Do you need a B.S. in Computer Science to become a game programmer/designer?

or could I major in math. and minor in C.S. After that, I go to grad school for C.S. Would that work?

Do you need a B.S. in Computer Science to become a game programmer/designer?
Game programming and game design are two totally separate jobs. Game design involves no programming (or art) whatsoever, but rather is done entirely with writing and math. Game programmers then take the design documentation written by the designers, and implement the game using a language like C++ and/or in-house tools. I've never heard of a game designer who moved to game programming, and any programmer who becomes a designer does it full time, and generally never programs again.





If you want to be a game programmer, the very best degree is Computer Science from a good 4 year college. If you're a talented programmer, you might be able to get hired with a math major and CS minor. If you got a degree in math with a minor in CS, and then got a Masters in CS, you would be qualified to work as a game programmer, but you would be spending many more years getting to the same qualifications that a Bachelors in CS would have given you, and you would be competing for jobs with people younger than you, who just graduated from college. And generally speaking, years spent working in the game industry are regarded much higher than years spent getting a Masters.





Game design is a much different story. Game design is the process of creating all the details of gameplay, from NPC dialogue to weapon damage, every tiny aspect of the game. Every detail is written up in design docs, and a fair amount of math is used to balance all the various stat numbers. There's no school or major that's better for game design. You can go to any good 4 year college and major in whatever you want, though CS may be too technically inclined to give you a good basis for design.





I usually tell aspiring designers to take math up through Calculus 1 -- you really don't need anything higher for design. Statistics is also a huge help in design, and I recommend at least two courses in Statistics. Writing is the other major aspect of design, so be sure you take at least two writing classes, more if you find writing difficult. I also usually recommend at least one CS class and one art class, so that as a designer you'll be prepared to interact with programmers and artists. Fill out the rest of your course requirements with a wide variety of liberal arts classes: history, literature, mythology, sociology, psychology, etc. (If all that sounds way too foofy, then programming may be more your style. ;) )





Don't worry about the schools that offer game programming or game design majors. The design schools are all completely bunk (except for the Masters program at Carnegie Mellon, and possibly the program at USC), and the programming majors won't prepare you any better than a regular CS degree will.





If you haven't chosen a school yet, and if at all possible, go to college near a city with a lot of game studios, like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, etc. This will make finding a job after college much easier, since most companies do not pay for relocation for entry-level positions, and some won't even interview you if you don't already live in the area.
Reply:I'm in college currently working on my B.S. in Software engineering. Most of the places that I asked about internships said that they want workers with a degree in software engineering more then they wanted other majors. Though if you want to be a program maker (no coding but the one who comes up with the numbers and algorithms that run a game) I think a math major would be better for that.
Reply:There are more specific degrees than CS out there. Some degrees cater especially for Game Programmers and Designers - you just have to choose the right university and course for you.
Reply:Sounds good to me!





A healthy dose of 3D calculus, programming an API like DirectX or OpenGL, and I'm sure you'll be on the right path.





Keep your portfolio up to date too.
Reply:anyway you do it bro... as long as you have bachelor degree that would be related to I.T. you could be a game developer. the key is talent... if you have great talents in game developing then all you need is a little training and you are one.

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