Stay in School, Kids
There has been a lot of really good information lately on the nuts-n-bolts of being a game designer. Psychochild serves up an excellent summary of what the work of a designer is really like, including some important tips on communicating your ideas. Brandon Reinhart explains what goes into writing a design document. Mythic’s Paul Barnett (watch this video now!) points out some pitfalls to avoid in game design, and Lum sums up the importance of charisma, which so many of us lack.
You really want to work in this crazy business? Read the stuff above. These folks know of whence they speak.
I have only one small observation to add, based on a common thread that runs through all the above: the importance of learning.
I’ve spoken before about how my degree in English seems on the surface to be an odd fit for this profession, but when all is said and done it might not be so strange. One of the key things I learned when writing research papers is how to present my thesis statements simply and clearly up front, then carefully organize the details that follow in a logical manner. Without knowing it, my English professors could very well be responsible for a large part of the success I’ve had in this industry. Even as a community manager, I was able to get my input considered based not just on the merit of the ideas but on my ability to present them effectively. And that never really occurred to me until reading some of the articles linked above.
Ideas are common as candy. Organizing your ideas and expressing them clearly is an art that needs to be learned in a structured environment. While some have an inherent knack for it, there is no one with a natural skill that would not further benefit from refining their abilities in the proper environment.
If I have a concern about the many colleges that are now offering majors in game design, it’s that they may concentrate too much on the mechanics of making games and less on the critical thinking applicable to general learning. Critical thinking is useful in every profession from plumber to professor, and this is at the heart of what you learn in the core classes at a university. If these game design schools take a technical college approach to learning, the people coming out of them may end up knowing the proficiencies of the job while lacking the structured thinking that is at the core of it. Hopefully this fear is unfounded; time will tell.
So if you want to be a game designer, I encourage you to learn. Whether you study computer science, sociology, philosophy, chemistry, or writing, the discipline your brain picks up will be useful in this industry. It isn’t about being the smartest or having the coolest ideas (I’m proof of that), it’s about being able to communicate them usefully and effectively.
Once your communication skills get you in the door, it’s your hard work that’s going to keep you there. Be ready to work your ass off.
Nothing to be worried about i think. At least not at the course i’m following.
I already finished a 4 year degree in Business and IT though before entering this course. Check out the overview of the modules. Afaik every important aspect is beeing learned. http://www.qantm.nl/programme-modules.html
I’ll be finished with the Animation Major in about a year, and i’m looking forward working on an MMO.
You have a bug in our old office, don’t you?
I was just saying this exact sort of thing (although not as eloquently as you, as usual) the other day.
I’ve found that cogency and force of personality count for a lot in any field. When I was working in retail, I found that roughly half of all sales occured because of a particularly interesting and knowledgable salesman. The other half were people who came in knowing what they wanted. In retail it was focused on teasing out what people were looking for, then providing that product (or your closest alternative) to them.
Selling your ideas isn’t very different from that. You have to know who your audience is, tease out what they want, and pitch your idea so it sells to their conceptions. Business-oriented people are especially vulnerable to this: talk about your killer ap and you’ll get yawns, but say the feature will gain 200,000 new customers and they’ll snap wide awake. Everyone is guilty of this because they’re focused on their own specialty, and you must put your idea into their context.
For odd degrees, I have a degree in Politics / Religion. Makes for some interesting conversations at cocktail parties and company outings – “so, your education is in the two most divisive topics … how about those Pats?”
Leave it to Steve to make me feel stupid and undereducated. ;P
You messed up the link to my article: http://www.psychochild.org/?p=255 I also didn’t see a trackback, so you messed up multiple times. Don’t worry, we’ll still talk behind your back. Er, I mean, respect you in the morning. Well, something like that….
You are right about learning, it’s important to keep doing that. But, the problem with critical thinking is that it’s not something you develop overnight. And, honestly, a lot of people just can’t handle it. Did you hate “word problems” in math class? If so, you probably won’t make a good game designer.
Anyway, interesting to see all these related posts pop up all at once.
Obviously it’s something lots of us have been thinking about.
Have fun!
“But, the problem with critical thinking is that it’s not something you develop overnight. And, honestly, a lot of people just can’t handle it.”
There are definitely some people who have an inherent knack for it and others that don’t, but I think both types of people can benefit from working on their skill in a structured environment.
The thing that school helps you with (which you usually don’t realize until many years later) is that it gives you the tools you need to build your own path. A would-be artist may find it a drag to paint watercolors of bowls of fruit, but there is a benefit from learning the basics before trying to change the world with your own style. Look at Picasso as someone who mastered conventional forms before taking art in a whole new direction.
When I began attending college, I fancied myself a good poet. I took a poetry class and mostly hated it because I felt the professor was trying to force too much of his own perspective and style onto us. Looking back, I find that class extremely valuable because it taught me a lot of bits and pieces that I still use today.
(And no, I haven’t written any poetry for some time, so don’t bother asking.)
School’s greatest value is that it structures your mind to reason effectively and provides you with a toolbox of possibilities to apply in everyday life. Though value of the lessons is not always immediately apparent, down the road it becomes very evident.
Thank you very much for your kind mention and like to *that* video. I am dyslexic(?) and hence almost all my views need to be expressed through talking and moving.
I thought you comments came accross as honest and true. Which is about the only way comments should be seen.
Best
Paul Barnett
One of the things the university that I went to did right in its Engineering courses, was a required series of classes on writing clear technical papers and reading same. A portion of our final paper’s grade was determined by a non-technical person reading said paper, amazing what you learn there.
“One of the key things I learned when writing research papers is how to present my thesis statements simply and clearly up front, then carefully organize the details that follow in a logical manner.”
One such example can be found here: http://www.mobhunter.com/moorgard/-376381988.html