Great Game Development Resources for Learning about Game Design

This article by G4 is more specific to game design, as there are lot of good resources that will teach you about working in game engines and the theories of design and player entertainment. I have just read an article recently that covers some of the points that I discuss in my book about the benefits of going to college vs. being self-taught. Also, there are some wonderful resources, such as the Gamasutra Jobs Boards, where you can find jobs and seek out what studios are wanting from a candidate for the position that you want to be hired for. This way, when developing your portfolio, you can tailor your portfolio in a way that will meet all of the checkpoints for that studio and will also be valuable to other studios as well.

The article also recommends reading books and that having insider-information is one of the most important tools to propelling yourself forward to gain the skills and know the expectations of what it will take for you to get a job in the video game industry. All the more reason to read books like mine, How To Get a Job in Video Games.

Perhaps one of the most useful bits of information that this article from G4 provides is that you should start designing games, now! Don't wait around until you decide on the right college to go to. Many of the game engines are simple and also free to download and tinker with, and that's exactly what you should do. You will learn so much more by trial and error than by having someone tell you theories in school, because eventually you will have to test those theories yourself and they will be more sticky in your mind because you did it yourself. Game Development schools spend a large portion of their time giving you your own time and freedom to work on your own projects. The professor is not going to hold your hand the whole way throughout your development process, so you might as well get used to learning on your own early and then, if you do decide to go to school, you will have that much more experience than your peers. What do all of the child prodigies have in common? They started their talent early in life! The sooner you begin, the more time you have to learn and the better you will become overall. Someone going to the gym once and doing five hundred pushups will not benefit as much as someone who has started when they were fifteen and go to the gym three times a week and complete fifty pushups each time. You will learn more with consistent dedication and work instead of a flash in the pan--if you think the only time you will every have to work on your portfolio is during college and then stop altogether. This industry is one where you are constantly learning new processes and technology and improving your own talent, so beginning as soon as possible is key to having a job arranged for you at graduation time.

To read the article and see what they have to say about going to college and joining online forums and which engines to focus on in your portfolio, you can check it out here: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/716473/how-to-get-a-job-in-video-games-your-career-resource-guide/

-Ken