Help:Video Game Degree - Advice for a friend!!

[Robster]

A friend of a friend has asked me what Dundee Abertay University is like for the computer/video games technology(cvt) degree.

He has been informed that Dundee is the centre of CVT in Scotland and Uk??

Somehow I dont believe it but dont want to advise as I am not 100% sure.

Can anyone advise me where the best degree's are by university and what these degree's are??

Thanks in advance.

[bangaio]

Step away from the degree. Wnat to programme and make games - get a cumputer science degree from oxbridge, a red brick university (manc/leeds etc) or good campus joint like nottingham. Simple. Not good enough for one of those? - go to the best you can get entry to and get a 2:1.

Why do this - it's more versatile, valued by employers and more broad based. Lots changes in 3 or 4 years. Job markets change, peoples career hopes change and a normal computer science degreee will stand you in stead for the rest of your life.

Games degree ......

[anephric]

Just to illustrate how stupidly competitive this is, my mate has a Masters in Computer Science from Nottingham Uni. Fairly impressive you might think. He managed (in 18 months) one interview for a graduate placement at Codemasters, whereupon he had to do a maths exam that would have had the very gods of Olympus quaking in their sandals.

Needless to say, he went into web design.

[oblivion_6]

I would always recommend doign a computer science degree rather than a games one, I tried to get into abertay years ago but decided to go to glasgow uni to do a computer science degree and im glad I did

With computer science you get the choice of specialising in certain things whereas with a games degree youve already pigeon holed yourself into working in that area of IT and nowhere else.

Your mate might find that he likes normal non game programming or databases or web design etc and with the science degree you can choose these as a career easier.

[JamesS]

I'd agree with the above. There's really no need to do a specialised game degree, and you'll end up being stuffed if you decide the games industry isn't for you. Just do a regular CS degree and take all the graphics, AI and C++ options and do a game-related project.

To be honest, when I've interviewed graduates for game programming jobs in the past, I've been a lot more interested in how well they'll fit in to a team environment, how much they know about general software engineering stuff and whether or not they can hold a normal conversation with other human beings than I am about how good they are at C++ or writing pixel shaders. Graduates are generally not going to be doing anything too complex for the first year or two anyway, so there's plenty of time to get up to speed with languages and 3D maths and that sort of thing.

[JohnMcL7]

I agree with the comments here, I work in the Games Industry - my degree is in AI/CS with Edinburgh University. There's no advantage to having a computer games degree and there is as mentioned the large disadvantage of being too specialised - with the mess the current games industry is in, it's a really bad idea to not have good general programming skills. By 'mess' I'm meaning in employment terms, in Dundee alone both Visual Sciences and VIS have gone bust(although VIS have reformed as the small studio 4J) and I think the future is grim for many of the smaller developers. Personally this is probably the last job I have in the games industry, I lost my job last year when VIS went bust and at the moment I don't feel my current job is stable in the longterm either.

John

[112]

Allthis talk of degrees and stuff for computer programming. Someone i know did all this malarkey and still finds it difficult to get a job in the industry. Where as some one else i know finished uni with a maths degree and worked his way from one company to the next and is now programming the games we play today for a very reputable company.

What im basicallt saying is, you dont necessarily have to have all these qualifications if you want to get into this line of work. Its mainly down to experience in the field. Im not saying dont go to uni or anything, but as some have said before, choose a subject which will allow for a more vesatile future. But some form of experience is definatley reccomended.

112

[Generic_Chaos]

A friend of a friend has asked me what Dundee Abertay University is like for the computer/video games technology(cvt) degree.

For a minute there, I thought this thread was a discussion about degrees in anaylising video game texts, and not development.

Shows how stupid I really am.

[JohnMcL7]

I fully agree about the experience comment, that is the most difficult part because there's no way to just 'get' experience but a degree is important as well - some companies won't consider you unless you have a degree in a related subject. However you are quite right that a degree guarantees you nothing for this type of job (unfortunatly!) - I started off in a QA job to get my foot in the door and worked my way up from there.

John

[Salsa Party Animal]

I would suggest you do some research and think it is a good idea to do proper computer studies course with games related options.

Don't forget the I.T. job market is very very competitive.

[deded]

just don't do it

i'm about to graduate from portsmouth with a video games technology degree and it was the biggest waste of time in my entire life

i've learnt nothing on how to construct games like i thought i would, just a load of bull**** about business with games and the odd 3d studio max tutorial

18 grand, poorly spent

[Baseley09]

LOL don't worry I graduated from Portsmouth with a media degree and im barely employable hehe .

bah with cheese.

[deded]

man i don't even care about getting a proper job now, this course has killed any passion for making games i once had. all uni's done to me is managed to make me want to become cheap lager drinking, guitar playing dole scum

[bangaio]

I'm back, just to add at school I would tell any y12/13 guys that if they want to work in any sector of IT/computing to get a CS degree or software engineering straight up. The maths comment above is equally valid, that or physics. Get a degree in a versatile subject (to anyone really) nothing will stand you in a better position for later life. Want to work in media - **** off media studies and do history or english. Nuff said.

[Eps]

Step away from the degree. Wnat to programme and make games - get a computer science degree...

Where as some one else i know finished uni with a maths degree and worked his way from one company to the next and is now programming the games we play today for a very reputable company.

The maths comment above is equally valid, that or physics. Get a degree in a versatile subject (to anyone really) nothing will stand you in a better position for later life.

Excuse the big bold letters,but this needs to be emphasised:

LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE.

I am a physicist. This, as far as employers are concerned, means that I am not only capable of analysing and understanding incredibly complex systems (including a very large helping of very difficult mathematics), but I am capable of applying this knowledge to solve real problems. Sound like any career options you might want to take? Let me tell you something: I have been fantastically spoilt for choice when it comes to employment options. My friends on maths, CS, etc. courses are in situations that are not too different (unless they didn't bother their arse to try and get a job until 2 weeks before graduation! ). Whereas, most of those who did the more 'vocational' degrees are basically up the employment branch of **** creek; either working in a totally different (and rather less desirable) field, working in crappy McJobs, or even not working at all.

Although I ended up choosing to become a professional scientist and not take up any of the other possible career options, I have had several rather enlightening conversations with people working in entertainment industries. Here's a quote: "I'd rather have one of you lot (physicists) working for me than 10 of those wankers with 'specialist' degrees, because those degrees are worth **** all." I think anyone who works in the games industry and who posts on here would offer similar (if maybe not so blunt ) opinions.