AustralianIT has an article concerning the overwhelming interest in game related education. It seems that a career in games is a popular choice among many school leavers, with the Queensland University of Technology witnessing an extraordinary amount of applications compared to the amount of places available. From AustralianIT...
More than 700 people applied for the 163 places on the QUT degree, which added to a growing list of computer games courses on offer from universities including Bond, Southern Queensland, Charles Sturt and Swinburne, which this year recorded its highest growth in first preferences for a BA in games and interactivity, increasing by 128 per cent.
It certainly bodes well for the Queensland games industry, but there are concerns that those enrolling have an unrealistic impression of what a game development career involves. Apparently, it's not all about playing games all day! More at AustralianIT at the following link...
lets hope the industry will start hiring more people, or alot of people going 2 be left on centrelink, lol.
it doesn't really matter if there is more people signing up for courses if there isn't the work there at the end of it.
the only people benefiting from this popularity is the people running the courses and getting funding.
I think there will be close to 160 people from this course finding themselves in line at centerlink....
It's always been the case. In my intake of around 60, 6 at best got jobs.
As with everything, you get out what you put in. Those people that find themselves unable to put in the 110(percent) needed, that don't have the commitment to stick to their guns are usually the ones that don't get the jobs and end up whinging about it.
It's all roses at the moment for me. More and more people are getting the opportunity to pick up some skills and try their hand at games. Also, a whole host of intern programs from various organisations have been supremely rewarding... with all of the interns I've worked with finding themselves paying jobs at the end of their intern period.
Offering the opportunity to a greater number of people only increases competition, and if you're not the type to dig your heels in and fight to win, then is games really for you?
Scott.
only a handful of people in the course i did got work and most changed careers after a year or 2 because of the hours and pay.
i don't mind doing it as a hobby but i don't think i could do it for a living and spending $10,000+ on a 3d course that might only end up being a hobby is a bit expensive.
if its what you really want to do for a living it might be worth it but i would get as much experience as possible before signing up for a course.
#5 I absolutely agree about getting experience. I've been studying on my own after taking into consideration the cost of the 3d studies, the wide availability of free tutorials, and the idea that a self-driven/talented individual will prove more enticing to employers.
Problems with this are it can be hard to gauge yourself vs students. You may be missing out on 'key' social interaction be it team work or industry mentors/lecturers and you could subsequently lose focus...
On the upside you can remain a hobbyist, continue at your own pace, make a folio and apply for jobs as you learn or potentially have advanced standing in a course if that's what you choose in the end.