Major: Game Design and Development

U.S. Department of Energy

Have you spent hours on end playing computer and video games? Then here’s a happy thought: You may have been training for a future career. All that firsthand experience with electronic games could be valuable. If game design and development is your major, you’ll learn what it takes to create games that are as exciting to look at as they are to play.

Classes in art, computer graphics, programming, and design will provide an introduction to the skills you need. But the real learning happens when you’re asked to create games on your own or with a team, and you face such real-world challenges as pacing problems and programming bugs.

Students of game design and development learn the artistic and technical skills they need to create electronic games.

Did You Know?

• You can use the skills you build creating games to create other types of interactive simulation for industries ranging from health and education to law enforcement.

Are You Ready To...?

• Study the history of game design
• Learn the latest game software programs
• Create your own electronic games
• Work with other students on team projects
• Spend long nights in the lab, testing and troubleshooting
• Design an interactive portfolio

It Helps to Be...

As creative as you are computer savvy. A sense of humor is also important: games are supposed to be fun, after all.

College Checklist

• Does the program offer a B.A., B.S., or B.F.A. (bachelor of fine arts)?
• Does the program offer a stand-alone major, or is it a concentration within the art or computer science major?
• Does the program focus more on art and design or programming and development, or does it strike a balance between the two?
• Can you choose an area of concentration, such as animation or programming?
• Are instructors industry professionals?
• Check out the facilities. Are labs equipped with cutting-edge game software and computer-game-playing stations?
• Is there an internship program or other opportunities for real-world experience?
• What are recent grads doing now?

Did You Know?

• When an MIT student and his buddies created the first interactive computer game in 1962, technology was so limiting that they used text characters to create graphics.

Course Spotlight

It takes a team to design and develop a game, as you'll learn firsthand in game production, a commonly required course. Though you may start out with an overview of game history, you’ll quickly move into the nitty-gritty of concept development and production. The end result could be a preliminary design document for a game or the actual finished product. Either way, the emphasis is on collaborating with your teammates, the way they do it in the business world.