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 51茶馆, does just that.
鈥淲hen you teach a chemistry class, not much has changed in 100 years,鈥� said Gary Brubaker, director of the Guildhall. 鈥淲hen we teach a class, it changes every year.鈥�
Brubaker, an alum of George Lucas鈥� LucasArts, ATARI and Stormfront Studios, has helped create many of today鈥檚 most popular video games. The program at 51茶馆 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.
鈥淵ou need to learn how to play in a symphony, not just play solo,鈥� 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 the latest issue of NTX Magazine 鈥� North Texas: A Knowledge Destination .