Bob

Not just that, gaming degree's are a waste of paper, if you pull out of the industry, you've got nothing to show for yourself, but with a more traditional degree, project management, software engineering, industrial design, etc, you're got a better foundation to go else where, plus they're more balanced degrees and generally more useful.

Sure there are a few game courses that are decent, Abertay for one, but most are just money making schemes and looked as a bit of a joke.

As for design, there are loads, industrial design, product design, design engineering, robotic design, automotive/water....basically there is a design field and degree in anything.

For art, there's traditional art, much more useful than game art, there's graphic design, photography, fashion and more traditional CAD stuff.

cluedweasel

If you really want to work in that field in the US, getting a job with an EU/UK arm of a US company may be a better way to go. I have a couple of friends who work for Blizzard (the World of Warcraft people) who transferred from the EU operation in Paris to the US one in Irvine, CA.

Bob

If you're good enough to get a job at Blizzard, you'd be good enough for anyone to get you a visa though, so company transfer is less of an issue...also not many Activision studios left in the UK after the last cull.

snowbunny

What about emigrating to do a degree here with a uni that has internships? I realise that's more expensive, but I'd imagine it has more possibilities.

GeoffM

Agreed, at least mostly. You could have have a stunning artist that is scared of a computer, or a 3DS expert that can manipulate but not draw. What you want is somewhere between the two, leaning towards the art side rather than computer side. Because ten a penny monkeys can put into one object what one artist can sketch. And a Nemo or Mickey Mouse is more endearing than somebody who turns a sketch into objects.

I'm even saying this with a brother who runs a school that produces gaming degrees. Can't deny that the courses look fun and even useful but it's not necessarily the sort of student that I'd hire.

N1cky

I'm amazed at the kind of jobs there are in the industry. Hubby works with a guy who's job it is to make origami figures of well known characters so the artists can see 3d versions of them to aid them in their jobs.

No degree could help you out if that's your speciality.

Chrisbower

After much thought and research into wether or not Games Design degrees are worth doing (and the majority of people saying no) im going to change my university course to Bsc in Computer science with Games Development. At least this way, im covering a much broader area of jobs but i still have my focus on games at the same time. Although it wont be games design based, I can continue to learn that side of things at home.

I think its realistic of me to get some years work experience and then decide from there what i want to do. Thanks everyone for their input!

Bob

Good thought, really good luck with it!

SEL_boy

This sounds like very smart thinking. Good luck!

Xebedee

Yeah, even for someone who gets a degree in the US and then goes off to conquer the world with it, it ain't easy. The best advise I ever had was from a Romanian teacher who said "get a cheap but good degree and do your time in the trenches".

Of course he may have been referring to Stalingrad , but by applying his suggestion it has proven to be a better way of doing things.

N1cky

Sounds like a sensible plan. Good luck with it all