{"id":22579,"date":"2023-04-06T11:36:05","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T16:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?p=22579"},"modified":"2024-09-23T16:05:29","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T21:05:29","slug":"liberal-arts-in-tech-two-alums-take-an-unconventional-route-to-the-video-game-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2023\/liberal-arts-in-tech-two-alums-take-an-unconventional-route-to-the-video-game-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberal arts in tech: Two alums take an unconventional route to the video game industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Computer science, software engineering, or animation \u2013 these are some of the most common majors for those wanting to work in the video game industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But two 51ÁÔÆæ alumni say it was their degrees in liberal arts that helped them build their careers with two of the biggest companies in the field. Ben Schroeder, a software engineer for PlayStation, and Timothy MacKenzie, a localization specialist at Nintendo, both attended 51ÁÔÆæ and graduated with majors in the humanities and social sciences. Each of them credits their education and skills in critical and creative thinking for their success in what is traditionally a tech-heavy vocation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think (a liberal arts education) is attractive to employers because it shows a well-roundedness and empathy,\u201d Schroeder said. \u201cNot to downplay the computer science curriculum at all, but those tend to be skills that can be learned well into one\u2019s career, whereas I think a lot of the liberal arts skills like critical thinking, seeing the big picture, and understanding the nuances of different ideas of perspectives, are important to learn early on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schroeder majored in urban studies and earned a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS involves attaching data to points on a map \u2013 the types of fauna in a particular natural area, for example, or when various equipment was last serviced at General Mitchell Airport. For Schroeder, those classes were where he first began to realize that the liberal arts and STEM weren\u2019t entirely separate disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can combine the liberal arts and social sciences side with technology,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s an intersection I\u2019m really interested in and it got me into the tech sphere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MacKenzie\u2019s job is less technical but no less important. As a localization specialist, he works to make Nintendo\u2019s games accessible to an American audience. Nintendo, like Sony (which owns the PlayStation brand), is a Japanese company and its products, games, manuals, and more are produced in Japanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MacKenzie majored in Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies at 51ÁÔÆæ and minored in Japanese. Soon after, he completed his Master\u2019s in Language, Literature, and Translation<\/a>, specializing in Japanese-to-English translation. He uses his skills now to not only translate Japanese game dialogue into English, but also to help smooth out cultural nuances that might be unfamiliar for American audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is a lot of push-and-pull. Can we do this; can we adapt that? Do we stay closer to the original text or go in our own direction? There\u2019s a lot of discussion, but it\u2019s really rewarding to do,\u201d MacKenzie explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He relies heavily on his understanding of both Japanese and American culture to remain close to the original text while still getting the meaning across to an Englishspeaking audience. Those are skills that he learned in his work at 51ÁÔÆæ. A liberal arts education has been invaluable, just as it was for Schroeder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re looking to get into a technical field, on the surface, it might not seem like a liberal arts or social science education would be conducive to that,\u201d Schroeder said, \u201cbut I think you\u2019re stacking the odds in your favor if you choose to pursue it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Schroeder<\/a>, MacKenzie<\/a>, and their jobs in the articles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Computer science, software engineering, or animation \u2013 these are some of the most common majors for those wanting to work in the video game industry. 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