RELATED SEARCHES
Sponsored Computer Game Design Results:
Computer Game Design: Schools, Colleges, Courses, Careers And Computer Game Designers
By:
Published: May 15, 2007
The sharply rising percentage of Americans owning a computer and the increasing ubiquity of the Internet both in the home and in public places has caused even the least technologically savvy individuals to come into contact with the existence of computer gaming. A survey taken in 2005 by the Entertainment Software Association (or ESA) confirmed that nearly seventy percent of heads of households in the United States play computer games.
The video game software industry also reported $7.4 billion in sales in 2006, nearly tripling the figures from only a decade prior. The fact of the matter is that computer game design is amongst the fastest growing careers in the world.
Computer game design began in the sixties and seventies when the world's computer mainframes still occupied entire rooms, hallways, and even buildings. Programmers found creative outlets for their talents, spending their spare time creating what by today's standards would be considered crude and elementary forms of entertainment. However, the market for gaming did not come about until the inception of the game console and personal computer. Since that time, personal computer use has exploded, and computer gaming has been responsible for a number of technological advances including sound and graphics cards and the operating system Unix.
The direct result of the spike in computer gaming is the high demand for computer game designers. Careers in the computer game design industry promise competitive salaries, not to mention the exhilaration of creating challenging and graphically stunning games on the cutting edge of information technology. Although many of the first computer games were not designed by gaming professionals, a market has arisen for the trained professional, and many schools and colleges are offering specific courses and degrees in computer game design.
In his book, "The Art of Computer Game Design," Chris Crawford describes the process of designing a computer game as "primarily an artistic process, but also... a technical process." As such, schools offering courses in computer game design attempt to cater to the divergent needs of the industry. While a school like ITT Technical Institute with over 85 campuses nationwide is focused primarily on the technical aspects of computer game design such as languages and applications, the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago focuses on the aesthetics of computer game design, providing students with courses in programming, 3D modeling, digital video and audio, and animation. DeVry University, commonly listed as one of the top colleges for its Bachelor's degree track in game and simulation programming, claims to provide its students with training in all critical aspects of the industry's needs in an attempt to create "well-rounded development team members."
Crawford makes the argument in an addendum to his book that careers in the computer game design industry can be attained easily with the kinds of courses offered by the aforementioned schools. However, he also asserts that the student graduating from such technical colleges with a computer gaming degree will likely be relinquished to menial work. Instead, he offers the advice that attending one of the hundreds of liberal arts colleges and pursuing a well-rounded degree (with a minor in computer science), whilst programming games independently in one's spare time over the course of a collegiate experience and beyond is more likely to hone the skills needed to secure a respectable career as a computer game designer.
While this may be a respectable ideal to aspire to, most graphic design schools and colleges are able to provide career-oriented courses that may be otherwise overwhelming or unattainable by independent study. Obtaining a diploma certifying one's status as a trained computer game designer will provide the groundwork for securing a career in the computer game design industry.
Sources:
Bachelor's in Game and Simulation Programming. DeVry University. 2007. ClassesUSA, Inc. 12 May 2007. http://www.classesusa.com/af/featuredschools/devry /form-popups/campus-bgsp.html.
Crawford, Chris. "The Art of Computer Game Design." Prof. Sue Peabody, Dept. of History, Washington State University Vancouver. 1997. Washington State University. 12 May 2007.
http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-bo ok/Coverpage.html
Crawford, Chris. "The Education of a Computer Game Designer." Erasmatazz. 1997. 12 May 2007.
http://www.erasmatazz.com/library/Game%20Design/ The_Education_of_a_Game_Designer.html
Facts and Research: Top 10 Industry Facts. Entertainment Software Association. 2007. 12 May 2007.
http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php
"Game Designer." Wikepedia. 11 May 2007. 12 May 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_designer
Information Technology - Software Applications and Programming: Associate of Science Degree. 2004. ITT Technical Institute. 12 May 2007.
http://www2.itt-tech.edu/af5/campus/courses.cfm? prog_id=2523
Programs: Game Art & Design. 2007. The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago. 12 May 2007.
http://www.artinstitutes.edu/chicago/programdegr ees.asp?pid=9&dtid=5&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_i />"Video Game Industry." Wikepedia. 5 May 2007. 12 May 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_industry
"Why a Graphic Design Degree is Important." A Digital Dreamer. 2006. 12 May 2007.
http://www.adigitaldreamer.com/articles/graphic- design-degree.htm
Related Articles
Computer game design began in the sixties and seventies when the world's computer mainframes still occupied entire rooms, hallways, and even buildings. Programmers found creative outlets for their talents, spending their spare time creating what by today's standards would be considered crude and elementary forms of entertainment. However, the market for gaming did not come about until the inception of the game console and personal computer. Since that time, personal computer use has exploded, and computer gaming has been responsible for a number of technological advances including sound and graphics cards and the operating system Unix.
The direct result of the spike in computer gaming is the high demand for computer game designers. Careers in the computer game design industry promise competitive salaries, not to mention the exhilaration of creating challenging and graphically stunning games on the cutting edge of information technology. Although many of the first computer games were not designed by gaming professionals, a market has arisen for the trained professional, and many schools and colleges are offering specific courses and degrees in computer game design.
In his book, "The Art of Computer Game Design," Chris Crawford describes the process of designing a computer game as "primarily an artistic process, but also... a technical process." As such, schools offering courses in computer game design attempt to cater to the divergent needs of the industry. While a school like ITT Technical Institute with over 85 campuses nationwide is focused primarily on the technical aspects of computer game design such as languages and applications, the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago focuses on the aesthetics of computer game design, providing students with courses in programming, 3D modeling, digital video and audio, and animation. DeVry University, commonly listed as one of the top colleges for its Bachelor's degree track in game and simulation programming, claims to provide its students with training in all critical aspects of the industry's needs in an attempt to create "well-rounded development team members."
Crawford makes the argument in an addendum to his book that careers in the computer game design industry can be attained easily with the kinds of courses offered by the aforementioned schools. However, he also asserts that the student graduating from such technical colleges with a computer gaming degree will likely be relinquished to menial work. Instead, he offers the advice that attending one of the hundreds of liberal arts colleges and pursuing a well-rounded degree (with a minor in computer science), whilst programming games independently in one's spare time over the course of a collegiate experience and beyond is more likely to hone the skills needed to secure a respectable career as a computer game designer.
While this may be a respectable ideal to aspire to, most graphic design schools and colleges are able to provide career-oriented courses that may be otherwise overwhelming or unattainable by independent study. Obtaining a diploma certifying one's status as a trained computer game designer will provide the groundwork for securing a career in the computer game design industry.
Sources:
Bachelor's in Game and Simulation Programming. DeVry University. 2007. ClassesUSA, Inc. 12 May 2007. http://www.classesusa.com/af/featuredschools/devry /form-popups/campus-bgsp.html.
Crawford, Chris. "The Art of Computer Game Design." Prof. Sue Peabody, Dept. of History, Washington State University Vancouver. 1997. Washington State University. 12 May 2007.
http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-bo ok/Coverpage.html
Crawford, Chris. "The Education of a Computer Game Designer." Erasmatazz. 1997. 12 May 2007.
http://www.erasmatazz.com/library/Game%20Design/ The_Education_of_a_Game_Designer.html
Facts and Research: Top 10 Industry Facts. Entertainment Software Association. 2007. 12 May 2007.
http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php
"Game Designer." Wikepedia. 11 May 2007. 12 May 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_designer
Information Technology - Software Applications and Programming: Associate of Science Degree. 2004. ITT Technical Institute. 12 May 2007.
http://www2.itt-tech.edu/af5/campus/courses.cfm? prog_id=2523
Programs: Game Art & Design. 2007. The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago. 12 May 2007.
http://www.artinstitutes.edu/chicago/programdegr ees.asp?pid=9&dtid=5&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_i />"Video Game Industry." Wikepedia. 5 May 2007. 12 May 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_industry
"Why a Graphic Design Degree is Important." A Digital Dreamer. 2006. 12 May 2007.
http://www.adigitaldreamer.com/articles/graphic- design-degree.htm
