I should be worrying about the upcoming J-Ken, but instead I find myself thinking about the fact that I’m going to have to take a test before I can become employed. This is apparently standard practice for Japanese companies, and I know that big companies like Nintendo are notorious for having difficult math portions.
Are there any American companies that do this? I mean, most of my friends are employed and I have never heard of any of them having to take a test… not even those who are game programmers (which is where I’ll have to start out in all likelihood). Am I just that oblivious, or is it really just that Japan in particular believes the malarkey that tests are the best way to measure aptitude?
Since I know everyone is dying to know more about what kind of system HAL uses for academics, this post will be devoted to talking about the basics of my academic life as a first year student. It should be noted that while the general process is the same from year to year, the specifics such as classes and even class groupings can change year to year as the staff at HAL tweak it in order to help give students the best educational experience possible. (more…)
Compared to most American and Canadian guys, who at most go for an occasional hug (excuse me, a “manly pat on the back”), Japanese guys touch each other a lot. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen my classmates reach out and casually touch the person they’re talking to; a pat on the arm or knee, clasp the other person’s shoulder, etc.
The stereotype about Japan is that it’s very repressed. While there are aspects of the culture that qualify, my experience of casual touching (often called “skinship”*), which has been reinforced by watching my classmates interact with each other, is not only viewed as natural, but also seen as an integral component to friendship bonding.
I have a few theories as to why the difference between the cultures exists, but that’s a subject for another day (and another blog).
* Note: “Skinship” does not have the sexual connotations that it might imply to a native English speaker. It originates with the physical bonding that happens between a mother and a small child and has branched out to be a general term for friendship bonding via casual touching.
Back in November of 2006 when I was still trying to decide the path I wanted to take to get into the industry, feminist game blogger Guilded Lily, aka. Lisa Laughy, announced that she was going to Guild Hall:
I am very pleased to announce that I have been accepted into the Masters of Interactive Technology, Art Creation Specialization, at The Guildhall at SMU. In January I will begin a two year intensive program to learn everything I need to know (but was afraid to ask) about how to create art assets for the digital games industry.
Only a few weeks after starting the program, however, did she realize that “intensive” was synonymous with “takes all your time and then some”. Under the guise of preparing students for work environments, the program’s boot camp-like environment was not flexible enough to allow Lisa to deal with unexpected personal problems while still being able to keep up with school. She has written about her experiences both on GameCareerGuide.com (I Am a Game School Dropout) and on her blog (Game School Dropout: Whining 101). (more…)
