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Research / Lecturing in Games and Digital Media

brad_hbrad_h
in Suggestions
I believe Rym and Scott have thus far pursued the wrong terminal career. They should go back and earn their PhDs. They'd make excellent lecturers in the area of Digital Media and Ludology.

Here's one such place to do a PhD:

https://games.soe.ucsc.edu/

Plus, an academic career affords ample time to develop games, utilize student labor, etc.

Comments

  • AndrewAndrew
    edited August 2015
    Yeah...fuck grad school. :P


    Sincerely,
    A PhD dropout.
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    Yeah, but the reason they can do all this stuff is because they have MONEY.
  • theknoxinatortheknoxinator
    I feel like this person knows nothing about who Rym and Scott are.
  • sK0pesK0pe
    You get a career to afford the stuff you want to do for real. Also University environments breed very closed thinking individuals. There was one young professor last semester who had never worked outside of University after getting his PhD and assumed everyone had read all the works of Knuth and we had time to read "The Art of Programming" in a week, yet sucked balls at implementing. Conceptually he was very intelligent but couldn't turn that into something worthwhile for society (other than writing papers and he no longer teaches).
    Andrew said:

    Yeah...fuck grad school. :P

    Victor Frost said:

    MONEY

  • StarfoxStarfox
    At least Santa Cruz is a real place. Honestly I was expecting something like TimeCube U.
  • brad_hbrad_h
    Okay, I suppose I may be giving at least one of them too much credit ;-)

    As for money, I'd suggest using current savings to supplement research grant money during grad school.

    In ~5 years they'd be done, and could then work ~20 hours / week for 9 months of the year for 100k (on average). Contracting or product development could supplement academic salary. No other profession provides such latitude. All the while, the academic career (in games) informs the "extra" stuff.

    Such an approach requires long-term career strategy, however.
  • AprecheApreche
    Want me to go to grad school? Ok. First, I need you to pay for that. Also you need to pay for all my living expenses and other things during that period. That includes flights to PAX and everything. Also, I'm going to need a guarantee on that 20 hour a week 9 month a year 100k job. An absolute guarantee. In advance. Also going to need to guarantee that job is in NYC and that I get tenure immediately.
  • brad_hbrad_h
    edited September 2015
    I understand the trade-offs and risks involved. It's just that I've seen so many people who *have* gotten Ph.D.s and *have* gotten tenure. Many of these people lack the same verve and passion that you guys have. It's a shame that our system doesn't support and *guarantee* those who would most benefit. Just look at the faculty at:

    http://gamecenter.nyu.edu/people/

    There's no way that you don't belong in their ranks too.
    Post edited by brad_h on
  • ChurbaChurba
    Okay, Brad mate, chill out. This sounds more like what you want, than what they want. I'm not one to speak someone else's mind, but they seem quite happy with their current lives and lifestyles - not to say improvement isn't possible, but happy enough it seems to be. Plus, they're both smart guys - you think they haven't already considered this option, and found it wanting compared to others?

    It's not up to Scott and Rym to live as pleases us. They should live how pleases them. As long as this is the case, then they're not in the wrong careers, or any of that. They're right where they need to be, pending improvement by their standard, not yours.
  • AprecheApreche
    You seem to greatly underestimate the amount of work that is required to get a Ph.D and be a professor. I'm trying to do less work, not more.
  • GreatTeacherMacRossGreatTeacherMacRoss
    Having looked into doctorates in the past, I can agree with Scott.

    Ludicrous amounts of work and time that I had no interest in. Rewards are not guaranteed.
  • SWATrousSWATrous
    edited September 2015
    But it's a good way to get a Dr. title. Being a killer music producer would be another I suppose.
    Post edited by SWATrous on
  • RymRym
    I would go into academia again, but there is literally no way to afford living where I live or doing the things I do while doing so unless someone funds it for me.
  • Linkigi(Link-ee-jee)Linkigi(Link-ee-jee)
    Just be so awesome that someone gives you an honorary doctorate, obvs.
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