Looking For Job: Gaming Industry

[YgdraTwighr]

I like many others want a job designing video games. Understanding that this is not an industry you simply walk into, I went looking for help the one place that has always provided answers: the internet. Escapist community, can you provide a humble high schooler any advice on getting a job in the industry? What are some terms I should know? What are some good colleges to apply too?
Where can I find tools to start developing freeware games?

TL/DR: Want to make games, please help.

 

[BlindMessiah94]

It's not what you know it's who you know. That is my advice.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I like many others want a job designing video games. Understanding that this is not an industry you simply walk into, I went looking for help the one place that has always provided answers: the internet. Escapist community, can you provide a humble high schooler any advice on getting a job in the industry? What are some terms I should know? What are some good colleges to apply too?
Where can I find tools to start developing freeware games?

TL/DR: Want to make games, please help.

Well, if you want to get into the design track of the industry that usually means starting as a junior level designer. Start trying to pick up what theory stuff you can about level design and also learning the scripting language for a major game/editting engine (probably Source or UnrealEd at the moment). Use the engine to pull apart interesting game levels to see how they work. So on and so forth.

In a lot of studios it's still what you can do with a level editor that is more important to them than having the right type of degree.