Online Colleges - this is nice

[Newc]

So I decided to look into an online college type thing to see about learing Video Game Design. May as well work at something I enjoy, right?

ITT and DeVry were the only two choices that dealt specifically with that (at least according to the search engine I used), and I signed up for information on each one.

ITT has a nice listing here http://www2.itt-tech.edu/af5/campus/...m?prog_id=2253
of everything for the whole course, but DeVry wants the street address to send me spam, so I fill out the form.

Of course it asks for Educational background - highest grade completed and year of graduation - and I select GED, and 1992 (I left high school in '86 and got my GED in '92, where I had the highest State Standard score in both Writing and Science).

Once I click the Send Me Info button, I get a thank you page and a link to other schools that says

"In effort to assist with your search, we have identified the following for your review based on your interest and your location."

• Concorde Career College
• 
  Programs Offered*:
  *Programs vary by location.</B>
  • Dental Hygiene (AAS)
  • AAS in Nursing- RN
  • Radiologic Technology (AAS)
  • Respiratory Therapy (AAS)
  • Respiratory Therapy (AAS)
  • Advanced Respiratory Therapy
  • Dental Assistant
  • Insurance Coding and Billing Specialist
  • Massage Therapy
  • Medical Administrative Assistant
  • Medical Assistant
  • Medical Office Professional
  • Patient Care Assistant
  • Pharmacy Technician
  • Practical Nursing
  • Surgical Technologist
  • Surgical Technology
  • Vocational Nursing
• WyoTech
• 
  Programs Offered*:
  *Programs vary by location.</B>
  Automotive
  • Advanced Diagnostics
  • Applied Service Management
  • Automotive Technology
  • Collision/Refinishing Technology
  • High Performance Powerterain
  • Street Rod and Custom Fabrication
  • Trim and Upholstery
  
  Aviation
  • Aviation
  
  Healthcare
  • Massage Therapy
  • Medical Assisting
  
  Home/Building Maintenance
  • Electrical Technology
  • Plumbing Technology
  • Residential Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
  
  Motorcycle & Watercraft
  • Asian Motorcycle Technology
  • European Motorcycle Technology
  • Harley Davidson Motorcycle Mechanic
  • Marine Technology
  • Motorcycle Technology
  • Motorsports Chassis Fabrication
• Roadmaster Drivers School
• 
  Programs offered*:
  *Programs may vary with location.</B>
  • Diesel Service Technician
  • Truck Driving Training

Jeez, maybe I should just shoot myself now :ROTF:

I can be a damn truck driver, barely making enough to fill the tank at $800 a pop, or I can be a mechanic with permanent grease sains under my nails and maybe lop off a fingertip, or I can be a low-level medical assistant - cleaning up shit in a nursing home.

Yeah, that's all equal to video games, right? :ROTF:

[Norton]

How does the Online College thing works? You attend exams online? I don't know anything about that.

[Ripley7t]

Take a look at the University of Phoenix and also excelsior college in NY. You can take both college level (CLEP) tests and also online/distanced learning courses for credit.

[Newc]

Phoenix didn't list their courses as being available online - just the standard stuff like from ICS (Sally Struthers commercial).

[Ripley7t]

I didnt see anything specific on video game design at Phoenix and the closest thing I found was this:

http://www.uopxonline.com/BS_Information_Technology_Software_Engineering.asp

[Newc]

Hold the phone! This looks like what I'm looking for:

http://www.gameinstitute.com/

I need to start at the very beginning of programming, and this place clearly states that they cover it. Most places I looked at previously either expected you to be a "bedroom programmer" who just wants the diploma to match the skills you learned after years of hanging out with hackers and geeks on IRC, or didn't even state whether they would start you off or if you had to know the basics.

[thetroy]

Game design is really, really hard. I wish you good luck if that's what you want to do, but I think it's important to keep your expectations realistic while pursuing hopes and dreams.

Game design isn't just hard to do, it's hard to get into. Even if you're in it and good at it, it's still hard to make any money with it. It's not impossible, but even my friend from MIT who worked at Blizzard for awhile ended up leaving to pursue an MBA.

Not trying to rain on your parade, just give a realistic perspective.

[Newc]

As I understand, Blizzard had tons of internal problems as well. They had a couple of major hits (Diablo II) but as I understand it they shot their wad on that and never had anything more than that.

I do understand it's not the "instant millionaire" profession it used to be, but I'd rather make a product I like and use on a daily basis than what I do now. My job doesn't really suck, it's just that there's no reason for me to stay with it if there are better alternatives out there.

[Cygnus X1]

I've had plenty of online continuing education, certificates, whatnot to fulfill certain requirements where I work. Given the time I've put into their silliness, I probably could have at least completed my Bachelor's, which I was just a few credits short many years ago when I left it behind to get much higher pay in Phoenix, AZ, rather than struggling for virtually nothing in New York.

[Newc]

The Supervisors where I work have had to take online/intranet-based training courses. They appear to be childish in structure and laughable at best.

Hopefully I won't end up wasting alot of time and money.

As long as it teaches me what I want to know about programming, and allows me to use those skills to write something I can be happy with, I'm ok.

I figure after 6 months I could get a job as a Vista programmer - the convenience of the internet means you can put out buggy code today and patch it forever

[drockilles]

Loosely related, but Blizzard also made The Lost Vikings, which I thought was a fucking awesome game. Like thetroy said, I'd imagine the job is extremely demanding, but if it's something you'd really enjoy, go for it man. I think that would be the next best thing to getting paid for making music.

[thetroy]

Blizzard rocks. Sure they've had some problems, but they're way ahead of the competition.

As far as online classes go, they're not that much different from normal classes in that you get out of them about as much as you put in.

The only difference is that some people need to have that face to face interaction to motivate them, but you seem like the self-motivated type anyway so I doubt you would have problems.

I would suggest learning some theoretical computer science and also getting into algorithms and/or artificial intelligence. You will probably need some mathematics first, but if you want to be on the cutting edge you'll want to know that kind of stuff.

[~K~]

I can be a damn truck driver, barely making enough to fill the tank at $800 a pop, or I can be a mechanic with permanent grease sains under my nails and maybe lop off a fingertip, or I can be a low-level medical assistant - cleaning up shit in a nursing home.

Yeah, that's all equal to video games, right? :ROTF:

Mechanics wear rubber glove to prevent that and well, you do know both of those professions make a decent wage right? My friends daughter makes $30 an hour in the suburbs

[Norton]

Mechanics wear rubber glove to prevent that and well, you do know both of those professions make a decent wage right? My friends daughter makes $30 an hour in the suburbs

that's like, 240 dollars a day? Pretty decent, imo.

[quiksilver]

I actually thought those mechanic courses looked like fun. And yeah, based on what I pay to get my automotive work done, I think mechanics can make good money.

Anyway, good luck with the video game design. I'd recommend that you immediately download the iPod/iPhone SDK (free from Apple) and start designing games for the iPod Touch and iPhone. Those are huge potential markets which are going to explode when the 3G iPhone comes out - and I think Apple will let you sell your game through the iTunes store for a fee.

Go to the iTunes store, and you'll see a few games for the other iPods, but virtually nothing for the Touch.