Where can I study Game Dev?
Hi;
I was wondering, do any of you know where I can study game dev in Cape Town?
Even if it's a online course and know it's legit.
I have a lot of friends wondering the same thing, I know UCT has game dev but it's move computer science really.
I was wondering, do any of you know where I can study game dev in Cape Town?
Even if it's a online course and know it's legit.
I have a lot of friends wondering the same thing, I know UCT has game dev but it's move computer science really.
Comments
Game Dev:
Game engine, background coding and such.
Game Design:
The use of game engines (created by Game Dev), putting together elements (Such as mechanics, visuals, sound, etc.) to make an actual game.
(Guys correct me if I'm wrong)
I'm currently studying Game Dev at UCT because i was interested in Game Design (only later to find out the difference). Still very usefull skills to be learned from the course.
Heck, you don't even need to do this game dev thing by yourself. get a team together :)
If you want to learn to learn about programing and science, while learning a bit about game engines(mainly computer graphics stuff), game design and user experience then UCT's undergrad and honours courses are pretty good (they will at least give you a place to ask the hard questions). However, like most things you won't become a fantastic game developer or designer by doing the degree, you really have to engage with the course (do external reading/tutorials, game jams, bug the lecturers etc.) to get anything out of it properly.
I would say interacting with the makegamessa community, making games and being proactive about learning how to build/design games is your best bet for success. Learning how to code/draw/animate/compose etc. at an established institution is not a bad place to start learning to make games (or at least parts of the process), but it definitely is not the only or best way to do it.
Aside from those points, I only know of UCT doing anything game development related in Cape Town (at least in the coding sense).
I'm already pretty good with programming so I'm fine there.
Also I am currently teaching myself using Unity.
Was just thinking it would be nice to have something legit behind my name that says I'm a Game Dev.
I'm mostly interested in the 3D Modeling and Animations, but also I love doing the 'AI' and actual mechanics. :-)
The only way to get that qualification is to make a game. ;)
Read the whole wiki, and every link it has in it.
Practice. Post here and on Polycount. Get crit. Repeat.
:-D
Will work a bit more on my skills and then try and form a team or join one. :-D
And if you fancy moving to Jozi there's always us :P www.wits.ac.za/wsoa
I've lectured there a couple of times and, while I haven't seen many games coming out of the students that get posted here, I have heard good things about the course as a whole. So if you were going to seriously consider a course, that could be a candidate.
As for needing something behind your name? Fuck that. Make a game, you're a game designer. Maybe there are different flavors according to how you made that game, but who really cares anyway?
Edit: Hah! Ninja'd by @hanli :)
These links will come in very handy!
@FanieG: I punt Polycount a lot because when I was studying, I used to spend about half an hour reading things up there every day before starting with school, and I'd find that it both crushed me (some of the work up there is ridiculously good) and inspired me. It kept my eyes looking at the quality of work I was competing with when it came to finding jobs in our industry, rather than competing with other students. And, like here at MGSA, there are many members who answer questions and post work who've been working in the industry for several years. I also like it because, for the most part, they don't put up with BS. There are several other game art communities (GameArtisans, Game-Artists) that are much more forgiving and encouraging, and they do great work too; but I really like Polycount for having a culture of not sugar-coating things, and having members call each other out, and I feel that it really helps put a stop to the spread of misinformation.
Also worth checking out the Vertex books. The second one should be coming out soon. :) http://www.artbypapercut.com/
I heard about this thread and that our course at Friends of Design was mentioned here. Thanks for the positive feedback! :)
We will start our second school in Johannesburg in February. But I do not want to advertise here :) As someone who has experience in this field and has been developing and managing successful game design courses in Germany and South Africa I would like to offer my opinion on game design education and how one should approach a career.
If you guys are okay with it, instead of me writing a lengthy article, I would like to suggest you write specific questions here or send me an email. I am also fine with getting back to you guys via Skype.
In case that you want to check what I have been doing, visit my website . This is my own website and it has not been updated for months now. About 150 students in two countries tend to keep me busy ;)
So, fire away :)
Maybe I'll have more chance to get together with you and your team to discuss game education.
I'm always looking for input for mine :) I'll arrange with you in Feb for coffee.
So I would recommend attending meet ups and such. If you don't want a programming degree I would recommend doing the Wits Course with Hanli :P However you did say you want to stay in Cape Town :/ I dunno
Just please come to the meet ups :D Hooray!
I wish I could have attended this month's meet up but I was in the middle of exams. :-P
I hope it is ok if I use this thread instead of starting up a new one when I have similar questions addressed here.
I have read up quite a bit in this forum and will try my best to give all of the details of my question and save you the time of asking them.
Q: I would like to make my own games at home (hobbiest). I am a complete noob with zero experience, background etc (for all intent and purpose). I've used GM a little bit and have done some of the tutorials and made a few variants of the entry level games. The moment however, that I want to try very basic ideas of my own I run into the wall of needing to be able to script and I have no idea at all, not even the most basic. If my own assessment is correct, I will now need to acquire some coding knowledge/skills to advance.
I have read and heard that I need to keep it simple and have been trying to do so. I just really can't do another 'click the clown' or 'chase the fruit' level game. I really want to ride the Harley and I realise I need to work my way up from the ground, but if I'd rather kick the next Moped into the river than ride it.
I am 38 years old and I'm looking to make my own games at home for me and a few friends. I'm not looking at programming engines, learning about varsity level computer science or comprehensive graphic design etc. I just want to learn as example, what arrays are and how to use them so that my toon can have an inventory.
I've downloaded and looked at and read up on Unity as well and it seems it might be my next step (eventually) if I can get to grips with Intermediate and Advanced levels of GM. It does look however like my inability to script would prevent me from using it as it stands.
Where do I go from here? It looks like learning some C# should be my next move... if so, where? I am very bad at reading volumes of text, so online tutorials would certainly not be my 1st preference if I have a choice. I'm pretty decent at learning from an interactive environment, like lectures. I live in Johannesburg and I have a full time job. Evenings and weekends are free.
I would also like to mention that I was very excited when I stumbled onto this site. I have been looking for a South African community like this, this might be able to help me, for almost 20 years.
I've been learning from online tutorials - and they're all videos. I would have preferred some more text, to be honest :P
Unity Cookie (by CG Cookie) is really good at introducing fundamentals:
http://www.youtube.com/user/unitycookie/videos
Crash course 01 01 -
Follow the Crash course, it's really good :)
Create a game in 30 minutes:
Then various other videos on the channel is great too. Follow them as you get more familiar with what they're about.
Then Unity's own video tutorials are pretty good at fundamentals too, watching them in addition to Unitycookie's stuff will really drill in fundamentals:
http://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/modules
There are also Unity's own tutorial projects, I like learning projects cos they're practical.
http://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/projects
Good luck! I'm sure other peeps can help a lot more with this topic :) I'm also learning :)
He's very good, according to me. :-P
Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/acem003?feature=g-high-cen
Also I will check out the above link. :-D