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“I care about your portfolio, not your GPA,” was the line that set the tone during Jim Huntley's fireside chat with me at GamesBeat Summit 2024. Our fireside chat was about the next generation of game developers, what challenges they face and what the developers and the education system can do to help them. Huntley, an associate professor at the University of Southern California who teaches in the USC Games program, spent several minutes answering questions from the audience, in addition to my own questions on the topic.
The first topic of conversation was about what the new generation of game developers looks like and what kind of career path awaits them. What kind of industry do they inherit? Huntley minced no words: “Terrible.” That said, Huntley added that entry-level positions in the games industry have not disappeared, despite the large amounts of layoffs. And he added that education programs like USC Games' can provide young developers with a path into games. He said the line at the top of the article in response to a question about the type of student who thrives in the program.
When asked to explain what kind of student he had in mind, he added that successful students who go on to careers in the industry are not just gamers. In order to thrive, aspiring developers must not only have an interest in and knowledge of a variety of games, but they must also have an interest in and knowledge of a variety of things outside of games to provide a well-rounded perspective on development of games. table.
Huntley added, in response to a question from the audience, that the USC Games pitching process helps build the skills needed to make it in the industry – pitching, collaborating with other creatives, taking a game to completion – but that it cannot promote love and interest in making games. The student with a 3.5 and a portfolio of game work is more interesting for both teachers and employers than a student with a 4.2 who has nothing to demonstrate for his interest in games.