Comparing remote-study Unisa courses for game development

R4mzy

Hey there!

So I'm new on MGSA, I love games and want to make them, and I've managed to get myself into a position where studying part-time, through my employer, is actually a possibility. I'd like to aim that studying in as much of a game-dev-friendly direction as possible. Physically attending classes and lectures isn't really an option for me (I guess if they're close to home and run at night...), and it looks like most, if not all, the various game development/design courses at colleges and universities require full-time, physical presence.
That in mind, I've been looking to start a course with Unisa along the CompSci route. There are a few options available there, and I was wondering whether anyone had any insights into which would be best to take, given I want to build skills and knowledge for game-dev?

> BA: Multimedia Studies: Computer-Generated Multimedia
Seems the most geared toward more things that are transferable to game development than the others, with it's inclusion of visual art and music tech stuff that might help with visual and audio asset creation - I've about zero experience there, besides some passable sketching. The lack of CS concerns me.

> BSc: Applied Mathematics and Computer Science
> BSc: Mathematics and Computer Science
These seem the most "technically" focussed, being heavy on CompSci, maths, and programming. Frankly I don't know that I can hack-it with the math - it wasn't exactly my star school subject (though I passed it... somehow - I suppose I'll do the same here ^^ ). Which is best between applied math and just math, for game development? I suspect applied...

> BSc: Mathematics and Information Systems
This seems to be less high-level maths and computer science, and more visual, object-oriented coding and databases. A little bit of nerd in me poo-poo's the reduction in CS but I have the feeling this one is more real-world useful than the two CS-focussed ones above.

> BSc: Computing
Looking this over a little more thoroughly (I'd kinda dismissed it before, I don't know why), I think this may cover all the programming, CS, and maths bases I need/want. Does it miss anything? (Besides modelling and animation and sound and such artisty things - I haven't found courses for that which seem good or could be done remotely like I need so I figure I'll fill those gaps myself with tutorials while I build games.)

> BSc: Informatics
I'm including this for the sake of completion - but I'm not too keen on the business-heavy direction here.

> Diploma in Information Technology
This looks like a light BSc: Computing - could be that something easier and lighter on the workload might be a better place to start a foundation? Now that I mention it, that does seem like a good idea. Does anyone know whether this would count towards credits on, say, the BSc: Computing degree if that were done after?

And that's about all I've been looking at. I'd appreciate any feedback to help narrow down the options!

Also sorry for the wordy post.
TL;DR please help me pick a Unisa course ;).

Edit:
There are short courses, too, if you'd recommend taking a few of those instead of or before a degree program...

Elyaradine

I think it largely depends on what it is you want to do. Loads of personal opinion here (I've got a BSC in maths/applied maths and an art diploma), but I find that maths and comsci often focus more on the beauty of the proof/problem/algorithm and the elegance of the solution... which is great if you're really into that sort of thing, but doesn't really address the (arguably more important) problem of how you keep a person entertained, how you make an experience feel good, or how you can design something to be experienced closely to how you envisioned.

If you didn't enjoy maths much to begin with, then maybe the multimedia course is the best fit. At least it seems to go a bit into how people interact with media, and a bit of how you can mind-trick them with how you design visuals and interfaces.

I have a couple of game dev friends who take some courses through Unisa. My impression is that they're all taking it primarily for the piece of paper (the degree) to give them a bit more mobility with potentially moving between countries, and that they're not learning anything that's particularly game-focused. (That's not to say what they're learning is useless, but from what I've seen it's completely up to you to apply whatever you learn to making games.) So, whatever you pick, or if you pick nothing at all (if you don't actually need the degree/diploma), just make sure you're making some games with whatever you're learning.

Our local game industry mostly seems to hire based on evidence that you can do cool things (i.e. a portfolio), and not very much based on what you studied (although I guess there's a correlation there). I mean, there are folks who've been hired because they studied AR or networking for their honours project, and that's what a studio needed at the time, but you can't really plan for what a studio might need 3-4 years in the future. You can, however, plan to study something that inspires you to work hard at it, and inspires you to make cool things that you find exciting, and that, hopefully, other people then want to incorporate into their future games.

R4mzy

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated :)

I am leaning ever more toward the Computing degree, and considering doing the diploma beforehand as an introductory sort of thing since I'm not particularly experienced with programming (I figure that knowledge should make the degree that much easier, although it would be a much longer time-frame). My idea is to learn the technical, programming skills to apply to game development, so I'm not so much after the paper but the training.

I know the portfolio is a big, if not primary, thing for getting hired in the industry (local and otherwise, I'm sure), and I'm going to work at that, but I feel like I lack some of the nuts and bolts skills that development requires. And if my games don't get me anywhere, perhaps software development will. ;)

dammit

If you have the time, and opportunity, throw a BA/humanities subject or two into the mix (liguistics, psychology, communications, sociology, history, languages, drama... i dunno, there are a lot to choose from) as these subjects give you a more rounded education and help explore different areas of humanity. This will only make you a better game designer adding to your skill of game development.

Elyaradine

I can understand feeling like you need a better understanding of the nuts and bolts. It's pretty intimidating to make a game when you think about all of the interlocking systems, and just how many fields of knowledge and creativity making a video game encompasses. One of my friends who was the strongest influence in getting me into game development once told me that games are a superset of all of human knowledge, because games can occupy the same set that life does. Whether I'm studying 3D animation, or graphic design, or film, or web development, or programming, or music, whatever I learn -- even if it's economics, stats, accounting, politics, theology -- these are all things that can be absorbed into games, made into games. It's terrifying and exhilarating, and simultaneously discouraging (omg so much to learn) and wonderful (omg so much to learn).

I think my point is more that the people who'll be teaching you maths, programming, software development are arguably in no better position to teach you to make games than someone who's a professional juggler, or a comedian, or a Youtuber (somewhat echoing what @dammit's saying). Yeah, CS will give you some tools in your belt with which to make a larger field of games, or address the finer points in optimization or engine development or data structures. But you also have to practise trying to entertain people, or, at least, give them value for the time they're spending interacting with your product. That's not part of the field of computer science... but it's a pretty big part of making a game that has any hope of being successful (whether financially or in a humanitarian sense). So if you want to make games, then make them! There's the competition running on the forums right now, and there are game jams running almost every single week of the year, somewhere (physically or online). There are loads of places online to ask (like this forum) if you get stuck. If you're using not having studied programming as an excuse not to make games, I think it's likely that when you're studying programming and you're not making games you'll be using something else as an excuse instead (I don't have time; I've got a full time job; I don't have an artist; the SA game industry isn't ready for me; software development will be more stable or make me more money). :P

Kobusvdwalt9

@dammit Is right. I am studying Bsc Comp Sci but I have a lot of free time so I often attend arts and communications classes and ive arguably learned more from these than from my actual subjects.

SkinnyBoy

I study CS and Apl Math at Unisa... CS at unisa is mathematically focused: 5 modules are theoretical CS 1, 2, 3 and Logic 2 and 3... 5 programming modules with scientific assignments and normal CS modules like AI, CG, cpu architecture and OS... Numerical Methods is an elective... So you must really love mathematics if you want to do CS at unisa because you will spend 90% of time with a pen and paper building and destroying algorithms and only 10% of time actually programming something useful on your computer...

So if you wanna learn game programming I suggest you buy a game programming book. The first book I recommend is:

Foundation game design with html5 and JavaScript - Rex van der Spuy

I don't know why "game design" is titled on the cover of the book as the book has nothing to do game design... After this book you can choose a game engine: Cocos2d-x(100% open source and my favourite), libgdx(also 100% open source but java doesn't run on windows phone), (unity3d, uses component system where you drag source code on top of objects, something I will never get comfortable with) , Unreal engine(never used)

Whatever engine you choose, make sure you collect books for that engine. Also videos and online material is helpful but not as much detailed like info you'll get in the books...

dislekcia

For reference, I have zero books about game development and run a game development company with successful shipped games, so different strokes for different folks.

I, too, added different subjects to my CS degree to make it feel more relevant to game design way back when I was doing it. I suspect that it's a lot easier and more effective to mess around with other modules when you're physically on a campus though - often I'd just attend lectures without signing up to a module officially, I'm not sure you have that option at a distance institution.

Everything @Elyaradine says is super true.

R4mzy

Well now there's a whole lot to add into the consideration-mix, thanks folks. :)
Mixing up the subjects of the degree or attending additional classes/lectures is not really an option, but it seems to me the Unisa CS/Computing/etc. route is less and less the way to go here - not unhelpful but not the focal point I thought it would be.

Perhaps best to double up my self-study efforts instead - get the books on the subjects I need as I need them and practice them through game concepts - plus a few Udemy-style courses probably won't hurt. I have been working through C++ training for a while, mostly just for something to do. I'll chuck in some tutorials, books, courses and things with more game development & design angles to them and spend my time there (and probably, at least, intros to CS and the math that goes with it, and humanities, broad as that is,) rather than the probably-narrow idea of a Unisa degree or diploma being what I need (and monopolising ALL the time, from what I hear).