Game Development Jobs require a university degree?

[Deleted]

Does it or you can self study and get into games industry?

[Drsolders]

Depends what part of that you want to do? Program the game? Then yes you will need a degree, as for sitting down and come up with ideas, maybe not. Even if parts won't require a degree there are TONS of people with degrees trying to fill that position. You won't have a chance without one.

[Deleted]

Does it or you can self study and get into game's industry?

Self study can get you in but you better do something damned impressive to stand out, like this guy did.

http://kotaku.com/mod-skyrim-get-job...gie-1472109435

Who would you rather take? Some with a 4 year degree from a respected university or someone self taught that claims he can do it just as well? They are simplyedging their bets by taking people with the Degree.

[Kaleredar]

Let me just say... You really can't get into the business being an "ideas" guy. Everyone has ideas. You need some way with which to genuinely execute those ideas to get your foot into the door, which often require good technical skills.

What you can do will always speak louder than a degree, and most interviews also come with a portfolio review. But college programs help you with networking and contacts, and prodigious schools often have scouts or industry representatives come to look at student work.

[zealo]

It does not "require" one but you having a degree within computer related fields is a huge boost to your chances on getting a job within such a field. Personally, id lower the aim and go for non game development firms for the added job security.

[Cthulhu 2020]

You need a portfolio or an example of your work to get in without a degree, and it better be pretty damn good too. You can't just say "I'm self taught" and expect to get in. It also has to be something pretty significant. It can't be a minor WoW mod.

[Deviant]

Does it or you can self study and get into games industry?

You need an amazing portfolio and connections to get anywhere without a degree. Also internships help. Getting a degree is the easier/safer route honestly but its possible.

[Elim Garak]

You don't need a degree to work in the game industry, it's just a paper. But you will need that paper to get hired, unless you can build up a portfolio on your own while you self educate.

[Blueobelisk]

Portfolio > Degree > take a gamble that I'm good.

[Pull My Finger]

Let me just say... You really can't get into the business being an "ideas" guy. Everyone has ideas. You need some way with which to genuinely execute those ideas to get your foot into the door, which often require good technical skills.

What you can do will always speak louder than a degree, and most interviews also come with a portfolio review. But college programs help you with networking and contacts, and prodigious schools often have scouts or industry representatives come to look at student work.

Absolutely this. It may sound harsh, but ideas are worthless. Anyone and their grandma has ideas. What you need to have is concepts and systems that are 100% bullet-proof, executable and technically thought-out down to the slightest detail.

Having the skills is just one part of the equation, and it's not really that important if you acquired those through an university program or in private study, as long as you're fully able to get the job done. The greater difficulty is to actually get your foot in the door, and that's only possible by making contacts, building a portfolio and making yourself noticed. University makes this easier.

[Shurkuris]

If you are trying to enter the "Game Development" without a prior hobby for it. It would be better to pick a different field. (seriously pick something else)


I'm assuming that your just choosing Game Development because you just like to play games like everyone else, think you have good ideas like everyone else, and think it's a easy field to get into because you get to have fun like everyone else.

All a degree tells someone is that you had a shitload of money to spend in School.




They have absolutely no fucking clue if you are even worth anything because a degree can be bought at the right price, and what they are most worried about is, if you work well with others and have the mental capacity to actually want to improve yourself.

Their are 100,000+ poor saps out their looking for jobs and if all you have is a degree, you are going to be in for a rough time.





Get a hobby, study it yourself (Actually make something and release it, tinkering for 5 minutes and screwing off 23.99/24 hours doesn't count). Go to school if you want extra training and have money to waste. But real results will be far more impressive than just a degree.

[Doctor]

Let me just say... You really can't get into the business being an "ideas" guy.

This just reminds me of that scene from office space where the consultants arrive and are asking everyone what they do... "Well look, I already told you! I deal with the goddamn customers so the engineers don't have to! I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people! Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?"

[Independent voter]

It would be harder to do without a proper degree, but there are man out there with no degrees or have degrees in unrelated fields. I bet if you designed and built a successful game with Unity or Unreal, published it and it was at least a little successful, you'd get a job. From what I've heard, artists, animators have the easiest time getting work. Programmers probably have a harder time getting work because they're so many of them, it's more a generic profession than artists.

[Cthulhu 2020]

All a degree tells someone is that you had a shitload of money to spend in School.

This is true for degrees like art, history, etc.

It actually helps improve your chances (and in fact is pretty necessary without a portfolio) to get into a computer related field to have a degree in comp sci.

[Spectral]

All a degree tells someone is that you had a shitload of money to spend in School.

At a bare minimum, it demonstrates a capacity to stick with something for ~4 years, which is a trait that many people lack. If it comes from a good school and with a solid GPA, it also demonstrates a high likelihood of having a reasonably high intellect. If it's in a major that teaches an important skill set, as CS does, it demonstrates a high likelihood of possessing those skills.

But hey, those grapes are sour anyway.

[lordmatthias]

Whatever you end up doing you need to build an impressive portfolio at least if you want to get a decent job. A university degree helps but usually what they will do is help you build that portfolio.

[Kujako]

Look at it this way. When you apply for ANY job, there will be two stacks of resumes. The ones with a degree, and the ones without. Odds are they will not touch the second pile unless they exhaust the first.

[Deleted]

If you don't have a degree, you'd better have a portfolio of playable-state games. Nobody's going to take your word for it when there are freshly trained graduates being turned out every year.

[Spectral]

Partially accurate, but not always.

Usually, thinking outside the box will make you successful, a lot of schools also try to pound that out of you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...t_billionaires

I think some people are just smart/gifted/visionaries and some people are not... collage will not really change that.

I don't particularly disagree with you on this, but I'm not really sure what you think was incorrect in my post either. They seem basically tangential to each other. It's true that plenty of smart, innovative people don't go to college. It's also true that a CS degree from a good school is a pretty decent marker for someone being relatively likely to be smart and have some programming skill.

[Conspicuous Cultist]

If you want to make a game? Knock yourself out and make a small-scale indie game or some sort flash game.

If you feel the need to have a boss and indulge yourself in the office with a boss? Yeah, you might need a degree if you don't have anything else to show it for.