Chris Crawford on Game Design

Education Versus Schooling

Mark Twain once wrote, “I never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Schools can give you a good orientation and equip you with important skills, but the larger task of acquiring an education takes a much bigger commitment than merely attending school, getting decent grades, and graduating. Education is a lifelong process; it is unlikely that you will emerge from college with an adequate education to become a game designer. You'll need to learn a great deal more than what you can learn in college. I therefore describe an educational program for prospective game designers that will, I think, give them what they need to excel in this tough job.

Good game designers are broadly educated to be comfortable in the ...