Video Game Design Colleges

Serious about your pursuit of making video games for a a career? Here is a guide to some things about colleges, how they work, how you can prepare. And there are some links to colleges that offer video game and animation degrees.

There are two very important things to consider when you think about video game schools and what you want to achieve by going to one. .

1. Overall Knowledge of the Process The first to consider is that you will need to gain an overall knowledge of what video game making is all about. What is the process? What are the steps that are taken from start to finish? This means from concept to shipping and support. What software tools are used?
2. Specialized expertise you are going to focus on. Video game design is no longer in the world of a couple of guys working long hours in the garage and coming out with a full-fledged blockbuster game. The industry is mature now and it takes a whole host of specialties to create a modern video game. While it is possible for you to do everything it is impractical. You will need to decide what aspect of game design you will focus on. Note: If the whole process is what you really like then a good option for you might be to consider project management where you handle the team and the project as a whole.

Overall Knowledge - This is referred to as " Game Design" It gives you the whole process from concept to completion of the game. You get a good understanding of how a game making company runs their projects and what is entailed all the way through the various stages of paper and software development.

Specialized Knowledge - This is a very broad category with a lot of choices. Here are thumbnail sketches of some of the common specialized skills in the game industry

Programmer - This is something that is a little more traditional when we think of video game making "Programming" and it is a very wide field that can find you doing almost anything in the video game making arena. Here are some possibilites:

• Database manager A game has to store and manipulate a lot of information and somebody has to maintain this
• Artificial Intelligence Designer - Todays games are very heavy into artificial intelligence and a lot of thought and work goes into making characters and objects intelligent in their behavior.
• Tools Designer - You don't actually work on the game. You create software tools for the game designers. This makes their job easier
• Engine Programmer - A video game runs on what is called an engine.
• Wire Framer - You build all the empty shells in the game
• Texture manager - Manage and place the textures in the game
• I have a more in depth tutorial on programming for video games

Artist - An artist can specialize in any one of several areas of art for the video game industry

• Concept artist -works with traditional tools like paint, pencil and acrylics
• 2d Artist works with Photoshop and can manage and create textures and environments
• 3d artists create models and objects placed in a world
• Animation artists create the animated motion effects of objects and characters in the game world

Video game design Colleges

Here are some colleges that Offer a Game design, game art, and game animation Curriculum. There are plenty of schools both online and on campus that offer great curriculum in game design and programming. Take a look at some of these to get a sense of what a curriculum is all about and what it entails.

• Rasmussen College - Excellent variety of programs which includes both on-campus programs and online programs. A great looking bachelors degree in Game and Simulation Programming.
• The Art Institutes - various programs including art and animation
• DeVry Institute - game and simulation programming
• ITT Tech - Digital Entertainment and Game Design (they have over 85 campuses nationwide) and some online programs
• Westwood College Online - game software development and game art design programs
• Digital media Arts College - Computer animation , Graphic Design, Special Effects Animation
• 3D Training Institute Online - 3d Animation software training
• Collins College - BA in game design
• The University of Advancing Technology - BA in Game Design
• The Art Institute of California - game art and design
• Game Institute - They offer comprehensive training programs includign C++, DirectX, 3DS MAX and more.

Considering an Online Degree?

There are many top-notch colleges that offer degrees in video game design with the curriculum being totally online. Yup you don't have to show up at a brick and mortar institution anymore. Check out my article about Online Colleges and video game making

Books:

Game Plan: The Insider's Guide to Breaking In and Succeeding in the Computer and Video Game Business The video game industry is hot and becoming more and more popular every year. -One of the fastest growing entertainment industries (even larger than film!) -Over 50,000 people in the U.S. alone are employed by interactive gaming companies -Video gaming makes more than six billion dollars in annual revenue. Game Plan-the only insiders guide to the video game bus-iness-reveals how to break in, survive, and produce video games for successful game companies. Industry insiders Gershenfeld, Loparco, and Barajas take readers on a journey from game conception to pre-production to launch and behind the scenes to detail everything from job types to assessing skills to getting a foot in the door. With Game Plan, getting a job in the gaming industry has never been simpler!

Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry Have you dreamed of obtaining a game industry job? Get in the Game will help you achieve this! This friendly guide shows you step-by-step how to prepare yourself for a game industry career. With insights from over a dozen industry experts, it's the only guide you will need for training yourself then finding a game industry job.

Computer Game Designer (Virtual Apprentice) Discover what it's like to bring games to life!"Virtual Apprentice: Computer Game Designer" is a perfect hands-on career guide for kids who love computer games.Profiles of working professionals, "Reality Check" sidebars, QctAs between real-life kids and pros, and a "Count Me In" journal feature help readers get a you-are-there feel for this exciting job. Loaded with full-color and black-and-white photographs and written in a lively tone, this entertaining guide allows kids to test-drive their dream career as a computer game designer.Chapters include: Get Ready for Action; Game Designer on the Job; The High-Speed Evolution of Electronic Games; Game Designer in Training; The "Players" Who Bring Games to Life; Kids Ask, Game Designers Answer; and, Game Designer for a Day.