What it takes to get in the Game industry?
vertex
I am soon to finish high school and in need to pick a college(if thats how its called) to go to. Now im having a lot of conflict as to what college i should go to,as it determines what i will do in life.
So im currently finishing engineer high school and "looking" to go to a state engineer college as that way if i am good enough of a student i wont have to pay for it.The reason why im "looking" for a engineer college is cause thats the thing i like the most after modeling and doing art in general (which is my hobby currently).
What i really wanna do as my job,or do in life generally is work in a game industry,or somewhere as a artist/designer to make new worlds and make miracles happen
.
Now what i am afraid is that if i go to a engineer college that it will suck all the free time i have (because engineer college is really hard here) and that i will lose focus is my hobby.
And my biggest fear is that i could newer possibly be as good as people who pay a lot to go to a college for 3d graphics or related (vfx studio traning center stuff like that).
So im just asking and desperately wanting a explanation as to do you really need a diploma and to go to a college in order to end up in a game studio or something similar to that?
Is it possible to focus on it even when you are going to a college not related to it? :S
So im currently finishing engineer high school and "looking" to go to a state engineer college as that way if i am good enough of a student i wont have to pay for it.The reason why im "looking" for a engineer college is cause thats the thing i like the most after modeling and doing art in general (which is my hobby currently).
What i really wanna do as my job,or do in life generally is work in a game industry,or somewhere as a artist/designer to make new worlds and make miracles happen
.Now what i am afraid is that if i go to a engineer college that it will suck all the free time i have (because engineer college is really hard here) and that i will lose focus is my hobby.
And my biggest fear is that i could newer possibly be as good as people who pay a lot to go to a college for 3d graphics or related (vfx studio traning center stuff like that).
So im just asking and desperately wanting a explanation as to do you really need a diploma and to go to a college in order to end up in a game studio or something similar to that?
Is it possible to focus on it even when you are going to a college not related to it? :S
Replies
Having said that;
Getting a job in games was also what I really wanted to do with my life but it was somewhat anti-climactic. I couldn't see myself doing AAA game development for another 5 years, let alone 40. If I had the option to spend a few years at uni studying for a higher paying job (i.e. engineering) I would have seriously considered that.
I went from CS student (undergrad diploma) to art student, and over 10 years later to CS student (masters). I worked as character and environment artist, and later as tech artist and tools developer. My interests changed during my career, and having that undergrad degree was really, really useful because it allowed me to change my direction and get the formal credentials to prove my skills (actually, I also learned a lot in my masters, which I could use right away at work). Now credentials may not be important in games, but there are other industries - the more industries I can possibly work in, the better my job security and flexibility.
Unless you're set on "I will breathe art and there is nothing else in life for me!" (I know some people like this, I admire them for their choices, but I could not do this - I just have waaaaay too many interests), I would go for the degree. If you ever get bored with what you do [1], if you ever want to advance [2], if you ever want to move overseas [3] - the degree will be a valuable tool to increase your options and give you more flexibility in planning your life.
[1] 40+ years to retirement is a long time. An undergrad degree allows you to study some more, on an advanced level, without doing all the bachelor stuff all over again, and it can help you change direction. It's always good to have options!
[2] A buddy of mine made lots of money servicing IT equipment for law firms. Why? "I have a law degree, you can trust me!". Having some formal tech or business education can just be the thing to convince people that you can do more - otherwise it may require a lot of work to just get a chance to prove yourself!
[3] A degree is pretty much required these days if you want to work abroad. Some countries give you an easier entry into the industry than others - be flexible!
Myself, I'd major in becoming a brew master and hopefully get a permanent job at a microbrewery.
I'd still do art of course...in my off hours. Probably I'd also do some gimmick like including a QT code on my beer labels that link to my online portfolio.
No. There's more information online now than you could ever get in a 2 or even 3 year degree.
2. What does it take to get into the games industry?
Get together with some friends, find a couple of programmers, another artist, maybe a designer, and someone to do your sounds. Do some concepts, do your modelling in Blender, build your game in Unity or Unreal, self-publish, boom, you are in the game industry. Making your own studio is as easy as that. You could do it 100% by yourself if you wanted to, I know some friends who have. (Muzzoid's Kickball, for a start.) And even then, a lot of companies don't even care if you have any qualifications, just good quality portfolio work will do fine, which is achieved by the above. Degrees only really matter if you have to get an immigration visa.
slosh said: And so far i know for CGCookie,was a premium sitizen for a few months,they have really good tutorials,and i glanced at digital tutors which seam really good aswell.I stoped being premium because i didnt really used the full potential of a monthly subscription so i decided to go a bit on youtube and watch some tutorials there and then after get back to subscribing.
In my country there are a few ( two
Are those the things you are referring to?
Kwramm said:
Well here is the thing.Im not in the US
I dont really want to start with my own studio,as it seams really ambitious to me
Yeah i have to agree.I have been founding a lot of instructional sites and places all over the internet and not only for art. Im studying math also over the internet a bit,as with youtube and today technology there isnt all that much different between sitting in school and doing match and sitting at home and watching on the internet.The only difference i can think of is when you are in person they can help you when you make a mistake,on the other hand when you make a mistake alone you need to fix it yourself...which doesn't sound so bad.
So i just wanted to dig a little deeper and find out how and why do courses in local studios cost so much when there are tutorials on the internet with a much lower price.
And joking a bit,im afraid that if i go to engineer college that ill get pretty "old" after finishing it
And thanks all for replying!
With that said, getting a degree won't land you a job, or magically imbue you with the needed skills. Self taught people who demonstrate their skill are typically successful inside the industry for the long haul. They often continue to learn, adapt and break new ground as if they where a hungry first year student. I've seen a lot of students struggle to get over the sense of entitlement they feel when they graduate. That pat on the back that comes with graduation can stunt and distort their view. "I learned everything I need to know, that part of my life is over. Now someone give me a job like my teacher gave me an assignment". Well, it doesn't happen like that for the vast majority of students.
In the successful students you find the same traits that you would find in the successful self taught people. No one ever tells the self taught person they arrived, so they keep climbing. Either way you go, you need those skills and they aren't taught by too many teachers, they certainly aren't part of any required curriculum.
Most game art related degrees, don't count for much inside the industry, even less outside. That has been starting to turn around the last few years with a lot of programs getting "better". But if you're considering paying a large sum of money for a game art degree, I would put that money elsewhere or avoid the debt. At best a game art degree can give you the opportunity to get your feet wet in a few programs and if you're lucky you'll get one or two teachers that know a few techniques (often dated). Really, that is something you can do for free, on your own.
I'm not saying they are useless, a degree might help you get past a recruiter filter, or a degree might allow a hiring manager to check off a few basic questions. But once you're portfolio is in front of anyone who understands what we do, a degree pretty much stops being meaningful and its about what you can do, as demonstrated by your work/portfolio.
Also, your attitude accounts for a lot, as well as who you know and who you have impressed in the past. Those factors play a MONUMENTAL role in finding a quality job.
Get to know people on all ends of the spectrum. Don't just chase down pros and veterans, get to know others that are at your level. They will work their way into the industry and can help you get in. Help others and they will in turn, help you. Most roles I've filled or seen filled are by people who were referred by someone, so get to know people, don't be shy and don't be obnoxious.
Just checked out Gnomon,and i dont know how da hell did i not find it earlier.Ohhhhhhhh man ooooh man,holly balls xD is is something or what?
The things i saw that their students did is faaaar more advanced and better looking than things i see on most places.But dont get me wrong i really like that there is always better,more advanced way of doing things.
And currently i am dedicating more time to studying 3d rather than school.But the problem is im at that time in life,at that turning point when i must chose a college (something that will lead me to a job) and start earning money,since im 19 and finishing high school soon.
And the reason being in probably going to end up on engineer college is cause if you are a good student you get the country to finance you for it.
Ive looked for anything computer graphic related here in my country that could also have the ability for the country to finance but no luck,
All the training centers (if you can call them that) for that cost a lot of money which is reasonable,you cant expect somebody to give out knowledge for free,but i dont have money
So i guess ill have to work toward being a engineer?
Ive seen a lot of places where you could earn money for your models:different workshops (steam,unity,UE4...) sites like turbo squid,and doing requests on sites like deviant art.
How much...ummmm...viable are those? ive seen that the competition there is harsh.
Im really not afraid to spend the entire day studying 3D and anything related to it,even now i have a little notebook for it where i write anything i have learned related to it,but it costs to get started and i believe that guys at Gnomon (or anywhere similar) wont accept me with my promise that i will use their courses and study to the fullest so i can repay later xD.
But im running out of time,as learning to make a finished model isnt easy and im trying to grow as a student as quickly as possible so i can as said start to earn money from my work (that i love
So again sorry for the unnecessary blabbering as your guys are really trying to help and i appreciate that.
But i guess im dumb at making big life choices
so i guess the viable option to me is engineer college and hope it wont suck the life out of me.As it looks like its a more safe choice for a money income and a job.
Im just afraid and want to get to a serious 3d modeling business as soon as possible while im still young and energetic
Why do you want to be a 3d artist? It might seem like it would be more fun than being a well paid engineer or a programmer but in the end it's just a job like any other, except you get paid less and working conditions are probably worse. I personally never wanted to be a 3d artist. I wanted to be a GAME artist so that I could make games.
If you're not working on some kind of 3d art or game modding already I wouldn't go to uni to learn game art. Try to get some actual experience before making any life changing decisions. Even just taking a year off before uni to figure out what you want to do might be good.
Making games is becoming more accessible every day. You definitely don't need a degree to get started.
You'd probably be better off doing it in your spare time.
There's a big difference between working on your own game and working on a game with 100 other people without having any input.
Though because you live in Serbia your prospects may be a bit different because of differences in wages. A freelancer living in Serbia might end up earning more money than an engineer because they can work in the international market.
Game company: cares about the portfolio, not the degree.
Immigration: cares about the degree, not the portfolio.
In any case, you likely need both. And engineering degrees always look good on your resume, not matter what you'll do in the end. But I wager, you'll also learn some good transferable skills, like doing your own research, analytic thinking and taking a technical and detail oriented approach to your work. And even if we deal with art, in the end, we're working on a software product, which is by default something technical. So you can't really go wrong with having those skills.
Also, network. Network a lot. Try to know as many people as you can and make friends with all industry people from your region, then, even if your portfolio isn't the "AAA" quality you'll have greater chances of landing a job. Attend as many gaming festivals, and/or dev conferences and you're golden.
As far as I can see, you have a fair base on 3D, so if you take a year to work on your skills you'll get the skill level needed to break into the industry.
In my opinion, your money will be spent on far better things this way rather then going to engineering college, or even an art academy there.
I hope this helped somewhat.
Cheers!
And it would be really great to have the time to work 6 hours a day only on 3D art it would help a lot not just cause of the time put into it but because if i only do that through the days i will be able to focus just on that.
It only depends if my parents and i can get with delaying college for another year,which is harsh as i am still living off their money,which is why i want to start earning it as soon as possible.
And the state will be paying my college if im good but it cant pay anything else.
And by 3D artist i do mean game artist.Sorry i didnt know how to call it,i really liked the idea of the steam workshop,that anybody with knowledge can create a asset that is gonna be a part of a much larger game.That and the fact that i kept playing games as a kid seeing all the fantasy words and the things you could do in a game lead me to wanting to become a 3D artist for games.
I agree that i would have to get close to some of the game devs out there,so i can squeeze myself in the industry.
I remember i read somewhere that here in Serbia there is a studio that worked on some of the assets of GTA 4 but i cant find it.
Im just finding studios that make point and click games.
As far as I know, there is Eipix, Nordeus, Cofa Games, I know there are more but can't really remember them all.
You also have 3Lateral that specializes in creation of high quality and high fidelity characters for games.
I hope this helps somewhat.
Cheers!
And im seeing people of very different age working in different studios,at what age people do get in and get out of game development business?
Im hoping to get to work from as young of a age as i could,as im able to learn new things much quicker and get new experiences in the field.
You can get into the industry as early as 18 years old, given that you have the necessary skills to get in. Just a month after I turned 19 I got a job at Croteam. As you see, as long as you are over 18 your good
Cheers!