I am an Aspiring Game Designer

Today is a bittersweet day for me. Not only is it the official release date for UFC 2009 Undisputed, but coincidentally it's also the 1 year anniversary of when I started working at THQ as an intern on said game (I was let go 2 weeks ago). On one hand, despite all the things I would've liked to improve, UFC 2009 is a game that I've been eagerly anticipating for a long time as a UFC fan and I'm proud to say that I was a part of it. On the other hand, I really expected to be celebrating this day among the former co-workers with whom I spent the better part of a year pouring blood, sweat, and tears into the game. I think I'll celebrate/cope by firing up my copy of UFC 2009 and beating up some noobs on XBox Live...

Posted by Waylon at 7:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the economy being the way it is, I've come to realize that going back to school may be my best option right now. I've been strongly considering the possibility of pursuing a Master's degree in some form of game design. There aren't many accredited universities that offer such a degree, the ones I know of are the Interactive Media Division at USC (where I got my Bachelor's degree), the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon, the Digital Media program at Georgia Tech, and the Guildhall at Southern Methodist University (if I missed any, please let me know). I also considered pursuing a second Bachelor's degree in psychology at USC, which apparently will only take me 2 semesters to complete. Unfortunately, I've already missed the deadline to apply for the Fall 2009 term of most of the previously mentioned academic programs. However, SMU is still accepting applications for the next couple of weeks. Could I be spending the next 2 years at SMU starting in August? Stay tuned...

Posted by Waylon at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was the last day of my internship at THQ. For nearly a year, I worked very hard on a game that I was really passionate about (UFC 2009 Undisputed), but I never truly found my place there. It couldn't have been more difficult for me to leave though, as I was prepared to make a career out of that franchise. But after much reflection, I believe this may be the catalyst that I needed to break out of the routine and better myself as a game designer. Now it's time for me to move on and take the next step.

I've narrowed down a list of game franchises I'd be interested to work on that I think I could be a good fit for. While I'm sending out applications or waiting for openings, I'll bide my time by researching games that I should be familiar with, reading books to improve my game design, and working on indie game projects that have been on the back burner. If worst comes to worst and I can't find a job within a year, I'll go back to school I'll go back to school for a Master’s degree or a second Bachelor’s degree in something that interests me as a game designer. However long it takes, I will get my career back on track. Wish me luck...

Posted by Waylon at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)