To Ghost_702:

I go to UCSB and physics is really hardcore here. And no matter where you go, grad school in physics is INSANE. You work 60-80 hours a week and get paid very little (not because youre forced to, but because you need to put that much time into your research to be competitive)

To gm84:

It's interesting that the most important thing is the portfolio, in some ways that is inspiring because it means I can shift gears more smoothly just be doing my own little side projects, and not have to get a double major (which would be impossible if I want to finish in 4 years total). However, even as an undergrad my physics research takes a huge portion of my time, and I have very little extra time to devote to side projects.

Would joining a mod team be a good place to start? I also have all sorts of ideas for mods, but I know that I would need other people, especially artists.

To crucifine:

I think that's a good point about getting stuck working on a project that is not interesting. And while I like your point about certain game companies starting out as a group of people who did not have programming degrees, does that really still happen in the modern day? I mean, I know Valve originated in the modding community, but back in those days, the video games industry wasnt nearly as big as it is today. With huge companies out there cranking out bestselling games, does that kind of thing still happen where a handful of people start a successful game company?

Also, no offense to the people who have already posted, but can I get some input from anyone here who actually has a full time job in the industry about what their job is like?

So, I have a question for anyone who works for a video game company. The short version is: what is it like? and how do I get a job?

Here's the long version:

At the moment I am an undergraduate in physics and I am lining myself up for going to grad school and getting a phd (I'm hopefully going to publish my first paper this summer), but over the last month or so I have started questioning my life. I have a real passion for games and programming, and I have been wondering if I might enjoy a career in game design more than one in physics research. The problem is that I feel so locked in; does one NEED to have a computer science degree to get a job at a game company? or can I just teach myself the necessary programming languages and apply? What if I go ahead and spend the next 6 years getting a physics phd, would this be a totally useless addition to my resume in the eyes of a recruiter?

Also, how do I know this isn't a "grass is greener on the other side" thing? Does programming/designing games get dull after awhile?