Should I change my major? (English to Game Design)

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Alright cats, I have a dilemma. I'm currently an English major (leaning more towards creative writing) and while it's fine and all I can't help but want to change my major to Game Design/Development. I just keep getting this desire to work on games, to create. I have no programing experience, but hey, that's why the college is there right? I don't know, I just have this unshakeable urge to go into the gaming industry.

So, to all you programmers and who ever has experience in the gaming industry, should I pursue this? Or should I just continue to write silly little stories and study the literary works of the deceased? :|
 
Double Major? Major/Minor combo?

I'd say if the profession interests you a lot focus on getting an internship. It doesn't really matter what your major is, but an internship is a great foot in the door and a way to see what the job is like.

A very good friend of mine had a dream of working for Midway games, which was in our neighborhood, and he actually got a job after graduating but then after a few months they went bankrupt.
 
Well teaching is fall-back position for English majors, right? It was for (non-native speaker) me and my own high-school English professor talked me out of it

I didn't have any affinity for it so I never went on to study English in college (hence my less than perfect grammar :)). Does teaching attract you? Or any other jobs you could be doing with a major in English?

I say go for what attracts you the most and if its game design, well...

You only live once, no point wasting time on something that's not dear to you.
 
The way I see it, and this may go mostly in terms of American colleges/professions, it really doesn't matter too much what your undergrad major is. Of course it's a little different if you're thinking of a career as a doctor, lawyer, engineer... but for most occupations it doesn't really matter. They'll train you for your job once you're in, so the more important problem is getting in. I don't see an English major as being an obstruction in this case, it might actually be beneficial to set you apart from your competition.
 
Rufus Luccarelli said:
Alright cats, I have a dilemma. I'm currently an English major (leaning more towards creative writing) and while it's fine and all I can't help but want to change my major to Game Design/Development. I just keep getting this desire to work on games, to create. I have no programing experience, but hey, that's why the college is there right? I don't know, I just have this unshakeable urge to go into the gaming industry.

So, to all you programmers and who ever has experience in the gaming industry, should I pursue this? Or should I just continue to write silly little stories and study the literary works of the deceased? :|
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Stick with English.

There's a couple of reasons for this. First of all, game design and game programming are two largely separate things. These aren't the times of the one-man game show, most games are made with a lot of staff who have specific tasks. While some programming experience may help in designing games, just using some online tutorials (there are a lot of high-quality ones out there) will get you more than enough experience at this.

Secondly, there's no reason at all why you couldn't use the writing and storytelling skills you learn now in a future job as a game designer, and in fact several prominent game designers have an English degree, Chris Avellone probably being the most relevant example for you.

Lastly, it will make you much more versatile and you won't be (as) stuck in the game industry if, down the road, you decide that the game industry sucks ballsacks.
 
all kids want to work on vidyagaimz. especially nowadays, a lot of colleges & unis are popping up with new 'game design' and related courses.

don't kid yourself. there'll be so much overcapacity that you'll either have to start your own game studio or you'll have to work on stupid games for ridiculous wages or you'll just never work in the game industry at all.

if you're truly driven and want to commit yourself 100%, go for it. give it your best shot, maybe a decent game will come out of it.
but if not? stay the fuck out and save yourself the disillusion & grief.
 
KQX said:
The way I see it, and this may go mostly in terms of American colleges/professions, it really doesn't matter too much what your undergrad major is.
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KQX is right. Whatever real-world experience you end up getting is going to be much more important than what your major was. Your degree is just proof that you could do it. English is a good major because you can go in any direction with that. One of my friends even went to medical school after being an English major as an undergrad, although she's extremely smart so she could handle the transition. When it came to being admitted to med school her English degree was actually a benefit. It made her stand out because everyone else had been pre-med. Now she's a pediatrician.

You should be much more concerned about what's going to happen when your desire to be creative collides with business. That's almost always a jarring experience. :mrgreen:
 
Rufus Luccarelli said:
So, to all you programmers and who ever has experience in the gaming industry, should I pursue this? Or should I just continue to write silly little stories and study the literary works of the deceased? :|
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Better go and see first if you have what it needs for programming/coding.

I thought a long time ago that working with IT and PC is MY thing. The one and only. What I want to as job in the future. Boy was I wrong. Took me 3 years to realise and lots of bad grades.

Programming is something you have to love. Even when it kills you. Even when it is something that might be extremly frustrating. You have to love it.

If youre well around math, things are easier here and there particularly when you learn math easy doing math in programing is a bit different then using it just with a calculator on paper for example. Of course it depends what you have to do with it in the end. So its all very generic.

But to say that. If you love working very long on the same issue till you solved it when you LOVE it to spend time on problems you have no clue about how to solve it and spend 2, 4 or even a few days on it till it works correctly. Then yeah. The IT and programming is for you.

It made me crazy actualy to sit for ours staring on the screen and code not knowing where the issue was or why my programm wasnt working how I "thought" it should checking endless times MySql data bases, ports, correctly set variables, arrays etc. And after 4 ours I would give up. If that is something though you see as chalange. Well might be that you have what is the correct skill for it.

SuAside said:
all kids want to work on vidyagaimz. especially nowadays, a lot of colleges & unis are popping up with new 'game design' and related courses.

don't kid yourself. there'll be so much overcapacity that you'll either have to start your own game studio or you'll have to work on stupid games for ridiculous wages or you'll just never work in the game industry at all.

if you're truly driven and want to commit yourself 100%, go for it. give it your best shot, maybe a decent game will come out of it.
but if not? stay the fuck out and save yourself the disillusion & grief.
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I guess he has seen their comercial.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwlE1aASc4g&feature=PlayList&p=AD59AF713AAA66D7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3[/youtube]
 
Thanks everyone. :D I'll most likely just stick with the english, I've been at it for awhile, but it's getting really boring. I always just wanted to make games, but really have no skills in computer programing department. I just don't want to just wake up one morning in the future and think "what if?" It's probably for the better that I stick with english, less frustrating too. ;) And if I still want to get into the gaming industry, hell, they can always use a writer.

Edit: Anyway, are there actually people here that work in the gaming industry? If so, what's it like? I guess experiences would differ based on what job someone has.
 
Is it really valid to say that the field of your undergrad degree doesn't matter much? I can see that applying when going for a law degree or medical program but by and large, I would think it would have some significant help. Sure experience will be the bigger factor later on, but to get that first experience... you need the degree I feel.


As for OT... def stick with english, but given your dissatisfaction with it, you should probably consider trying to get a minor at the least in something else while you can, or to really start exploring what it is you want to do with the degree once you get out.
 
if you think you may be interested in programming...

start looking at some java tutorials

if that doesnt turn you off, look at some C# tutorials...

if that doesnt turn you off, maybe look at some C++ or Fortran or Pascal languages...

if someone wants to tell you that oracle or something is a language, its a scripting language like python, its not a fully featured programming language, its a scripting language.


dip your toes into java and C#, if they dont turn you off, then look at C++

and if someone mentiones VB, point and laugh and ask them how old they were when they hit their head when they were young.
 
I got into programming at one point. I had taken some courses before so I thought that's something I would like. I got decent with actionscript, mostly working with adobe flex (I needed it for this job I was after) but I came to a point where I realized that it just wasn't for me. Like someone here said already, it takes a certain person to work in that field.

I advise you to stick with a major that you like, you think you have a talent for, or that just feels right and then use that to get into gaming industry. There is need for almost any skill in gaming now. English is definitely one of them.
 
another thing, how good are you at math?

you cannot be good in programming without being good at math...

both are based on logical thinking. its one of the reasons why there are not many women in programming/math :)
 
I'm average in math. Can do it, but I'm not a fan. Forgot about the whole math aspect.

I could probably just teach myself if I really want to pursue programming, save money. I'll stick to writing in the english language for now.
 
maximaz said:
There is need for almost any skill in gaming now. English is definitely one of them.
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It can help if you know 2 languages very well. I mean for example german localisations are full with errors and bad translations.

Rufus Luccarelli said:
I'm average in math. Can do it, but I'm not a fan. Forgot about the whole math aspect.

I could probably just teach myself if I really want to pursue programming, save money. I'll stick to writing in the english language for now.
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That is at least a good way to see if you have the needed skill for it. Most important is that you stick with issues in some project. Nothing in programming ever goes like expected meaning that once you start with doing something you will encounter problems which need a hell lot of time and can be extremly frustrating. The devil is most often enough in the detail.

Try to get some project starting. Like programming some Stepper motor or something similar with one of the machine languages C, Assambler (algol?) and such. If that really works for you and you love working with that then you probably have what it needs to get started professionaly in the field.

Issue is just that I have meet quite a few good programmers but they are not good in the IT field. I call them script monsters. They will do everyhting you want in Java, MySql and they are perfect in instaling appache on Linux. But they have no clue about the principles behind IT like the math for example. Of course it isnt always needed anway if you spend most of the time working with just C why should you need to know everything about principles of electrical engineering.

Dunno. Find something you love and stick with it. Best advice I have read here anyway.
 
Become an astronaut or a superhero.


It's about as likely as you getting a job with that English major ;)
 
Okay, seriously, again: game designers do not code. They do not make programs. They are game designers. The programmers are other people. If you want to get into the game industry as a writer and designer, being able to program is only a bonus.
 
Well, yeah I understand that designers aren't the ones making programs, but its a skill that would be beneficial (or just for fun :P ). Just exploring the possibilities I suppose.
 
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