Surviving Game School… and the Game Industry After That Surviving Game School… and the Game Industry After That Michael Lynch Adrian Earle Illustrations by Diana Nguyen CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2018 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Printed on acid-free paper International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-138-56809-9 (Paperback) 978-1-138-56813-6 (Hardback) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. 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CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Lynch, Michael (Computer game designer), author. | Earle, Adrian, author. Title: Surviving game school ... and the game industry after that / Michael Lynch and Adrian Earle. Description: Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018. | “A CRC title, part of the Taylor & Francis imprint, a member of the Taylor & Francis Group, the academic division of T&F Informa plc.” | Includes bibliographical references. Identifiers: LCCN 2017045268| ISBN 9781138568099 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781138568136 (hardback : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Computer games--Programming--Vocational guidance. Classification: LCC QA76.76.C672 L95 2018 | DDC 794.8/1525—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017045268 Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com To Francine Jackson, noted astronomy educator, planetarian, writer, science historian, and longtime friend and companion. Michael Lynch I would like to dedicate this book to Carole for her support during the long periods I was buried in my study wrangling with it. Adrian Earle “There are at least two kinds of games; one could be called finite, the other infinite.” — James Carse Finite and Infinite Games The Free Press, A Division of Macmillan, Inc. 1986 Notice of Rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permis- sion for reprints and excerpts, contact [email protected]. Notice of Liability This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly reliable sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the authors and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged, please write and let us know so we may rectify this situation in any future reprint. The information in this book is distributed on an “as is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the authors nor Taylor & Francis Group, LLC shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by computer software and hardware products described in it. Trademarks Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and the author was aware of the claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trade- mark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringe- ment of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with the book. vii Contents Foreword, xvii Acknowledgments, xix Authors, xxi A Note to Parents, xxiii Introduction, xxv Chapter 1 ◾ H igh School 1 1.1 YOU CAN DO ANYTHING 2 1.2 CROSSING THE GREAT DIVIDE 3 1.3 WHAT’S A “PLETHORA”? 3 1.4 THIS SOUNDS PRETTY SCARY 4 1.5 THINKING STRATEGICALLY 4 1.6 THE ALL-IMPORTANT PORTFOLIO 7 1.7 NOW LET’S GET ORGANIZED TO GET OUT OF HERE 8 1.8 TAKING A YEAR OFF 8 1.9 GRADUATION DAY 8 Chapter 2 ◾ P aralyzed by a Plethora of Possibilities 11 2.1 GAME SCHOOLS, GOOD AND BAD 11 2.2 WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN A GAMES PROGRAM 13 2.3 CORE COURSES IN GAME DESIGN 13 2.4 CONCENTRATIONS AND MINORS 18 Chapter 3 ◾ B efore You Start College… 21 3.1 WHAT ABOUT THE PORTFOLIO? 21 3.2 AREN’T YOU CODING YET? 22 ix