Game Design Programs Offer a Number of Career Options
Character and level designers, character and 3D modelers/texture
artists, concept and environments and effects artists, character
animators and game concept artists are just some of the positions
available to those who have graduated from a post-secondary level game
design program. Schools Game design
starts with an idea, which may fall within one or several genres. The
game designer usually produces an initial game proposal document
containing the concept, game play, feature list, setting and story,
target audience, requirements and schedule, staff and budget estimates.
From there, production begins with each game professional contributing
his or her talents at different stages. For example, the Level Designer
creates the levels that build upon skills of the gamer. This person must
plan how the player interacts with the game to move onto the next
level. Meanwhile, Character Animator, who is the “actor” behind the
performance.
At Centennial College, students who have an Ontario
Secondary School Diploma or equivalent or are 19 years of age or older,
may apply for its Game Art and Design program. In addition to this
requirement, they will also have to have completed the compulsory
English 12C or U credit, a skills assessment or equivalent. Another
requirement is a portfolio assessment. Pieces may include 10 to 15 life
drawings, sketches, paintings, sculptures or digitally produced artwork.
Preference for the game design program will be given to applicants who
can demonstrate some familiarity with one or more graphics applications
such as Photoshop, Illustrator, 3DS Max or Maya. If one does not submit
digital artwork, he or she will be tested to determine your level of
computer proficiency.
This 14-month undertaking offers its
students hands-on training, which teaches them how to build 2D and 3D
art assets for games, develop game environment and characters and
express their one-of-a-kind creativity. Because industry professionals
and instructors developed the game design program, the curriculum has a
uniquely combined emphasis on both game design and creative story
development skills. Specific lecture-based courses include Game Theory
(gives students an overview of the gaming industry and includes a
discussion of the history of games, an exploration of different game
genres and platforms, as well as in-depth lectures on story development
for different game platforms) and Social History of Design (introduces
students to the history of design and encourages analytical thinking
about the development of design form in human communication). Meanwhile,
hands-on learning in the game design program
is obtained through courses such as: Drawing for 3D Modeling and
Animation, Character Design, Digital Painting, Post Effects and Material
Editing, Lighting, 3D Modelling and Texturing, and many others.
Additional
hands-on training occurs via a field placement in the last semester of
the game design program. As part of the professional experience,
students are expected to send their portfolios to the company of their
choice in order to show their work. Once they are accepted into their
chosen field placement, students are exposed to the world of design
where they will work alongside professionals obtaining new knowledge and
applying what they have learned in the game design program.