When you’re paying for their college educations, you tend to have a say so about the career paths they choose. And now, you’re wondering if a career in gaming is worth your hard-earned dollars. the short answer is… Yes, it can be!
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the 2021 Median Pay for Software Developers was $120,730 per year. and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
What Should Your Gamer Child Study in College or Technical School?
To start, there is no such thing as a ‘game development degree’ at this time. That means your adult child or high school graduate must choose a more focused educational goal to succeed in the game industry.
Many choose degrees in art, music, or computer science, for example, which open up a wide range of possibilities within and outside the game industry. If your child is creative, it’s natural for them to opt for majors in the arts. However, make sure they include technical classes, such as programming languages and analytics, to broaden their exposure.
More technical teens and young adults are swayed more toward majors like mathematics and computer science. These college students should also take creative courses like digital photography and audio engineering.
A well-rounded education provides flexibility and can open up even more opportunities. That way, even if your child chooses not to pursue game design or game development as a career, there are numerous other options they can explore in the end.
Finding the Right School for My Kid’s Game Career
When searching for a school, shy away from the technical colleges claiming to offer ‘game development degrees’ because most of them are ripoffs. And the phrase ‘game design degree’ is also a red flag.
There are no such degrees, making the school a waste of money and time. Corporations don’t take these degrees seriously and do not hire people based on these credentials.
Instead, you want an accredited school that offers art, music or computer science degrees or other technical degrees on a broader spectrum. As long as they also offer courses in programming, animation, and production, your child will get the foundational courses they need to succeed in the game industry.
How to Test My Kid’s Passion for Creating Games Now
If you want to see if your kid has the passion needed to develop games, there are free game engines available to help get those feet wet. They take care of the grunt work while helping your child learn basic programming skills.
Check out our Career Assessment quiz
Unity is a great place to start, especially if they already have some C# programming language knowledge. It’s free to download and you can find a slew of YouTube tutorials to learn how to use Unity for free.
Another popular platform is Unreal, which is also a free game design engine. This software tests users’ C++ programming skills, which may be a bit harder than C# for some.
A tool better suited to address the needs of the community
We all know how important representation is and the power of stereotypes can have on our community. Give your child not only a way to develop universal critical thinking skills but also an opportunity to make an impact in shaping tomorrow’s perceptions today.
Polycaik is game development software specifically designed to help people, traditionally ignored by the game industry, create their own video games.
The platform focuses on providing features that help address many of the challenges people in our community face, whether it be a lack of knowledge, support, or funding. We are dedicated to launching quality games for, by and about us.
Enroll in our course offering to learn everything there is to know about how to use the Polycaik platform. Also, receive updates on product launches, features, and game industry information, as well as opportunities for your youngster to take some of the financial burden off of you.
Get exclusive access to the Polycaik community, a network of developers, creatives, and gamers looking to build and promote digital games rich in Black content.
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