One suggestion - try working on a mod for an existing game like Quake III or Unreal Tournament. That might be coding, modelling, sound or level design - all good experiance using 'real' technology. A lot of games these days are written on top of engines like these, so its a useful skill.
Regarding 'middleware' - Vito makes some good points, it can be a lot of fun! You get to work on interesting game tech without pressure from publishers, stupid time pressure etc. It's also quite a good way into the industry!
The downside is, you are unlikely to see something you did directly on the screens on EB! Sure, you'll know that your code is running under the hood, but the lack of real input into the process, and having to always solve other people's problems rather than your own, made me want to get a little closer to the process.
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One suggestion - try working on a mod for an existing game like Quake III or Unreal Tournament. That might be coding, modelling, sound or level design - all good experiance using 'real' technology. A lot of games these days are written on top of engines like these, so its a useful skill.
Regarding 'middleware' - Vito makes some good points, it can be a lot of fun! You get to work on interesting game tech without pressure from publishers, stupid time pressure etc. It's also quite a good way into the industry!
The downside is, you are unlikely to see something you did directly on the screens on EB! Sure, you'll know that your code is running under the hood, but the lack of real input into the process, and having to always solve other people's problems rather than your own, made me want to get a little closer to the process.