Games Development

I cant unfortunately, the course is a BTEC, i tried to take Further Maths as i'm most likely to get an a or a* at the end of the year, Shame Really
 
I did Abertay's offering - BSc(hons) Computer Games Technology. Basically entirely aimed at the programming/maths side of things.

I really enjoyed it and it's served me well - Walked into a job and have pretty much been in employment since (4 years)

However, I can't help thinking a pure Comp. Science course would have been better.
 
Are you planning on continuing it at university?

Personally if I wanted to get into GD, I'd do Computer Science instead of a pure Games Development course.
 
yer_averagejoe said:
I can't help thinking a pure Comp. Science course would have been better.
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I did look at computer science but i felt that i would possibly get bored over the course, If i find that GD isn't what i thought it was then im allowed to change courses up to 2 weeks in

Nymins said:
Are you planning on continuing it at university
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Fingers Crossed, Depends on how the course is really, From what i read about it and from meeting a few of the teachers it seems like a good course
 
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I always thought a GD course would be harder than a comp sci course. I wouldn't want to work as a games developer though, it doesn't sound like a fun line of business unless you're the lucky few.
 
ZalmanZ9+ said:
Knowing my luck probably
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Are you doing it because you like developing games? or are you doing it because you like playing them?

I know someone who has done it, he eventually started developing his own games on Android/iOS, though he did learn to programme before college. though he has said if you don't actively do things in your free time, or have no passion, it's hard to gain employment afterwards (that is unless you go self employed, and have prior experience).

this is part time work I should add, he works another job.
 
why would comp science be better? The modules are so vast that only a few programming languages is the only common trend it shares with a dedicated gaming development course.

I never did 3d modelling, animation, rendering when I did comp science and I assume that is a requirement for games development.
 
majnu said:
I never did 3d modelling, animation, rendering when I did comp science and I assume that is a requirement for games development.
6th Feb 2013 20:45
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You realise "Games Development" is a spectacularly broad term right?

ZalmanZ9+ said:
I did look at computer science but i felt that i would possibly get bored over the course,
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If the subjects studied in Comp Sci bore you then Games Development may not be for you, the subjects overlap massively. Many areas of "Games Development" ARE Comp Sci.
 
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Game development covers a large area of skill sets from programming to art creation, with more as they become more complex. I can't help but think the course will simply introduce you to these areas, teaching the basics and then at the end you choose which area you wish to concentrate on if you wish to pursue it further.
 
You will probably get taught the basics at college but if you want to further yourself and to go to Uni you will be introduced to a wide spread of modules. Many games development courses cover various modules from Design (learning the process of what goes into making a game), 3D (Learning 3DS Max or Maya and the techniques), Programming (c++ or c sharp), Project management and others. From there, you decide which area you want to specialise in.
 
Rozzy85 said:
Game development covers a large area of skill sets from programming to art creation, with more as they become more complex. I can't help but think the course will simply introduce you to these areas, teaching the basics and then at the end you choose which area you wish to concentrate on if you wish to pursue it further.
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It does?

When i did mine it was mainly stupid art, and useless 3dsmax modeling...
Was the most pointless two years ever spent, My Uni wouldn't even look at it as a qualification to gain entry to uni... Its that WORTHLESS.

that was 6 years ago thoujgh
 
I started doing Computer Games Technology at Abertay, same course as yer_averagejoe although I might well have been a different intake. It was pretty tough as it was essentially just hardcore maths and programming with a few other modules tacked on, I decided it wasn't for me so just managed to pass the first year then got out of Dodge. If you're interested then it can be a good route to go down but it a) depends on the course as not all computer games courses are worth anything much and b) depends on what you want to do - if it's a good course it will be fairly tough because games programming isn't all that easy.

Leaving it was the right decision for me but I made quite a few good mates through it so I certainly can't regret starting it. The other major benefit is realising it was something that I didn't want to pursue - a few of my mates who did continue with it found it changed or diminished their love of computer games so that's something you might find out when you work on them regularly.
 
I did a "Computer Science with Games Development" course.

Standard CS but with additional modules in graphics and AI (which were surprisingly generic and apply to more than just games).

I didn't bother putting the "with Games Development" on my CV when I finished uni tbh. I suspect it would put many employers off. Very glad I did that course rather than a games design one like a friend though. Having windows to go to many sectors of the IT industry rather than just one tiny area makes job hunting a lot easier.
 
Fenris said:
You realise "Games Development" is a spectacularly broad term right?



If the subjects studied in Comp Sci bore you then Games Development may not be for you, the subjects overlap massively. Many areas of "Games Development" ARE Comp Sci.
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Yes, but the modules would be more focused on the skills to get into the gaming industry (That's what I would have thought).

It's like someone taking wine studies and then to waste half his time in academia learning about coffee.
 
Ok. There seem to be a few misconceptions in this thread! I am a 'games developer' (coder) so here are my 2 cents.

Firstly I would be very suspicious of any course called 'game development'. There are 3 main areas of game development: design, art, and engineering. Each of which is separate and has a completely different education path. It doesn't really make sense to wrap them up into one course.

Secondly, every person in the industry I know would not recommend doing any non-traditional course. I.e. if you want to be a coder then study maths, physics, computer science or engineering. If you want to be an artist then study fine art. E.g for a coder at A level, a good selection would be maths, further maths, and physics.

So to sum up, the best route to the industry is to 1) know early on what role you want, 2) study traditional subjects which develop the skills required for that role, 3) do game projects in your own time during study to build up a portfolio.

If you do all 3 you will walk into a good job.

It is generally hardest to become an entry level designer and going the designer route has a less obvious education path and a greater emphasis on portfolio and 'interview skills'.

For all the Abertay folks, the course may be the best 'games' course but it involves only a low level of maths and the lecturers (though nice people) have next to no industry experience and none of them can code very well! I would not recommend it (I did the CGT masters there).

Any questions, just ask. :)
 
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