Routes into the gaming industry.

Shammii · May 2011

Hey there

Am new here (don't worry I have read the "READ THIS NOOB" thread

).

Got directed here from another smaller forum where I was asking about courses in game design and routes into the game design industry.

The indie game industry really appeals to me (yes I realise how hard it is etc) but what I'm really after is some input about routes to take.

I have NO 3D design experience or programming knowledge. I do however have several 6years art training (which ended up as a Fine Art degree).

I've been given a couple of links to books that would help me self-teach myself 3D design which I am going to buy, I have also looked into courses but was suggested it may not be worth doing a design course as I don't plan to take advantage of the whole uni experience of going out etc (been there, done that).

I was wondering if you have any input as to whether it is worth doing a course (bearing in mine I would have to find the £10k tuition fees myself), or it is more productive to self-teach and use forums as places to get crits etc?

I am also interested in hearing from anyone who is working as an indie developer and if it's counter productive to outsource programming etc.

Basically, I have wanted to do this since I was 14 and was actively discouraged by my tutors and careers advisers and am now regretting it and so am looking into all my options. In the end, doesn't hurt to look does it

Bearing in mind I am totally oblivious at the moment to any programming/3D modelling jargon and have no knowledge of it, any links to books/websites that you think would help a newbie are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help

Kind regards

Vicki

slipsius · May 2011

the self taught vs school discussion is something that is on going,and will never end. it basically comes down to this.....

do you have the motivation to teach yourself?

if yes, then do it! there are TONS of great tutorials you can get online, free and paid for. the paid for ones are usually pretty F'ing amazing.

If you cant seem to keep yourself motivated enough to finish the stuff you start, school could be a good choice. I found it helped me alot because it would force me to finish things. But, like you said, it is expensive, and there are lots of people that have gone the self taught route.

It basically comes down to what works for you... self taught or school, doesnt matter. As long as you push yourself, and keep at it, even through the hard times when you lose motivation because your imagination is greater than your current skill. If you keep at it, you`ll improve, no matter where you are.

I suggest finding a couple of tutorials and go from there.

PolyHertz · May 2011

I say start by learning the basics yourself, and if you feel your not getting anywhere THEN consider going to school for it.

Start simple: learn basic navigation (zoom in/out, pan, rotate), and then try creating some simple objects like crates or barrels.

If you end up using 3DSMax to start out in (I'd recommend either Max or Maya sense they're the most heavily used in the industry) this could be a good place to start: http://eat3d.com/3dsmax101

tharle · May 2011

as someone who basically did what you want to do i may be able to give you some advice/experience. firstly i'd recommend self teaching over classroom, at least to start with. get some books and videos (a mix is good - videos are easier to watch and learn from first time round but you need good books to refer back to and trying to find the right bit in a video can be a right pain). personally i used some digital tutors and some gnomon training videos plus a bunch of sybex books and a few others.

do a few books/dvds until you feel comfortable with your modelling software (i'd recommend maya, its harder to learn to start with but will pay dividends once you're proficient with it imo) and then move on to small simple projects to build up your skills. its tempting to just keep doing tutorials and figure you're learning but quite often you're just being led by the hand and it's only once you start doing things for yourself that you start learning. post things online and get feedback or if you need help with things. ive not been here long but it really seems like one of the most helpful and active forums i've encountered.

if you can afford to learn full time then awesome - just make sure you take a few days off here and there so you dont burn out. if you're working full or part time then it'll be harder to keep up the motivation/find the time to work - do you have any time frames in mind or is this more still just a general idea?

personally i was working so took about 3 years of part time study to get a good set of modelling skills and then i took a £10k course for 3 months to polish my skills and 4 months later i had a job in the industry.

good luck!

Gindil · May 2011

Shammii wrote: »

Hey there

Am new here (don't worry I have read the "READ THIS NOOB" thread ).

Got directed here from another smaller forum where I was asking about courses in game design and routes into the game design industry.

The indie game industry really appeals to me (yes I realise how hard it is etc) but what I'm really after is some input about routes to take.

I have NO 3D design experience or programming knowledge. I do however have several 6years art training (which ended up as a Fine Art degree).

I've been given a couple of links to books that would help me self-teach myself 3D design which I am going to buy, I have also looked into courses but was suggested it may not be worth doing a design course as I don't plan to take advantage of the whole uni experience of going out etc (been there, done that).

I was wondering if you have any input as to whether it is worth doing a course (bearing in mine I would have to find the £10k tuition fees myself), or it is more productive to self-teach and use forums as places to get crits etc?

I am also interested in hearing from anyone who is working as an indie developer and if it's counter productive to outsource programming etc.

Basically, I have wanted to do this since I was 14 and was actively discouraged by my tutors and careers advisers and am now regretting it and so am looking into all my options. In the end, doesn't hurt to look does it

Bearing in mind I am totally oblivious at the moment to any programming/3D modelling jargon and have no knowledge of it, any links to books/websites that you think would help a newbie are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help

Kind regards

Vicki

Best advice? Build a team. You may be talented on your own, but a team of people would make you that much stronger.

Build a website. It can be based on a unique idea or a unique remake.

Make your game. 2D or 3D. Hell, make a short movie and learn on your own.

When you apply to Valve, put these key points on your resume. I'm sure that's what Valve is looking for more than experience. Do you have the drive to finish what you started? Can you apply yourself to do the bugs of a game or whatever else you want to finish?

Hell, if you really want to make games, you also have Kongregate or Newgrounds to help you start somewhere.

Hope that helps.

Shammii · May 2011

@slipsius

Yes, I have the motivation and have had this book recommended as a great start so am waiting for it to come:

[ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/3ds-Max-Modeling-Games-Environment/dp/0240810619[/ame]

Basically if the going back to uni route is the route I had to take it would be a few years before I could save enough to do the course really.

@PolyHertz - Thanks for the link, I'll check it out

using 3DS at the moment

@dustinbrown - Apologies, I didn't explain myself well. I am not really sure to be honest. I don't really know enough about the process of making games to decide! I would enjoy the creative side the most (modelling etc), but I am oblivious when it comes to code and wondered if I needed to do a course in that or whether people out source their coding etc or what?

@tharle At the moment I am unemployed (joy!) so have lots of time on my hands. Hence I thought this is the perfect time to find out about what I REALLY would love to do. Can't get a fecking job, so might aswell look into what I really want to be doing

I can't afford uni really, would have to save for several years so self-teaching is the better option for me probably. Thank you for the advice though

haikai · May 2011

You have some ambitious goals. A few talented and lucky folks have made it on their own, but it's a true rarity. You will most likely have to specialize in something (art, programming, etc.) because I think it's a pipe dream to consider becoming an independent developer without first establishing some strength in at least one field.

With your current background, it seems to make the most sense to pursue art. Programming knowledge is always helpful, but not necessary for most artists. I recommend concentrating on learning how to construct simple objects, and then move on to applying textures to them. As someone else said, things like boxes/crates/barrels make great practice items because they require minimal modeling and they should be easy to make textures for.

Learn the tools, learn the terminology. And post your work and questions in the respective forum here and other game art web sites. Polycount's very own wiki is full of good info for all levels of artists: http://wiki.polycount.com/

crazyfingers · May 2011

What are you good at? Getting in usually requires being at least pretty good at art or programming, or whatever. Get good at one of these things, then worry about ins into the industry, because the ins and outs of breaking in will have changed by the time you're good enough to get in.

In all honesty your advisers were wise to discourage you, this is not an easy field to break into, especially on a whim.

chrisradsby · May 2011

I've told my story a couple of times on this forum. I pretty much decided on a whim that I wanted to be a game-artist, I had a year off doing some extra work and I tried to spend at least 8 hours a day learning about game-art. It took me about a year to get a portfolio together and land a job. HOWEVER it wouldn't have happened without contacts and networking. It's really really important to know the right people. I had the luck of getting to know the 3ds Max Modelling For Games author Andrew Gahan and he got me in.

So it's all about Hard-Work, Determination, Planning and Networking. (ofcourse a bit of luck)
It's not easy, I know some really really talanted people who have yet to get their chance and it's a shame really.

Shammii · May 2011

Yes, I know it's a very hard industry to break into... I'm a bit lucky in that I have two creative freelancers in my immediate family who have broken into the industry, so I've seen first hand exactly how hard it is, but all the bonuses too

I figure if there was any time to give it a go and see if it's a route I would like to pursue, it's now when I have all this time on my hands

Never know, I might do some 3D work and decide it's not for me, but then at least it's another skill I will have gained!

Currently, I have nothing to lose ^^

Thanks for your help though, it's always good to have a grounded, level look at reality! haha

Routes into the gaming industry.

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