Gaming Colleges? Are they worth it ?

Question

What school should I attend if I'm serious about game design. I have VERY LITTLE C++ experience but that doesn't matter. I just want to know if it is worth it going to a college like digipen . I've read that i can major in what i want and still be able to get into game design. Please help. Thanks

Answer 1

Assuming that you’re using the term “game design” correctly, you are correct that the vast majority of specialized majors and schools aren’t worth it. Within the game industry, “design” means the process of coming up with the details of the gameplay, using math and writing. It's the designer's job to come up with the ideas for every tiny detail of the game, and communicate those ideas to the programmers, artists, testers, etc. The designer decides what NPC the player encounters where, and what the NPC will say; what weapon the player can get at what point in the game and how much damage it does; what attacks a boss mob has and how much damage they do, etc.

So if you really mean game design, and not game programming or game art, then there isn't really a school or major that's better than any other. A lot of schools will try to tell you they have game design majors, and that's flat out false. They're either 100% art and no design whatsoever, or they won't prepare you any better than a "normal" college would (the only exceptions to this are the Masters program at Carnegie Mellon, and possibly USC's program).

If you're interested in getting into game design, you can go to any good four year college and major in whatever you want. Just pick a major that you enjoy and that will allow you graduate as quickly as possible. Along with your major take math up through Calculus 1, and at least two courses in Statistics, two courses in writing, one Computer Science course, and one art course. Math and writing are the main tools of a designer, and the CS and art courses will help you work with your programmer and artist colleagues later on. Fill up the rest of your course requirement with a wide liberal arts education -- history, literature, mythology, sociology, psychology, etc, are all useful in game design.

But in some ways, where your college is located is more important than what you major in.

Most game companies will not pay for relocation for an entry level job, and some won't even interview you if you don't live in the area, so it'll be a lot easier to find a job after college if you already live near several studios. There's a map here: http://gamedevmap.com/ that lists every game studio by city. Try to find a college in a city with at least 10 game companies. If at all possible, go to school near a city with a lot of game studios, like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Seattle, etc.