<p>Hi,
I'm really interested in the video game industry, and I enjoy computer design and animation a lot. I've always liked working with both art and computers, and I think this is a great way to combine both of my interests.
I'm wondering: if I wanted to be a "something" in a video game company (someone with authority, not just a freelance engineer), what's more important - engineering major or a business/other major?</p>
<p>I also think that being bilingual in both Japanese and English is useful in the video game industry, and although my Japanese skills are far from fluent, I have some background from my home (and I am currently taking a Japanese course at my high school). Is Japanese worth taking for a minor at college?</p>
<p>Ummm, if you want to make video games, you'll probably need a CS degree, or something similar. Math or Physics might work, too. A combination of these would be ideal.</p>
<p>Now, if you want to design artwork for video games, or write plots, or storylines, etc., you won't need a technical degree. Graphic design, English, or maybe even Art or something should suffice.</p>
<p>If you just want to work in the industry, and don't really care if you actually get to work on the game or not, business is a fine choice. A business degree won't help you write, draw, program, design game physics, etc. But it will probably get you the most authority.</p>
<p>Finally, I guess if you're going to learn a second language, go with Japanese. But only if you go down the business route... it wouldn't make much initial sense, if you're doing technical work. Maybe if you do art/story, it could work, but if you actually want in on the game design, stick with lots of technical stuff.</p>
<p>CS for sure if you want to actually work on the game itself. Boning up on your art/creativity couldn't hurt either. I don't know how many game companies have internships, but a friend of mine had one with EA so you might want to look into that to get some experience.</p>
<p>Don't major, minor, or otherwise suffer Japanese for any business reasons. It's not worth it. You'll never get to a level where it makes you money unless you spend years throwing yourself into it. </p>
<p>Trust me, I'm one of those who has. It ain't worth it. Study it because you are interested in it. Not because you want Konami to be impressed.</p>
<p>GT has a major, Computational Media, which is essentially a combination of Computer Science and Media Studies, and the department has a LOT of connections with video game companies so there are tons of opportunities for Co-Op and intern positions. If you go to any game development related site, they will ALL tell you that experience in the industry matters way more than what degree you have or what college you went to (so its a Catch 22 essentially, but apparently plenty of exceptions are made for co-op and intern students :P)</p>
<p>Well responding to UCLAri's comment... actually many companies such as nintendo, sony AND konami require a certain level of japanese fluency for higher executive positions. So minoring wouldn't be a bad idea, just spend an extra year or two in japan and you're good to go.</p>
<p>The odds of landing a job with one of the big Japanese producers is very very low. Putting 3 or 4 or more years into learning the language when most game industry jobs will probably not even require it is not necessarily a good investment of one's time.</p>
<p>Look, I'm not saying don't study it outright. I enjoy studying it, but I have very few delusions that it's going to be the dealbreaker at most places.</p>
<p>Besides, the opportunity cost of spending one or two years in Japan is oftentimes very very high. There is very little a foreigner can do besides teach English.</p>
<p>if you want to be "someone," it'll come down to job experience. i highly doubt you'll start as a manager of some sort.</p>
<p>as for majors, look at cs, cs&e, animation, maybe ee or graphic design. i don't see how math/physics would help you in 3D modeling or figuring out how to best tweak the software to go with available hardware...</p>
<p>art schools are mostly the ones offering specifically animation and graphic design majors. you can get one of those degrees at a major university if their art department lets you design your own major. whether the big-name art schools carry the same weight as top universities in the video game industry, though, i don't know. i can give you some names of art schools if you're at least mildly interested.</p>
<p>Math and physics will help immensely with 3d game design, as well as physics engine design/implementation, etc. Modeling the real world takes more than software knowledge, and any extra you have is a good thing.</p>