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im out of high school and i want to make it big but...

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3 comments, last by zer0wolf 13 years, 5 months ago
i mean a lot of people tell me that gaming degrees really isn't that necessary to make games so what can i take to make games or should i do multiple majors and what majors should i take also i have another problem it seems that nobody will actually let the past go so i need a school with some learning support cuz i was i repeat WAS autistic but now the psychologist call me near normal so i dont know what i should do and i know for damn sure im not gonna go to college in Saudi Arabia cuz i hate it there and i want to go to the states soo badly..... so please help me game dev please
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i mean a lot of people tell me that gaming degrees really isn't that necessary to make games so what can i take to make games or should i do multiple majors and what majors should i take also i have another problem it seems that nobody will actually let the past go so i need a school with some learning support cuz i was i repeat WAS autistic but now the psychologist call me near normal so i dont know what i should do and i know for damn sure im not gonna go to college in Saudi Arabia cuz i hate it there and i want to go to the states soo badly..... so please help me game dev please

[font="Book Antiqua"]First of all, remember that every opinion you get is just an opinion. Unfortunately, the USSA is most certainly not the great place it used to be, and today success usually has less to do with how much you know, or how productive you are, but mostly "who you know". The "good old days" are gone. The exception to that rule is this. IF you have endless energy, and endless optimism that others cannot squash, and IF you are good at learning on your own, and good at developing (as in finishing) projects on your own, then game schools (like most schools) are a waste of time, effort and money. If you don't have these characteristics, game schools will rarely give you enough advantages to be worth while. If you spend the same quantity of time and effort on your own, learning by doing, and creating small projects that you can demonstrate later, you will be better off than someone who went to game school... and you won't have thrown away money that can be spent much more wisely.

You will always do better if you are always alert, always looking at what is happening and where you believe the next opportunities will lie, then persue them before others, find a way to do better, and make sure you can demonstrate physical proof of your projects. In other words, keep demos of your projects. I can guarantee you this: if you can demonstrate what you've done, and the work is at least reasonably good, you are far ahead of most people who learn to "talk the talk", but cannot show anything they've done. People in companies who need real work done know the difference when they see it.

After today, don't ever tell anyone you are or were "autistic". That's a modern medical scam designed to push drugs and transfer money from parents to the medical establishment. And sadly, most people will be turned away by something that doesn't matter --- because if you can do the work, and do a good job, it doesn't matter whether you're some kind of fish creature from another galaxy who needs to work underwater. Don't lie if someone [can tell and] asks you directly, but don't ever give people any hint of a reason to turn you down.

Another tip. Always offer little, then deliver more, better, faster than you promised. Do not compete with everyone else out there who brags like a PhD, but cannot deliver. Learn to not talk much, and not brag or exaggerate at all... then deliver in spades. That won't be enough, but eventually you might make a good impression on someone who can get you a job somewhere you want. Be happy to take lower jobs than you're qualified for... if they are at places that have jobs you want. Once in the job, keep your ears open. Try to figure out "what they need" and "what are their problems". When you hear a need or problem you know how to satisfy, say nothing... just work your butt off to implement a solution that you can demonstrate, then document it concisely, then go show what you did to whoever has the need or problem. That is how to move up into positions you could never, ever, ever, ever get by "applying to fill open jobs".

And note this. We cannot help you, except in very, very tiny ways. You must make your dreams happen. You will only succeed if you are ready willing and able to keep pushing forward harder, longer, faster and more honestly and diligently than [virtually] anyone else. Fortunately for you, as the years go by, the number of honest, ethical, talented, insightful, productive people falls further and further. So it's a long, hard, difficult road, but you can succeed if you just stay alert, say observant, never lie to yourself... and never give up.
Goo, read the Breaking In FAQs (there's a link atop this forum)

-- Tom Sloper -- sloperama.com

I'm attending a school that offers a couple of useful courses for game development. The biggest thing I'm getting out of this is a paper degree that is required as a basis for most jobs - no matter how skilled you are, some companies will never even look at you if you don't have a college degree. I've also discovered a penchant for 3D modeling that I didn't know I had, so college is also a good place to discover hidden talents. It also teaches you how to be professional and function with members of a group - assuming the college is worth its salt. To be a professional, you must learn to put aside your differences and work towards a project. Sometimes, this means compromising for the better good, and sometimes it means standing firm on a concept until it bears fruit.

You will get out of college whatever you put into it. A lot of your peers there will be lazy, only interested in obtaining a passing grade and always complaining about class, teachers, lessons, labs, exams, the works. Therefore, you also have the opportunity (if you realize it) to *not* conform to the negative surroundings you may be plunged into. Professionalism and efficiency in the midst of laziness and discord is what you will need to succeed - and even exceed.

If you can afford it, go ahead and go to college. Learn to become a communal person and work with others. While there's nothing wrong with plunging directly into, say, a Video Game Design degree (start to finish), make sure you obtain at least one specific proficiency and an understanding of everything you're not specialized in. For example, I know I'm never going to be a coder, but I'll have enough of a grasp of programming to interact with the programming department, and I'll never be a natural artist and be able to draw amazing works like some others, but thanks to Rapid Visualization I will be able to quickly and efficiently express (or flesh out) what is in my head.

Remember: Like anything else, what you put into it is what you get out of it.

Other people have already provided some great advice, so I am going to just try and make a simply request. Could you please use capitalization and punctuation? Sentences end with periods, the first letter of the next sentence should be capitalized, and 'I' should always be capitalized. It makes posts really, really hard to ready when the basics are ignored. biggrin.gif
laziness is the foundation of efficiency | www.AdrianWalker.info | Adventures in Game Production | @zer0wolf - Twitter

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