STCC class taps into students’ love of video game design

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College Professor Dan Misco knows many of his students grew up playing video games and come to the Digital Media Production Technology program with a specific goal.

“They want to make games,” he said. “They love movies, they love television, they love visual media and they come here to create that type of media.”

To connect students with the ideas and concepts they are passionate about and want to learn, STCC’s Digital Media Production program in the spring 2023 began offering a course called Game Design and Development. Previously, STCC offered two general interactive media courses. The revamped course is more specific to elements of game design such as 2D gaming and development.

“We designed the course so that it is very specific toward producing game content and games,” Misco said.

Students learn how to use tools to generate games and game assets, which are elements that go into a video game such as characters, objects, sound effects and more. They learn foundational concepts and fundamentals of Javascript, which is a computer programming language.

Before STCC offered the game and design course, students might have gone to four-year universities and colleges to find a similar class, Misco said.

One of Misco’s former students, Aliyah Medina, who graduated in May 2022 with a degree in Digital Media Production, said she was excited to hear about the evolution of the program and the new Game Design and Development course. She hopes to continue her education and one day work in digital media. One of her “dream jobs” is to work with video games, she said.

“Professor Misco is a great professor who always brought in a lot of sources for online classes. He’s enthusiastic and into what he’s doing,” she said.

Professor Misco let us go in depth immediately when it came to game design. Javier Garcia, STCC student

Medina said the game design and development course will appeal to students like herself who grew up with video games.

“I pretty much played them since I was a young child. My siblings played video games all the time. My dad plays them sometimes,” Medina said. “It’s one of my favorite things to do. It’s one of my hobbies and I’m inspired by it.”

Medina said the Digital Media Production program at STCC offers much more than learning about video games. Students learn about editing, audio and filmmaking. “It’s a broad program,” she said.

Modern console games are often flush with cinematic techniques, from the overall story structure to shot composition, editing and sound design, said John Wakelin, department chair, Technical Arts & Design at STCC.

“We have courses that touch on all these topics,” Wakelin said.

STCC student Javier Garcia is majoring in interactive media and finds the program engaging. He took the earlier version of the game design course. Garcia, who started in the fall semester of 2019, anticipates graduating in May 2023.

“Professor Misco let us go in depth immediately when it came to game design,” Garcia said. “Even though we used really simple tools and made simple games, it immediately got me thinking, How do we design a game? How do we go about it?”

The program also offers a 3D digital animation course which teaches students animation using up-to-date industry-standard software.

Garcia felt inspired by the classes in the program. “I enjoyed the urge to want to do more than I needed to do,” he said.

Garcia grew up playing video games but didn’t consider it as a career until he started studying interactive media, which included graphic design.

One of his “top priorities” is to get into a career related to interactive media, which includes video games, websites, application programs, graphic design for advertising and more.

“I’d like to have a career in game design, even if it’s to even teach some of those fundamentals,” he said. “I have a good understanding to help pass on to other people.”

Misco said a two-year associate degree in Digital Media Production prepares students to work in the industry with smaller game development.

He recommends that some students consider transferring to continue their education toward a bachelor’s degree to be prepared to work with larger game development such as console video games or sophisticated games found at arcades.

“They would come to an associate degree program and learn how to do independent game development, smaller game development,” he said. “If you want to create those console level games or those arcade-level games, I recommend you then go to a four-year program in computer science or a four-year program that has the next level of what we do here after getting your degree from STCC.”

The job outlook for interactive media and video game design is strong. According to ComputerScience.org, forecasters expect the video game industry to continue to grow. The value of the global video game market is expected to grow from $167.5 billion in 2020 to $291.2 billion in 2027, according to Computer Science.

Watch a video of student Javier Garcia talking about his experience at STCC.

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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