Teaching Game Design: Problems in Educating the Next Generation

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Teaching Game Design: Problems in Educating the Next Generation
[07.15.09]
- Michael Prinke
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Introduction

The digital gaming business has grown to a multi-billion dollar industry that refuses to back down even in the face of broad economic problems and political criticisms. As such a mesmerizing and popular form of entertainment and such a lucrative one it's no wonder that students across the world flock towards it as a career interest. Digital games, though, are still a very young entertainment medium and still a black box even to veterans who have been making games since the conception of the industry.

It should come as no surprise, then, that techniques in teaching to this industry's needs are only in their infancy. What's more in so many peoples' minds games and education are polar opposites. As such, a gap exists between teaching to the professional goals of aspiring students -- and indeed the companies they aspire to work for -- and the academic goals of instructors, to an almost paradoxical degree.
Game Design and Production -- Professional Issues and Their Impact on the Classroom

An Outline

To understand where these paradoxes arise we must first understand the challenges posed in the industry itself as the challenges in the classroom are very similar. We will cover the process of game development itself and outline the challenges involved, the conflicting points of view that are currently prevalent in the game industry, and how the challenges reflect on academia.

The Process of Digital Game Production

The process of bringing a game from conception to production as detailed by Maic Masuch and Michael Rueger is as follows: http://www.gamecareerguide.com/features/761/teaching_game_design_problems_in_.php