Esports-Video Game Design Major

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In today’s workforce, there is an expanding need for workers that come with developed analytical and soft skills to meet everyday demands, but also possess a competitive passion to meet the goals outline even before the set deadlines. This type of worker provides the industry with a proficient and work-oriented skill set to ensure production is efficient. One such hobby, sports, and now a discipline that develops students into this type of career is Esports, which is blossoming into a repository for in-demand employers. This sport is growing immensely where competitive video game play is developing needed skills for tomorrow’s workforce.

Esports are video games played in an organized competitive environment such as a club or for sport. The video games range from individual play to team-oriented multiplayer play which can be in person or online. Esports has become a multi-layered activity that is now expanding all over the world and becoming the most popular activity that develops skills needed in today’s workforce.

Likewise, a video game designer helps create games for entertainment and the video game designer’s job outlook is positive. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) generally groups video game designers under the larger umbrella of multimedia artists and animators. The BLS reported that the job outlook for multimedia artists and animators from 2018 to 2028 was 4%. This job outlook is as fast as the national average and may be attributed to the balancing factors of an increase in demand for entertainment, but also an increase of these professionals working overseas.

While the education requirements for a game designer may vary slightly by position and specific job duties, such as the requirements for a game artist versus the requirements for a game writer, in general, most multimedia artists and animators need at least a bachelor's degree. Associate degree programs in game design are available, but bachelor's degree programs in the field of game design are even more common.

With the popularity of Esports and the need for video game design skills such as game development, level design, 3D modeling/design, prototyping, Python, animation, and gaming industry knowledge, students will not only learn and develop content knowledge on the cutting edge but receive competitive salaries for their work.  Thus, Morris College seeks to offer an academic new program in Esports-Video Game Design.

Faculty & Staff

Dr. Deloris Y. McBride

Division Chairperson Associate Professor

Dr. D. Wallace-Brown

Director

Dr. James Ibe

Professor

Valerie Warner

Assistant Professor

Dr. B. Craig Douglas

Associate Professor ORM

Dr. Jeffery Proby

Assistant Professor of Business

Course Study Curriculum

Bachelor of Science Degree in Eports-Video Game Design

The Esports-Video Game Design Program 

Objectives

The objectives of the Esports-Video Games Design Program are as follows:

  1. Demonstrate advanced study or engagement into professional practice within Esports and Video Game Design.
  2. Prepare students to address contemporary issues by utilizing evolving technologies, analytical thinking, and design methodologies.
  3. Integrate content knowledge from the core areas of the esports industry into video-integrated learning
  4. Demonstrate skills of individual work, teamwork, group communication, and networking competencies.
  5. Demonstrate effective communication skills integrating digital tools.

Learning Outcomes for the Esports-Video Game Design Program

  1. Summarize fundamental concepts in computing and mathematics appropriate to the discipline.
  2. Analyze a problem, and define and identify computing methods for an appropriate solution.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to design, implement and evaluate a computer-based program to meet desired needs.
  4. Demonstrate the ability to function effectively in teams to accomplish a common goal.
  5. Integrate current techniques, skills, and tools necessary for computing practices.
  6. Demonstrate a level of subject matter content knowledge and applied skills in order to design 
  7. and develop the construction of software systems of varying complexity.
     

General Education Requirements....................... ...................................................................  49

Major Core Requirements.......................... ............................................................................  27

ESP 101:  Introduction to E-Sports................................................................................. .......  3

ESP 102:  Performance and Performance Enhancement Tools in E-Sports...................... ....  3

ESP 201:  E-Sports Business and Marketing............................................................... ..........  3

ESP 202:  Structure and Governance in E-Sports......................................................... ........  3

ESP 301:  Principles of Managing E-Sports.................................................................. ........  3

ESP 302:  Experiential Learning in E-Sports.................................................................. ......  3

ESP 400:  Contemporary Issues in E-Sports......................... ................................................  3

ESP 401:  Health and Performance in E-Sports................................................................ .....  3

ESP 405:  Esports-Video Game Design Capstone….…………………………................ …. 3

VIDEO GAME DESIGN REQUIREMENTS ............................... .......................................  21

VGD 201 Introduction to Game Design and Development..................... ..............................  3

VGD 215 Survey of Video Gaming...................................................... .................................  3

VGD 220 Technical Strategies in Game Design.................. .................................................. 3

VGD 303 Introduction to 3D Animation and Visual............................ ................................   3

VGD 325 3D Game Programming......................... ..............................................................  3

VGD 340. Visual Design and Digital Graphics for Games........................ ............................ 3

VGD 405. Game Development and Design Workshop. .............................. .......................... 3

OTHER COURSE REQUIREMENTS........................ .......................................................... 21

CSC 102: Computer Programming I ......................... ............................................................ 4

CSC 201: Computer Programming II ........................ .............................................................4

CSC 202: Data Structures and Algorithms ......................... ................................................... 3

JRS 300: Junior Seminar ........................................................ ................................................1

MAT 104: Algebra and Trigonometry........................................ ........................................... 3

MAT 105: Elementary Functions…………………………….. ………………………………3

MAT 201: Calculus I........................................................................................................ 3

ELECTIVES……………...................... ………………………………………………………. 6

TOTAL HOURS: …............... ……………………………………………………………….124

Minors

  • Esports-Video Game Design
     

    VGD 201 Introduction to Game Design and Development.......... ..............................  3

    VGD 215 Survey of Video Gaming........................................... .................................  3

    VGD 220 Technical Strategies in Game Design........ .................................................. 3

    VGD 303 Introduction to 3D Animation and Visual.............. ...................................   3

    VGD 325 3D Game Programming................ ..............................................................  3

    VGD 340 Visual Design and Digital Graphics for Games............... ............................ 3

    VGD 405 Game Development and Design Workshop. ..................... .......................... 3

                                                                                                                                           21
     

    VGD 201 Introduction to Video Game Design and Development (3 Credits)
    Introduction to Video Game Design and Development covers the fundamentals of video game design and development concepts in gaming. Emphasis is placed on the history of video games, video game genres, elements of play, developing characters and storylines, game play and storyboard design, level and user interface design, and the game design document.

    VGD 215 Survey of Video Gaming (3 Credits)
    Survey of Video Gaming provides a general understanding of the world of video games.  This includes a survey and analysis of the impacts of games on society as a whole.  The study of various types of video game genres will take place to assess the challenges of design, implementation and testing issues.

    VGD 220 Technical Strategies in Video Game Design (3 Credits)
    Technical Strategies in Video Game Design provides the student with basic concepts of Game User Interface Design.  The concepts include the basic details of game design project management.

    VGD 303 Introduction to 3D Animation and Visual (3 Credits)
    Introduction to 3D Animation and Visual is a practical introduction to creating 3D content for gaming, that will focus on techniques such as modeling, animating, texturing, lighting, and rendering. These techniques will prepare students for creating gaming animation and visualizations.

    VGD 325 3D Game Programming (3 Credits)
    This course focuses on design training that focuses on beginner to expert-level techniques in the area of 3D game development, computer animation, digital painting, and programming. Students will train on programs such UNITY, Maya, 3DS Max, Mudbox, and Photoshop.  Students will build amazing games with Unity’s intuitive and user-friendly interface and learn how to code in the C# programming language.

    VGD 340. Visual Design and Digital Graphics for Games. (3 Credits)
    Visual Design and Digital Graphics for Games focuses on visual design and digital graphics for game-based applications. This course will provide students with hands-on experience with using industry standard software to generate sprites, UI components, textures, and other common 2D elements and compares and contrasts those to 3D modeling and texturing techniques.  Pre-requisite: VGD 303

    VGD 405. Game Development and Design Workshop. (3 Credits)
    Game Development and Design Workshop provides students with practical, individualized guidance in crucial aspects of the design and development process, including ideation, research, prototyping, implementation, documentation, and playtesting.