I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ultima Online. From my understanding, it never took off because players were *always* under constant threat of being attacked and killed by more powerful players. The only "safe zones" were the banks. So players would be constantly under threat regardless of what they did in the game. It wasn't fun because it was little more than an exercise in stress-management and frustration.
MMORPGs are mostly about the social aspects of RPing, and less about creating powerful characters. Anyone who focuses on the latter is basically ignoring the MMO in MMORPG.
C++ is the language of choice, as I understand it, but a Bachelor of Computer Science is really what you need. However, as parent said, there's no way you're going to get in with just a degree. Think of how many gamers there are out there, and how many of them want to make a career out of games: almost all of them. That's who you're competing against.
You'll need a substantial portfolio of game dev work you've done, so get coding right away: Join open source game dev projects online, build your own games/programs, show what you can do that most others can't.
Game dev is an EXTREMELY competitive field, and if you don't have the drive to devote the majority of your life (and soul) to it, then...again, as parent said, stick with your day job.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ultima Online. From my understanding, it never took off because players were *always* under constant threat of being attacked and killed by more powerful players. The only "safe zones" were the banks. So players would be constantly under threat regardless of what they did in the game. It wasn't fun because it was little more than an exercise in stress-management and frustration.
MMORPGs are mostly about the social aspects of RPing, and less about creating powerful characters. Anyone who focuses on the latter is basically ignoring the MMO in MMORPG.
Could James Bond or Jack Bauer use it to stop a bullet? If they want it to be rugged and work in the toughest conditions, that's the true test.
C++ is the language of choice, as I understand it, but a Bachelor of Computer Science is really what you need. However, as parent said, there's no way you're going to get in with just a degree. Think of how many gamers there are out there, and how many of them want to make a career out of games: almost all of them. That's who you're competing against.
You'll need a substantial portfolio of game dev work you've done, so get coding right away: Join open source game dev projects online, build your own games/programs, show what you can do that most others can't.
Game dev is an EXTREMELY competitive field, and if you don't have the drive to devote the majority of your life (and soul) to it, then...again, as parent said, stick with your day job.