Surviving game school ... and the game industry after that

309 Pages·2018·11.625 MB·English

by  Earle, Adrian, Lynch, Michael

Surviving Game School… and
the Game Industry After That

Surviving Game School… and
the Game Industry After That
Michael Lynch
Adrian Earle
Illustrations by
Diana Nguyen
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Lynch, Michael (Computer game designer), author. | Earle, Adrian, author.
Title: Surviving game school ... and the game industry after that / Michael
Lynch and Adrian Earle.
Description: Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018. |
“A CRC title, part of the Taylor & Francis imprint, a member of the Taylor &
Francis Group, the academic division of T&F Informa plc.” |
Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017045268| ISBN 9781138568099 (pbk. : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781138568136 (hardback : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Computer games--Programming--Vocational guidance.
Classification: LCC QA76.76.C672 L95 2018 | DDC 794.8/1525—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017045268
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To Francine Jackson, noted astronomy educator, planetarian,
writer, science historian, and longtime friend and companion.
Michael Lynch
I would like to dedicate this book to Carole for her support during
the long periods I was buried in my study wrangling with it.
Adrian Earle
“There are at least two kinds of games;
one could be called finite, the other infinite.”
— James Carse
Finite and Infinite Games
The Free Press, A Division of Macmillan, Inc. 1986
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Notice of Liability
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly reliable sources.
Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the
authors and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the
consequences of their use.
The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material
reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish
in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged,
please write and let us know so we may rectify this situation in any future reprint.
The information in this book is distributed on an “as is” basis, without warranty. While
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vii

Contents
Foreword, xvii
Acknowledgments, xix
Authors, xxi
A Note to Parents, xxiii
Introduction, xxv
Chapter 1 ◾ H igh School 1
1.1 YOU CAN DO ANYTHING 2
1.2 CROSSING THE GREAT DIVIDE 3
1.3 WHAT’S A “PLETHORA”? 3
1.4 THIS SOUNDS PRETTY SCARY 4
1.5 THINKING STRATEGICALLY 4
1.6 THE ALL-IMPORTANT PORTFOLIO 7
1.7 NOW LET’S GET ORGANIZED TO GET OUT OF HERE 8
1.8 TAKING A YEAR OFF 8
1.9 GRADUATION DAY 8
Chapter 2 ◾ P aralyzed by a Plethora of Possibilities 11
2.1 GAME SCHOOLS, GOOD AND BAD 11
2.2 WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN A GAMES PROGRAM 13
2.3 CORE COURSES IN GAME DESIGN 13
2.4 CONCENTRATIONS AND MINORS 18
Chapter 3 ◾ B efore You Start College… 21
3.1 WHAT ABOUT THE PORTFOLIO? 21
3.2 AREN’T YOU CODING YET? 22
ix