Comments on: VFS – The Reality Of A Private "Game Design" School

By: Mike Wilson

Mike Wilson — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:17:32 +0000

As we can all attest to is that the quality of the teachers do not have an effect on the outcome of the student projects. I know that our team went through some trials with a few screwball teachers and it had very little effect on our final project. I expect all other students to be able to overcome the same; unless the teachers are in charge of crucial classes such as scripting, ACTUAL game design, etc.

With all of these layoffs, I fully expect VFS to have their best chance at employing some awesome industry professionals. From a few emails I have received, they don’t even have a dedicated scripting teacher right now. It’s not for a lack of available teachers, that’s for sure. Perhaps a lack of funding? I don’t know.

I’m sure we all don’t know a lot about how the program is run; and I’m not about to pretend that I do, but what I do know is that we designers have a great boon if we at least understand the fundamentals of scripting. It’s not a class that should be taken lightly by either the administration or the students.

You are right, the market is saturated with brilliantly hirable designers with experience and talent. It has been hard, and will only get harder for students to find jobs. What makes it worse is that there seems to be an ever increasing backlog of unhired, but severely hirable student designers, who still have not found a job. That is also a major issue that will only get worse.

It’s free admittance day at the fair and thousands show up. There’s only one Farris wheel, and it can only spin so fast.

By: Charmie

Charmie — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:39:52 +0000

I wouldn’t say the quality of VFS’s education has deteriorated, rather the economic situation. The latest group of grads (GD11) produced amazing work – perhaps the best I’ve seen coming out of the program. It isn’t their output that is giving them a hard time.

When people with years of experience are roaming the market fresh off the EA/Radical/Nexon layoffs, it’s naturally going to effect the hiring.

By: Mike Wilson

Mike Wilson — Mon, 25 May 2009 03:01:25 +0000

They offer a 21 month program though.

Just from what I have heard from some co-workers that went there, VFS seemed like it had their collective . . . excretion . . together more than AI did, can’t say for “does” though.

By: Charmie

Charmie — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:51:22 +0000

A quick side note for perspective, I just noticed that AI’s tuition fees are even more perplexing.

http://www.artschoolreviews.ca/game-design-tuition-guide

By: Charmie

Charmie — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:53:03 +0000

If my comments made the program statistically more optimistic than it is, then thank you I’m glad you helped corrected that. :p

I don’t agree with VFS’s tendency to quote inaccurate hiring rates either, and as Mack said 30% seems about right looking at the recent classes. What I’m saying is that that 30% is probably filling maybe 80% (completely speculative number) of the positions that are available for new designers in Vancouver in the first place. Which means that without VFS your opportunities in making it in drops to single digits, if even that. Yes the odds still suck, especially for the price, and it’s only gotten worse under current economic conditions.

So again, I’d suggest the program only to people that can afford that gamble, presuming that your main goal is to find a way in to the industry. If your goal is to grow academically and gain deep design knowledge, there are much cheaper ways of doing that, as Nick said.

I think VFS has a choice to make going forward, considering that game hiring seems to be slowing down. If they continue pumping out the number of students they do, the program’s reputation will surely suffer, and this discussion we’re having is probably already a sign of that.

By: Mike Wilson

Mike Wilson — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:48:27 +0000

I respect your opinion and truly understand how impossible it is for students to comment on the experiences of other classes. I have not commented on experiences outside of my own, and will not do so now.

I stand by my original assertion that the statistics quoted do not accurately represent the truth of the success of students at VFS, and are in fact misleading. A few successes do not outweigh the majority, resounding emphasis on majority, of people who paid $26,000.00 and are jobless.

Your comment about the number of Jr. Designers currently working was decidedly positive, while the other factor (those that are not working) was left out of the picture, leaving readers unable to come to a logical conclusion based off of the facts. I was simply filling in the logic gap, so others could come to a sound conclusion.

If this site is to serve any purpose, the contributors and posters should not dabble in “truthiness.”

I have nothing but respect for the amazing teachers and advisors I had at VFS, and they are aware of that. Some are troubled by the skewed statistics and wonder how certain students found their way into their classrooms. It should be shouted out, loud and clear, that VFS is not an IWIN button into the video game design industry.

By: Charmie

Charmie — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:03:11 +0000

Mike of course the odds are not exciting, it’s the game industry. People in it don’t want to leave, and many many others want in. Your words of encouragement are beautiful, but if I hadn’t met the people I did while attending at VFS, I would’ve had very little chance to make it in as a designer. Furthermore I wouldn’t have known how to target my year so that I could effectively represent myself in a portfolio.

I’m representing my experience as what it is, and I think the program deserves credit where it’s due. Especially out of respect to the instructors that helped us get where we are.

By: Mike Wilson

Mike Wilson — Sun, 24 May 2009 09:24:27 +0000

“All the junior positions at BigPark (where I work) are filled by VFS students. All the junior positions at UFG (another Vancouver-based game company) are also filled by VFS students. This tells me that going to VFS does increase your chances of getting into the industry.”

To put this into perspective, “All” of the Jr. Positions at Big Park equals out to three positions, and “All” of those positions at United Front equals out to three positions. Those are six positions filled by students from multiple classes of 22+ students each.

Those odds aren’t exciting me.

Neither is the conclusion that somehow VFS aided in their hiring. If those same students spent an entire year growing their portfolio personally and applying for various industry jobs, I feel assured that they would have been hired somewhere regardless. The students who were hired came to the school already filled with talent, or the ability to learn quickly and be creative, skills like those cannot be learned in a year, no matter how much money you spend.

Working in the industry as well, I am now more fully aware of how the hiring process works at my company and others. Studios are looking for talent, obvious, glowing, talent; not a school name or a title. Prove to them you are worth their time, and you will get it to showcase yourself.

By: Garett Kutcher

Garett Kutcher — Sat, 23 May 2009 06:31:09 +0000

As fellow member of the GD09 class, I would like to lend support to some of Nick’s statements.

I was a teacher before I started at VFS and am back to teaching again [huzzah for back up plans] and so the ‘uneveness’ in the instruction stood out to me. Some of the teachers were extremely good [I will not name any for fear of forgetting someone], but others, while skilled in their particular field, were simply not teachers. This is not that different from many universities, but because of the tremendous difference in price I was expecting more.

As for the stats about hiring, all I will say is that I am currently [at the time of writing] listed as a grad working in the industry on the VFS website, but in truth, my VFS experience contributed little towards me being hired and I am teaching in inquiry based junior high school- certainly not part of the video game industry as other than a consumer.

In short, if you already have some work/talent, especially if it is in an area other than straight-up design [programming, art, cinematography, etc.], and are looking for a showcase and a chance to gain some contacts, the money is probably worth it. If not, and you are looking for the ‘foot in the door’ so to speak, you may end up paying a lot of money just to stub your toe.

By: Charmie

Charmie — Sat, 23 May 2009 01:14:24 +0000

This is a very heartfelt review and I’m glad you decided to share it. As someone that did manage to land a job straght out of VFS game design though, personally I’m extremely glad that I took the route that I did. All the junior positions at BigPark (where I work) are filled by VFS students. All the junior positions at UFG (another Vancouver-based game company) are also filled by VFS students. This tells me that going to VFS does increase your chances of getting into the industry.

But it’s by no means a guarantee, especially when the economy is in the dumps as it is now. Having a degree will increase your chances, and having some prior experience will increase it as well, but all in all it’s going to be a gamble with big doses of timing and luck in the mix. And after watching my very deserving, very talented classmates suffer through their job searches, I agree that if you can’t afford to lose the gamble, you shouldn’t take it.