Computers have fascinated me ever since I can remember. Everything about them, from the parts that go into them, to the things you can create with them. More specifically the worlds you can create that others can immerse themselves in; being video games. Though it seems rather simple on the surface, the art of video game design & development has so many specific, and crucial parts that go into the game you purchase and play. Through research, I have gained more insight into each part that goes into game design, and the requirements needed to be successful in the field.
RIT, or more formally know as the Rochester Institute of Technology, is one of the most prestigious New Media Arts schools in the nation. Lucky for me, it is no more than 20 minutes away from my home. RIT is where I plan to go to school after college. Though it is an expensive school (around $45,000 a year), RIT is in the top 5 on the Princeton Review list of Video Game Design schools. RIT is one of the best schools for video game design for one sole reason, it teaches students how to guide themselves and be successful. As said by my interviewee Jon Palmer, (Who is also a graduate of RIT) you will get out of the program what you put into the program. It is very self guided major where much, if not all of the work is carried out by the student. To prepare to get into RIT, one can start basic computer programming like HTML, or Java. As time progresses, one can start programming actual games and have their friends play-test them. Though it isn't the easiest to get into, RIT is one of the best Video Game Design educations you could possibly ask for.
The job titles Video Game Designer or Video Game Developer both seem rather surreal on the surface to the average person....
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...ng in such a large selfish industry that won't care unless you make it care”. This made realize that to make progress and be accepted in the video game world, that I have to get my name out there and show everyone that I have potential to do great things. Overall the whole interview process was a humbling experience and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
After extensively researching my selected career, I have found out more than ever that this is the career path for me. Even if I don’t end up developing video games I will most likely end up programming software or something along that line. This has basically been my life goal, and to think in less than 2 years I will achieving that goal, is mind boggling. In my opinion, computer game design, or anything to do with computers for that matter will be the most interesting career anyone can choose to pursue.
In 2012, software and hardware sales in the video games industry raked up more than over $65 billion dollars in revenue in comparison to just $10 billion dollars seven years prior. These statistics indicate that the gaming industry is not only one of the largest and fastest growing businesses in the world, but showcase that it is also outperforming other similarly popular mediums of entertainment such as film, books, and music in terms of revenue and annual growth. In the short fifty years that video games have been around, they’ve quickly become an integral part of the lives of many and are only continuing to increasing in popularity. I’m sure that everyone can attest to knowing at least one or two people who engage in regular video game playing activity. However, despite being a common leisurely activity and hobby for many in today’s society, there is still a shocking level of stigma surrounding the medium. There are various stereotypes in place which attribute to the stigma - from the gaming community mainly consisting of young adolescent boys to gamers being socially inept individuals; these ideas and the way video games are unfairly scrutinized and misrepresented in the media (by those who
The first piece of technology that was introduced to me was the amazing, ground-breaking GameBoy created by Nintendo. My parents believed that my obsession with video games in my juvenile years would be the cause of my downfall when I would become an adult with no job, no money, and still lived with my parents. I admit that I did have an addiction in the beginning, but over the years it moderated as I became more attracted to what was actually done to develop the devices and programs that once ensnared me. Enrolling into a vocational high school, I selected Programming & Web Development as my choice of trade in order for me to learn more about this extraordinary field of science. Soon I began compiling my own applications, but with a method unorthodox compared to my classmates; I believed that the vivid aesthetics and simple navigation displayed on applications were just as crucial as the tediously compiled, intricate code virtually hidden underneath. With every annual keynote that was broadcasted from numerous Silicon Valley companies, their latest innovations constantly entertained my curiosity. Advancing as an upperclassmen, I entered into challenging courses and incessantly researched innumerable universities as I began to devise a plan of recruitment for the companies of the Bay Area. Enrolling into a university that is passionate about the
A feminist movement in its own right has begun in the gaming community. Women are generally believed to be understand by members in many geeky, gamer or nerdy parts of today’s society. In the gaming industry women are statistical and cultural outliers. Gender stereotypes about girl gamers or ‘Gamer Girls’, the latter of which has begun to receive a negative meaning, keep many women from fully participating in the rich game industry culture. Female workers in the gaming industry get mixed signals from an industry that on the outside appears to desire gender diversity in order to attract the growing ranks of female gamers but on the inside it is resistant to change its sexist and discriminatory practices that make women feel singled out and alone. Females of the gaming community not only receive sexist and vulgar remarks from their male counterparts of the community but the very companies, making the games they love to play, single them out more than anyone else. Being that game development is a very male dominated job in the gaming industry it is understandable that women would feel a little advised not to pursue a career in gaming but the few women that do brave the doubts are met with criticism and dominating remarks. They are paid less than their male counterparts and are given less chances at promotions.
Video games have come a long way. They have evolved from the simple game of Pong into a complex, multi-platform, multi-genre, multi-billion dollar industry.
In society’s current era of technological advancement, video games have gone a long way since they were first created. Video games in the twenty-first century are no longer just toys or junk in the lifestyles of the youth. They have become innovative inventions that not only entertain its users, but also help aid the people in both the academic field and in jobs. The influences that video games bring about in the culture of the youth today are, in fact, not the negative influences that most people think. Video games are actually this generation’s new medium for educating the youth. The information they learn are also mostly positive and useful things that they may apply in their future lives (Prensky 4). In a generation that revolves around technology and connectivity, developers and educators have already been able to produce fun and interesting games that can teach and train people. Video game developers and educators should continue to collaborate in order to create more positive, educational, and appealing games.
Some students have played violent video games to have fun with their friends or siblings while they are online and offline. Plus they play to try to release their stress, frustration, and pressure after having a hard time doing their homework or in class. Video game developers goal is to make fans happy when they are playing their games. Video games are meant to have feeling of adventure, enjoyment, and excitement. It is helping the player to play video games without harm. Video games also help players to...
For a career, I would like to be involved in the fast developing computer industry and more particularly with the Internet. I think it has immense potential and I would like to be able to develop the Internet to make it help the lives of day to day people. In this way I would also like to help make computers more like humans with for example voice operated user interfaces.
Today, video games have become the preferred choice of entertainment among children and teenagers. Research done in 1998 has shown that kids who own video games spend an average of 90 minutes a day playing them. Clearly, the video gaming industry is a profitable one. With the increasing competition between gaming companies, the advancement of technology and content of games began to change. One of the most significant and concerning changes in gaming is graphics.
Many people believe that video games change people and mislead them to do bad things, such as drugs and alcohol, but it is the opposite. Gaming prevents people from such acts and actually helps to keep them away from the substances. Lots of people, mainly parents, believe that video games harm people so they try to keep their children away from them. In reality, video games make your life better. Video games can provide many benefits to your lifestyle as “numerous academic studies indicate that playing video games has many psychological and even physical benefits” (Guarini). Gaming helps stimulate the brain and advances your problem solving abilities. There are disadvantages to gaming, which is true, but the amount of benefits outweigh them by far.
"Interest In Gaming Grows With Focus On Competitiveness, Engagement And Critical Thinking. (Cover Story)." Electronic Education Report 14.12 (2007): 1-3.
My career choices have changed through the years from mother and housewife through architect, accountant, or teacher, finally I have arrived at a computer career. The following is an idea of the path I have followed.
I would say that this is the perfect career for me. My love for working computers is going to fit in perfectly with this career. The salary is pretty good. The training opportunities are very easy to find. The probability of finding a job in the Lubbock area is very high. I think I might get a very high amount of money before I retire as well. Yes, I still would like this career.
Becoming a computer programmer would be great because there are many options in this career by having the ability to produce an operating system, or a game for the world. Computer programmers have many opportunities in life to find a job they would love. Programmers can work independently, or in a big company. Programmers have and are creating the future for computers.
My passion for both software and hardware behind it stems from having been fortunate enough to be introduced to it at a young age. What may have originally been a simple fondness for video games developed into a curiosity regarding the nuts and bolts of the computer and a dedication to improve them. Subsequently, I plan to pursue software engineering in the future.
Designing in any way is a career that I could say becomes natural to me because it all involves some experience in art and art is the basic beginning of it all.