Game Designing: Do You Really Need to Go to College?

There are two types of gamers in the world – the academics and the indie designers. The academics are those students and professors who have obtained a formal education and believe in an academic way of creating video games. On the other hand, indie designers are generally those that fly by on their natural gaming instincts and self-taught designing skills. Both are admirable paths, and only you can decide which path you’d like to take. You’ll have to consider which one fits your lifestyle and it will ultimately determine whether or not you need a college degree.

How Do You Expect a Punk Rocker to Go to College?

At the keynote address of Indiecade 2013, John Sharp compared indie designers to punk rockers. Punk rock was born out of a respect for authenticity and a way to get back at the sell-outs of rock and roll. To Sharp, indie designers are the same. Most indie designers are trying to get back at the root of gaming without emphasizing financial success or the backing of a formal institution. In comparison, academic gamers tend to be working for a big gaming company that is interested in making games for financial gain.

During his speech however, someone in the audience asked, “So, how do you expect a punk rocker to afford NYU?” The truth is, that it is hard. However, there are avenues for a "punk rocker" to raise the funds to gain an education. The first comes in the form of scholarships. Since many indie designers have natural talent, it might be easier for them to obtain a fully-funded scholarship to the school of their choice. Many gaming companies offer scholarships that you can apply to, as long as you have a great portfolio. Next, there are loans. You can take out a federal loan to help put you through college, and in today's age, it is a lot easier to refinance your student loans after college. With a degree, it would be easier to find a job to help you pay the loans after college as well.

Ultimately, it depends on the route you want to take. However, for some, indie designers can't justify the need of getting a degree from a big institution just to gain the skills they already have. Therefore, the fact of the matter is that most indie designers don’t receive any formal education.

How to Succeed Without a College Degree

You might be wondering how it’s possible to be a successful designer without going to school, but you have to remember the point of indie games. The main reason someone makes an indie game is to share the art of gaming, without stressing financial incentives or the need for a major corporation. Therefore, the only tools an indie designer needs are a love of the game, and the ability to market it to his or her targeted audience. With the right marketing techniques and connections, an indie designer can show off his game to the world, with little financial backing. Throughout the design process, the designer will create a blog that will entice true gamers to follow and learn more about the game’s production. This will generate interest for the game. Then, once he or she is ready to release it, the designer can send the game out to different reviewers and game communities to spread the word. Then bam, an indie game is born without the backing of any corporation and without the cost of a college degree.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you whether or not you want to go to college. It all depends on your game goals and how you want to shape your career.