Game Development and Hacking at university

[FlizedZ]

I have to choose what to study at university and I really want to: make videogames (development) and study computer security and ethical hacking.
What course can you suggest me? Better if I study Game Dev or Ethical Hacking or Computer Science to achieve both? What university? (Pref. UK but USA or Australia too.)
Thanks!

[techb]

How old are you? You answer will guide mine.

[Stackprotector]

You can also just pick up a bag of weed and smoke away rather than doing these things at once

[FlzedZ]

How old are you? You answer will guide mine.

19, just got out of high school

You can also just pick up a bag of weed and smoke away rather than doing these things at once

Doesn't help; I need to decide as quickly as possible, really.

[Stackprotector]

19, just got out of high schoolDoesn't help; I need to decide as quickly as possible, really.

Do the think you like the most, have a passion for and has the most job rate

[techb]

You can also just pick up a bag of weed and smoke away rather than doing these things at once

SHHhhhh.... then he will be like one of us.

[FlzedZ]

Do the think you like the most, have a passion for and has the most job rate

It's hard because I'm into them. Maybe I won't be satisfied with one of them? I don't know.
What about the most job rate?

[techb]

Do Computer Science. I don't know or even care which college. You will learn more on computers and how they work. If you want to move to the security side of things, then do that after you know how a computer actually works.

[FlzedZ]

Do Computer Science. I don't know or even care which college. You will learn more on computers and how they work. If you want to move to the security side of things, then do that after you know how a computer actually works.

So you suggest me not to start with any specialized degrees like game dev or security?

[Deque]

I have to choose what to study at university and I really want to: make videogames (development) and study computer security and ethical hacking.
What course can you suggest me? Better if I study Game Dev or Ethical Hacking or Computer Science to achieve both? What university? (Pref. UK but USA or Australia too.)
Thanks!

If you are unsure which one of both to choose, do not specialize yet. Study computer science.

For Game Dev: It doesn't matter what you have studied to get a job in game development. It is important that you have done projects (games of course!) and that you know some people in the industry. So if you want to be a game developer, your tasks are: Learn programming, learn game design, create some games, make them public to get attention, and get to know some people in the industry.

For Hacking: This is similar to Game Dev: Learn the essentials, find vulnerabilities and exploits, report them ethically, do it-security related projects, e.g., write programs. Get the attention of and connections to people in that industry.

A computer science degree provides a basis for both, provides a nice-to-have degree for future employers, and gives you some time to decide. It even provides you with the best basis to get a good job in another field if necessary (e.g. because you don't find a job in the field you want). You may as well specialize when you do your masters degree or even afterwards.

My advice: Put your next work into deciding for one thing. Doing both with the same priority will result in becoming a mediocre game dev and mediocre hacker. Do one thing and you have the potential to become an exceptional game dev or superb hacker. Focus. You may still do one of both in your free time, but get your priorities straight. You can not be successfull in both fields.

[Daemon]

Sadly, something like 65% of the Comp Sci (computer science majors) at the university here transfer over to Information Technology after their first year or two of it. It can get rough fast if you don't have the brain for abstract theory, but I suggest not giving up. The programming theory and skills you learn in the first 3 or 4 courses you take will set the stage for 75% of the programming you do later on in life (in my experience) and then you will get into upper division where you learn theory, ai, os design, etc. Computer Science is quite possibly the most versatile computer related degree available, like Deque mentioned you can focus on the theory/ai/physics side and get into game engine/game ai design or perhaps after you take the required security courses (which vary from being a joke to being awesome, depending on the teacher) you may decide that afterall security is the route for you.

Tl;DR
Comp Sci is the shit if you want a degree. Though if you like embedded systems, drones, robots, etc, i would check out Electrical Engineering and see if that is more your style


@deque, nice avatar btw. where is it from?

[Deque]

@deque, nice avatar btw. where is it from?

Deviantart

[Daemon]

Deviantart

lel, short and too the point. and here i thought it was from a game/movie... thanks ^_^