Where can I go to major in Video Game Creation?

Question

I want to major in video game design such as game art and game design or something similar. My goal is to be able to work at Blizzard, EA Games, or similar, or be able to independently create games. What colleges are best suited for this?

This is assuming I can go anywhere I want, from small colleges to IV League universities.

Do I want to go to more specifically oriented colleges such as DigiPen or invest in Stanford or other more prestigious schools?

Answer 1

Pick a school where you will feel comfortable personally, socially, and financially -- that will go a long way toward helping you succeed academically.  Where you get your degree will matter for getting your first degree in the game industry, but ten years into your career, it really won't matter.

Don't go to a for-profit school.  Among real (non-profit) 4-year institutions, it's really up to you.  Quite a few schools have dedicated game design programs these days...ranging from traditional powerhouse CS schools to art schools like the Parsons School of Design...at a large state school without a killer reputation you'll have to work harder to "get noticed" as a stellar computer programmer/game designer, but then it'll be a lot cheaper than something like Stanford or MIT.

BTW, it's the Ivy League, not the IV League, unless you are talking about Christian schools :)

Answer 2

You could always go to Cal Art.  

http://www.calarts.edu/filmvideo

There is another one in Florida at Universal Studios.

http://www.daveschool.com/

This is one that we had a lot of interns work with us when I worked for Disney:

http://www.fullsail.com/flash/index.cfm?...

Good Luck!

Answer 3

For game design, 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 undergrad program.  True game design is accomplished almost entirely with writing and math, and involves no art or programming.



If you're interested in design, go to any good 4 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.



If at all possible, go to school near a city with a lot of game studios, like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Seattle, etc.  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.