After I completed my degree, I too looked into getting work in the computer games industry. I eventually decided it wasn't for me, but I can attempt answers to some of your questions based on my own experience.
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Originally Posted by Emperor
1. Is a Bachelors degree in Computer Science all I should bother getting to pursue a position of game programmer?
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I haven't seen any game programming jobs that require a Masters or a PhD. However, they do tend to look for programmers who have scored highly on their degree; a first is preferable.
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Originally Posted by Emperor
2. As stated previously it seems many game companies only hire programmers that have previous experience in the industry programming games. Is it very difficult to find entry-level game programming positions?
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Exceedingly so. Most programming positions tend to require experience, but game companies tend to be even more exacting. Whilst my first job wasn't developing computer games, it still took a great deal of effort to land it. Conversely, when the company I was working for folded, and I started looking for my second job, I was inundated with interview requests, received two job offers mere weeks after starting looking. My salary went up by around 80% as well, which was nice
So getting on the ladder is extremely difficult. Your degree doesn't count for much compared to real work experience. You'll have to be tenacious and patient.
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Originally Posted by Emperor
5. Do most game companies require their programmers to have knowledge in multiple languages? Or are strong C++/Java skills sufficient?
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Mostly C++ from my experience, although knowledge of graphics frameworks like Direct3D and OpenGL are quite important.
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Originally Posted by Emperor
6. Do you think it's unwise to set my goals exclusively on becoming a game programmer? Should I leave myself open to becoming a software programmer for a non-game company/the government and if so what additions should I make to my preparation?
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No, it's not unwise. Any programmer skilled enough to make a computer game isn't going to find it hard to switch to another part of the industry. The only factor you really need to consider is how long can you spend out of work looking for a game programming job. And even then, there's nothing stopping you taking another job in the meantime to pay the bills, whilst you try to break into the games industry.
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Originally Posted by Emperor
7. Can any professional game programmers give me any advice on how to maximize my success of becoming employed as a game programmer post-graduation?
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I'm not a professional game programmer, but I have spoken to them about this very question. The answer was always the same:
demos. If you don't have experience, the only way to adequately demonstrate your talent is through some impressive demos.
Now, I've always lacked the tenacity and patience to design complex programs in my spare time, so the best I was able to do was spend a few days creating a
tree generator. You'd probably need to create something better than this to get a look in.
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Originally Posted by Emperor
9. With resumes, do you provide a demo disc with games/game related things you've created? Would you recommend I begin working seriously on some smaller games to show on a demo disc?
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That's what I was told. Demos are absolutely essential in order to land that vital first job. After that, I suspect it's plain sailing.