Games Design student Justin talks about how he got into his course, what it's like and where he's headed after uni.
Where do you study? What's the name of the course?
I am currently studying Games Design and Development at Deakin University in Geelong.
How did you find out about the course you're doing?
I first found out about the course at the end of my first year at University. Before then I was only studying in a major of Computer Science and Software Development. I heard that Deakin was introducing a Games Design course into the University, as soon as I read into the details I was quick to jump on the bandwagon.
Was the course easy to get into? What did you have to do to qualify?
Since entering the course in my second year I had already completed the requirements of the course. The requirements to start the course from the beginning only included a study score of at least 20 in a VCE 3-4 Maths subject.
What made you decide that you wanted to study how to make games?
I have always had an interest in graphical design and music. Before coming to Deakin to study I wanted to study in a multimedia degree. Since I got into the Information Technology stream I thought that I could move into the Games Design stream and work on both the programming and the graphic design of computer games. Also, to put it bluntly, I like to play games.
What sort of things do you study as part of learning to make games?
There are three main groups of study in the Games course. The most important would be the programming side of the game, with this we learn how to program the basics of a game in a DirectX environment.
We also learn how create and animate 3D objects, how to bring these objects to life in a game we have written our selves.
Lastly, game audio. In this we create original music and sound effects and learn how to implement them in our game.
What's the hardest part about designing a game?
The hardest part would most likely be the original idea; lots of "double mochaccino latte expresses with lemon twists" were used in the making of the Idea.
What's the most fun part about designing a game?
The fun part of designing a game would have to be level design. I found this to be very exciting. I was able to create any idea which came into my head, the possibilities were endless.
How big a part of your life are games?
Well, I play games a fair bit, probably a couple of hours a day. I have a lot of interest in the creation of games but I don't think I would say it is a big part of my life. Hmm? tough question!
What's your favourite game? Why?
Defiantly Chrono Trigger on the Super Nintendo would be in the top spot. I just enjoyed the fact that I could travel through time and change events that happened in the past.
What kind of job do you want to end up with?
The ideal job for me would be something with a programming position and also with a multimedia or graphic position too. So something in level design would be very good.
