What should I do if I want to be a Creative Designer?

jakeblake · 01-17-2010, 10:51 AM

What should I do if I want to be a Creative Designer making my own game someday but starting out in a gaming company and I'd like to get a degree in game design?

Adrir · 01-17-2010, 01:45 PM

Do you mean Creative Director?

If you havn't already, read Tom Sloper's Advice.

tsloper · 01-17-2010, 04:23 PM

Please use http://www.sloperama.com/advice.html so you can have the nav frame and everything. Jake, start with articles 3, 7, 14, 34, and 44.

jakeblake · 01-18-2010, 07:47 AM

Ok tsloper I read some of that and I think I'd like to be an inventor or creative director making my own game but with a game company so what would be the best degree I could get and job I could then apply for with that degree but it would be a job that doesn't really invlove any programming or anything like that but would involve more on ideas and stuff like that although I won't mind if i'd have to do a job that involves a little of those things cause I'm not lazzy but I'd rather not.

kbaxter · 01-18-2010, 09:38 AM

Wow! Sounds like you didn't read much of Tom's site, or you would have very quickly discovered that he's definitely not going to answer those questions.

The best degree for you to get is whatever degree you WANT to get. If it's something you enjoy studying, chances are it can get you a job you would enjoy doing. Pretty much any four year degree can get you into the game industry in one position or another. And if you studied something you like, chances are you can get a job you like even if you're having trouble getting hired at a game studio.

You will definitely not get hired to make your own game but with a game company. If you get into the game industry, work your way up, and get many years of experience, maybe you could start your own studio someday and be able to make your own games. But even then, you'd have to be flexible and work with your team instead of making all the decisions yourself.

If you want to start working on games, you'll need to prepare yourself for an entry level job in the industry. Some entry level jobs are: quality assurance, junior programmer, junior artist, assistant producer, and level designer. Do some research on these roles, or any other entry level roles you find out about, and see if any of them look interesting. If so, build a portfolio around that position while you're at school.

The bottom line is, you have to have some marketable skill to get hired.

tsloper · 01-18-2010, 11:37 AM

What kbaxter said. Also read my FAQ 29. http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson29.htm and my FAQ 30. http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson30.htm

jakeblake · 01-18-2010, 01:58 PM

Ok thanks you too and as for getting marketing skills I am currently in the finance academy at my school so I think that covers that but I still don't really want a gaming job that involves anything like that so could one of you give me a brief overview of what an assistant producer and level designer do? Or just tell me on which pages of Tom's site you have information about the two cause I really don't wana go looking through all 71 pages, lol. Well thanks.

tsloper · 01-18-2010, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeblake

could one of you give me a brief overview of what an assistant producer and level designer do? Or just tell me on which pages of Tom's site you have information about the two cause I really don't wana go looking through all 71 pages, lol. Well thanks.

What a lazy kid you are. You can scroll down through the article titles and find those articles.
And stop wasting your time fretting over what you don't want. Read article 47.

jakeblake · 01-18-2010, 05:54 PM

Well true, I can be lazy, but I'm not if I don't have to be. And I found a nice program at an academy called Flashpoint which has a nice 2 year program where you learn Game Design, 3D Art & Animation, Game Programming, and Game Producing and Game Management. It seems to be pretty intense program though but with that would I be able to apply for just about any starting job in a gaming company?

tsloper · 01-18-2010, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeblake

Well true, I can be lazy... with that [major] would I be able to apply for just about any starting job in a gaming company?

Sure. Heck, you are able to apply for just about any job at any company, no matter whether you have a degree or not.

Applying is a completely different thing from getting hired, of course...