Computer games design

doublehelix2

doublehelix2

doublehelix2

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I have occasionally caught a few people in threads say that they are doing Computer game design, although I can't remember which threads they were. Is this type of course considered Mickey mouse? I don't know if you wanted to get into this industry that you wouldn't just start working for a company or even do a CS degree. Has anyone done this course and have any opinions about job prospects or how useful the degree is in getting into a design firm? Is it worth blowing 14k+ on a degree?
 
I just finsished one at portsmouth, complete waste of time, my course really didnt teach what I had hoped, if you want to get into the games industry they are looking for more traditional degree's in specific areas such as CS or art because these types of degrees really dont teach the relevant skills and I can confirm that
 
If I was you, I'd take the safe-bet of studying straight CS. It leaves more doors open once you graduate.
 
Is this type of course considered Mickey mouse?
Not sure about people in the industry, but by joe public yes.
 
I do a Computer Games Art course at Teesside...Pretty useless tbh. Crap because they have to start from scratch and for someone like me who knows 3D Max, Photoshop and the such it can get a drag...

The only reason I went to uni was for the placement year (currently on my placement in London and nearly finished it) which will help a lot in the future and the little bit of paper at the end of my course...
 
C++, assembly/shader languages etc are what games developers need.

A general computer science/computing degree is just too vague and probably wont provide enough skill in 1 area.

If your no good at maths/physics forget the whole thing/maybe look at game art etc.
 
I have to disagree with most of the above post,

if you want to become a programmer you do need to know C++ and well, assembly/shader is important if you are going into engine/graphics programing but its not entirely necessary.

A CS degree is what most studios will look out for. Game design courses are typically crap so avoid and either do a CS degree or an Art degree depending on what field you go into, and just choose your modules that would be game related.

Also make sure you produce a really good portfolio.

It does not really matter too much if you are rubbish at maths/physics (unless of course you want to be an engine or physics programmer). If your portfolio stands out enough to show you do know what you are doing you will get by with out these skills but some understanding of it is required.

My advice would be get a CS degree from a good university and put together some kick ass game demos. And you will get a job in the industry.
 
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Most CS courses are too vague now days without any decent skills. Back in the day, yeah sure, now you need a more engineering course. And yeah game related courses are pointless.
 
I study CS at Queen's uni over here, they have a games design course that I have a few mates in and it seems to be deadly. They get absolutely raped the entire year, on top of our most difficult modules.

If its considered mickey mouse Id kill myself afterwards! They have a serious workload and have MUCH more programming work/knowledge than us. I cant imagine it being looked upon less favourably than CS but that may depend largely on the university
 
Shicky said:
They get absolutely raped the entire year, on top of our most difficult modules.
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This one? Can't comment on anything other then how they are learning some microsoft routines, which may or may not be relavent. The course description tells me 0. What practical stuff they do? I don't care if you can churn out essay after essay about AI or how to create amazing models.

If you can't write code, you are useless for the programming side of the job. Which the only one I can comment on. No practical proof of ability, is what makes courses "mickey mouse".

Personally I would be far more interested if you knew how to code well rather if you did a specific angle. Good programmer will learn, bad one won't know what they are doing anyway.

PS: Not course bashing, just the actual description.
 
Shicky said:
I study CS at Queen's uni over here, they have a games design course ..

They have a serious workload and have MUCH more programming work/knowledge than us.
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I don't think the typical "Games Design" course is much about programming.

Straight up Games Programming (sounds like the type of thing you mentioned) or Games Art courses can be good, depending on the university.

But I think it's safe to say that any other games-related course has a very high chance of being a waste of time.
 
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Correct me if I am wrong anyone who is up on current coursework at Uni. I speak as a freelancer with experience in 3d modelling, texturing, environment design, 2d and 3d over the last ten years. From my experience I think 'computer games design' as a degree is more a general applied all rounder type of degree appropriate to the gaming industry as a whole. It's good to have, no doubt, and will get you in. But if you are interested in a specific field within the industry for example such as coding, then you're likely better off going down the CS/programming route. Or if graphics, UI and environments are your blend then design graphics and/or digital art and design, CGI/computer animation, 3d modelling courses can get you through the very same post degree doors.

I would also suggest that people who opine that any of them are 'mickey mouse' are really being plain ignorant, or they simply don't know any different.

Working as a jr in related digital position is worth around 18 to 20k pa. You could with a degree go possibly straight into a mid level position which will be worth around 25 to 32k pa. Lead positions after a couple of years with a good firm could easily net you around 35 to 45k pa. Is it worth blowing 14k to do the three to four year coursework ?

The answer lies within ;)
 
Ive just finished a BSc in Computer Games Design at Staffordshire University.

From my opinion and those of the lecturers its certainly not a mickey mouse course.

Rather than the programming (theres a seperate Games Programming degree for that) it focuses more on the design. Ill give a few examples of the content available in the course.

Handheld Games Design - Creating modelling/textured/animated assets within the constraints of handhled platforms like the psp and ds
3D Character Modelling - Creating your own character from start to finish with all of the modelling/texturing/rigging and conceptual elements involved.
3D Facial Modelling - same as above but focusing on the construction of a detailed head/face
Motion Capture/Data Handling - using the on-site Motion Capture studio owned by Rare to create animation using mocap.
Character Animation - Creating an animated sequence involved a 3d character.
Games Design 2A/2B - making a mod in a team for an existing game engine with a fully functional level and cutscenes.

Theres a load of different modules but those are just some of the core ones.
 
Shicky said:
I study CS at Queen's uni over here, they have a games design course that I have a few mates in and it seems to be deadly. They get absolutely raped the entire year, on top of our most difficult modules.

If its considered mickey mouse Id kill myself afterwards! They have a serious workload and have MUCH more programming work/knowledge than us. I cant imagine it being looked upon less favourably than CS but that may depend largely on the university
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I'm going to be studying CS at QUB next year :D, and i've got a few questions

Do they teach the extreme basics in first year, or do they expect you to know a little, e.g. Java etc?
What are the lecture/practical class sizes like in the first year ?
And what are the staff like? I've still got the option of going to UUJ.

Thanks, Neil.
 
I did 3 years Computing in Multimedia Programming in DLIADT in dublin. I came out having learnt very little apart from what I taught myself of java during the last two years of it. The course itself was pretty hopeless. It's all about what you do yourself and what you learn yourself during it. If you go into any course with just the aim of passing then it's going to do you little good.

I took 2 years out thinking I'd be able to get a job then, wrong, after a couple of 5-6 month contracts doing menial programming/web site updating etc I went back and did a 4th year honours degree in Software Development in GMIT galway. It was a much better course, much more hands on and taught me how to go about actually designing a program instead of jumping into the code.

Again though the biggest thing I learnt through the year there was XNA and c# programming along with shader code and made myself a nice little terrain engine. That wasn't on the course curriculum but I used it as my end of year project and taught me more about game design then both the courses combined.

Now in september I'm going to Trinity in dublin to do the game design course there. What I hope to learn during the year there will be how to put all my knowledge I have together to create an actual game and not just an engine. I also hope to learn c++ in my spare time as I've never written in that and while c# and xna might be great for learning game design and while some may say it's the future of game development (unlikely really) c++ is what all the studios still use.

So basically it doesn't matter much what the course teaches it matter what you will teach yourself during the course. From talking to several game developers over the course of last year they don't care much about what degree you have they care about what you can do. So make some small games, don't aim for something too big, that was my mistake last year. Make sure your small games show off the different areas you'll want to work in, multiplayer network stuff, shaders, AI etc..

And to get you started read this:
http://www.gamedev.net/reference/design/features/makegames/default.asp

I cannot overemphasise how important that article is to read through, understand and follow. Like I said my biggest mistake was aiming too high, one person can't make a game to rival WoW. What you can do is make small games to show off your skills and then join a studio to make a proper big game.
 
Demoniser said:
Ive just finished a BSc in Computer Games Design at Staffordshire University.
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Me too. High 5. Was a fun course with a few niggles (I hated some of the markschemes :p)

Sounds like the OP is going in the direction of the programming side, so I can't really comment specifically on that. I know in the Art side of things the degree alone won't get you anywhere unless you can back up the work - I'd imagine the same thing is true of the coding side.
 
When you say Computer Games Design what do you mean exactly? Because that general title covers a multitude of possibilities.

If you're interested in the programming aspect then a general computer science degree or one of the specialised courses (Abertay's Computer Games Technology degree for instance) will stand you in better stead generally as they are known and respected in the industry but you need to find out how your potential course is thought of in the games industry. That's not to say that all games design courses will be useless but without a specific focus they're probably not hugely useful, it will come down to your talents so you might have done a poorly thought of course but if you are good (genuinely talented, not "my mum says I'm great") it shouldn't matter hugely - the other thing that will come in very handy is knowing people in the games industry because it's a relatively small and incestuous place so having someone you know can significantly aid you in getting a job without experience.

There's no one specific route into the games industry - some people I know have a degree (or two) and others failed/never went to university but they can prove they can do it which is or was enough.
 
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