Help Gio's future thread!

[Squeeky]

Oh Spider

[Electrofreak]

I don't mean to rain on your parade but let me just clue you in on one thing I've learned in my years of college in Computer Science thus far:

Everyone wants to be a game developer. Thus, you have a LOT of competition. Either you're extraordinarily good, or you fail. So before you start down that road, realize what you're up against. The average software design company doesn't just hire people who got a degree with a series of B's right after they get it. Your best bet is to get an associates, focus on a very specific aspect of game design, get a job in a field as close to that as possible, and do something that will make yourself get noticed. It also helps to have a fair amount of experience modding games.

I've always aspired to be a game developer and I still do, but over the years I've come to the realization that it's easy to dream about it, much harder to achieve it. I'm a great programmer, but I've hit a wall in mathematics which could cripple my chances. I'm great at design but I'm too much of a perfectionist and I don't handle compromise well (which you invetably have to do in software design). There are plenty of aspiring game devs out there that don't have those weaknesses and thus they have a head start on me.

I'm not telling you not to go ahead and try being a game dev, but seriously, don't kid yourself. If you're not willing to put some SERIOUS effort into it, you won't likely make it. Theres too many people who want that job, and many of them have a hell of a head start on you, and the determination to stay that way.

[Hamma]

Yea remember everyone and their mom who has been playing games since they could wants to be a game developer now.

[Giovanni]

Well, one of my ex's just graduated with 95% average from 3d animation at "cit***233; coll***233;giale". So... I'm pretty sure I can get a couple of pointers from her. (She's already been hired for ubisoft and meteor studio is asking her to come with them)

As far as 3d animation and the such goes I'm sure I'll learn quickly... remember the whole bunch of sigs I did? Well... that was my first try at photoshop and I didn't use any tutorials so I'm not that bad with drawing softwares. I just need to get back into the whole drawing thing.

But really I wanna go for concept designer. The one who puts down ideas, storyboards, scripts the whole concept of the game really.

[neon]

I'm also wanting to get into the games industry. Though definitely not a programmer because I am not that bright when it comes to math and I don't have the mindset you need to become a good programmer. I took an ap comp sci course this year but dropped it within a few weeks because I could not see myself becoming a good programmer.
Instead I'm more interested in the cinematic/film aspect of games, and I've seen that companies are hiring these sort of people. I'm just not sure what sort of things I would have to learn to be able to go into college with a head start on this stuff. I'm only a sophmore in high school and I've already gotten into some filming/editing stuff. What I'm trying to find out is what companies are wanting in the film/cinematic category.

[Setari]

Well, with cinematics, you'd probably want to know someting about 3D modelling, rigging, animation, and then composition and all those fun film-related categories. It really depends on what part of the cinematics you want to work on. If, say, you just wanted to make everything look cooler once all the models are rigged, you'd probably want to aim for a position as VFX artist/designer/whatever they are.

[neon]

Yeah I was browsing the CG forums, and the people on there are really talented. So its pretty intimidating.

If only I could get my hands on maya, then I could atleast dabble with it. But I do have 3dsmax 6 and Bryce 5 so thats a start.

[Mag-Mower]

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet...112&id=6902573

Thats Maya 7 PLE. I have played arround with it, and I do like using it, though I have never really created anything good

[Giovanni]

Well... I'm getting Maya as I speak...

Any other programs I should be getting to complement the thing or is it pretty much a one software need thing?

Edit: Nevermind, looks like I won't be installing Maya since I can't get a "valid lisence"... aka crack won't work. Stupid thing. (Aka my brain).

[Setari]

I can't recommend any specific tools, but I would recommend that you at least start lurking on CGTalk. It's how I picked up most of that random information.