Majoring in Halo!!!??
Toward the tail end of my senior year, I would end most weeknights with the following ritual: Around 11:00 PM, I would climb a flight of stairs up to Jason’s suite, and would engage in a 30 minute session of playing one of Electronic Arts’ best selling video games, FIFA 2009 on Jason’s XBox.
I went through a long and embarrassing newbie curve. Jason, and his suitemate, Josh, would select the worst teams imaginable while I would try my best with FC Barcelona, (the equivalent of the Los Angeles Lakers, in terms of talent, but in the world of soccer). It was not until the third or forth week when the 10-0 drubbings turned into tight, 2-0 losses or, if I got lucky, a 1-0 win!
Jason and Josh are skilled gamers. Their talents were not just limited to sports video games. They could hang with the best of them in Halo too.Keep Reading…
Had Occidental College offered some kind of Video Game science minor, I can guarantee you that Jason and Josh would have signed up for courses. And while Occidental College does not plan on doing this anytime soon (to the best of my knowledge), the Los Angeles Times ran article stating that the University of California at Irvine, just added itself to the growing list of schools who offer students the ability to major in Video Game Science or Game Science. Other schools include Full Sail University and Bettergrads co-founder Erhardt Graef’s alma-mater Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
Do we get to play Halo 2 during class?!!
One question that arises with such a major would be the associated coursework. Most schools would not be keen on having their students spending class time engaging in massive Halo tournaments. An article from the Washington Post noted that students at Carnegie Mellon, take classes such as Intro to Entertainment Technology, Building Virtual Worlds and Game Design. When I took a look at the course requirements for a BS in Game Design and Development from RIT, I was pleased to learn that the major encompasses a variety of subjects including Discrete mathematics, Physics, website development, and of course, Game Software Development III, and Foundations of 2D Graphics programming. Future students, be prepared to study more than just Halo maps.
Will they take me seriously after college? I mean video game design is more ledgit than basket weaving, right?
Another point to consider is the validity of such a major. When I spoke to my friend Josh about this, he stated, “The quality of teaching (and sincerity of the major’s educational spirit) matters much more than the content…it makes sense to have a games major.” With the course requirements at RIT, it is safe to say that there are plenty of transferable skills. And while some employers may chuckle or raise an eyebrow when they see BS in Video Game Design on a student’s resume, such a response can never take away from that individual’s passion for the field.
Want to learn more about the projects students have made during their college careers? Curious readers can check out the links to cool projects in video game design below:
