I had the pleasure of speaking with David Goodwine, Chief Academic Innovations Officer and Executive Director for the School of Game Development for the Academy of Art University. I’ve learned a lot of their program and got a bird’s eye view of what it’s like to be a student in an ever-shifting industry. In addition, I got to demo two student-created games.
Many students enroll in the School of Game Development unsure with what they want to specialize in or aren’t aware of the numerous branches to specialize in. David explained it is important to decide your path by the end of your first year, whether it be art design or programming. His team helps students navigate this, including surveying the class. This way, the school helps guide students to where they are most passionate and can shine.
Even when students have chosen a path, the entire class eventually will work together in projects to create an idea, then design and polish a game. There are currently five projects in the pipeline. I asked David what must students do to be successful, and his response surprised me: consume media.
In order to put out a great product, you must consume other products to learn what is out there in the industry. Not only must they watch and/or play other games, they also need to exercise critical thinking to draw out what works and what does not work. You can’t create a successful video game in a bubble.
Because of David’s extensive history working with companies such as Crystal Dynamics and EA, I had some questions surrounding the current gaming industry. I first asked him about the layoffs. He acknowledged the extent of the layoffs and how it follows a cycle. He recalled the “.com” days, then the crash in 2008. He speculated the current state was in part due to the hiring push during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as things return to “normal state”, some companies had to acknowledge the surplus of resources. David continues to encourage his students–and anyone in the gaming industry–to not lost hope, and more importantly, learn to pivot. Be nimble. And you’ll land on your feet.
After speaking with David, he set me up with the two student-created games available: Teeth and Hexahedron.
Teeth
The student creators of Teeth describe the game as:
Annihilate toothy abominations with a gnawing hunger in a nightmarish 2.5 D hack-and-slash game. Hoard their teeth to fuel your rage, traversing the endless dark-domain created by an omnipotent overseer.
Academy of Art University via PAX
Teeth was an incredibly fun experience. You traverse narrow hallways between levels where cryptic words appear around you, setting the tone of the game. It is visceral and brutal, yet simple and enjoyable.
Hexahedron
The student creators of Hexahedron describe the game as:
The Stygian cubes broke the seal on the Vertex and invaded Fort Hexahedron once more. Only you, Face von Shapeless, can save us now. Fix the mistakes of the past, close the rift, and let no cubes stand in your way.
Hexahedron is a medieval Dark Souls-inspired hack-and-slash where the player finds himself in the war-torn city of Multifaceton that has been invaded by creatures from the geometric dimension.
Academy of Art University via PAX
Hexahedron transported me to a familiar Medieval setting with unsettling enemies. The tutorial made it easy for me to adapt this first-person adventure, and the game design found the balance between leading the player in the right direction without hand-holding.
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Featured Image Source: Academy of Art University (student art work)
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