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Hi I am Eseer and I want to be a game designer.
(Relates to Sony PS1-2-3 by.... umm if you want to design a PS3 game one day?)
I have rougth but not so sure ideas of how to become a game designer while living in the United Kingdom.
1- Create a Computer game at home and take it to a company.
2-
Do a
ICT Foundation Course (1 year)
and then a
ICT Intermediate Courses (1 Year)
to get the grades to do a
BTEC National Diploma for IT Practitioners Course.(2 Years) (software)
After passing with good grades apply at a University for a
Game Design Course.(3 Years)
After you come out of this course you should be ready to be employed.
Please reply if you agree, disagree or know of a diffrent way.
By Eseer
(Relates to Sony PS1-2-3 by.... umm if you want to design a PS3 game one day?)
I have rougth but not so sure ideas of how to become a game designer while living in the United Kingdom.
1- Create a Computer game at home and take it to a company.
2-
Do a
ICT Foundation Course (1 year)
and then a
ICT Intermediate Courses (1 Year)
to get the grades to do a
BTEC National Diploma for IT Practitioners Course.(2 Years) (software)
After passing with good grades apply at a University for a
Game Design Course.(3 Years)
After you come out of this course you should be ready to be employed.
Please reply if you agree, disagree or know of a diffrent way.
By Eseer
Page:
Game developers have nothing to do with this, the publisher does all of the advertising, packaging, marketting and distribution of games. That's why they have more say in what gets made than the developers do.
If that's what you want to do as a job, I hope you're ready to move abroad. The only publisher left in the UK is Eidos and that's falling apart and will be bought over soon enough. Anyone buying will be able to figure out quite quickly that it'll be easier and cheaper to take Tomb Raider and Hitman out of eidos and close it down, meaning there will be no games publishers left in the UK.
Ubisoft are French, EA are american, you might want to consider moving to one of them :).
If that's what you want to do as a job, I hope you're ready to move abroad. The only publisher left in the UK is Eidos and that's falling apart and will be bought over soon enough. Anyone buying will be able to figure out quite quickly that it'll be easier and cheaper to take Tomb Raider and Hitman out of eidos and close it down, meaning there will be no games publishers left in the UK.
Ubisoft are French, EA are american, you might want to consider moving to one of them :).
Yea, I totally agree with you there, although, what I want to do in the gaming industry, as I am pretty good at it, is all around the marketing/advertising department.
E.g. - Making boxart, websites, powerpoint presentations for the game, subway/bus stop posters, and whatever else anyone can think of.
Now, hopefully I'm doing the right course at college for it. The course that I am doing is Btec media National Diploma. I just finished my first diploma last year, and got a merit in it, and on the website designing stage, I got a distinction, so it's not that bad.
I have a few ideas for games, but how I see it, if you get into the industry, you would know all of the departments, so you could submit an idea or 2 for it.
I mean, I have been working on an idea for a year or more, and have thought up of 22 characters or so, along with many weapons, locations, and vehicles. I don't see this getting made though, not unless I show it to the right people.
Anyway, what I was really wondering was, if anyone who has been in the gaming business, whether you are in a small or large company, is it possible for you to tell me if I am heading in the right direction to get into the marketing branch, as I am aiming to get to sony, and could you possibly tell me what course I would have to take at uni, in order to have a chance at getting in?
Thanks a lot, if so.
E.g. - Making boxart, websites, powerpoint presentations for the game, subway/bus stop posters, and whatever else anyone can think of.
Now, hopefully I'm doing the right course at college for it. The course that I am doing is Btec media National Diploma. I just finished my first diploma last year, and got a merit in it, and on the website designing stage, I got a distinction, so it's not that bad.
I have a few ideas for games, but how I see it, if you get into the industry, you would know all of the departments, so you could submit an idea or 2 for it.
I mean, I have been working on an idea for a year or more, and have thought up of 22 characters or so, along with many weapons, locations, and vehicles. I don't see this getting made though, not unless I show it to the right people.
Anyway, what I was really wondering was, if anyone who has been in the gaming business, whether you are in a small or large company, is it possible for you to tell me if I am heading in the right direction to get into the marketing branch, as I am aiming to get to sony, and could you possibly tell me what course I would have to take at uni, in order to have a chance at getting in?
Thanks a lot, if so.
Right, I just got my first job as a computer game programmer, so I know a little thing or two as to what's involcved.
First, you wont become a game designer easily.
The main reason for this is that the games industry today is not somewhere new people can come along and have a new idea put into production unless you set up your own development studio and can afford $15 million to fund the project from beginniong to end.
Don't get dillusions of granduour, the place to start will be as a level designer, mission designer etc. Prove yourself here, and you may eventually move through the ranks of a company to eventually become a designer of an actual game,. but it wont be your own game.
Publishers fund projects, and now, with so much movie license IP taking up so much of the money in the industry, you'll be deisgning products based on the next big thing in Holywood. Get it out of your head now that you'll ever work on your own game idea unless you start your own company, get rich and have a fantastic reputation among publishers and consumers.
Now, as for education, I studied a BSc (Hons)in Computer Games Technology at the University of Abertay. This is more a programming course, with a heavy slant on 3D Maths and graphics programming. A link to the uni webpage of this course is here:
[URL]http://www.abertay.ac.uk/Courses/CDetails.cfm?RID=1&CID=185[/URL]
This year they have also started a new course on game production management:
[URL]http://www.abertay.ac.uk/Courses/CDetails.cfm?RID=1&CID=322[/URL]
I don't know much about this course, although I can vouch for the success and reputation of the university. People from my course have alredy got jobs at Rare, Realtime Worlds, EA, Sony, Kuju, Visual Science, and on and on. I myself have a job at a brand new company in Dundee, so you're not likely to have heard from them.
If you want to be a designer though, you will need to know how to talk the language of programmers and artists as you will need to communicate with both. Learning a scripting language such as Lua or Python will not hurt either.
Hope that helps a little.
First, you wont become a game designer easily.
The main reason for this is that the games industry today is not somewhere new people can come along and have a new idea put into production unless you set up your own development studio and can afford $15 million to fund the project from beginniong to end.
Don't get dillusions of granduour, the place to start will be as a level designer, mission designer etc. Prove yourself here, and you may eventually move through the ranks of a company to eventually become a designer of an actual game,. but it wont be your own game.
Publishers fund projects, and now, with so much movie license IP taking up so much of the money in the industry, you'll be deisgning products based on the next big thing in Holywood. Get it out of your head now that you'll ever work on your own game idea unless you start your own company, get rich and have a fantastic reputation among publishers and consumers.
Now, as for education, I studied a BSc (Hons)in Computer Games Technology at the University of Abertay. This is more a programming course, with a heavy slant on 3D Maths and graphics programming. A link to the uni webpage of this course is here:
[URL]http://www.abertay.ac.uk/Courses/CDetails.cfm?RID=1&CID=185[/URL]
This year they have also started a new course on game production management:
[URL]http://www.abertay.ac.uk/Courses/CDetails.cfm?RID=1&CID=322[/URL]
I don't know much about this course, although I can vouch for the success and reputation of the university. People from my course have alredy got jobs at Rare, Realtime Worlds, EA, Sony, Kuju, Visual Science, and on and on. I myself have a job at a brand new company in Dundee, so you're not likely to have heard from them.
If you want to be a designer though, you will need to know how to talk the language of programmers and artists as you will need to communicate with both. Learning a scripting language such as Lua or Python will not hurt either.
Hope that helps a little.
Kawada wrote:
> FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> Eseer Yonnos Sllim wrote:
> What games would you like to design?
> I love RPG's and would like to create a ton of tactical or turn
> based
> RPG's obviously in Japanese anime animation.(Possibly in 2D or cell
> shaded animation and must concentrate on story more than graphics)
>
> Kawada? Is that you?
Nope I'm eseeR yonnoS slliM.
Just mirrow the name and you will have my real one.
I think I'll design a few games and make them in the RPG maker 2003 (The only game designing program out there thats any good and free.) and that will be enougth to show the Uni of Lincoln.
Never try Dark Basic (The Game Design program) because its just using JAVA to program each item in each folder (Characters ect;) to do a task. No real level design nore any character design. Thats £25.00 I'll never see agian LOL!
Any Ideas for a RPG?
I have tons and I think I might mimic the Jak & Daxter human looks. (Elf ears)
Also Its always good to think of better game play styles. Any Ideas?
> FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> Eseer Yonnos Sllim wrote:
> What games would you like to design?
> I love RPG's and would like to create a ton of tactical or turn
> based
> RPG's obviously in Japanese anime animation.(Possibly in 2D or cell
> shaded animation and must concentrate on story more than graphics)
>
> Kawada? Is that you?
Nope I'm eseeR yonnoS slliM.
Just mirrow the name and you will have my real one.
I think I'll design a few games and make them in the RPG maker 2003 (The only game designing program out there thats any good and free.) and that will be enougth to show the Uni of Lincoln.
Never try Dark Basic (The Game Design program) because its just using JAVA to program each item in each folder (Characters ect;) to do a task. No real level design nore any character design. Thats £25.00 I'll never see agian LOL!
Any Ideas for a RPG?
I have tons and I think I might mimic the Jak & Daxter human looks. (Elf ears)
Also Its always good to think of better game play styles. Any Ideas?
FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> Eseer Yonnos Sllim wrote:
> What games would you like to design?
> I love RPG's and would like to create a ton of tactical or turn
> based
> RPG's obviously in Japanese anime animation.(Possibly in 2D or cell
> shaded animation and must concentrate on story more than graphics)
>
> Kawada? Is that you?
Hehe i thought that when i read it, had to think for a minute if i'd created a new account in a drunken haze :-D
> Eseer Yonnos Sllim wrote:
> What games would you like to design?
> I love RPG's and would like to create a ton of tactical or turn
> based
> RPG's obviously in Japanese anime animation.(Possibly in 2D or cell
> shaded animation and must concentrate on story more than graphics)
>
> Kawada? Is that you?
Hehe i thought that when i read it, had to think for a minute if i'd created a new account in a drunken haze :-D
Eseer Yonnos Sllim wrote:
> You mentioned something about a portfolio before you go into the game
> design course. Are you saying I need to design a game then show the
> Uni my design stages on paper to be accepted?
I'm really not sure what the portfolio is supposed to have in it - but I think it's just looking for general artistic talent rather than specific game-related stuff like character or location sketches, although I doubt that would do any harm.
> As for jobs after Uni, immigration is what I plan to do. More jobs in
> the US and Japan than England. I'm learning Japanese
> speaking/reading/writing and I plan to work anywhere but England. I
> hear there is no chavs in the US or Japan LOL
I wouldn't mind moving out somewhere - it would be pretty cool, I suppose. I'm not really rooted anywhere, so I'll go where-ever the best work is.
Depends if there's a chance to kick some life into the UK industry or not.
> What games would you like to design?
> I love RPG's and would like to create a ton of tactical or turn based
> RPG's obviously in Japanese anime animation.(Possibly in 2D or cell
> shaded animation and must concentrate on story more than graphics)
Kawada? Is that you?
I'd really like to cover all bases as far as genres go - I've got a load of great ideas coverings a load of genres. I do have a rather special RPG in mind, though, and another slightly random idea which will rock the socks.
> By the way... are you trying to become, a designer or programmer for
> games?
> I want to do something that lets me have the MOST say over the whole
> game so I figured I'll be a Designer and then gun for "LEAD GAME
> DESIGNER".
Not sure about the offical post. I'm a bit like you - just want to get to make some big decisions and eventually get my own game ideas up and running. I'll take any job in a company, though, and hopefully my skills will show through all the way to the top.
Good luck with it all anyway, hope I helped some.
> You mentioned something about a portfolio before you go into the game
> design course. Are you saying I need to design a game then show the
> Uni my design stages on paper to be accepted?
I'm really not sure what the portfolio is supposed to have in it - but I think it's just looking for general artistic talent rather than specific game-related stuff like character or location sketches, although I doubt that would do any harm.
> As for jobs after Uni, immigration is what I plan to do. More jobs in
> the US and Japan than England. I'm learning Japanese
> speaking/reading/writing and I plan to work anywhere but England. I
> hear there is no chavs in the US or Japan LOL
I wouldn't mind moving out somewhere - it would be pretty cool, I suppose. I'm not really rooted anywhere, so I'll go where-ever the best work is.
Depends if there's a chance to kick some life into the UK industry or not.
> What games would you like to design?
> I love RPG's and would like to create a ton of tactical or turn based
> RPG's obviously in Japanese anime animation.(Possibly in 2D or cell
> shaded animation and must concentrate on story more than graphics)
Kawada? Is that you?
I'd really like to cover all bases as far as genres go - I've got a load of great ideas coverings a load of genres. I do have a rather special RPG in mind, though, and another slightly random idea which will rock the socks.
> By the way... are you trying to become, a designer or programmer for
> games?
> I want to do something that lets me have the MOST say over the whole
> game so I figured I'll be a Designer and then gun for "LEAD GAME
> DESIGNER".
Not sure about the offical post. I'm a bit like you - just want to get to make some big decisions and eventually get my own game ideas up and running. I'll take any job in a company, though, and hopefully my skills will show through all the way to the top.
Good luck with it all anyway, hope I helped some.
I think I’m in a perfect situation to break into the business, starting a 2 year course in September, which should set me up nicely to see what side of game design I want to commit my self for in uni. Dreading running Maya on college computers.
Eseer Yonnos Sllim wrote:
> As for jobs after Uni, immigration is what I plan to do. More jobs in
> the US and Japan than England. I'm learning Japanese
> speaking/reading/writing and I plan to work anywhere but England. I
> hear there is no chavs in the US or Japan LOL
Indeed there be no burberry in sight in the good ol' USA and if we catch anyone wearing it and "biggin' it up" we promptly shoot them on sight. Ah if only that were true for England :-D
> What games would you like to design?
> I love RPG's and would like to create a ton of tactical or turn based
> RPG's obviously in Japanese anime animation.(Possibly in 2D or cell
> shaded animation and must concentrate on story more than graphics)
You sound like my type of games designer. None of this ultra realistic graphics, live action crap that has become worryingly more regular. Strategic 2D sprite action is where the quality is at.
> As for jobs after Uni, immigration is what I plan to do. More jobs in
> the US and Japan than England. I'm learning Japanese
> speaking/reading/writing and I plan to work anywhere but England. I
> hear there is no chavs in the US or Japan LOL
Indeed there be no burberry in sight in the good ol' USA and if we catch anyone wearing it and "biggin' it up" we promptly shoot them on sight. Ah if only that were true for England :-D
> What games would you like to design?
> I love RPG's and would like to create a ton of tactical or turn based
> RPG's obviously in Japanese anime animation.(Possibly in 2D or cell
> shaded animation and must concentrate on story more than graphics)
You sound like my type of games designer. None of this ultra realistic graphics, live action crap that has become worryingly more regular. Strategic 2D sprite action is where the quality is at.
Where I live in bexhill, there aren't really any uni's around. I'm currently doing btec media in college, and I have just gotten myself a merit in first diploma. I'll be continuing next year to get my national diploma, and from then on out, I really need to have a good hunt around for a uni that has a decent enough gaming course to cover all of the things I am good at, e.g. - colouring on photoshop, drawing, making websites and powerpoint presentations, advertising, and marketing etc.
My only problem is that I don't think there will be a course that covers all of that, and I don't know the names of any games courses anyway.
I reckon with what I am doing at the moment, I am heading in the right direction, but if anyone happens to have any good advice on the situation, please feel free to share it with me. :)
Thanks, and much appreciated.
My only problem is that I don't think there will be a course that covers all of that, and I don't know the names of any games courses anyway.
I reckon with what I am doing at the moment, I am heading in the right direction, but if anyone happens to have any good advice on the situation, please feel free to share it with me. :)
Thanks, and much appreciated.
FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> Like me ... doing Games Computing at Lincoln starting in September.
> It covers pretty much all bases within the industry eventually, and
> you need no such experience to get in as with the Design courses. Of
> course, every little helps, and you'll get a good chance to prove
> your design skills and hopefully excel.
>
> Also, in terms of employment, it's a damn tough world in the UK.
> Bottom line is, with a games job, you'll need some experience in the
> industry already. So try and pick a course with a 3rd-year placement,
> which will help no ends.
>
> Of course, all the work you may want to pour into the Design courses
> through the proper channels could throw you straight into a job from
> uni, if you've got an impressive 4-year portfolio of work behind you
> - something solid you can be judged upon. But even then, experience
> always helps.
>
> That's what I've found out in my many explorations.
-----------------------------------------
Reply From: Eseer
(A little typo: The 2 year course before game design was supposed to be a BTEC programming course. I'm not sure what it is called.)
I am VERY happy someone like you said exactly what I wanted to hear.
I did the ICT courses already... mainly for grades and well... I only just found out about the 2 year programming course upwards.
Anyhow what I find really funny is that about 3 months ago I found out about that game design course at Lincoln and decided that I was going to go there after this 2 year programming course at Canterbury or Sheppey College (That will allow me to obtain the grades to do the Game Design course and learn programming languages such as JAVA) but I was not sure that I was walking the right path to become a Game Designer.
THANKS!
Now I know that I'm doing the right thing.
You mentioned something about a portfolio before you go into the game design course. Are you saying I need to design a game then show the Uni my design stages on paper to be accepted?
As for jobs after Uni, immigration is what I plan to do. More jobs in the US and Japan than England. I'm learning Japanese speaking/reading/writing and I plan to work anywhere but England. I hear there is no chavs in the US or Japan LOL
What games would you like to design?
I love RPG's and would like to create a ton of tactical or turn based RPG's obviously in Japanese anime animation.(Possibly in 2D or cell shaded animation and must concentrate on story more than graphics)
By the way... are you trying to become, a designer or programmer for games?
I want to do something that lets me have the MOST say over the whole game so I figured I'll be a Designer and then gun for "LEAD GAME DESIGNER".
By Eseer
> Like me ... doing Games Computing at Lincoln starting in September.
> It covers pretty much all bases within the industry eventually, and
> you need no such experience to get in as with the Design courses. Of
> course, every little helps, and you'll get a good chance to prove
> your design skills and hopefully excel.
>
> Also, in terms of employment, it's a damn tough world in the UK.
> Bottom line is, with a games job, you'll need some experience in the
> industry already. So try and pick a course with a 3rd-year placement,
> which will help no ends.
>
> Of course, all the work you may want to pour into the Design courses
> through the proper channels could throw you straight into a job from
> uni, if you've got an impressive 4-year portfolio of work behind you
> - something solid you can be judged upon. But even then, experience
> always helps.
>
> That's what I've found out in my many explorations.
-----------------------------------------
Reply From: Eseer
(A little typo: The 2 year course before game design was supposed to be a BTEC programming course. I'm not sure what it is called.)
I am VERY happy someone like you said exactly what I wanted to hear.
I did the ICT courses already... mainly for grades and well... I only just found out about the 2 year programming course upwards.
Anyhow what I find really funny is that about 3 months ago I found out about that game design course at Lincoln and decided that I was going to go there after this 2 year programming course at Canterbury or Sheppey College (That will allow me to obtain the grades to do the Game Design course and learn programming languages such as JAVA) but I was not sure that I was walking the right path to become a Game Designer.
THANKS!
Now I know that I'm doing the right thing.
You mentioned something about a portfolio before you go into the game design course. Are you saying I need to design a game then show the Uni my design stages on paper to be accepted?
As for jobs after Uni, immigration is what I plan to do. More jobs in the US and Japan than England. I'm learning Japanese speaking/reading/writing and I plan to work anywhere but England. I hear there is no chavs in the US or Japan LOL
What games would you like to design?
I love RPG's and would like to create a ton of tactical or turn based RPG's obviously in Japanese anime animation.(Possibly in 2D or cell shaded animation and must concentrate on story more than graphics)
By the way... are you trying to become, a designer or programmer for games?
I want to do something that lets me have the MOST say over the whole game so I figured I'll be a Designer and then gun for "LEAD GAME DESIGNER".
By Eseer
Page: