Interactive Arts and Media Game Design Major

The Game Development concentration provides an environment for students to creatively author a wide range of games – including real-time games, engine-based games, and simulations. After completing the Game Design core students begin the concentration with an introduction to the industry and to developing original games, followed by a series of production courses. The Game Development track prepares students to produce and develop in a team setting as they work with animators, sound designers, and programmers to build a large-scale game in the senior capstone course.

The Animation Concentration provides fundamental introduction to computer art and animation concepts to students with little or no previous experience. Students learn computer generated character modeling, environment modeling, level design and motion capture animation for Game content. Students will emerge with an understanding of the Game industry’s workflow techniques, the 3D gaming community and game types, concepts and strategy for designing and modeling 3D characters, concepts and strategy for designing and modeling 3D environments, the process of directing, capturing and editing motion capture performances and acquiring an advanced ability to use specific 3D software packages to produce 3D game art and animation for a cross-major production.

Sound design in games is reaching new heights. More and more gamers are building extensive audio configurations to satisfy the sound requirements and demands of the next ground-breaking game. The concentration in sound design at Columbia College Chicago focuses on the technical and aesthetic issues surrounding the sound designer’s job. These include knowledge of acoustical and digital audio theory, music theory, aesthetics of sound and picture and the techniques of field recording. Graduates will emerge with the skills needed to work in a professional sound design environment, and a broad knowledge of the game design industry.

Programming Concentration The Programming Concentration introduces students to object oriented programming concepts while providing a solid foundation in math and physics to students with little or no previous experience. While there is a need for a general understanding of computer programming in the video game industry, there are distinct topics that are covered in the concentration. Students will emerge with an understanding of how computer systems execute programs, store information, and communicate especially in dealing with issues of performance, portability, and robustness. They will be able to program in the C++ programming language using good programming practices, efficient programming structures, and object oriented design. They will learn the specific programming skills necessary to work in the video game industry including object interactions, animations, and collisions. Students will have a working understanding of the physics and mathematics necessary in the creation of realistic game action, and be able to create games using current game engine technology.