This week of ISM was more of discovery than anything else. I had the opportunity to reflect upon my last interview with the very talented Mr. Johnson at Playful Corp, a game studio that specializes in producing games that employ virtual reality. At first, I was very skeptical of how effective and real the video game can truly feel, but it is safe to say that those previous views are long gone. Not only was I blown away by how amazingly detailed the game world appeared when I was testing it, but I also felt completely cut off from the rest of the world and felt a part of this other world.

His interview and play testing prompted me to do further research on the subject, and what I found greatly interested me. A company called &samhoud based in the Netherlands did extensive research on comparing two dimensional video experiences versus the virtual world. What their results showed was that people are far more engaged in the 3D aspect of games as opposed to just watching it on a screen because they are an actual part of the story. This can be used to allow people to better understand subject matters as well as better relate to other people by just experiencing what other people may experience. This was seen when the research showed that more people were willing to assist ebola ridden countries after viewing a video in a VR setting than people who viewed it two dimensionally were.

This opens up new opportunities to what I can possibly accomplish and do in the gaming industry, as the virtual reality sector is quickly growing.

This week was a very interesting and active learning experience. I had the ability to visit the UNT campus in Denton and sit in college classes. Even though there weren’t any video game related courses, I decided to see a video production class. While it is not something I can see myself doing, it was still fairly interesting to see how everything in the production room is run and how much communication they need between each other to produce a live action game show or newscast. There is also a large amount of  different parts, such as audio team, camera men, the actors, and master controls, all working together to produce one single piece of video.

While the game shows were all rehearsals, the newscast was shot live and shown on air, which meant that everything had to be exactly right. Everyone on the team had to be aware of what every other person was doing so that they could all collaborate and produce a successful news footage. I drew a parallel of this work setting to video game development, which is made up of many different parts that have to work together to make the best game possible. Therefore, the team members need to constantly be in touch with each other to discuss various aspects of the game to make sure it is shaping to be how it was intended.

Despite the fact that I was unable to see a class about anything relating to video games, I was still able to learn many things from this experience. It demonstrates to me that the ability to communicate effectively is a universal and very important skill to possess.

This week has proven itself to be one of the most exciting weeks. So far, I have met only with people in the video game design industry, so the ISM business symposium changed that completely. I was able to see a wide variety of professionals in their respective fields and witness how passionate each one is. I gained a wide variety of information and advice from each one, but each professional I met had one tip in common. They each advised me to be open to new ideas on career choices since I am so young, so nothing is decided yet.

While I believe whole hardheartedly that video game design is an area I want to go into, I should keep my options open and have a second plan in mind should my focus shift away from design, or the video game industry completely. This is why attending a large university such as Texas A&M  University would be a huge benefit to me. They have a wide variety of courses and majors to choose from in case your first choice is not what you had in mind.

Until then, I am still going to focus all of my energy and effort into researching and learning about video game design.

This week has been by far the most interesting and rewarding, since I had two informational interviews and had the opportunity to meet three professionals in the field. I now know more than ever what it looks like to be a successful employee in the video game developing business. While all of them differed in experience, specifications, job types, and education, all agreed on the subject of freelancing and the possible benefits and drawbacks.

All three professionals have been freelancers at one point and all think of it as a very positive experience. By being a freelancer, you have more freedom in the area, have a very flexible schedule, and have more time to spend with friends and family than a worker at a video games studio. However, all of the professionals also warned that there is a lot more economic instability if one becomes a freelancer, as there is no consistent paycheck issued to you. Nonetheless, all recommended becoming a freelancer at least once and see how I like it. Therefore, more research needs to be done on how to be a successful in such an unstable job.

The other major thing I gained from my interviews was that another medium for games was present, and that is virtual reality (VR). I had the opportunity to witness its brilliance first hand, and what I saw greatly excited me. I should do more research on the subject of VR as well as how to become skilled in that area, as well as how the industry is doing economically, since it is a very new and innovative idea that has only been popularized very recently.

This week was full of open doors and new opportunities, especially in the research part of video game design. Now, I have the ability to research various genres of games, such as first person shooters, RPGs, or classic horror games, and learn how to design those types of games.

It is amazing how many different types of video games exist, as well as the vast amount of companies that produce them. By going into more research, it is truly amazing discovering the plethora of game companies that are located in the North Texas area. This really is the place to be when making and producing games, since Texas A&M, University of Texas at Dallas, and Southern Methodist University’s Guildhall program all teach students the necessary skills to go into the job. Not only are companies present here, but they also hire from those schools because a sizable number of them now know how skilled video game developers are.

With the ability to meet with professors from SMU’s Guildhall and University of Dallas, as well as the great amount of designers in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, I am able to learn so much, as well as meet with a big amount of professionals with diverse skills and job choices. I can’t wait to see just how many great people I meet from my participation in the ISM program.

As I get deeper into what it means to be a video game designer, I am starting to research more of the specializations and aspects of what a new designer needs to get started making games. I researched on the topic of game engines, and what I discovered truly made me very excited. I have found out that many engines don’t actually require the person to know as much coding as I expected. For someone of my caliber (no programming knowledge), either Unity or Gamemaker would be the best option to get started on.

Both engines have a free edition and have numerous tutorials online. This shall open up doors to what I can achieve this year in ISM, as well as discover what is possible in game design. Unity requires a little coding, but not nearly as much as some of the professional software packages need. In contrast, Gamemaker needs no programming knowledge what so ever, but some of the functions and abilities are limited due to it being a free trial. More research is also needed on if my current computer can even handle any game design program. I’m glad I have experience on building computers and researching for the parts, as I sense the specifications for every computer part are going to be complicated.

After this week, I can safely say that my interest for going into the video game developing industry is stronger than ever. The area I’m specifically interested in now is video game design, so I shall hopefully meet with professionals who have experience in the field so that I can increase my own knowledge. There is still a large amount research needed to be undertaken as I explore the specifics of video game design, as well as honing in skills necessary to go into the industry.

Specifically, I need to learn some kind of programming language in order to be successful. Most recommend Java or Lua, but more research is needed to find out the pros and cons of both to see which one is better to study this year. I also need to sharpen my drawing and writing skills so that I can create an effective storyboard for my game ideas. Adding onto that, I shall do more research into what the different areas of video game design are and what I’m interested in, such as level design, story and plot design, or even head of the game designer team. It makes me very excited to do all of these tasks to increase my understanding of the job, as this is one of the first areas of my own life where I’ve felt passionate about my future career.

Regardless of what I chose, I know that through the support of the ISM program and my peers, I can go farther than I ever would have if I did this all alone.

With the start of my final year in high school comes new opportunities, trials, and growth. This blog shall be updated weekly with my progress in the Independent Study and Mentorship program as I explore the industry of video game design. ISM is meant to train and enable students to pursue their interests in the business world by teaching professionalism, development of core values, and ways of getting connected with professionals of their field of interest.

Now that I have a more established grasp of what the video game business is after researching, I plan to now reach out to professionals and become connected with the industry. This can be achieved by the completion of a linked-in account, but more so with actually reaching out to companies and people that are in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The opportunities of connecting with some fantastic people are very high, since the independent video game producer Gearbox is headquartered in Frisco Square and SMU has a prestigious graduate program in Plano devoted to video game creation and inspiring students to make their own games. No matter where I go or who I meet, it shall be one of the best experiences of my life. I am looking forward to seeing where this program shall take me, and the sky’s the limit for what’s possible.