Video Game Designers out there?

stacey · April 2013

I am wondering if there are any video game design and development people out here in Brooklynianville. My son wants to study this in college and I would like to pick your brain about a few things (if you don't mind)

newguy88 · April 2013

I don't work in the video game field but I'd caution your son against it. For one their are very few jobs per number of graduates from video game design programs. If you get a job it will be doing some really low level coding or very basic play testing. Also you can work horrible hours especially at the end of the development cycle. Then once what ever game your working on is released a lot of publishers sack a bunch of the development team.

moccawaii · April 2013

I suggest your son look into either interaction design OR computer science, as that's a nice way to get the game design principles down without getting a degree that condemns him to one field.

You can be an interaction designer and work in web, app design, or video games. Compsci majors are always in demand since they're the backbone of every computer program, website, and video game. It's all about getting close to what you want and transitioning in. Game design is incredibly risky right now.

stacey · April 2013

Thanks so much. You both pretty much validated what I was thinking.

We are starting our college search and narrowing down schools to go visit.

Is Comp Sci a separate major than interaction design? Or is it a subspecialty that would fall within a Comp Sci major?

friscopete · April 2013

I have a few friends in the video game industry. They seem to really enjoy it. Looks like he could go here;

http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2013/03/19/nyu-to-open-media-and-games-network-in-brooklyn.html

stacey · April 2013

Thanks frisco - We did hear about that school but unfortunately, unless he gets pretty much a full scholarship, that is waaaaay out of our price range. He would absolutely love to be able to go there.

There are so many great schools out there but the price to attend them are giving me heart palpitations.

reader · April 2013

My son attends Poly/NYU and his major will fall under the new department. They recently had a tour of the new space and I am told it is fabulous.

He enjoys the school, but has to work extremely hard. He has a partial scholarship which offsets the tuition sticker shock. When we really started to look at other schools that have lower tuition it is offset by room and board, travel expenses, etc. I have friends that have kids that graduated from SUNY schools a few years ago with over $80,000 in loans.

CUNY is much less expensive but class sizes are very large as are the classes in the SUNY schools.

The student/faculty ratio is low at Poly, your son will not be a number on a seating grid.

Even though the game design program may have more humanity

type classes in the major, there is still a core of classes

that must be taken, Calculus 1 & 11 is non negotiable, plus two semesters of Physics or other related sciences. The humanity classes are not easy A's either.

The school is ethnically diverse, but a vast majority of the students are male.

stacey · April 2013

Thanks reader - yes we have been looking at CUNY and SUNY schools. He actually takes college now classes offered by Hunter. The student/faculty at Poly is what makes me really like it. Luckily he has been a good student.

If you wouldn't mind might I PM you with some more questions? I just wanted to get a feel for what your son thinks the school would be looking for in prospective students.

reader · April 2013

Stacey,

Sure pm me, I can ask my son for input.

Video Game Designers out there?

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