Video Game Design and Development | Continuing Education

Video Game Design Training

Become a Video Game Designer

The video game industry is a massive global sector, and video game designers lead the charge in game development by creating game rules, characters, and the main storyline.

Learn video game design with this 100% online course that will expertly guide you in the design and development of your own PC video game. During your video game design training, you will learn programming languages, mathematics skills, game asset creation, modern real-time game engines, and general game development techniques. You will gain skills for creating your own textured and lit real-time 3D scenes. By the end of this game design course, you will have built three complete games: a 3D arcade game, a first-person adventure, and a custom game of your own.

Upon completion, you will possess the necessary tools to join a video game development team or work independently as a designer.

Job Outlook for Video Game Designers

According to Payscale.com, the average video game designer salary is $67,774 per year.

As the video game industry grows, so does the opportunity to specialize. For instance, VentureBeat found that the eSports field grossed over $1 billion in 2019 alone.

Opportunities for video game designers are growing in the southern U.S., especially in emerging tech hubs like Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Video Game Designer FAQs

HOW DO YOU BECOME A VIDEO GAME DESIGNER?

Most industry experts suggest that you need to enjoy and understand video games to become a video game designer or developer. Hands-on gaming experience is a start, but you must also be able to draft and conceptualize a video game on paper and translate this idea into design software. Beyond this, you need to master the four major skill sets used by entry-level video game designers: programming languages, mathematics skills, game asset creation, and modern real-time game engines.

WHAT IS A GAME DESIGNER?

According to CG Spectrum, game designers focus on the function of a game, creating systems, rules, and gameplay, and help with world-building (story and IP) to ensure it is playable, fun, and engaging. They also oversee both the foundation and execution of the game mechanics and overall user experience.

Game designers must be highly technical and adept at solving complex problems daily. The job description of a game designer can differ. Still, some specialized roles can include a level designer and/or a systems designer.

Level designers focus on creating and implementing levels, environments, stories, and quests. In contrast, systems designers focus on designing and then implementing the minute-to-minute gameplay systems that make the game fun, like controls, movement, and combat.

WHAT DOES A VIDEO GAME DESIGNER DO?

The responsibilities of a video game designer may differ depending on their workplace, but they generally focus on developing gameplay concepts and enhancing user experience during the pre-production stage of a video game. This can involve tasks such as defining game mechanics, designing levels and puzzles, and creating character art and animations.

WHAT PLATFORMS WILL WE STUDY?

Most modules in this course are designed for PC development on the Windows platform. However, the techniques that you learn in our course can often be non-platform specific. In cases that are platform-specific, source code can often be ported to other computer development platforms (such as macOS and Linux) with varying degrees of effort. Consoles, such as Xbox One and PS4 utilize closed-development libraries, and they're not compatible with this course. However, most of the general game-engine development techniques you'll learn are certainly compatible with all major consoles, regardless of the differences between APIs.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A VIDEO GAME DESIGNER AND VIDEO GAME DEVELOPER?

While video game designers are more involved with character, level and animation design, developers build out the world of a video game using various programming languages. Having both technical and design skills is an important aspect of planning and shipping a video game.

Course Objectives

Develop a strong foundation in programming languages
Be proficient in mathematical concepts common across different game projects
Have an in-depth understanding of the Unity Engine and its application in creating games and simulations in various genres
Develop skills in creating your own textured and lit real-time 3D scenes that can be experienced in modern game engines
Build three complete games: a 3D arcade game, a first-person adventure, and a custom game of your own
Be prepared for larger and more advanced projects, both in and out of the gaming field

Prerequisites

To enroll in this course, you need to have a reasonable familiarity with computers, and a background in high school-level mathematics is strongly recommended. No prior game or graphics programming experience is necessary.

The Video Game Design and Development course is for you if you seek a professional career as a game developer. It's also well-suited for enthusiastic amateurs and gamers looking to explore this exciting field as a recreational endeavor.

Instructors

Frank Luna

Frank Luna has programmed interactive 3D computer graphics for more than a decade. He has 15 years of C++ programming experience, having worked as a contractor, with Hero Interactive, and on the open-source Scorch 3D engine. Since 2004, he has taught C++ and mathematics for games at the Game Institute. He has also written a number of best-selling textbooks on game and graphics programming, including "Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 11.0."

John DeGoes

John DeGoes began writing software and designing digital logic circuits during the early 1980s. He has been actively involved in the fields of computer science, mathematics, and game development for more than fifteen years. He has authored two games programming books, "3D Game Programming with C++" and "3D Game Programming with C++ Gold Edition" and several published articles on the subject. DeGoes holds a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics from Montana State University-Billings and is working on his doctorate in applied mathematics.

Gary Simmons

Gary Simmons started programming games in 1981. In May 2000, he founded Mr.GameMaker.com, a teaching site dedicated to helping game programmers (hobbyists and professionals alike) learn cutting-edge game programming techniques. Simmons has published dozens of full-length game development papers and tutorials. He has been teaching since 2001 and also serves as a faculty director.

Adam Hoult

Adam Hoult is the lead technology developer at the Game Institute. He started programming in the early 1980s and has since developed a number of engine and tool design projects. Hoult spent time running a development tools production company and game programming site. Eventually, he teamed up with fellow instructor Gary Simmons to develop the successful Mr.GameMaker.com teaching website.

Brian Hall

Brian Hall is an engineer and AI programmer at Midway Amusement Games. He currently works on advanced AI algorithms for an upcoming action-adventure console title. He has also designed and written parametric airport generation software for SimAuthor Inc, as well as a real-time CLOD terrain system using real-world satellite imagery and elevation data. Previously, Hall was a senior engineer at Accurate Automation Corporation, where he developed real-time learning systems for detecting pilot-induced oscillations in aircraft.

Registration and Enrollment

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