How would you break into the video game industry?

A few ways I have seen it done: Go to http://www.garagegames.com/ and get their Torque Game Engine. It has a free trial and only costs $100 if you want to keep using it. A lot of great little games have been made with it and it is a good way to get yourself noticed. Do you play video games? Several people, including ID designer http://5years.doomworld.com/interviews/timwillits/, got into the industry by designing levels on their own and getting the community to try them out. Several recent games, including Unreal Tournament 2004 (Editor's Choice Edition), come with Editors and Tutorial DVD's right in the box. Using the 3D game world of Second Life, a programmer created http://www.secretlair.com/index.php?/clickableculture/entry/sls_tringo_hits_rl_markets/, which was not only popular in the game, but was later licensed to an outside publisher for a nice sum. You say you do web programming now. How much of that did you learn formally and how much did you pick up on your own? I think you can do the same here.

No no no, a thousand times no. Digipen, Full Sail, and other similar programs are a waste of money if you already have a CS degree. I am not kidding when I say you are overqualified. Game programming is not hard. The hard part is convincing someone to hire you. I could write a long rant about my experience (coming up on 3 years now), but much of it is already covered in http://thepixelmine.blogspot.com/ (self-type link).

goodluck!! I think i got a pretty clear consensus of ideas--more or less: Don't go to Digipen, it's not worth it, and there are other options. Thanks everybody, this really helped! I wish I could mark all your answers as best.

I'm working my way through this process right now, actually. I'm with the others in agreeing that a Masters from digipen isa horrible idea. The only time a masters would really help, based on the job descriptions I've been reading, is if it's in a specialized area that the company needs. Something like AI, Networking, or cutting edge 3d. If you're not interested in one small specialty, don't bother. And, I don't think digipen is particularly good at teaching any of those specialties (maybe graphics). Wish me luck on a few job interviews coming up, and I'll wish the same to you :)

When I was trying to find a job, the whole thing was like some kind of super-secret club, and I wish I had someone I could ask questions. You're more than welcome to e-mail me if you want more information (should be in my profile). Other than that, write your own game, or join a mod community. Have something tangible you can show people. Many game jobs do really suck, but if you find the right company and/or project, it can be really awesome. And even though my first two years were horrible, I'd do it again in a second. You can't give up on your dreams that easily. Unfortunately, except for maybe a few dozen people, the jobs we all dreamed about don't really exist.

I am in the industry and really damn happy - but I am not a programer and I work for a publishing house, not a design house. What I know is it is really hard to get in, and then hard to get out. Bottom line is - If you are a writer you write. You can't stop writing. You write if they pay you or not. Same here. If you are a game developer you make games. If they pay you or not. The most impressive thing you can show is games you have made. Any games. Card games, little computer games, a Pen and Paper RPG. Preferably as many kinds and types you can. Make a small video game that is simple, fun, and unbuggy. Check inside.gamesutra.com for positions. Send resume and game. Always take a game with you to interviews. Get involved in open source game projects. Yes- it is tons of work to get in, the pay is not stellar, and the wrong job can decimate your life (as can a number of IT jobs - not just the game industry) but if you are a game developer - you will make games.

Advil: Harvard University is not accredited. Actually, this is basically http://www.harvard.edu/siteguide/faqs/faq114.html, at least for undergraduate programs. I have read that cambridge and oxford aren't accredited - but I hardly think that accreditation really matters for schools with this kind of name recognition. Digipen is not harvard.

Thank you, everyone, for giving me some input, I really appreciate it. It's nice to get a fresh perspective on things. (BTW, this is my first ask.metailfter.com post, so sorry about all the typos and tag errors and things!!) fleacircus, Yes, I would hate to be doing website programming for a game company. I would like to be programming games in C/C++. (I do have training and experience with it, just not related to games. Closest thing to a game in C/C++ was a ray-tracer based on http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=%22back+fourier%22+transform+equations&btnG=Search algorithms for CAT-scan-like data.) And yes, you are right-- it would be unavoidable (unless i am lucky) to start over in a new area. I was actually referring to going to school in a new city, and end up working there or moving again after for a job. Relocation is a bitch. and costly. and lonely. So far it seems like, me-fites tend to agree, that it's not worth it. I REALLY want to work in this industry--I mean I was writing games in pascal back in junior high (albeit crappy ones), so I think I came up with a plan: Try go get into the industry on my own until mid-2006. If that doesn't pan out, then I will seriously consider going to digipen or another school as a last resort and depending on life situations. In the mean time, what, do I work on demos? Cold call companies? Go bug all you me-fites who worked in the industry?

I have a couple friends in the game industry. One is a game designer at Valve. He got his first job by blowing off college and working hard on a game demo back in the Quake I days. Since then, he's moved up through level design and by not having any life outside of work and coworkers. He's happy with his life but in a way he seems frozen in time to me. But then I don't see him much. Another friend was making great money with Sun, but hated it; he left it for the game industry. His decision was to do an internship -- i.e. work the first 6 months for free. Legend (Unreal 2 people) brought him on, but then French Atari canned Legend, and he's sort of drifted around Amaze! working long hours on games he doesn't like. He's not entirely happy with this, I don't think. I think your degrees are both underkill and overkill. The industry has lots of 3D wizards for programming, and it doesn't sound like you are going to be one of them; as a lower tier programmer you might find yourself say working on the website for the game -- would that satisfy you? You don't seem to be an artist, either. What's left is level design, where programming experience helps but a degree is meaningless. I think level design is your best bet. The time you would spend in Digipen, you might consider just working on a solo project seriously and being involved in the game community in your spare time. I think my friends are surrounded by lots of interesting people, and are living their dream. Good luck to you. Is it worth it to suffer for two more years and start over in a totally new area by my self? I'm not sure how you're going to avoid this anyway; were you only going to consider working for game companies in LA?