[game_edu] ESA Foundation Computer and Video Game Scholarship Program

[David Wessman]

First, thanks to the ESA Foundation for increasing the number of
scholarships they offer! That's awesome!

Now for my two cents on the conversation Susan's announcement has triggered:

Nic's observation is too sadly true! I've also seen it in the other
direction as well, though. The Art schools that think they can teach game
design because they've been teaching digital graphics, 3D modeling and
animation, and that favorite catch-all "multimedia design." Neither approach
is correct or sufficient, as anyone who's actually made a game knows.

I have found that most instructors understand this, (even if they haven't
worked in the industry), but it is the institutions they work in that resist
this reality. It's understandable...an engineering school doesn't want to
"soften" things by accommodating the game designers, artists, writers and
sound designers. The art school doesn't want to add an engineering
department. And nobody seems to want to add a proper audio department! At
major universities that cover everything it turns into a big turf
battle...who's going to "own" game design?

At UAT where I teach, the school's heritage is that of a tech school. They
started with game programming because they were already offering various
software degrees. (They actually started as a CAD school 25 years ago.) They
added game design degrees back in 2000 or 2002, and have recently added a
game art and animation degree. Next year they're starting a serious games
degree. There is still too much stovepiping, and the game faculty is working
hard to integrate the programs better to be mutually supporting. This is
being approached primarily through course design and trying to ensure that
more of the course work involves multidisciplinary team projects. We're
also working with the general ed faculty to find ways of crossing barriers
there as well. Why not have a game project in a history class, or a
historically accurate simulation game in a game design class, for example?

Nic also commented on the practice of using "game design" terminology as a
pull in for programs that are not truly about game design. I think this is
reprehensible. Not only does it frustrate and anger anyone sucked in by it,
but the inevitable result is that it damages the value of all game design
degrees. Industry remains wary of these programs for a reason.

Thanks for reading,
David Wessman


On Sun, Mar 1, 2009 at 1:41 PM, Nic Colley <Nic.Colley at cpcc.edu> wrote:


> I agree. A lot of CS programs are using Game Design as a pull in. A lot of

> instructors think that teaching how to make games is easy but they are

> wrong. On top of that, most of them do not know how to make a game, let

> alone play games.

>

> Another bad part about CS programs doing this is that they do not let

> artist, musicians, or any other part of the creative aspect of it do well in

> the course due to their non-programming experience.

>

> Thanks,

> Nic Colley

> ________________________________

>

> Faculty, Simulation & Game Development Program

> Nic.Colley at cpcc.edu

> 704-330-6348

>

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