Game Design Courses
In order to apply and be accepted for a position at a game studio, there are certain requirements you’ll need to be aware of. A majority of game art and design schools will offer to teach you either Maya or 3Ds Max. Those are the standard 3D modelling and animation software programs that a majority of game studios will use to create their game assets before exporting them into a game engine. However, it would be best for you to find a school that teaches you both Maya and 3Ds Max. Getting hands on experience in both software programs is extremely valuable when searching for a game position as some studios will use just one but then there are others that will use both as well. So don’t limit yourself to only learning one modeling program as it will reduce the amount of game companies you can apply at.
You will need to spend a heavy amount of time increasing your traditional art skills. Look for a game art & design program that offers extensive analytical and anatomical figure drawing, life drawing, painting or sculpting and just about anything that will give you the skills you need to get your ideas from your imagination onto paper and then brought to life in 3D. You will also need to learn the fundamentals of color, scale, form, proportions and proper lighting.
Once you increase your traditional art skills, you’ll need to put those skills to use on your computer in Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is where a majority of game studios create the textures needed for game characters and environments. Without Photoshop, games would all be gray and boring. So with the help of Photoshop, you will have the tools to turn that gray and boring game character or environment into a vibrant virtual world for all to enjoy.
Game school courses that offer to teach you the software programs listed above are essential. However, that does not mean you can create something in Maya and expect to get a job from that alone. The game industry is highly competitive with student artists and experienced artists all vying for the same positions. So one of the most important courses you could take would be an introduction to game engines. There are many game engines out in the market right now but most notable would be the Unreal Engine, developed by Epic Games. Knowing a game engine isn’t necessarily a requirement, however if you apply for a game artist position by showing off your Maya/3Ds Max renders while another person also applies for that same position but instead shows off his/her work inside of a modern game engine, then the person that took that extra step to show the potential employer what their game asset would actually look like in a real game would most likely be the one to get hired.
If after reading this you still have questions on the courses and requirements needed to enter the game design field, all you need to do is search for game studio job listings. Go to the website of whatever game studio you’re interested in and look for their “career” or “job listing” section and read what they’re looking for in a game designer or artist. Most times you’ll see what the company requires the applicant to be experienced in and then they’ll also add knowledge and skills that are “pluses” or a “bonus.” Things like photography, programming, scripting, maybe even some voice acting. If you have skill sets other than what’s required, you become more valuable to a company.
Last but not least, the most basic and obvious requirement to enter the game industry is… you have to play and love video games! Play them all. Play First Person Shooters, Role Playing Games, Real Time Strategy games, Action games, Racing games, PC games, console games, games for the DS, games for the PSP. This is the world you are getting into so dive right on in and play your heart out. During the hiring process, it’s quite possible you will be asked what your favorite game is and why. So start getting your answers ready now.