Does anyone know what it takes to be the guy who... (game industry related)

[Himu]

Comes up with the concepts, scenario, and gameplay mechanics for a game?

It seems the type of thing that Miyamoto or Kojima do, but I don't know if American companies do the same thing. Aside from character designs that's what I want to do, which will lead to the possibility of directing my own game someday, but I don't even know what all that takes in terms of degrees;etc.

I'm not interested in programming and computer animation, which was once a passion, is not my field of expertise.

I've been thinking about emailing my two favorite American developers Bioware and Doublefine about this, but they probably wouldn't answer.

Right now I'm fleshing out my concepts, which I think are really good, but not something I am currently willing to disclose with anyone. Almost every time I go to work now I come up with a new game concept, I've been on a kick lately.

[The Sceneman]

Suda 51 is my hero, he just got lucky and fell into the gaming industry I think.

[Christopher]

Look at the credits on the Zelda game, it's Miyamoto's team who does that shit, not him. Granted he probably did have a LARGE part on the first Zelda game, but after that they hired desiners, artists, ect ect

I guess it takes character, and a good background in arts and direction to do that sorta thing.

[Himu]

He created a lot of the ideas, which is my point.

[Christopher]

So what ideas have you been coming up with, share at least ONE.

...and some bread sticks

[Himu]

editing this out because I don't want people to know.

[Christopher]

wow Himu that's really not that bad. seriously.

Will you really look into it?  I'm sure if you REALLY REALLY persue it you can probably make it.

...or you can take OA's advice


...btw where am those breadsticks?

[Himu]

Man fuck pizza hut. 

I have the breadsticks on the way. <3 Do you want cheese on that?

[Christopher]

...you tell me

[Himu]

As for me pursuing it...I'd love to but I doubt I'd ever see the day when I get to lay down my own ideas and create games. By that time the industry will probably have gone the way of Hollywood.

[brawndolicious]

Probably a programming degree, ask synthesizer patel,  he's a developer, don't do bullshit like "game schools" or "game culture" classes that ultimately don't teach you anything.  And like somebody else told you on OA, use some mods, some companies have you do mods of one of their games for your application so it'll be good to show you the experience to make a fun game.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Step one is: work in the industry for 15 years. Nobody is hired off the street to do game concepts.

That said, if you want to do planning, try to enter through a design position. If you can't enter through design, enter through production and try to switch over. If you can't do that, join QA and establish yourself as someone who knows how games work.

Even then, games are made by teams of hundreds, nowadays. You will have an awesome game idea, and then the "external producer" from the money company will be like, "that's great but the main character should be a talking dog" and now your game stars a talking dog. Ah well.

Join a company and start working hard. With time, dedication, and a few good ideas, you'll work your way up.

[Himu]

Can you give a brief description of design and production positions?

[demi]

Step one is: work in the industry for 15 years. Nobody is hired off the street to do game concepts.

That said, if you want to do planning, try to enter through a design position. If you can't enter through design, enter through production and try to switch over. If you can't do that, join QA and establish yourself as someone who knows how games work.

Even then, games are made by teams of hundreds, nowadays. You will have an awesome game idea, and then the "external producer" from the money company will be like, "that's great but the main character should be a talking dog" and now your game stars a talking dog. Ah well.

Join a company and start working hard. With time, dedication, and a few good ideas, you'll work your way up.

Hey dude. Namedrop me and get me in some writing gigs. I want free games.

[The Sceneman]

Step one is: work in the industry for 15 years. Nobody is hired off the street to do game concepts.

That said, if you want to do planning, try to enter through a design position. If you can't enter through design, enter through production and try to switch over. If you can't do that, join QA and establish yourself as someone who knows how games work.

Even then, games are made by teams of hundreds, nowadays. You will have an awesome game idea, and then the "external producer" from the money company will be like, "that's great but the main character should be a talking dog" and now your game stars a talking dog. Ah well.

Join a company and start working hard. With time, dedication, and a few good ideas, you'll work your way up.

Hey dude. Namedrop me and get me in some writing gigs. I want free games.

Ummm  yeah me too heres a writing sample

http://www.d-lo.net/history.html

[Itch]

If you have the initiative and if some of your peeps are programmers and artists you could get together and develop your project independently. Your scope doesn't have to be that large but you need a solid concept and idea which it sounds like you already have worked out to some extent.

Look at it this way, even if this route doesn't work in getting you exactly where you want to be in the games industry, you'll still have something to show for your efforts and it will be a good way to communicate your ideas and more importantly how you develop those ideas to potential employers in the future.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

And yeah, it goes without saying, really, but JOIN A MOD GROUP.