<p>Sorry to keep harping on the comp sci topic...but now that my (HS junior) son is interested, I've heard from a few people (not in the field) that things like gaming development are not nearly as interesting as they'd appear to a kid who likes video games. </p>
<p>I was told gaming development is really hours & hours a day of writing binary code, by yourself in front of a computer, for a tiny section of a complex game.</p>
<p>No offense at all intended to those in the field. I just don't know enough about it to refute that perception.</p>
<p>As a side note, I used to work at a job that involved 8 hours a day in front of a computer (not gaming development) & I loved it (mental gymnastics, etc.). So, I know the potentially solitary aspect of a job is not an automatic negative (you can socialize w/co-workers). But substantively re: gaming, I can't address.</p>
<p>It depends on what you're working on. This is true in game development, and it's true of programming in general. Of course, what people like differs from person to person. I have friends who love, for instance, programming compilers (there are actually quite a lot of people who love that), which I would definitely not want to do for a living. Most of them aren't particularly interested in, say, machine learning, which I like.</p>
<p>Yeah, there are people in the game industry who do what you are talking about. But there are other roles for developers as well. All those pretty graphics you see? Somebody has to program them (and a lot of people consider computer graphics to be very intellectually interesting). All the other high level stuff - mechanics, etc? Somebody has to program them too. The game AI? That too. Very low level stuff that allows electrical signals from the console to be translated into action by your character? Yep. And so on.</p>
<p>I think it's dull, I like a job with more variety, but my son seems to find it fascinating. He's always liked solving puzzles and being in contests, for him I think it's quite a similar process. He took a class one summer learning how to program those pretty graphics and decided that was an aspect of programming that didn't interest him. From what I can make out what he thinks is interesting sounds like the most boring part of programming!</p>
<p>Same here as with mathmom...my son isn't studying programming, but does it for "fun" in his spare time, including programming compilers (and we always tried to sound fascinated when he would describe it all to us in excruciating detail). He and a friend developed a simple graphic computer game last year, which took a gadzillion hours and he loved every minute of it. Different strokes...</p>
<p>I'm guessing that most professions involve "drudge" work in the early years; then one finds their preferred niche and everything finally fits.</p>
<p>Not boring, not drudgery - if it's what you like to do.</p>
<p>Is writing computer games as exciting as playing them? It's apples and oranges, and I feel badly for all the boys who think they want/can be programmers because they like and are good at games.</p>
<p>But if you enjoy solving problems, and get that huge jolt of satisfaction when the program you've been working on suddenly works for the first time, if you can and do think logically AND can think outside the box, programming (of any kind) can be an immensely satisfying career.</p>
<p>DS#3 is seriously thinking about computer science as a major. I'm encouraging him to double in math as well. DH is a BSEE with a masters in computer science, and I was math with a minor in computer science, so this apple didn't fall too far from the tree.</p>
<p>(p.s. dh and I once spent an afternoon when we were dating programming his TRS-80 to print out a hyperbolic paraboloid with his 9 pin printer. NOW who's shocked that we had geeky kids? ;-) )</p>
<p>Our local radio public radio station (wypr.org) has a piece on the folks working at Firaxis (maker of the Civilization games) on the "from the Signal" program this past week. You will be able to go to their website and listen to it.</p>
<p>The Firaxians talked about what they do, how they work together, their background, etc. Even though I knew, I was still surprised by their background - a classical guitarist from Peabody, artists,e tc. As I listened, I was wondering how many comp sci major, programmers, or ee folks actually work there.</p>
<p>It may be an interesting program for those keen on getting into the game design houses.</p>
<p>Game testing is a great job, if you can get it. Not particularly economically rewarding, but it's the intangibles that draw people in - what job could be more fun for a dedicated gamer than getting to game all day?</p>
<p>From what I've seen, the kids who don't make it as CS majors are those who decided to study CS because they liked playing computer games.</p>
<p>Yes, computer programing can be tedious at times, but those who love it see it as puzzles and problem solving. There are many exciting fields in CS, like machine learning, artificial intelligence, etc.</p>
<p>Talent for computer programming is immediately apparent. If you are good at it, and have potential for it, you will immediately be drawn to it once you start coding. Anyone who has that experience should give it a go. Someone who doesn't have that reaction, but instead just dreams about making video games, is going to end up disappointed. Note, there are other ways to get involved in the video game industry than being a programmer, if that is someone's dream and/or goal.</p>
<p>My son seemed to enjoy programming mods for the Civilization games evern more than playing them! His interests sound similar to Archiemom's sons. I've been told a million times why one might like working on compilers, but I still don't get it!</p>
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I've been told a million times why one might like working on compilers, but I still don't get it!
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<p>Neither do I, particularly, and I'm a software engineer. Give me pattern recognition and machine learning, or usability, or graph theoretic algorithms...different strokes for different folks, even within the same broad field. I should take a compilers class; maybe I'd develop an affinity for it. :)</p>
<p>On the other hand, for all the parents whose kids apparently love programming compilers...that's often one of the more lucrative subfields of CS/software engineering, from what I've heard. ;)</p>
<p>DS likes the mathematical part of CS -- algorithm development, building libraries, etc. He is definitely and defiantly not into the compiler/hardware side! A lot of the sophisticated graphics are derived via linear algebra, and AI has a lot of CS theory behind it.</p>
<p>Another pattern recognition developer here. Work is ALWAYS fascinating (though come to think about it I enjoyed compiler development when I did that). I know nothing about game development. But I do know the value of a hotel reservation system and aircraft firmware. In short, it's rarely love of programming, but rather love of the application. That said, love of music does not automatically make one a good candidate to be a musician!</p>
<p>So really great to hear all the enthusiastic responses about those (& their kids!) interested in the various aspects of computer programing. Really interesting. I'm going to share this site w/son so he can read about it first-hand. (Btw, LOL at the 'hyperbolic paraboloid date' Momof3!)</p>
<p>Son has always been good at math/logic and likes solving problems. He took his first course in comp programing this year in HS & really, really likes it (is teaching himself Java for fun on the side). So, I believe it's more than the situation of a kid who likes video games & thinks comp sci is an entree into that world. He says -- when talking about computer stuff -- "I like to create new things." Not sure where that would suggest he fit into in the comp world, but it seems like a good sign of interest. </p>
<p>On a side note--he was told today his HS is now not offering comp programing2 next year because only 7 kids signed up for it (budget constraints--they need more to run the class). This seems wrong (those 7 kids could all be future comp sci majors!) so I'm going to see about fixing that.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the great perpsectives & thoughts!!</p>
<p>Like anything it'll depend on the person. I'm in the field so not surprisingly, I don't find it dull at all. In fact, I think it's quite the opposite. When I write code I'm exercising my brain and can be quite absorbed in it. It's far more stimulating to me than many other jobs. Let's face it, a lot of people drop out of a CS major or never enter it because they can't handle the level of thought and concentration required to do well at it. So while it might appear dull to a casual observer (picture someone hunkered down with their PC for hours on end), it's generally not because the individual is often deep in thought, juggling algorithms and variables in his/her brain, determining the optimal application architecture for the particular project, etc..</p>
<p>It's an individual decision as to what they like and the conclusions of others, especially those outside of the field who really have no idea what it's like (I'm not talking about entry-level casual programming), really don't know what the field would be like to another individual.</p>
<p>I know my former job was sitting all day at a PC & it was not the least bit boring (arguing legal points, etc.). So, I can relate that if you mind is moving, it can be a lot of fun, even if your body is static!</p>
<p>I agree with the other posters who do this for a living… but want to add one thing with regard to the concept of “dull.” Typically, undergrads need to take a course in Data Structures by sophomore year. It’s a course that involves abstract concepts such as stacks, linked lists, heaps, hash tables and involves fun problems like the “Towers of Hanoi.” In my experience, this introductory course usually hooks those who will become seriously interested in programming… and dissuades those who should be pursuing a different career path. Of course, many of these concepts are important to graphics & gaming. More interesting courses follow…</p>
<p>If your son takes a course like this and decides to move in a different direction, there’s little doubt that his computer experience to that point will bode well for most other majors and careers. At least he’ll have plenty of time to pursue alternatives.</p>
<p>My son has always been quite the "gamer" and I thought for sure he would head toward game design. But once he found out what it was all about, he knew that wasn't for him. He is a Computer Information Systems major instead of Computer Science as he is more interested in the hardware and networking end of things at this point. He is a genius in getting different electronics to "communicate" with each other. He takes the progamming classes and does fine in them, just doesn't want to do that all day. They also offer courses in AI and Robotics, so maybe he will lean that way. There seems to be a number of ways to go.</p>
<p>Jolynne, our son has morphed from an AI concentration to a game development concentration. Every one of his game development courses is quite the opposite of what you described in your OP. </p>
<p>Like his summer internship in Pasadena, Cali., all courses are team oriented with close colaboration among every team member. They normally all meet 3-5 times/week to develop their major projects. In his experimental game design course they are colaborating on a head tracking game which their prof wants them to enter into an international competition. His game development team won the RPI Gamefest competition last year, one which was highly colaborative in development.</p>
<p>The reason game development is so colaborative is that it involves computer expertise, story line development, art/animation, sound, and component integration. And the undergrad pedagogy at RPI encourages team learning experiences.</p>