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Are these subjects good for GCSE if i want to be a games designer as a career?

Are these subjects good for GCSE if i want to be a games designer as a career? Accountant is my back-up plan and then McDonalds and then suicide. (i'm in year 9 and i'm returning my reply in 2 weeks):

Maths - I'm good with this, really really good! (i can do A level algerbra questions - no sweat at all)
Science - Double science or maybe Triple
English - Not so good seeing this as my second language
Technology (Compulsory in my school, is it in yours?) Graphics for Games Desginer?
ICT - Multimedia, for Games Designer?
German - I want to learn more languages, i know 3 languages fluent: Mandarin, Cantonese, English:p: and i'm still learning German.
_________ - I don't know this one, Business? Geography (i enjoy this)? R.E? did i mention Business?

Please give me some advice please because i want to return the favor back to my parents seeing as my dad works like hard labour to support our family:eek: .

Are those subjects a good choice? Can you help me with that extra gap for a subject too? Thank you very much.:woo: :woo: :woo:

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I would suggest doing all the sciences separately, as these could be useful (especially Physics) for Computing etc, and that would also take up the extra gap, meaning you could concentrate more on the helpful subjects, not the ''extras''
Reply 2
OrangeShadow
Are these subjects good for GCSE if i want to be a games designer as a career? Accountant is my back-up plan and then McDonalds and then suicide. (i'm in year 9 and i'm returning my reply in 2 weeks):

Maths - I'm good with this, really really good! (i can do A level algerbra questions - no sweat at all)
Science - Double science or maybe Triple
English - Not so good seeing this as my second language
Technology (Compulsory in my school, is it in yours?) Graphics for Games Desginer?
ICT - Multimedia, for Games Designer?
German - I want to learn more languages, i know 3 languages fluent: Mandarin, Cantonese, English:p: and i'm still learning German.
_________ - I don't know this one, Business? Geography (i enjoy this)? R.E? did i mention Business?

Please give me some advice please because i want to return the favor back to my parents seeing as my dad works like hard labour to support our family:eek: .

Are those subjects a good choice? Can you help me with that extra gap for a subject too? Thank you very much.:woo: :woo: :woo:



Good subjects in general, although games designer ? come on mate, you can do alot better. Game desigining is not a taken professionally its not "solid enough" not really a ideal career. Something like Doctor , teacher etc dentist they are good careers long time support and always in need. I suggest you change your career ? The subjects are supposed to be taken anyway... good subjects, its not like your taking Alevelz or something...
Reply 3
If you can do A-level algebra, try to do AS level during GCSE, not being pissy but if you can why not. BTW the only thing they MIGHT care about when looking at your GCSE's is the amount of A/A*, game design degree is not that competitive, you will need Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics on A-Level and nothing else.
Reply 4
Myth717
Good subjects in general, although games designer ? come on mate, you can do alot better. Game desigining is not a taken professionally its not "solid enough" not really a ideal career. Something like Doctor , teacher etc dentist they are good careers long time support and always in need. I suggest you change your career ? The subjects are supposed to be taken anyway... good subjects, its not like your taking Alevelz or something...


C'mon he is 12, of course he wants "to make call of duty 7 !!!11onoe"
Reply 5
Moa
C'mon he is 12, of course he wants "to make call of duty 7 !!!11onoe"


lmfao have you seen this vid ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQpcO8x6NNY

Didn't realise he was 12 :p:
Reply 6
Moa
C'mon he is 12, of course he wants "to make call of duty 7 !!!11onoe"

13 actually. Thanks for sticking up for me by the way.
Reply 7
Don't worry, the subjects you pick at GCSE make barely any difference whatsoever. Do what you enjoy, the ones you've picked are fine. Just focus on your core subjects, they're the ones that matter :yep:
Reply 8
Moa
C'mon he is 12, of course he wants "to make call of duty 7 !!!11onoe"



A year 9 student is 13/14...
If you want to be a games designer, then you work towards it if that is what you really want to do, ignore people who advise you to go another route if that's what you really want to do.

A friend of mine always wanted to be someone who created software for computers and so on, ever since he was about nine years old, and he is twenty six now, and what is he doing, software design.

Maths
Science
English
Technology
Graphics
ICT

Definitely do all the above out of the list you mentioned if Games Desiging is your journey.

If you still want to do Game designing when you come to your A-Levels, then work towards the A-Level examples Moa gave. And ignore the 'change your career' people. :tongue:
Reply 10
OrangeShadow
13 actually. Thanks for sticking up for me by the way.


lol I'm not trying to go against you, I just want you to realise all the other careers. I was once like you, but when reality hits you, thats when you realise......
I would suggest art. The most important thing you'd need to get onto the Games Art degree at my uni is a decent portfolio. But then again that's based more in producing the graphics, such as modelling characters and environments, and animating. If you're looking more at doing coding and the technical side, then maths would probably be a good bet.
I wanted to be a games designer when i was your age for exactly the same reasons. You'll realise its ***** pay, ***** hours, and basically a lot of the same stuff. Look at the credits on the games, all you have are ********* of twenty grand programmers and the one or two creative directors who do the fun bits. Great aspiration, but research your career choice and make it on a more informed basis.

Subjects are fine, but do separate sciences as a must. Dual award is pretty poor, espescially if you're going for a scientific degree.
Reply 13
I suggest you begin to look at programming, have a look at some programming languages like c++ or something and decide if it's really for you. Dont want you to get all the way to college or something and realise you dont even like programming! Actually a good one to start with is DarkBASIC as it's probs the easiest.

Anyway in response to your question I think the key thing is to enjoy and excel in maths, the rest doesn't really matter in terms of gcse. Science may help though double is a good idea and triple is better make sure you enjoy it though it sounds like a lot of science! Also german is a good idea I think as more languages make you more employable well and it's an awesome language XD.

Well hope it helps :smile:
Reply 14
jwright91
I suggest you begin to look at programming, have a look at some programming languages like c++ or something and decide if it's really for you. Dont want you to get all the way to college or something and realise you dont even like programming! Actually a good one to start with is DarkBASIC as it's probs the easiest.

Anyway in response to your question I think the key thing is to enjoy and excel in maths, the rest doesn't really matter in terms of gcse. Science may help though double is a good idea and triple is better make sure you enjoy it though it sounds like a lot of science! Also german is a good idea I think as more languages make you more employable well and it's an awesome language XD.

Well hope it helps :smile:


Its a bad idea to start off with dumb languages like all the BASIC ones, I started with Turbo Pascal, but it was 9 years ago, right now I would say start with C++ - just beacuse you can write an OS in it it does not mean you can not write very simple software. It is also quite friendly as well.
Reply 15
an art portfolio would be useful to expand your creative knowledge for games design.
Reply 16
Fine, GCSEs don't really matter too much for careers but A-levels do then of course your degree does.
Reply 17
Myth717
Good subjects in general, although games designer ? come on mate, you can do alot better. Game desigining is not a taken professionally its not "solid enough" not really a ideal career. Something like Doctor , teacher etc dentist they are good careers long time support and always in need. I suggest you change your career ? The subjects are supposed to be taken anyway... good subjects, its not like your taking Alevelz or something...

So you think games that make millions of pounds and sell millions of copies just spring into existance without being designed by professionals?

I think your first step should be to understand what the different roles are in the games industry. Do you want to be a designer, or do you want to be a programmer? Or an artist? You should find out what people in these roles actually do. Games design is probably the least well defined area out of the three main categories of game development. I'm a game programmer myself and I still don't really understand exactly what a designer does:p:
Reply 18
Psyk
So you think games that make millions of pounds and sell millions of copies just spring into existance without being designed by professionals?

I think your first step should be to understand what the different roles are in the games industry. Do you want to be a designer, or do you want to be a programmer? Or an artist? You should find out what people in these roles actually do. Games design is probably the least well defined area out of the three main categories of game development. I'm a game programmer myself and I still don't really understand exactly what a designer does:p:


lol, I'm just saying because when I was about 14 I wanted to be a game designer, you just grow out of it, even though I waste alot of my time playing games... There's more important things in life..
Reply 19
Psyk
So you think games that make millions of pounds and sell millions of copies just spring into existance without being designed by professionals?


some people are just stupid snobs. This is coming from a guy who has average GCSE results. His momma probably wants him to be a doctor, but with grades like that...
lol