Choosing a University for Game Design - HELP!

JasonLavoie

Hey all, it's me again, I remember posting something like this a year ago or something, but now it is more important than ever. This summer I will be scheduling tours to Universities that focus on Game Design (or something near that) and I really need some help. I have been getting some help from my High School, but they really aren’t interested in Game Design (shame) so this is my best place to look.

Now I know we have a lot of Canadian artists here, so that will really help me. I live in Kingston Ontario, and right now I have my eyes set on University of Ontario (www.UOIT.ca) and their Game Design course (https://futureinmind.uoit.ca/uoit/profile/pubprog.jsp) - (Its under the Game Developemnt link) I really like what they offer, and it appears that it is focused more towards the art side of game design, which I am looking for

I have sent UOIT an e-mail regarding the program, but sadly, I have gotten nothing back So I was wondering if anyone has gone UOIT or knows someone who has, and just basically tell me about how it was (hopefully someone has gone taken the Game Design course)

Also, if there is any other Uni's (closer to Ontario please... although I would love to go to Vancouver, just WAY to expensive there)

Also, if anyone knows of any good scholarship programs going on, I would really appreciate a link or something, anything to help ease the pain of spending money

Thanks guys and gals!
- Jason Lavoie

Joao Sapiro

hey jason, whats up ? why not instead of paying for an uni you spend an year working on your portfo.lio ? explain the situation to your parents, and tell them that they wouldnt spend as much

sinistergfx

Go to art school.

KDR_11k

What is "game design"? How to be a designer? Sorry but I don't think there's much demand for people who have game ideas without a good track record. Game art? Get art training, the degree will probably not be worth the paper it's printed on. Game programming? A Computer Science degree covers pretty much everything you want to know about that.

thomasp

seems to me the people who have gone the "classic" route and have the impressive track records tend to dig themselves a hole and do not come out with radically different stuff for the rest of their careers.

i could imagine people without the decade of game dev background to come up with some awesome fresh ideas. even in this backwater country here, there are junior gamedesigners who are trained specifically with the design aspect in mind, not trying to move through the ranks of code or art slaves first.

so yeah, if that's what you're wanting to do - design a game, balance and finetune game-mechanics and so on - i guess you either have to work for free (mods, freeware games) or skip starving and living under bridges altogether and go for such a course.
requirement for being hired is skill in your job and/or ass-kissing. not the paper. not yet, at least.

bearkub

http://guildhall.smu.edu/

This is NOT in Canada, but in the US, so I don't know if this would even be of interest to yah, but I thought I would link it up anyway.

I'll just post the link and hope that Mr Jaquays is around to elaborate on the place. =]

Paul Jaquays

Guildhall is graduate level and I won't recommend it to someone coming out of high school. If a career in game art is your goal, I strongly recommend getting a rock solid grounding in traditional art skills with an emphasis on both drawing and painting.

While it is possible to self-train yourself in the tools of the trade, you will hurt yourself long term if that's all you know how to do. Unless you are graduating from a high school level "school for the arts" type program where you have a firm foundation in the basics of drawing, painting, design, and sculpture, then I STRONGLY recommend you get some kind of art degree first.

One school that I can recommend in Canada is Sheridan. http://www1.sheridaninstitute.ca/promo/saad/

Ensemble Studios has a number of former Sheridan students on staff. These guys formed the core of our concept art group ...

bearkub

...I knew he would be. =]

Paul Jaquays

Also, be wary of schools offering "Game Design" degrees. It's a popular new degree program. But frankly, there are only a few schools out there that have faculty that would have clue one how to teach it. For the immediate future, if you want to specifically learn game development, study at a school that has profs. who have actually worked in the industry (and not just a single project) and/or that have a track record of graduates moving from the program into the industry.

Matabus

[ QUOTE ]
I really like what they offer, and it appears that it is focused more towards the art side of game design, which I am looking for

[/ QUOTE ]
I second Sin's opinion if you are interested in the art side of things. Find a traditional art school that has a computer arts program. Generally you will be required to take the traditional classes for the first 2 years or so befoe you can get into the nitty gritty of game art. You will need a strong foundation to build a sturdy skill set.

JasonLavoie

Hmm... Sheridan was one of the uni's WAYY back when that I was very interested in, but man, I honestly don't feel like I have a chance, nor confident in my skill level at the moment, but that is why I would like to go there, because I know they are one of the top schools in Canada. Would this be the course that I should go into - (http://animation-baa.sheridaninstitute.ca/) They offer alot of different programs, I am kinda confused, I think the animation program is what I would go into, not the illistration program, right?

Thanks guys for the help so far, I know it must be annoying to get this topics everyday, but man oh man, I am stressing out. I am looking forward to my future though, I hoesntly can't wait, it is just getting there, pressure of achieving good grades while getting better at what you do, crazy indeed!

Let me read over this some more, so much work ahead!
THANKS AGAIN!

JasonLavoie

Just looked over it guys, i can't get it, It requires a grade 12 art course, and I can't get it because I didn't take grade 11 art, unless I am allowed to do grade 12 art

JasonLavoie

Alright guys, there is no way I can get in this... they require still life art, and I suck at drawing! GAHH...

sinistergfx

Well, you better figure something out; cause not having a solid foundation in traditional skills will screw you over.

That's why I say "go to art school" over recommending some "video game" school.

Pseudo

To echo what everyone else has been saying, if you feel that your drawing skills are sub-par, then traditional art should be your immediate focus.
When I started computer animation classes at the college I went to it was -very- easy to distinguish between who had a solid traditional background and the guys who didn't. Generally speaking (this wasn't always the case) the fellows who hadn't gone to traditional art schools would output 3d art that was far below average, and a good 95% of them had a shit portfolio at the end of the schooling.

The reason everyone is recommending art school is because not only will you learn how to put pencil lines on paper, but you will learn WHY those lines are there, and what makes them convincing as a character or object. All of this translates 100% into 3d, and it will make your 3d work 1000 times better if you understand all of these principals.

I'm rambling at this point, but hopefully that helps a bit.

JasonLavoie

Hmmm... I could go to a local school for a year and do traditional art, sigh I am getting crazy stressed!

But thanks, I am actually calling UOIT on thursday and see whats up, I need to get some more information about this before anything else goes down I think. Another idea I had was go to UOIT then go to a school for a year to get some traditional art under my belt.

JasonLavoie

So much help, I definatly understand what you are talking about Pseudo, should I try and go to that local school for a year and get some traditional art under my belt before I head off to a Uni (be it UOIT or someone else)

JasonLavoie

Ha ha, alrighty everyone, I have just been booted in the face with the knowledgeable boot of Mr. Poop... he kicked the shizat out of me, and I think I see the light at the end of the long dark, but some what pretty smelling tunnel... art school.

Now i need to do some research! THANKS ALL FOR THE HELP!

Sett

When I first stated to read your post I went "The University of <u>Ontario</u>?!??.." What? Is that in Canada City?

Then I looked into that site... Only been around for 3 years... Ok, I get it.

Avoid this Uni like the plague.

There are collages in Ont. with Game-Art programes that have been around longer that that Uni. has been around. Check into them first.

Lee3dee

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That's why I say "go to art school" over recommending some "video game" school.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with sinistergfx answer. Art school will help you develop your own style and learn tools that videogame artists use

Daz

A couple of points Jason:

1) A couple of people in this thread brought it up, but I don't think you really grasped it; be very very careful in understanding and using terminologies here. It could really screw you over.
'Game Design' as regarded by 99.99% of the videogame industry, is specifically referring to design, NOT Art. As in, designing GAMEPLAY. Game designers come from all sorts of backgrounds. GAME ARTISTS make Art content for videogames, and are NEVER referred to as game designers within the industry. I assume that GAME ART is what you are interested in?

If they are, any educational institutions teaching the ART aspect of making videogames need to stop calling their courses 'game design' now. It's very, very misleading.

2) In most cases videogame studios hiring junior artists do not generally give too much of a hoot wether or not a candidate has done a specific game Art course. Showing a strong traditional Art foundation will get you further. Glad Poop showed you the light.

rawkstar

tech in this industry moves really fast, you need to learn alot on your own, if you're really into it chances are you'll learn everything you really need to do this as a job on your own. So you might want to invest your time and money into something you might not learn on your own, like drawing and painting which will make you a better artist in the long run, or maybe something not art related that you always wanted to learn that you think will have great intrinsic value to you in the end.

what i recommend is just hanging around these boards awhile longer, you can really learn alot here, and there's always new art showing up here all the time, everyone's always talking about all the new techniques for game art. Its really usefull and people here are pretty cool, i think

There's also the guildhall, most of the people that go there end up getting jobs in the industry, some of my past coworkers went there. But its a little pricey, I definitely couldn't afford it when i was starting out.

sinistergfx

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Art school will help you develop your own style and learn tools that videogame artists use

[/ QUOTE ]

Man... F the tools; that's not what I'm saying at all. You can easily learn the tools on your own & with the help of forums and the like if you apply yourself; you really don't need to spend tons of money to have someone spoon feed you the manual.

You need -art- skills: understanding of form/volume, light/shadow, anatomy, color, aesthetics/design. If you don't have these skills, no amount of software knowledge is going to help you get anywhere past being a grunt at some random company that decided to let you in to fill a seat.

b1ll

ahahahahah sinister, DO u realy believe All Game artist have thoses art skill, ROFL! no!

sinistergfx

Well, I sure wish they did. :P

It's true, you can be in this industry and suck; but you won't go very far; and you definitely won't have of a pick of where you WANT to go. (like i said about being a grunt at some random company)

It's your career, conduct it how ya want.

...I'm just sayin'

Xenobond

[ QUOTE ]
ahahahahah sinister, DO u realy believe All Game artist have thoses art skill, ROFL! no!

[/ QUOTE ]

If they took enough of the right art classes, then yes they would and SHOULD know all of those things. That is, if the person actually sat in class, listened, practiced and developed his natural talents further.

JasonLavoie

Thanks everyone, I got a lot of decision making to do now, and I think art school is where I need to go. You guys have definatly pounded in my head (nicely though) that I need a solid art bsae before I can even conisdering getting better (thats how I see it anyways) and THATS what I am looking for, and thats what I will try and do.

Ben sent me an awesome site, I just need to go through it now, weot

firestarter

The University of LIFE