In a world where technology is a part of every day life, degree programs have to constantly innovate to keep up with an evolving society. The first gaming degree program, the Guildhall at 51²è¹Ý, does just that.
“When you teach a chemistry class, not much has changed in 100 years,” said Gary Brubaker, director of the Guildhall. “When we teach a class, it changes every year.”
Brubaker, an alum of George Lucas’ LucasArts, ATARI and Stormfront Studios, has helped create many of today’s most popular video games. The program at 51²è¹Ý hopes to create more just like Brubaker, but not through traditional methods. Classes enter in the fall and spring, and only contain between 30-45 new students each semester. From the start, participants work with teams containing artists, designers and programmers to create a real world environment, similar to what they would encounter when entering the development field after graduation.
“You need to learn how to play in a symphony, not just play solo,” said Brubaker.
Alumni of the program are being snatched up by big-name companies, including Samsung, who recently worked with a Guildhall graduate to develop their virtual reality technology.
To learn more about the Guildhall, read .