[game_edu] Oh the Artists and the Coders should be friends-Apologies to Oklahoma

[eve - gamedev]

I have to agree with Ian. 
 
Of all of the programmers and artists I know, I can think of maybe three
people who have both skill sets (and they tend to gravitate towards
"crossover" positions like technical artists and graphics programmers). But
I don't know of any company that's ever *required* their programmers to know
3D modeling and animation, or their artists to know C++.
 
Absolutely, 15 years in the industry and I know maybe four people who are
across both disciplines well. Technical art roles are still rather new in
the industry and the people I know who have switched from one path to
another have done so for a career change while still remaining in the
industry... Bottom line, people are generally hired as either one or the
other. If you do have an interest in both programming and art, that's great,
but it's by no means a pre-requisite. There is a small amount of
translation, as it were, between disciplines, but a decent course will cover
that without a problem. 
 
In addition, an art director friend at a nearby studio has expressed concern
that students who do courses that cover both disciplines are "pretty much
unemployable" when they finish school, which is worrying to say the least. 
 
 
EVE
 



I agree with John -- if you know you want to be a game developer, having at
least some minor exposure to all aspects of development (programming,
art/animation, design, production, audio) is a good thing because it gives
you an appreciation for what all of these other people on your team are
doing. That said, if you want to primarily be an artist or animator, I'd
stick with an art-based major rather than trying to major in computer
science (and vice versa if you want to be a programmer).
 
Of course, if you lack skills or experience outside of your own field, it
will not automatically prevent you from getting a job. It's more a bonus --
if you DO have multiple areas of expertise, it helps you stand out from the
crowd and maybe gets your foot in one more door.
 
- Ian



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