Right now I'm at a crossroad. See, even now while I'm in college, I don't know "what I want to be when I grow up." All I know is that I want to go live with Chels. Sounds simple enough, right? But from the start, I knew I wanted to write. Just recently I've realized that, doing that in another town with out my parents is going to be not only difficult, but down right hard. If I'm going to write, we've already taken out the option of me going to the same school as Chelsea, because they have no programs for it there.
However....
Lately I've been looking at myself and what I've been doing. Every time I set out to do an assignment about halfway through I look around, and decide to blow some steam through some video games. I decided a long time ago, way back in Freshman year, that I would never try to go into game design on the count of that it's just way too cliche. A game nerd going for a game degree? But even in the midst of me having no money, going to college, whisking myself away every two weeks and attempting to have a social life, I still find/make times to set aside and just play games. And I don't mean my recent Street Fighter addiction, either. My brother moved the PS2 back in his room so I've been playing some classics. With the emulater I got, I've been playing SMRPG and I'm finally getting around to beating Chrono Trigger.
My point to that small rant was, not even a month ago I was talking about how I was feeling less and less like a gamer and more and more like someone who just really likes games (aka: Apple). But during my highest time of "stress" (It's not really stress since I have everything under control. Sort of....) I rely on games even more.
The next point to my rant is this. I've been browsing the internets, reading interviews and just looking at the stories of games. I've always said, if I can write a story and it just happens to end up into a game, great. But now I've realized that I can't do that if I don't have any game developing experience. And games offer a way into the media that movies, books, and television never will. I've been trying to convince myself to go into game design, but at the same time I wonder if my own motives are off. Do I actually want to go into game design, or am I just doing that so I can have an excuse to go to the same college as my girlfriend. Or am I just taking the easy way out of a profession that could be potentially difficult.
I'm sort of lost, battling myself. I think my one fear is that I'll get through 2 years of college, see what it is I'm doing and realize I don't want to do that and I'll look back and see what a stupid decision I've made. On the other side of that I don't want to look back when I have no real career and see the huge possibility presented to myself that I passed up cause I was confused.
Would it be too cliche for someone who has always avidly loved video games to suddenly start making them? Or would it really be better if I tried to go for a career in a dying industry that barely pays well, just to do what I love? Or even think I love? I don't know.....
They say it's better to have loved and lost, then to never of loved at all. I can't give you advise, because, quite honestly, I have no idea what you're going through. I honestly hope that you find what you;re looking for in some romantic way. Ya know, like staring into a stream and seeing your reflection and finally, in a burst of realization, figuring out all that you need.
ReplyDeleteBeing a writer doesn't mean you have to write novels. I want to be a writer too but I wantto write screenplays. There are tons of jobs that involve a writing degree (contract writing, advertising, magazine articles, assisting non writers in writing their autobiography, website article writing, instruction manuals, subtitles, etc etc ) it's honestly endless. Getting in te game buisness sucks cause you gotta work for Indy game developers for like the first 5-10. I donno man, just giving facts, choose what you want to do but these are realistic.
ReplyDeleteI can't rub this one out, errr! unhhh! Okay Alec all i know is that you're A good person who likes street fighter way too much. Such a pity.
ReplyDeleteAs Jason said here, you not only need game experience, but a good script writer (depends if you want to write a storyline to a game).
ReplyDeleteAnd it depends what kind of "game designer" you want to be. There are Concept artists, graphical designer, environment designer, simulation designer, physics engine designer, etc, etc..
The list goes on and on. The meaning to this is that: Don't limit yourself to one thing. Come up with a plan B. And then C. Broaden your terms of a job. And then focus on one aspect of it. I wish you the best of luck.