Last Friday, Dave and I were asked to speak with a computer science course at Inter-Lakes High School. We gave them a brief history of how we managed to stumble to where we are today, and explained things that they can do in order to make video games for a living. Half way through, we were unfortunately interrupted by a fire drill...it's been awhile since I've had to leave a building single file.
Inter-Lakes High School, Class of 2010
I had a phone call when we got to the parking lot, and took it a little ways away from the class so I wouldn't disturb anyone. A teacher actually came over and yelled at me to get in with the rest of my class. I even had to serve a detention, lame. Okay, I made the detention part up.
If you're a high school student (or early in college) reading our blog, then you probably already have a good grasp on the indie scene and know how to get started. In case you don't, I encourage any aspiring game developers to take a look at various middleware programs like
Gamemaker,
Flash,
Unity...maybe some readers could comment on any tools they use too.
Also, get yourself to a traditional university after high school. I know those "game design degree in two years!" programs sound perfect (I almost pursued one myself), but you'll be much more versatile with a degree in computer science or the arts.
And as always, shoot us an email anytime with questions you have about making games. We love our jobs, and we love to help.
One more thing! Get your cameras ready, the next Snap-A-Shot Contest is a mere blog post away...
