A levels I should take for a game development career

I want to go into the game making industry for a career an am not sure what A levels i should pick for a game developing course in uni. The subjects I'm thinking of taking are computing, art, physics and psychology. Is that a good subject choice?

Reply 1

wifd149

Reply 2

hoobert

Thanks

Reply 3

EternalKnight_02

Art, computing, maths and physics.

Reply 4

Qualia

Do you know what discipline you may want to work in? Those A-Levels all make sense, although if you want to be a programmer then maths is really important and the top CS courses plus Abertay's Computer Games Technology course require it.

I don't generally recommend game development courses that cover multiple disciplines as there is no accreditation scheme for these and many are poor quality and don't focus enough on one particular discipline to give you a good chance of gaining employment afterwards. If you want to be a programmer or an artist then you generally need to focus on one or the other at university (and in your spare time!) to make it into the games industry. If you are predominantly an artist but also enjoy programming then you could find a niche working as a technical artist.

If you want to be a designer then there is no obvious route for this - game designers come from a wide range of backgrounds and choosing a game design course at university is very risky. Also, the majority of roles in the games industry are in programming or art - the current job listings on gamesindustry.biz contain this many jobs for each area:

Programming - 514
Art / Animation - 420
Marketing - 140
Game Design - 136
Production - 125

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 5

Escape Studios Rep

Official Rep

Original post by hoobert

Hi @hoobert ! My name is Amelia, and I'm a 2nd Year Animation student at Escape Studios (where we specialise in Animation, VFX, and Games).
I was in a similar situation to you when I was choosing my A-Levels, as I was pretty sure - even then - that I wanted to pursue a career in film and animation, but wasn't sure how to get there through Sixth Form.
My best advice is to pick the subjects that you most enjoy, and build up a game/creative portfolio in your free time alongside your studies. Most universities like to see that you have an interest in your degree subject outside of school, and won't worry too much about your A-Level subjects if your portfolio, personal statement, and (in some cases) interview are strong. You'll be studying your A-Levels for the next two years, so just make sure that they're subjects that interest you!
If that doesn't help, and you're really struggling to decide, maybe have a little look at some potential courses and institutions and whether any specifically require a certain subject. In the specific case of A-Level Art, it may be worth speaking to some of the teachers who teach it at your school, and finding out if there would be any part of their curriculum where you could explore the art of games, and prepare some pieces for that portfolio. Similarly, in a subject like Computing, whether there is room to look into coding for games, if that interests you.
Hope that helps, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any further questions! Good luck in your studies :smile:

~Amelia, Escape Studios Rep

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 6

saju21

Original post by Qualia

Do you know what discipline you may want to work in? Those A-Levels all make sense, although if you want to be a programmer then maths is really important and the top CS courses plus Abertay's Computer Games Technology course require it.
I don't generally recommend game development courses that cover multiple disciplines as there is no accreditation scheme for these and many are poor quality and don't focus enough on one particular discipline to give you a good chance of gaining employment afterwards. If you want to be a programmer or an artist then you generally need to focus on one or the other at university (and in your spare time!) to make it into the games industry. If you are predominantly an artist but also enjoy programming then you could find a niche working as a technical artist.
If you want to be a designer then there is no obvious route for this - game designers come from a wide range of backgrounds and choosing a game design course at university is very risky. Also, the majority of roles in the games industry are in programming or art - the current job listings on gamesindustry.biz contain this many jobs for each area:
Programming - 514
Art / Animation - 420
Marketing - 140
Game Design - 136
Production - 125

Hi I know this is an old post/ thread but can you (or anyone) confirm what the accreditation schemes there are? And best courses for art / animation and what extra is needed to get foot on ladder post degree?

Reply 7

aspalax

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by saju21

Hi! I studied Game Art at De Montfort university and currently work in game development.

Check out https://www.screenskills.com/select-courses/ and https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/academic-partners - these are the two best in my opinion (my course was accredited by both)

What extra is needed: portfolio/game jam type work done outside of uni. They will look for you to have done extra outside of what was expected from your course. And general technical skills like code knowledge and IT skills will help you, even if you are doing art/animation - makes you more employable. In my case: I spent 2nd year doing an awful lot of extra work and applying for placements and internships. Burnt out like hell, but paid off for me in the long run.

Happy to answer any other Qs - shoot me a DM if they lock this for being a resurrected thread.

Reply 8

saju21

Original post by aspalax

Hi! I studied Game Art at De Montfort university and currently work in game development.
Check out https://www.screenskills.com/select-courses/ and https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/academic-partners - these are the two best in my opinion (my course was accredited by both)
What extra is needed: portfolio/game jam type work done outside of uni. They will look for you to have done extra outside of what was expected from your course. And general technical skills like code knowledge and IT skills will help you, even if you are doing art/animation - makes you more employable. In my case: I spent 2nd year doing an awful lot of extra work and applying for placements and internships. Burnt out like hell, but paid off for me in the long run.
Happy to answer any other Qs - shoot me a DM if they lock this for being a resurrected thread.

Thx Aspalax- and apologies to moderators if I have broken the rules! Is coding essential? (maths is a weaker subject). And are the jobs London based or opportunities still in the ‘regions’?

Reply 9

aspalax

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by saju21

Thx Aspalax- and apologies to moderators if I have broken the rules! Is coding essential? (maths is a weaker subject). And are the jobs London based or opportunities still in the ‘regions’?

Not essential. I never liked maths either - but I did some basic python tutorials/codeacademy type stuff and it was called out when I was eventually successful with applications. I'd suggest giving it a go and see how you get on.

I work in Guildford. Lots of the jobs are south of England - especially if you want to work in AAA - but there are also a few other "Hotspots" - Leamington Spa, Dundee, Manchester to pick a few.

This is a really good resource for that: https://map.gamesmap.uk/?activities=developer#viewport=%7B%22zoom%22%3A5.548%2C%22latitude%22%3A53.6%2C%22longitude%22%3A-2.342%2C%22bearing%22%3A0%2C%22pitch%22%3A0%7D

Reply 10

saju21

Original post by aspalax

Not essential. I never liked maths either - but I did some basic python tutorials/codeacademy type stuff and it was called out when I was eventually successful with applications. I'd suggest giving it a go and see how you get on.
I work in Guildford. Lots of the jobs are south of England - especially if you want to work in AAA - but there are also a few other "Hotspots" - Leamington Spa, Dundee, Manchester to pick a few.
This is a really good resource for that: https://map.gamesmap.uk/?activities=developer#viewport=%7B%22zoom%22%3A5.548%2C%22latitude%22%3A53.6%2C%22longitude%22%3A-2.342%2C%22bearing%22%3A0%2C%22pitch%22%3A0%7D

Thx Asplax really helpful and appreciated