Game Design Colleges

Anyone can play a video game but it takes a special set of skills and abilities to actually develop one. Game design refers to the designing and development of the concept, content, characters, storyline and various scenarios of a game. Game designing starts with the development of the concept and gameplay. Thereafter a team of designers works on developing various aspects of the game, using tools and methods like graphic designing, computer aided drawing and 3d design. Dedicated artists form part of the sound effects team and together, game designers work to produce thousands of high quality games annually. A game designer needs to be dedicated and hardworking, as this field requires a lot of patience and experimentation through the trial and error method. With the explosive growth of the gaming industry, there is also no longer a set format for game designing any more – a creative game designer can easily work his way up the ranks and retire by the age of 22 with a handsome fortune.

Types of Degrees
As the popularity of video games among children and adults increases exponentially, so does the number of colleges that offer gaming design courses. Gaming design colleges are now offering classes in variety of fields related to gaming design, such as technical writing and game development, 3d design, visual arts, games and simulation arts and video game studies. In addition to ‘associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in gaming design’, these colleges also offer numerous short courses. Most gaming design colleges also have dedicated online programs, which allow students to take classes from anywhere, at anytime. The online programs are also mainly self-paced, meaning students can easily take classes at their own convenience while working full time, or studying another course on-campus. The rapid popularity gained by such programs has also pushed major colleges to now offer degrees of fine arts in gaming design. Video games play an extremely important part in the lives of students today, and at one time or another, the thought of being part of the elite team that is actually behind a game, has crossed their minds. Now thanks to gaming design colleges, they can turn their dreams into reality.

What will I learn?
The programs offered by gaming design colleges include elementary courses in psychology that help students analyze the behavior of players. Students also learn current market trends and future projections for game sales. The main courses taught in gaming design colleges include advanced instruction on 3d design, graphics design and animation. Students learn various theories of game design, including Koster’s ‘theory of fun’ and Bartle’s ‘player types’. Additionally, a large number of practical courses focusing on creative game design are also conducted, which offer various projects to the students. Students then create their designs and test them under the eyes of various instructors and fellow students. The application of mathematics in game design, particularly programming and improving user interface is also taught to students. Most importantly being a game designer means being part of a team. Students acquire teamwork and leadership skills by working in groups for the development of various course projects, skills which are vital for a successful career.


The bright future of gaming design
As the gaming industry grows and more and more people join the ranks of video game players, this industry maintains its impressive growth. For the past 20 years, the gaming industry has shown an upward trend and is estimated to maintain that. Starting game designers easily make more than $50000 and the figure is expected to rise as the demand for qualified designers grows. Having the proper credentials and training from gaming designing colleges go a long way in helping you secure a career- for one they instill a deep sense of the working of games and behavior of players, and at the same time they show prospective employees that you have the patience and dedication to commit to a particular task – qualities essential in order to succeed in the gaming world. With a degree in gaming design, you can join the industry as a character modeler, 3d designer, texture artist, game tester or script writer.