First off, Happy New Year to one and all! Hope you have a great one this year.
I'm in a place right now where I could use some really good advice on how to proceed with my dream. My interest in getting into the gaming industry is no different from that of a mechanic and cars (you love cars -> you study cars -> you work on cars)(I hope that analogy worked). I would like to think I do not have any pipe dreams about this, just a lack of proper knowledge and guidance.
I was (kinda still am) interested in a Game Design Master's course that is being offered by Full Sail University. But as anyone who has heard of that place would know, their reputation is shaky and their tuition fees are a little on the high end. I've heard that this is not a necessary step (i.e. getting a specialized degree in gaming), but if I'm still interested in learning the ropes through a course that is being offered somewhere, what/where would be a good option?
One of the advice I read was to get right into it; get a job in the industry (e.g. QA Tester) and slowly work your way up while learning the ropes. This way, you gain experience, knowledge, contacts, and basically start tailoring yourself for the position you are interested in. This sounds good (with the exception of geographical challenges for me; see below), and makes sense, but I would still like to hear some feedback on this. (Currently working on uploading my resume to GameJobs.com).
In the meantime, while I'm trying to get my head around all this, what should I be doing to prepare myself properly to enter the industry? What skill sets should I develop on or acquire?
Background information on me (hopefully to give you a better idea of where I'm coming from):
I did a bachelor's degree in information systems/technology, so I have most of the basics (programming, UI, project management, networking, etc.). I've tried my hand at developing a game once, using 3D Game Studio (it was an FPS). I've messed around with mods but never created one of my own.
I'm currently working at HP for a little over 4 years now. I've held a few roles here, with my current one focusing on data analysis, problem resolution, process optimization, and translation of business requirements. I'm located in Malaysia, but would very much love to move to the States.
Any advice/criticism is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading
![smile.png](http://public.gamedev.net//public/style_emoticons/default/smile.png)
(Sorry for the length of the post)