Uni questions! [Game design and staffs uni]

Psypher5 · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:25

I want to goto uni next year! Hoorah.. to study computer game design.

Went for an open day at staffs uni yesterday, was really nice and my chosen course looked more interesting than I though. Now, I'd love to goto staff uni, but in reality its a stupidly popular course and the chances of getting in are iffy.

Most other places I looked at require an art portfolio for games design, which I dont have. As the crazy woman lecturer at staffordshire said, artists dont always make the best modellers/level designers and unis are missing out on a lot of potential. So yeah, do any other uni's do a computer games design course (modelling/level design/motion capture) that DOESN'T require an art portfolio?
I really need some other places for a backup uni, as I've only recently decided I want to go and have only found staffs suitable.

Anyway, does anyone here goto staffs and do the course? What is it like? What's the place like?
It looked really good, a next level up to this I-Media course I'm doing atm in coll (character modeeling / level design) and the motion capture with Rare sounded great and the actual uni looked very nice, especially the halls of res.

also, I noticed the course has either choice of BSc or a BEng/MEng, which is better? Or why are there 2 choices? My tutor said a BEng is more "hands on" but they both have the exact same course specifications. Any light?

Xtremepenguin · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:29

Portsmouth uni does a Computer games technology course

http://www.port.ac.uk/courses/coursetypes/undergraduate/BScHonsComputerGamesTechnology/

Both my flat mates do this course and its well recomended.

It had a multi page feature in pc gamer not long ago and they were very impressed with the facilities if i remember correctly

Psypher5 · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:32

oo! I'll have a look at that, sounds interesting from a quick scan cheers

chesterstu · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:36

Get a general Software Engineering degree. Games programmers get paid peanuts

Psypher5 · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:38

I'm not a programmer

Or so says my a level computing!

"andy" · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:41

a first for everything and im going to big up teesside

the games design course is apparently **** hot and its chepa as chips to live there

used to play on there css servers wich uses the same forum as the gamers society or whatever it is. by the sounds of it mot people on the course go on to big name companys

Xtremepenguin · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:41

chesterstu said:
Get a general Software Engineering degree. Games programmers get paid peanuts

Will he learn animation, modelling, texturing, drawing , concept design etc from that degree?

Psypher5 · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:42

andy8271 said:
a first for everything and im going to big up teesside

the games design course is apparently **** hot and its chepa as chips to live there

you dong the game course? It needs an art background/portfolio doesnt it?

"andy" · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:44

nah sorry i dont know

just always hear good things about it

Psypher5 · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:45

andy8271 said:
nah sorry i dont know

just always hear good things about it

says on webby you do, ahhw ell. Hated their css server anyway

chesterstu · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:45

Xtremepenguin said:
Will he learn animation, modelling, texturing, drawing , concept design etc from that degree?

Probably not but he will have more jobs open to him, you can move into games programming from SE. At the same time actaully have a chance to make some money

Psypher5 · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:48

I dont want to be a programmer. The course I'm looking at doesnt even touch programming. I find it difficult, it doesnt come naturally, and It's not something I want to do for the rest of my life

divine` · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:51

chesterstu said:
Games programmers get paid peanuts

It's a fair point, games design isn't exactly the easiest career to get into and from what I hear can be pretty 'unstable'. It does also, as stated pay virtually nothing for the most part.

chesterstu · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:53

Psypher5 said:
I dont want to be a programmer. The course I'm looking at doesnt even touch programming. I find it difficult, it doesnt come naturally, and It's not something I want to do for the rest of my life

Fair enough, I am not trying to make you a programmer but as one of my teachers said to me when i wanted to do a degree in Maths - 'What the hell are you going to do with that? Teach?'

Visage · 12 Nov 2006 at 19:57

divine_madness said:
It's a fair point, games design isn't exactly the easiest career to get into and from what I hear can be pretty 'unstable'. It does also, as stated pay virtually nothing for the most part.

Indeed - there are so many folk that think 'Games programming' = cool career that comapnies can pay bottom dollar and still get staff.

benjo plz. · 12 Nov 2006 at 20:00

Ask Haly, she's doing this course isn't she?

da_mic_1530 · 12 Nov 2006 at 20:10

iirc nokkonwod does the course at teeside uni, clobber him and ask him about teeside

daz · 12 Nov 2006 at 20:23

chesterstu said:
Fair enough, I am not trying to make you a programmer but as one of my teachers said to me when i wanted to do a degree in Maths - 'What the hell are you going to do with that? Teach?'

Is your teacher retarded?

Maths is about one of the best degrees going... you can get onto basically any graduate recruitment scheme, as well as onto any of the more specialised ones such as actuarial work.

TUNA FISH · 12 Nov 2006 at 20:36

daz said:
Is your teacher retarded?

Maths is about one of the best degrees going... you can get onto basically any graduate recruitment scheme, as well as onto any of the more specialised ones such as actuarial work.

I was just typing the same reply and in relation to the thread, most employers prefer a standard degree from a good university then a modern degree made to attract more people to university. I don't know much about getting into games desgin but i'd say it would be better off doing a subject that interests you and going from there rather then going specfically for a course like games design at an unkown university. Just like if you wanted to do Law you'd do History or something along those lines and you wouldn't do media studies to get into film or a job at the bbc.

PinkFloyd · 12 Nov 2006 at 21:17

Phnom_Penh said:
Ask Haly, she's doing this course isn't she?

Yeh she's doing the masters degree here.

I'm also doing Games Design up in Stafford, first year student.

Its a really good course, only one module that sucks a bit at the moment (its a n00bs guide to using UED - I've been using it for about 5 years so I find it really mundane, from a beginners point of view it should be good though)

Its a really nice uni to live at, nice relaxed atmosphere, and also really cheap too.

If you have any experience with editing for games that will put you ahead of most of the people on this course. Half of my year group had no idea what they were doing when they started, and I'd say a good proportion of the year still have absolutely no idea, so If you come here, just be committed with what your doing and you'll do damn well.

I got in despite my grades being below what was necessary (although I'm not sure to what extent my portfolio of Unreal2k4 levels counted towards getting in on my interview)

Get yourself an interview up here, and for the love of god don't say you really really like computer games and want to make them for a living. Do a bit of reading up on programs such as 3dsmax, Unreal Editor and Hammer (the editor for source) and even if you can just do some simple stuff (ie a really basic room) you'll look great to whoever it is doing the interview.

I think of my year at a guess I'm in a very small minority of people who had some past experience of any kind.

Feel free to add me on msn / send us a mail if you have any more specific questions.

ps, the crazy woman lecturer, Bobby is awesome. She's so funny

rips it out of a few members of the group constantly, she doesn't take too well to people being cheeky though.