The Game Design course is more of a new age course, with its history being just a decade old. The course is designed to provide a broad education about the fundamental, technical, intellectual, and creative aspects of game designing. This program is a study of technical computing, computer graphics design, human interaction with computers, game world design, and storey narration. It trains its students to develop the skills and techniques for a successful career in the Gaming and Animation Industry. Read the article to get a wide knowledge of the course.
What the course focuses on?
- Providing knowledge of mechanics involved in Gameworld.
- Focusing on designing various characters as per stories.
- Tools and Techniques used in designing.
- How humans interact with computers
- Sharpening the student's creativity and intelligence
Highlights:
| Course Name | Game Design |
|---|---|
| Course Level | Undergraduate and Postgraduate |
| Duration |
|
| Examination Type | Yearly/ Semester |
| Eligibility | Varies with degree |
| Admission Process | Merit and Entrance based admission |
| Top Recruiter | Sony Computer Entertainment, Ubisoft, Sega Games Co.Ltd, Rockstar Games, Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, Tencent Interactive Entertainment, etc |
| Top Career Scopes | Game Designer, Game Developer, Game Tester, Concept Artist, Game Programmer, Game Producer, etc |
Top Colleges:
- NID Bangalore
- UPES
- Sharda University
- MIT Institute of Design
- ICAT Design and Media College
- LPU
- IILM
- Pearl Academy
- Asian Institute of Gaming & Animation
- Global School of Animation & Games
Eligibility:
Candidates need to check their eligibility criteria before applying for any degree in Game Design. The minimum qualification for each degree is mentioned below:
| Course | Duration | Eligibility | Entrance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma in Game Design | 1 Year |
|
Merit Based |
| B.Sc in Game Design | 3 Years |
|
Merit Based/ UPES DAT (Univerity Self Conducted Entrance Exams) |
| B.Des in Game Design | 4 Years |
|
NID Entrance, UPES DAT, NIFT, UCEED, and Univerity Self Conducted Entrance Exams |
| Master of Science in Game Design | 2 Years |
|
NID Entrance, NIFT, CEED, and Univerity Self Conducted Entrance Exams |
Skills Required
- Leadership skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Communication skills
- Commercial awareness
- Creative problem-solving skills
- Decision-making skills
- Organizational skills
- Negotiation skills
- Forward Planning skills
Syllabus:
Master or Postgraduate Degree in Game Design:
| Core Subjects | Optional Subjects |
|---|---|
| Digital Interdisciplinary Practice | Agile Development |
| Digital Content Production Processes | Multimedia Communications |
| Fundamentals of CGI | Craft Project |
| Applications of CGI | Digital Communications |
| High-Level Games Programming | Digital Audio |
| Low-Level Games Programming |
Bachelor or Undergraduate Degree in Game Design:
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| Sketching & Drawing- 1 | Sketching & Drawing- II |
| Elements of Design | Principles of design |
| Colour | Geometry II |
| Geometry I | Material exploration II |
| Engineering Graphics | Visual composition |
| Material exploration I | Introduction to Photography |
| Computer applications I |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
|---|---|
| Principles of Game Design | Game Technology I |
| Game Design Process | Scripting for Games |
| Visual Communication for Games | UI UX Design |
| History of Game Design | Level Design |
| Concept Art for Games | Program Elective I (Collective Assignments) |
| Project: Basic Game Design (Low Fidelity) | Project: Game Interaction Design |
| Semester V | Semester VI |
|---|---|
| Game Technology II (Programming for Games) | Serious Game Design |
| Game Architecture | Cinematics |
| Environment Design | Console Gaming |
| Optimization Techniques in 3D | Immersive Game Design |
| Project 3D Game Design | Portfolio Design |
| Venture Ideation | Program Elective II |
| Open Elective | |
| Project: Social Impact Game | |
| Industrial Visit |
| Semester VII | Semester VIII |
|---|---|
| Summer Internship | Degree Project: Game Design |
| Community Games | |
| Monetization | |
| Entrepreneurship and New Business Models | |
| Cross-Functional Project | |
| Project Gaming and Physical Spaces |
Diploma in Game Design
| Subject Name | Subject Name |
|---|---|
| 2D Game Arts | Basic drawing and drawing forms |
| Anatomy | 2D drawing |
| Character development | 2D animation |
| 3D Design & Presentations | |
Admission Process:
The top institutes provide this course based on the student's score in a relevant particular entrance test (National /State), some even have an extra round of Personal Interview. Some colleges conduct their own entrance tests for a degree in Game Design. The admission process generally varies across colleges. A few institutes also offer admission based on candidate’s merit i.e. aggregate marks secured in the last academic session.
Top Entrances:
1. NIFT:
- Number of Stages: 3 (Written Test, Situation Test, and Group Discussion/Personal Interview)
- Total Number of Question: 150
- Exam Mode: Offline (Pen Paper Based)
2. UCEED:
- Mode of Exam: Computer Based Test
- Duration of Exam: 3 hours
- Registration ends: 17 October 2020
3. CEED:
- Registration ends: 17 October 2020
- Last date of Registration (with late fee): 24 October 2020
- Exam Date: 17 January 2021 (9 AM - 12 PM)
4. NID Entrance:
- Mode of Exam: Pen and Paper-based (PBT)
- Exam Duration: 3 hours
5. UPES DAT:
- Mode of Exam: Online
- Duration of Exam: 1 hour
Career Scope:
| Career/Job Profile | Average Salary per Annum |
|---|---|
| Game Designer | Rs 6-7 lakhs |
| Game Developer | Rs 5-8 lakhs |
| Game Tester | Rs 5-6 lakhs |
| Concept Artist | Rs 4-8 lakhs |
| Game Producer | Rs 5-10 lakhs |
Top Recruiters:
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Ubisoft
- Activision Blizzard
- Sega Games Co.Ltd
- Rockstar Games
- Electronic Arts
- Epic Games
- Tencent Interactive Entertainment
Top Recruiting Cities:
- Mumbai
- Bangalore
- Noida
- Pune
- New Delhi
FAQ's
Q: How hard is it to design Video Games?
A: It’s challenging, and also rewarding. Designing games is not the same as playing them—designing takes hard work and time. But, if you put the time and effort in, you can build games you’re proud of.
Q: What is the difference between Game design and game development?
A: Game design is to create the main idea of the game while. It's a creative side. Game development is turning this vision into an actual game. Its a programming side.
Q: Do I need to be an Artist to design video games?
A: No, You don't need to be an Artist. There is plenty of prepackaged images and art that you can use either for free or by purchasing that you can use in your video games. But if you want to get really good then you have to put in the time to develop your artistic skills.
Q: What is the course available in Digital game design?
A: The courses available are Diploma, M.Des, B.Sc, B.Des in Digital game Design.
