SAN DIEGO (July 27, 2003) - At this year's SIGGRAPH conference in San Diego, California, game enthusiasts can not only learn more about the latest in game development - they can develop their own video game thanks to The Art Institutes. The Art Institutes will offer game design classes in which attendees can create games using Macromedia Director. Students in the classes will manipulate certain variables and create a game that they can burn on to a CD and take with them. This class is sponsored by Macromedia.
The Game Design class will be offered by The Art Institutes (booth #1915) on Tuesday, July 29 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; on Wednesday, July 30 at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.; and on Thursday, July 31 at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The Game Design class sessions will be led by Milan Petrovitch from The Art Institute of Las Vegas, Jeff Styers from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Donna Sandsmark from The Art Institute of California-San Diego, and Brad Tompkins from The Art Institute Online, which is a division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Additional SIGGRAPH classes will be offered in Digital Photography and Life Drawing.
With 1,500-square-feet of combined classroom and general exhibit space, an interactive digital art class and award-winning design presentations using industry-related technology, The Art Institutes will have a dynamic presence at the SIGGRAPH 2003 conference and exhibition.
About The Art Institutes' Game Art & Design Program
The Game Art & Design bachelor's degree program is designed for students who want to prepare for entry-level positions in the game development field. The Art Institutes Game Art & Design program has been rated by Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine as one of the top game design programs in the world. Students in the program will learn character animation techniques, complex modeling, computer mapping, game level design and how to script within the game. Students also will create interactive game levels and learn to make computer game animation come alive with movement, color and action characters.
The Game Art & Design program is geared towards 3-D animation and game level design. Students will apply knowledge of video and animation to produce game products using 2-D software to create backgrounds, 3-D modeling and animation software to create game art, and 3-D software to apply textures. The students also will receive a broad-based education that will include classes in art history and the humanities. By exposing students to classic art forms, they are able to incorporate more variety into their writing styles and animation sequences.
The curriculum will show game developers how to produce story lines and animations that are filled with creativity and inventive cleverness. The action and suspense that challenge people as they play video games can be accomplished through intelligent story writing. The curriculum also includes general education courses in areas such as mathematics and the social sciences.
The Game Art & Design bachelor's degree program is currently offered at the following schools: The Art Institute of California-Los Angeles; The Art Institute of California-Orange County; The Art Institute of California- San Diego; The Art Institute of California- San Francisco; The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale; The Art Institute Online; The Art Institute of Phoenix; The Art Institute of Portland; The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago and The Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg.
About the Popularity of Gaming
The growing field of companies producing computer games is actively seeking artists trained in the art of computer animation and experienced with computer technologies. Computer and video game sales could approach $17 billion in 2003, with another $1.1 billion in online gaming revenues, according to IDC research published in a recent USA Today article. The game industry includes video games played on console game systems, personal computers and handhelds. According to Forrester Research, nearly 49 million American homes today have at least one video game system. Nearly 75 million homes are projected to have a system by 2005, achieving a 70% penetration level.
In addition, a new study released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project this month, found that video games are very much commonplace in the lives of college students. This study found that 65% of college students report being regular or occasional video game players. The study also found that one-fifth of college students see gaming as a way to make new friends as well as improve existing friendships.
About The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu/nr), with 29 campuses located throughout North America, provide an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals. The parent company of The Art Institutes, Education Management Corporation (http://www.edmc.com) is among the largest providers of private post-secondary education in North America, based on student enrollment and revenue, with 46 primary campus locations in 30 major cities, and approximately 46,000 students as of fall 2002. EDMC's education institutions offer a broad range of academic programs in the media arts, design, fashion, culinary arts, behavioral sciences, education, business and health sciences fields, culminating in the award of associate's through doctoral degrees. EDMC has provided career-oriented education for 40 years, and its education institutions have more than 150,000 alumni.
