I noticed this news item over at Slashdot, and I thought it was very much worth posting about on Sumea. Gamecareerguide.com has an article on what game companies want from graduates, with recruiters from renowned establishments such as EA, Insomniac Games, and THQ Inc providing some great insights. So what courses and qualifications do these companies most value? I'll put it simply here. EA : traditional art for artists, computer science for programmers. THQ prefer targeted games education (like the AIE and Qantm we have here), but they'll snap up talented people regardless of where they studied, while Insomniac looks to find people who will "fit" into their working culture.
Colleen McCreary, Director of University Relations with EA, comments...
"not all students are suited for the traditional academic experience and it's nice for those students to have options," though adds that EA encourages students "to pursue more traditional academic degrees that allow for an emphasis on game development.""Our concern with for-profit institutions is that students may not learn the fundamental the tools for understanding and solving complex issues," she says. "We are most likely to hire someone who has a BFA or MFA from a traditional art college and a BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science for our entry level artist and software engineer positions."
The article is also an interesting look into what these recruiters look for, as well as how and where they scout for talent. For those in planning a career in game development, it may be very much worth checking out the article as they provide some insightful tips as well.