The Games and Interactive Media major will provide a depth of knowledge, and a uniform core with foundational knowledge in several areas related to games and interactivity, including: knowledge of the art, design and programming fundamentals of digital game development, as well as the history, social impacts, and business of games. Students also gain valuable skills in communicating and collaborating in team-based projects while building a strong portfolio of games. We partner with game studios to provide an authentic, real-world experience in our coursework. Learning is project-based, resulting in a portfolio of small and large projects that reflects a broad variety of work.
Our students consistently produce high quality content and work for some of the largest and most respected game companies in the world (EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Rockstar, Blizzard, Bungie, Insomniac, and more). Our students and faculty created Plunder Panic, a team-based multiplayer game that received multiple awards, including the coveted People’s Choice Award at IndieCade 2018.
Visit
games.msu.edu
to see examples of student games!
Our program is also the home of the
Games for Entertainment & Learning (GEL) Lab
. The GEL's mission is to design innovative prototypes, techniques, and complete games for entertainment and learning and to advance state of the art knowledge about social and individual effects of digital games.
View the MSU Games & Interactive Media BA Program Listing
.
Technical Skills
Design
Game Design
Virtual / Augmented / Mixed Reality Design
Art/Visuals
3D Animation
3D Modeling
2D Illustration
Technical Art
Concept Design
Environment Design
Sound Design
Game Interface Design
Storytelling
Programming
Foundations of Programming
Game Programming
Artificial Intelligence
Data Mining
Computer Graphics (shaders, rendering, etc.)
Project Management
Time & Task Management
Team Building
Reporting
Budgeting
Soft Skills
Production
Teamwork
Communication
Presenting
Leadership
Negotiation
Self-directed learning
Client relations
Careers
Game Designer
(Lead Designer, Level Designer, Scripter): Includes level design, scripting, and leadership roles in game development teams. Designers are responsible for the planning and execution of a game.
UI/UX Designer
: Focused on user experience, UI/UX designers are tasked with shaping the interaction the audience has with a game or interactive product.
Technical Designer
: A liaison between the programming and design team, concerned with implementation of mechanics and developing tools to aid in design.
Programmer
(Software Engineer, Lead Programmer): Programmers are responsible for the implementation of systems and mechanics in games and interactive media.
3D Artist
(Modeler, Rigger, Animator): Several disciplines are involved in the 3d production pipeline. 3D artists range from generalists able produce finished creations on their own; to specialists in areas like animation, rigging, environment art, visual effect, etc.
2D Artist
(Concept Artist, Illustrator): Much of the planning process of complex 3D games originates as 2D illustrations and sketches made to clarify the intended final product. Many games make use of 2 dimensional graphics for menus, UI, and in game assets.
Technical Artist
: Technical artists are the bridge between the programming team and the art team. Knowledgeable in both programming and the art pipeline they create tools for artists and fix technical problems with assets.
Producer
(Assistant Producer, Associate Producer, Lead Producer): Producers, while generally outside of the technical aspects of game development are instrumental in creating a final product. Producers are focused on organization, deadlines, and team dynamics in an effort to make the development of an interactive media project as smooth as possible.
Project Manager
: Overseeing all aspects of a production, project managers are responsible for the vision of the game as well as the accurate execution of that vision.
Quality Assurance
: QA represents the testing of games to find bugs and errors in the programming. In QA testers will play games exhaustively while logging any bugs or errors they find along the way keeping the development team abreast of areas that need further refinement.
Sound Designer
: The auditory experience of a game is one of its most important aspects. Sound designers range from composers who create interactive scores, to sound effects designers who craft atmospheric soundscapes for their games.
Game Scenario Writer
: Game writers differ from other writers in the sense that they are often tasked with writing branching dialogue that could take a number of different directions based on the user’s choices. Game writers are responsible for keeping a clear narrative in a shifting game environment.
Community Manager
: Face of the company, managers PR, social media, and in game communities. Serves as the go between between a game’s development team and its consumers.
Web Design & Development
: Web developers use a combination of design and programming tools to develop websites for a variety of clients. Careers range from user experience focused designers who create clear layouts for content to programming heavy developers who create complex websites’ backends.
Mobile App Design & Development
: One of the newest additions to the world of interactive media app development is a growing field. App developers create programs for mobile and other smart devices with a focus on functionality and usability.
Using the design process to inform the creative act and fuel innovation using current and emerging technologies
Fluency with the tools, practice, and techniques used in the creation of current and emerging game design and interactive experiences
Interpretation and critique of games in the context of audiences, users, historical precedents, narrative/storytelling, socio-cultural patterns of use, and ethical implications.
Scholarship puts game audio designer on a sound path for the future
Lyndsay Mohr, a senior in the Department of Media and Information majoring in Games and Interactive Media, was one of the just five students from the U.S. and Canada to receive a guild scholarship this year from the Game Audio Network Guild. The honor allowed her to attend GameSoundCon 2023, a national video game audio conference, in Burbank, California.
Read more
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Spartans Will.
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