Kid wants to design video games

[Anonymous]

GMU games design in the fine arts department had a weekend open house for sophomores and juniors considering this field. It was very helpful in explaining the field, GMUs approach, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may work out as a career--it's a huge and growing industry. What most people actually do in game design is not what most kids fantasize about though. But still dreams are what get people through the work to move towards them.

CS degrees can be rough and tedious if he's not committed to that though.

College--especially at a really good school--is a place where you discover your interests. You're exposed to ideas/areas of study you've never encountered before. So I would just let him be and figure out what he wants to do. Congrats on the admission!

That's what a game design major does -- explore all the areas: music, art, creative writing, computer science, business, psychology, neuroscience, etc. All of the things that make a game work.

^^ This is the GMU approach. My DS went through it a few years ago (now at Microsoft)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GMU games design in the fine arts department had a weekend open house for sophomores and juniors considering this field. It was very helpful in explaining the field, GMUs approach, etc.

NP - Thanks for this, I will look out for this next year.

[Anonymous]

The BFA program at GMU:

https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/visual-performing-arts/computer-game-design/computer-game-design-bfa/#requirementstext

[Anonymous]

The other key if he is serious about this career is that no matter what he chooses to major in, he has to develop a portfolio. So he needs to be working on side projects all the time.