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Subject: Wana be a game designer?
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Yep thats the plan! 1 more year at the undergrad level. Working on my 4th freeware game! Its a Chaos Field/ ikaruga TDS style game called Norori Kujiria TE. The money is nice of course but i'm more psyched about getting paid to do what I love which is to make games. Hoping to start my first production level game in the fall with a team of friends under a grant from Microsoft.

Oh and if anyone is looking for a kick ass open source graphics engine be sure to check out OGRE 3D

  • 04.24.2007 10:17 PM PDT
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Me too. I'm beng considered for a Game Design school as we speak in fact.

  • 04.24.2007 11:16 PM PDT
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Programming is where it's at.

  • 04.25.2007 1:19 AM PDT
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You think it got what it takes to be..?.


God forbid you send me one of those I was checking for cool gamers and saw you messages too, I will scream to the top of my lungs and smash this damn screen/BlackBerry to pieces! You've been warned -_-

I love art...........especially the ones with a story behind it.

  • 04.25.2007 5:01 AM PDT

Posted by: DeeJ
Why don't you just give me ONE SECOND!

Haha cool.... mb..

  • 04.25.2007 6:13 AM PDT
Subject: Wana be a game designer?
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Toast always lands butterside down.
Attach to back of cat always lands on feet......

Result:Antigravity!

Well first of all it pays alot(over $4,000 a month)
There are also different types of designers.I'd prefer to be a Level designer
And Here's all the information you need to know.
I hope I end up working at Bungie.

  • 04.24.2007 7:39 PM PDT
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Toast always lands butterside down.
Attach to back of cat always lands on feet......

Result:Antigravity!

I used to want to be a game mechanic but level design sounds alot better.......I wonder if it pays more.

  • 04.25.2007 6:39 AM PDT
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It would be cool. I wouldn't put a forum on the companies website though. Then there would be too many little kids whining about the game.

Ex. Bungie.net. (Halo forums atleast)

  • 04.25.2007 7:10 AM PDT

Red vs. Blue Join Now!

____
@ @
..V
\___/

Im doing this as we speak.

Nice info there aswell

  • 04.25.2007 8:17 AM PDT
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Cortana
It is a blurred line that lies at the edge of Godhood and Insanity. Guess which side of it I am on.


The real enemy in Gears of War.

The legend of Croatoan

Interesting...I was just talking to Phil Co (Works at Valve Software creator of Half-Life) about level design. If you guys want I could post what he has to say on what would be a good focus in college and such.

[Edited on 04.25.2007 8:38 AM PDT]

  • 04.25.2007 8:35 AM PDT
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I'm and ungrad majoring in Computer Science and reading books an AI and computers and stuff. I hope I'm taking the correct path.

  • 04.25.2007 8:38 AM PDT
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Posted by: Jamais Vu
I'm and ungrad majoring in Computer Science and reading books an AI and computers and stuff. I hope I'm taking the correct path.


My understanding is that yes a degree will get you pretty far. I've considered going to a non degree school after i graduate to get a certificate or something along those lines to help specialize. Also many colleges now are incorporating game design into their curriculum's. Microsoft is pushing game design and many colleges are getting the benefits by getting funding from Microsoft and free access to Visual Studio for CS majors. If your university doesn't currently have a gaming course push for it. This semester is the first time that my college has had a class specifically for game design and its so much fun. Basicly start working on a portfolio of games. There is tons of open source tools to help with game design. Get some experience with the various graphic/ physics/ audio engines and learn some scripting like XML.
For the artist that want to do 3D modeling check out Blender the best open source program for content design.

  • 04.25.2007 12:32 PM PDT
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Toast always lands butterside down.
Attach to back of cat always lands on feet......

Result:Antigravity!

Posted by: Croaton
Interesting...I was just talking to Phil Co (Works at Valve Software creator of Half-Life) about level design. If you guys want I could post what he has to say on what would be a good focus in college and such.

That would be great.

Anyway I'm doing a powerpoint presentation in my elective.

  • 04.26.2007 9:01 PM PDT
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Only 4,000? Eh...


My dad make almost 10,000 a month for being a Marine Colonel

  • 04.26.2007 9:02 PM PDT

I am going to be a Graphic Designer. I looked at a whole bunch of the graphs that are saying that Graphic Design is growing into a job that is hard to get, because of many people wanting to be a Graphic Designer.

By the time I do 8 years, it will be at its peak. :) Which is awesome. :P

  • 04.26.2007 9:07 PM PDT

don't take me too seriously..


<3

Maybe you guys will end up finishing level three and tightening up the graphics for it..

:D

  • 04.26.2007 9:11 PM PDT
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I use to want to, but I feel that it's a dying art. (in soul) =\

  • 04.26.2007 9:12 PM PDT
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Cortana
It is a blurred line that lies at the edge of Godhood and Insanity. Guess which side of it I am on.


The real enemy in Gears of War.

The legend of Croatoan

Posted by: Fraged
Posted by: Croaton
Interesting...I was just talking to Phil Co (Works at Valve Software creator of Half-Life) about level design. If you guys want I could post what he has to say on what would be a good focus in college and such.

That would be great.

Anyway I'm doing a powerpoint presentation in my elective.


I just sent someone a PM about it. Here is what I sent him:

Keep in mind that I live in Washington and these were my questions and might no help you people. This is what he had to say:

What would you say is a good college to go to (in the Seattle area) for someone who is trying get into the career of Level Design?

The only one I know of here that focuses on game development is Digipen. The group that is developing Portal here at Valve is from there. I think any college that has good programs in computer science, graphics/animation would probably be fine.



What would you suggest my area of focus should be on in college?

I would try to diversify between computer science and graphic design/art. The level design position has evolved over the years so that you need to use a bit of both.



Do you need drawing skills or is it something along the line of taking what the concept artists come up with and add onto it in the same style?

You don't need any drawing skills, but you do need to be able to express your ideas on paper (or a whiteboard) and convey them to other team members. Here at Valve, we consider the first whiteboard drawing for a level as the first prototype or template for that level. If we can't solve the issues in the drawing, we probably won't be able to solve it in the actual level.



Since I am going to be the BEST Level Designer that this world has ever seen, what school(s) has the best program for Level Designers?

This one's a bit tricky. Level designers at different companies do different things. Here at Valve, we do a lot of scripting for entities and just working together on each experience the player will have. This leads me to believe that the best school for a level designer at Valve would need access to developer tools such as Source and Hammer (or Unreal, etc.). It would organize the students as a project with programmers, artists, animators and designers and your team would start with simple goals that you could achieve on a weekly basis. Level designers at other companies (such as Blizzard) might emphasize being able to model in Maya or Max. The idea school would have art classes in modeling and texturing to give you a good sense of scale and how to craft the spaces the way you want them.



Would I need a degree in Digital Arts & Design or Game Development?

Definitely not, although a degree shows a couple of things - that you can finish something and that you're open to learning - but that doesn't mean you have to get a degree in Digital Arts or Game Development.



At the Community College level what kind of classes would help me prepare for a career in Level Design?

Diversify yourself - take fiction writing (you never know if you'll be asked to write dialogue), take a drama course (animators often record themselves doing all kinds of crazy actions so they can animate them later or you might even be involved in a voice recording session), take computer science courses, take modeling/texturing, take an architectural drawing course (for drafting out your ideas). The bottom line is that a lot of the best developers look for game developers, not level designers or artists or programmers specifically. Does that make sense?



What in your estimate is the entry level pay?

Good question. If you've seen Game Developer magazine, they have salary figures for all positions about once a year. It also depends on where the company is located. Starting in the San Francisco area might be $50K but that's kind of like $35K in Texas.



Outside of Washington, where are good companies located?

I was in the San Francisco area for about 10 years. There are some great companies there like Lucasarts, Nihilistic, Double Fine. Even EA isn't a bad place to get started. They might overwork you and lay you off after the project's done, but they tend to ship on time and you can use it a stepping stone. LA has Blizzard, of course, and a couple of other companies (Turtlerock) that are good.

  • 04.26.2007 9:38 PM PDT
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Ha, no. I'm going to do some useful things.

No offense to Bungie of course :P

  • 04.26.2007 9:40 PM PDT
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Posted by: raj2734
Posted by: Jamais Vu
I'm and ungrad majoring in Computer Science and reading books an AI and computers and stuff. I hope I'm taking the correct path.


My understanding is that yes a degree will get you pretty far. I've considered going to a non degree school after i graduate to get a certificate or something along those lines to help specialize. Also many colleges now are incorporating game design into their curriculum's. Microsoft is pushing game design and many colleges are getting the benefits by getting funding from Microsoft and free access to Visual Studio for CS majors. If your university doesn't currently have a gaming course push for it. This semester is the first time that my college has had a class specifically for game design and its so much fun. Basicly start working on a portfolio of games. There is tons of open source tools to help with game design. Get some experience with the various graphic/ physics/ audio engines and learn some scripting like XML.
For the artist that want to do 3D modeling check out Blender the best open source program for content design.


The part about building a portfolio of games intimidates me... I feel like I'm so far behind. I've never had experience making games. I've just gotten accustomed to writing code this first year in Java (I was a freshman this year). I pretty sure that the school I go to right now doesn't have a gaming course or anything, but I'm trying to transfer next year, hopefully to UW in Seattle, so who knows, maybe they will considering M$ is right around there. Anyway, I'm 18 and have never made a game or coded before this year. Am I behind?

  • 04.26.2007 9:40 PM PDT
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Posted by: evilcam
Gz, I'd kill the whole world for you




3-19-07

can you guys say, "Flooded market"

  • 04.26.2007 9:42 PM PDT
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I used to, and still kind of do, want to be some sort of Game designer. First I wanted to just come up with game ideas. Then I figured out thats not really a job. Then I thought about doing story boards, and plot. But I cant draw, and Im not too good at explaining things. Then I wanted to do graphic design, and create models and stuff. But I have no experience in that. But I am thinking about taking a graphic design class at an...art...high school...thing...called evit. But I don't know if thats really what I want to do though. And Ive already got a full schedule. But if I take summer school I guess I could fit it in.

Current plan is to become one of the following...Game/graphic/level designer (maybe I could do it for movies also/instead). chiropractor, pilot, aeronautics design. But my ultimate goal is to be an author. But chances of any of those things happening, especially author, is slim.

I dont know what to do! haha. Dont mean to give you my life story.

[Edited on 04.26.2007 9:55 PM PDT]

  • 04.26.2007 9:53 PM PDT

I've been here longer then my profile says. Pre-Halo Bungie Fan.
My Halo and Bungie related art.
Photographs
My Mercs: ML430 - 560SL - 420SEL

Halo fan since 1999 MacWorld Trailer

I did, but no longer.

  • 04.26.2007 9:58 PM PDT

*I sense a disturbance in the forum*
Jaws on Zanzibar?
Sniper 's Ed 101
my myspace
teh explosion
purchase a leaf blower at any Sears store
After kim saying pc gamers are more mature:
Posted by:ImSpartacus
we r?

I'm going to Cogswell University In Sunnyvale, CA to become a game designer
either in spring 2008 or fall 2007

[Edited on 04.26.2007 10:00 PM PDT]

  • 04.26.2007 9:59 PM PDT

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