7 mins
Every one of us must have avidly played some kind of video game at some point of time in our life. Why, many of us still keenly look forward to gaming nights with friends where excitement and thrills ride high. All of this is possible thanks to creative game designers who have made these engaging games that can keep us hooked for hours. You could be one of them.
Game design begins with the ideation of the story behind the game and it covers the entire process of making this idea into a full-fledged game. A video game designer needs multiple skills, a lot of creativity and project management skills to excel here. But with the right foundation and training combined with passion, you can have a very lucrative career in this niche. Here is what you need to know about game creation courses and your prospects when you complete one.
What is game design?
A critical part of the game development process, game design encompasses character creation and storyboarding as well as defining the levels, the ‘dangers’ faced by the players, the rules and rewards etc. The video game designer has a critical role to play in the entire gamut of game creation. He is involved in fleshing out the game narrative, outlining the logical flow of the game and bringing in aspects that will keep the player hooked until the end. Here are some aspects that you will be handling as a video game designer:
- The players- how many and how they are going to be related to each other
- The end game- what should the player aim to do, what constitutes a win
- The rules- What can or cannot the player do, how he can progress to the next stage, what is a fail, what is a win
- The game flow- What is the sequence of events, what happens with specific actions that the player can take, how each event increases in complexity/ difficulty
- The story arc- what is the plot of the game, the reasoning behind each level and how it takes the player through the overall story until the climax, what is the climax or ultimate aim of the player
- The background of story and player- what is the game landscape, how the player development unfolds as the game progresses
Top universities to study game design courses
If you are keen to study abroad and gain an early foothold in the global gaming market space, here are some reputed institutions outside India offering game design courses:
The University of Alberta
Location: Australia
The university has a certificate course that is sought after. With students coming in from 156 countries, you are exposed to a global population here. More than 300,000 alumni spread across the world get you all the networking you need.
Vancouver Film School
Location: Canada
The best thing about this school’s gaming credential is that it equips you with training plus access to impressive alumni and industry connections. The college helps you create a professional quality portfolio by the end of the course which is a huge advantage in kick-starting your career.
Algonquin college
Location: Canada
Apart from a dedicated game development three-year course, this college offers several associated courses that can work very well for game creators. For example, they have Animation, Interactive Multimedia and Design, Illustration and Concept Art and many such courses.
Middlesex University
Location: London
A Game and Level Design course that includes practical training and prototyping from the beginning makes this university a good choice. Classes are taken both in person and online at this university rated Number 2 in the Times Higher Education Young Universities rankings 2022.
Queensland University of Technology
Location: Australia
Understanding how the gamer’s mind works is critical for a video game designer to succeed in this line. This university offers behavioural science courses that help immensely.
The University of Plymouth
Location: UK
The Game Arts and Design course gives you access to the latest hardware and a top-notch lab plus paid work placements. Hands-on training and project-based curriculum train you effectively for success in your career.
There are some good colleges in India offering game design courses for Indian students who are not sure they want to leave the country.
Lovely Professional University (LPU)
Location: Jalandhar
UGC recognised LPU is a sprawling green campus in the heart of Jalandhar. Ranked 23rd among the top universities of India in Times World university rankings, LPU offers about half a dozen game design courses.
Vels Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies
Location: Chennai
Affordable fees, exposure to the world via exchange students, a wonderful campus and top-notch facilities make VISTAS a good choice. A diploma and degree in game design are both available here.
Arena Creative Campus
Location: Bangalore
Arena offers full-fledged training for aspiring video game designers in all aspects of game creation including animation, graphic design, gaming and VFX. A flawless three-decade record of exemplary education makes this a top institution in the niche.
ICAT Design and Media College
Location: Chennai
From game conception to completion, this college covers all aspects of its game design courses. The traditional art to digital art insight is a good advantage of the coursework here. In this niche since 2006, the college offers both graduate and post graduate programs.
Game Design course entry requirements for Indian students
International schools welcome Indian students but you must ensure that you fulfil the eligibility criteria. Typically, requirements are as follows:
- 10 +2 from a recognised school: If you are choosing a diploma in game design or a certification course in game design, this is the minimum eligibility requirement for you. For Bachelor’s courses, there may be some minimum percentage requirements added to this.
- Game design bachelor’s degree: This is a requirement for many Master’s programs and usually there is a minimum GPA also mentioned by each institution. Some institutions may not insist on a bachelor’s within the same field.
- English language proficiency tests scores: Apart from these, international students are asked to send in their scores from popular English language tests like IELTS/ TOEFL. Institutions do have their cut off scores for these so check on the website to know if you qualify or you need to redo the test.
- Letter of Recommendation and Statement of Purpose are both additional requirements for admission.
What is taught as part of a game design course?
Game creation involves many aspects and coursework is designed expose the student to these. These include programming, graphics, scripting, story boarding, user experience and much more. A look at a few elements that are part of game design courses:
- Gaming history and evolution
- Game design fundamentals and principles
- Mechanics of the game
- Prototyping
- Script or story writing for video games
- User experience
- Graphics programming
- Artificial Intelligence programming
- Coding for game engines
- Playtesting
- Game culture
- 2D art/ 3D modelling
Most common game design courses
Undergraduate courses
- BSc in Animation: Starting with basic animation techniques and covering storytelling, cinematography, digital sculpting and lighting, this degree will give you a 360- degree view needed for this line of work.
- BA in Arts (Creative writing): Creative writing skills, story development, exposure to different genre, media and styles and story flow concepts help with the game creation process.
- BSc games programming: All the computer science training you need to become a successful video game designer is right here in this degree. That includes programming but also graphics, AI, games architecture and game development.
- BA Animation and illustration: A good video game designer must have competence in 2D and 3D animation as well as illustration and storytelling. This course teaches you the basics of these and helps you create narratives from scratch to finish.
- BSc Audio and Music technology: Game design is not just about visuals but audio effects too and this course addresses that aspect. Get skilled at sound design and control, understand latest technologies in this niche and how to apply them in sync with a given theme.
- BSc Computer Games technologies: Introduction to various gaming modes and platforms, latest gaming software, and game development concepts give you a good grounding for a career in the niche.
- BSc Computer Science for games: Advanced programming skills, using APIs, 3D graphics, understanding game engines and the business model for gaming companies- a well- rounded course for designers and aspiring game creation entrepreneurs too.
- BA Art, Media, Design: If you aspire to enter the artistic side of game creation, this course is tailor made for you. It covers digital imaging, sculpture, web art, art- design intersection and graphic art.
Postgraduate courses
- MSc AI for game development: The course combines data sciences, AI and games development and takes you through ethical considerations in game design as well.
- MA Commercial Games Development: Research and game development exposure with hands- on projects, exposure to the commercial side of gaming make this a good course for gaming entrepreneurs.
- MA Virtual Reality and Augmented reality: A very useful course for game creation, it focuses on theory as well as critical thinking but with practical application. Augmented reality courses focus on role playing, narrative forms, audio technologies and more.
- MA Games Art/ Design: Professional level skills in art and design are imparted via these courses. You will understand games art, its target audience and its impact. Usually, the course includes basic project planning and management aspects too.
- MA Videogame Architecture: Learn skills that can be used both in video game design and film industries. Architectural storytelling, animation, game engine software and working in interactive environments- these are the course contents.
- MSc Creative technology: Design and application of gaming software, understanding the latest techniques and equipment in the space, animation, VFX, XR and sound grounding in UX that helps you get a well- rounded exposure to game creation.
- MSc Animation: Gives grounding in the technical skills needed for VFX and animation in the game design industry. A good mix of creative and critical thinking, VFX pipelines, project planning as well as the core skills makes this a very practical course.
- MA Scriptwriting: A well rounded game creation education includes scriptwriting, this course is a great addition to a game design bachelor’s degree. Apart from teaching you the basics of the skill, a good university will give you exposure to real world experiences as editor, story liner or reader, which helps you grasp how the processes work in sync.
Game Design Career opportunities
While a game creation certification or degree can open doors for you with big gaming companies across the world, you can also set up your own business as a video game designer consultant or freelancer. A business diploma will be a good addition if you choose the latter.
Within gaming companies, a game design credential can get you the following jobs:
- Game developer
- Animator
- Narrative writer
- Multimedia specialist
- Concept/ Game artist
- App developer
- Game designer
- VFX designer
To conclude:
The gaming industry is all set to grow to USD 307.19 billion by 2029. The pandemic prompted a spurt in gaming that propelled the industry ahead quite significantly, especially in the online gaming sector. The career opportunities here are plenty across the world and the salaries are impressive too. This is a great time for Indian students to enter the game creation arena with a credential from a reputed institution. If you are passionate about gaming, this could be the perfect career choice for you to work on something that genuinely interests you.
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