Image: Popular RPG game The Outer Worlds
This summer, WILASC has the honor of partnering with Open World by DigiPen Institute of Technology to offer an exciting coding workshop on game design for local youths. Open World is the K-12 summer camp program by DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond, WA)
DigiPen is a state asset – it was the world’s first college to offer a bachelor’s degree in the field of game development and was consistently named among the top 10 colleges for game design nationwide by Princeton Review.
We discussed with Emily Kirby, Vice President of Open World, to understand the significance of the video game industry, why students should explore this field, how Whidbey students can benefit from this workshop, and where they can go from here. Below is an excerpt from our conversation.
What is this workshop about?
This workshop will introduce students to game development and design, in particular Role Playing Games (RPG) using the digital platform RPG Maker MZ.
Why should students take games beyond a hobby and learn about game development?
Video game development in general, including RPG development, is a growing field with career opportunities in a range of areas, including programming, engineering, game design, art, and music. Forbes reported back in November that in 2022, the global gaming industry reported more revenue than the movie and music industries combined!
What about worldbuilding in games? What skills are they learning that are useful & transferable for a future career?
Worldbuilding is foundational to the creation of any video game. It incorporates traditional storytelling with game design principles such as level design, game programming, and problem-solving. These skills are useful to any student who may be interested in pursuing a career in the gaming, interactive media, film, or TV industries (or who just enjoys using their imagination to be creative!).
What careers can game development lead to?
Students who are interested in game development and design can pursue careers in many aspects of the gaming and media industries. DigiPen Institute of Technology’s career outlooks for the BA in Game Design and BS in Computer Science and Game Design programs list specific roles that students with game design degrees may pursue, including game designer, UX and UI designer, producer, technical artist, computer programmer, software engineers, Artificial Intelligence programmer, and many more.
Who would be interested in taking this workshop? What can they accomplish from this workshop?
This workshop will appeal to students who are interested in making and playing video games, writing, storytelling, and creating fun experiences for friends and family.
During the seven-hour workshop*, students will learn the basics of worldbuilding in RPG, and develop a short video game with guidance from the instructor.
If they want to continue pursuing this subject, are there ways to do that?
There are many free or inexpensive resources available online for students who would like to pursue this subject further. Game engines such as Godot, Unity, and Unreal are free and offer how-tos for building different types of games. Microsoft’s MakeCode Arcade is also free and is a good introduction to building games through block-based coding. There are also several versions of RPG Maker available for purchase online. Finally, there are lots of game development tutorials available for free on YouTube.
Tell us about Open World. Why should students learn game design with Open World?
Open World is the K-12 summer camp program of DigiPen Institute of Technology. DigiPen was the world’s first college to offer a bachelor’s degree in the field of game development and is consistently ranked one of the top 10 colleges for game design in the United States by the Princeton Review. Open World’s curriculum has been developed and is continuously reviewed and revised by DigiPen faculty members with years of industry experience.
Click HERE to sign up for WILASC’s game design workshop “Creating World in Games” taught by visiting instructors from Open World. Scholarships are available for Whidbey students thanks to grants from The South Whidbey Project and Windermere Foundation.
*Breaks and lunch breaks are included. Students bring their own lunch.
Comments