Game thinking from Adam Clare

Tag: school

5 Lessons From a Game Design Graduate

Marcus from Triolith has a good short list of things he’s learned since he finished his bachelor’s degree in game design.

It may come across as obvious to some people, but it’s worth reviewing. It’s so very, very easy to get wrapped up in the immediacy of school that the larger picture can get blurry and sometimes lost.

A good list for any game design students.

1. Design skills will only get you halfway

This is a pretty crucial point, because this is probably the most glaring problem with anyone who thinks that they will become an employed game designer right after graduation. Because anyone can design, anyone can come up with ideas; you aren’t special. Not in that regard.

However, if you have design skills as well as other skills, you will become a heck of a lot more versatile and independent. It doesn’t have to be programming skills per se; drawing skills or even musical skills will also get you a long way. Just please don’t rely solely on the belief that you are the Best Game Designer Ever because you have ‘a lot of ideas’.

2. Make games

Sound like a no-brainer? You’d be surprised (and probably aghast) at how few people in my designer class, myself included, who made next to no games during our spare time. Sure, games were made in design and game mechanics classes, but seeing a classmate showing a game he/she made on her own was almost a sensation. I’m ashamed at the fact that it took me a graduation and a period of job rejections to make me realize I didn’t have jack squat to show employers what I was capable of. No wonder I didn’t get any job offers, I myself didn’t have anything to offer! So please, at the very least go and download Game Maker and start reading up on the tutorials. You will never get better at anything unless you practice.

Read the rest here.

Profile on George Brown’s Games Program

The Star has a flattering write up on George Brown’s games program which has expanded quite a bit since it started.

Four years ago, there were only five students enrolled in the program; now there are 300. Although many students are talented artists, designers and developers, soft skills such as teamwork and creating new relationships are equally important. As part of its new game-design centre on King St. E., George Brown has created a $100,000 incubator space intended to make those connections even easier.

“We outgrew our old space at 230 Richmond very quickly,” says Jean-Paul Amore, director of the college’s game development program. “With our new space and the incubator, start-ups can bring their projects to students for development and testing. Our curriculum mimics a game studio, so it made total sense to have studios here with us.”

The incubator started as a pilot project a few years ago, as the instructors, who are drawn from the industry, encouraged students to do work for established companies and also to start their own.

Students in the postgraduate game design program, in particular, are expected to arrive at school with an idea for a game that can be commercialized.

Have a link.

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