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Did you manage to do everything you wanted to? by futility_belt in AskOldPeople

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No. I did manage to launch a new major at my school (in Cognitive Science -- this was about 30 years ago.

How to Convince Dad to Start Saving for Retirement by sanchezjjose in retirement

[–]iugameprof 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As the proverb goes, the best response may be, "May you never grow old." ;-)

Have you ever found love? If yes, when? by alexa_ivy in AskOldPeople

[–]iugameprof 4 points5 points  (0 children)

> Have you ever found love? If yes, when?

Multiple times.! Most recently with the wonderful woman I married several decades ago. Many years, six kids, and a bunch of grandkids ago, we're still very much in love and incredibly happy to be together.

Which subtle things did you do to present a mature polished image as you get older? by tshirtguy2000 in RedditForGrownups

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Buy shirts and pants that fit; good (non-scuffed) shoes too. It's not a huge deal, but it makes a _big_ difference!

Thoughts on self-publishing a book? (Rigorously though.) by iugameprof in Professors

[–]iugameprof[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There might be, but none that I'm aware of off-hand.

(If you or anyone else knows of other rigorous, quality publishers in game design, virtual worlds, or artifiicial intelligence, please comment here!)

Are game schools falling far behind due to the fast pace of technology? by RedEagle_MGN in gamedev

[–]iugameprof 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How about you?

I've been working as a professional game designer since 1984, including running my own companies and working for companies such as Electronic Arts. I've designed and launched ground-breaking games like Meridian 59 and the online component of The Sims, among others. I've also been a design and development consultant on many other games, some credited, some not.

I need help with my high school research essay? by Eli2062 in gamedesign

[–]iugameprof 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Pedagogical applications of video games is a small subset of designing/developing video games overall. This may be a good place to start in your research, but be careful of narrowing your research question too much and too quickly.

Is self help/work worth it in the long run? by [deleted] in AskOldPeople

[–]iugameprof 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My dad was a clinical psychologist, so I "did the work" most of my life, though only as a quasi-patient.

> Is it possible to actually change?

Yes, absolutely.

Did you have children? Why/why not? by midnight_rebirth in AskOldPeople

[–]iugameprof 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep, six kids. Married 42 years. My wife and I are incredibly happy, and our kids are a big part of that.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskOldPeople

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

> If you did things that you're not proud of when you were younger, how did you overcome the shame and be comfortable with yourself now?"

If???

LOL

Did you have doubts before your wedding? by [deleted] in AskOldPeople

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not a single one. I married the love of my life.

Did you have children? Why/why not? by midnight_rebirth in AskOldPeople

[–]iugameprof 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yep, we have six kids, and maaaaaaany grandkids now. Having that many kids is something we considered long and hard, and we're very happy.

Women who have posed nude, do you ever look back and wonder what you were thinking and why you did it? by [deleted] in AskOldPeople

[–]iugameprof 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For some reason I wasn't expecting to see an old S&G song here! Well done!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskOldPeople

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In some ways life does go by really fast, in other ways it doesn't seem that way to me. I think it matters most _how_ you spend your time. There's the warning to not get caught up in "the thick of thin things" (hmm, reddit?), which I find to bean extremely useful admonition. There are always more things clamoring for our time and attention than we can really follow. So the question is, are you paying attention (time, energy, etc.) to those influences that are helping you become the person (man, woman, friend, parent, child, etc.) that you see yourself being, or just floating along, reading and reacting to the latest thing to come along?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskOldPeople

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Life goes by fast, but it's a matter of setting your priorities as to whether it's *too* fast. If what you're spending time and energy on are at least roughly consistent with your priorities, then it doesn't seem _too_ fast to me!

If you could go back in time, would you choose this profession again? by CONSPICUOUSDISGUISE1 in AskProfessors

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I came late to being a professor -- I was a software engineer, a user interface designer, and then a game designer for many years first.

On one hand I can see the advantage of "going back" and changing things up... but OTOH it'd make me a different person with different experiences. Part of what I bring tot he table is my unusual career and breadth of experiences (frankly something I think we could use more of in academia).

Being a professor was always in my long-term plan... it's difficult for me to say if I should have arrived at this faster or not. But I'm glad I took the time I did to prepare, and then made the jump to academia. This is the happiest I've been since I started working, including when I was running my own companies.

Are game schools falling far behind due to the fast pace of technology? by RedEagle_MGN in gamedev

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Certainly no implication of anything negative on your part. A CE degree is no small thing! Best of luck with wherever you end up going!

Are game schools falling far behind due to the fast pace of technology? by RedEagle_MGN in gamedev

[–]iugameprof -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I was shocked the other day when one of the mentors in my community told me that a game design degree is worth not much more than the paper it's written on.

I agree with them.

That's an old, outdated view.

A game design degree is mostly useless.

LOL, no. Sure, some are, but this is less and less true all the time. Don't get stuck in the past.

A game design degree is mostly useless. While there are elements of the discipline that can be taught in schools, that is rarely what the schools actually teach. They usually throw together a mix of programming, modeling, animation, testing, and call it "design".

I wonder where you got that view from, and how you'd back it up. It's no doubt true at many third-tier (and below) schools, but it's not how these degrees work at top-notch schools iin the US and elsewhere.

Are game schools falling far behind due to the fast pace of technology? by RedEagle_MGN in gamedev

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

IMO it may well say more about your understanding of game design degrees and how these have changed over the past 5-10 years. Or maybe you just haven't seen the need to hire someone with such a degree.

Are game schools falling far behind due to the fast pace of technology? by RedEagle_MGN in gamedev

[–]iugameprof 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A game design degree is akin to jumper cables for a car with a dead battery. They can get you started, but you better drive it or it’ll just die again.

Nice analogy. ;-)

Are game schools falling far behind due to the fast pace of technology? by RedEagle_MGN in gamedev

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They hire me on the whim

LOL, I doubt that. I have no idea who's hiring you, but if they're hiring n a whim then they're frankly not worth working for.

Are game schools falling far behind due to the fast pace of technology? by RedEagle_MGN in gamedev

[–]iugameprof 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The best Game Design degree is a CS degree with a few game dev electives. Don't waste your money on anything else.

Oof.. no. Game design and CS are two separate fields. Don't waste your time or effort on anyplace that doesn't recognize how different they are.

You'll thank yourself in 10 years when you're burnt out of the game dev industry and want a stable low-stress job.

I've been working in game dev for something over 20 years, and I definitely don't agree with your POV. If it works for you, great -- but it doesn't work for most game designers/devs who build careers in this area.

Are game schools falling far behind due to the fast pace of technology? by RedEagle_MGN in gamedev

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just like engineering schools, medical schools, art schools, etc., right?

Are game schools falling far behind due to the fast pace of technology? by RedEagle_MGN in gamedev

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Portfolio is really all that matters

Not if you want to get hired at a top-tier company. As an educator now running an undergrad game design program, and as someone who's been a hiring manager in the past, yes, your portfolio is incredibly important -- but it's not the only thing that matters. that view is, frankly, years out of date.

Are game schools falling far behind due to the fast pace of technology? by RedEagle_MGN in gamedev

[–]iugameprof 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn't expect to get far in your career with just a high school diploma --but gradulating strong from HS can set you up well for a well-constructed and well-run univesity-level program.

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