Help in getting in the game industry(education)

Okay, I don’t wanna go soley into games and end up not making it into the industry. What I have been reading from previous board topics(IGN boards) and other sites is that you can simply learn the tools from anywhere, degree or not. So I figured i could get a degree in computer science and get associates degree in computer animation or game design?

What you guys think becuase I don’t wanna spend the money to go to a game design school with no safety net( Degree in game design won’t do any good if I can’t get a job making games). The degree programs for game design are quite expensive while simply learning the tools at soem community college for cheap would acomplish the same thing.

Anybdoy who konws about the game industry is welcome to help!

The thing with the game industry is that its filled with skilled animators and designers… what the game industry (and advertisement/marketing industry does aswell) needs is people with innovative ideas (marketing-wise how to get people’s attention and interest, gaming-wise good plots and new gimmicks to make games original).

But as they say - choose a job you love and you never work a day, do what you want to but make sure its what you want to do for the next 20-30 years or so.

My friend went to a 'puter school down in FLA. I think it was Full Sail. He and his gf at the time both went for computer animation. She got a job working on the second Asheron’s Call. Im not sure what he’s doing now. Anyway, they attended a lecture by one of the head animators from Pixar and he said that what they really look for in the games and movie industry is artistic talent and vision first and technical skill second.

For artists anyway.

Technical skill (programming and knowledge of programs) can be taught to an artisit if needed but the creativity is not so easily learned.