments). NOTE: This is only one school. I don't know anyone that went to any of the big game schools.I went to DigiPen (graduated last Spring).  The program was a bit unorganized, but the teaching staff was top-notch.  The assignments were completely relevant (we were building game engines from the ground up throughout our classes) and we did four full games throughout the 4 years (Text game, 2D scroller, 2D/3D with AI and physics, 4th year "wildcard" the rules: make a great game).I have heard the horror stories of some of the other game schools (I work with some Full Sail alumni...) but I would say if you're interested in a game-specific degree, DigiPen is a great place to go.  Just be sure you're ready for 50-60 hour weeks and some insanely difficult classes. :)   ;  Wow, I never expected to get so much feedback!Thanks to everyone who replied.I went into the Forum FAQ and found alot of good information there, too. I'm not sure what I want to do, its such a hard decision.  I need to ask the game companies exactly what they look for in a resume or something.  I hear someone say that they throw away anyone who just went to a game school... anyone else hear this too?   ;Quote:I hear someone say that they throw away anyone who just went to a game school... anyone else hear this too?If there is someone out there that is such an arrogant ass (which I'm sure there are), I wouldn't want to work for him anyway.  So maybe it's a good thing that I would get weeded out before I had to deal with his shit :)Usually, when I mention DigiPen, I see the person start to listen just a little harder.  Most people are curious as to how good the school actually is, so they want to hear what you have to say.  Even though this means they are "unsure", it gives me the chance to get in there and wow them (as opposed to trying when they aren't really paying attention).   ;  There are a lot of Digipen grads on these forums; JPetrie, JBourrie, and myself off the top of my head. I doubt that any of us can think of anyone who was legitimately unhappy with their educational experience at Digipen (though correct me if I'm wrong guys) It IS a really good school and you won't have any trouble finding employment after graduation either in games, as Petrie and Bourrie have done, or doing development outside the games industry, as I have. Its true of all schools that you'll get out what you put in and perhaps even more true of places like Digipen and Fullsail where you have semester and year-long group projects to contribute to. While you do get a pretty good breadth of the important CS topics (Computer Organization, Data Structures, etc) you won't get much of the more in-depth and slightly esoteric university Comp. Sci. Staples (Operating system design, Compiler design, etc.) you'll also spend more time focusing on the "industry Standard" languages C & C++, rather than a wider breadth of languages and paradigms typically taught at universities (like functional programming with haskell for isntance.) This can be both a blessing and a curse, as you'll be deeply experienced with C++ but not be very comfortable with non-procedural or non-C-like languages.I guess the soundest advice I can give you as someone who himself went to Digipen straight out of high school is to really consider your options. Digipen was great to me, but in hindsight, I think I would have been better prepared by going to a university program first then attending Digipen for an additional or master's degree later. I feel this way now even dispite the fact that I had completed several small games and programs before Digipen.   