This week I was able to meet with Mr. Jermyn, a video game designer at Gearbox Software in Frisco Square. I was looking forward to this meeting tremendously because he is involved in such a large company and studio, which is what I wish to do in the future. Not only did he answer my burning questions about the industry, but he also gave me a personal tour around the facilities, and what I saw excited me. It was not a typical place  of work like business or any desk job takes place, on the contrary, it felt like I could spend hours at a time in the building and not become bored. Seeing this place and talking to Mr. Jermyn reinforced my sureness that this is the industry I wish to become involved in.

The number one thing he advised me to do is to develop an extensive profile that demonstrates my skills and knowledge of the industry. He stated that it does not matter what I take as a major or study, as long as I have a strong portfolio, it is very possible to land a job in the video games industry. I need to direct my attention towards building my credibility, which is what ISM and the original work will allow me to do.

This week was one of the first times I tried my hand at video game creation and development on the game engine Unity. I learned how to make a simple game composed of a ball falling down on planks to get to the bottom by using a series on YouTube made by Brackeys. I kept up with most of his teachings, although some of the things that he mentioned were far more advanced than what I know, specifically in coding. To make the game, I scripted in JavaScript, even though I’ve been learning how to use C#. The reason as to why I used JavaScript is because Brackeys said that it is easier for beginners at coding, which means that I am very fortunate to come across a simple tutorial where it assumes the viewer has no past experience.

I must continue on this tutorial series, since it is teaching me the basics of Unity as well as fundamental coding. It is important to not get discouraged by Unity’s complexity or by its completely open interface and ability to take any outside assets and incorporate them easily into the game. It is no longer a question of if I am going to do it; instead it is a matter of what I am going to do now.

It was a week of learning and trying out new things, since I started to start coding on C#. I found a YouTube series by Brackeys, who specializes in tutorial videos about Unity and other coding languages. I also was able to download my own studio that allows me to practice C# for free that isn’t a free trial like so many other programs are like. That way, I can get started on learning how to utilize Unity to design a game, but I also plan to write down my ideas with the plot and various aspects of the game.

I also plan to draw concept art for the game, so my enrollment in the Digital Graphics and Animation course helps tremendously with sketching and drawing skills. By concept art, that includes setting art as well as character designs, which I already have a design for the main character thanks to DGA. I also have free access to teachers who are skilled in coding and drawing at FHS and at universities such as University of Texas at Dallas and SMU Guildhall.

I want to write the story premise as well, but the script and dialogue will come later. I will also need to decide whether I want to have voice acting in my game. I need to keep in mind how large I can go since I have a limited time frame to produce something demonstrating my abilities with video game design. It therefore allows me to have a deadline to meet, much like actual gaming companies have to do as well.

This week in ISM was one of excitement and potential. I not only connected with many other professionals in the industry, but I most importantly witnessed what a college class in video games would be like. On Saturday, November 5th, I attended the University of Texas at Dallas’ Scholar Day, which provided me insight into how the ATEC program is and what a session would feel like. I had my session with Dr. Evans, a professor studying games and how their psychology, teaching us about virtual communities and how it is to study video games for a living. Overall, the class excited me as she delved into why video games matter to society and the purpose of her studies, which is to show the world why games need to be more recognized in society.

Dr. Evans put an emphasis on why video game’s communities are very important to study and take note of. They can serve as a model of how a general population acts as well as what we can do to improve society for the better. By adjusting the game and improving upon it, the resulting community is directly impacted in how they react and enjoy the game. More research is therefore needed upon what most impacts a gaming community and what successful ones look like.

This week I decided to shift my research attention from a general video game design topic or idea to a very specific problem and situation in the video game development field, which is narrative versus game play and how they balance each other out. In order to create a successful and engaging game, it is necessary for a developer to have advanced knowledge on both elements, which is what I focused on.

In the article, I understood some of the parts, but it showed me that I need to engage in more research about the various different parts of the video game development process, like scripting, writing, and animating. I should also see how each part works together to create the games, as well as how the meetings are carried out and how ideas and designs are approved and made.

I am planning to learn a coding language, most likely either Python or a type of C code so that I can begin my journey to build games. I also want to become familiar with game engines so that I can start creating and designing some of my own games so that I can have a competent portfolio and to just gain experience.

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.