Media Design School has been one of the more prominent gaming institutions in New Zealand for quite a while now, so it's pleasing to find out how rigorous and demanding their courses are for students looking into a challenging career in game development. So, how intensive is it? Well, first year drop out rates are very high, as remarked by a student currently studying there in an article over at voxy.co.nz.
Media Design School's Marketing Executive, Stephanie Dunant, also provides some harsh realities for students about the industry itself. From the article...
If you want to be part of the games industry, there are a few things to take into consideration. First, playing games and making them are two different things. This is an industry you have to have a passion for and not expect high levels of salary when you start. A lot of people have left high paid IT jobs in favour of the games industry because it is a much more rewarding, interesting, and fun industry to work in, not because of the pay check.The intense nature of our qualifications doesn't give much time to rest and commitment, passion, and drive are essential to succeed in the industry and in the course as much as technical and creative abilities.
It is a hard industry to get in, and the competition can be fierce so it is important to never give up. If this is your dream and you give yourself all the chances to succeed, then nothing's impossible.
The article covers what Media Design School offers, their connections with the industry, and what knowledge and software the school expects their students should know before they apply, so if you're planning to enrol to Media Design School, have a look through to see if you fit the bill beforehand!
The Media Design School
The Media Design School don't know anything about games development, beyond what they get from the one course book they use. There is no serious games development in NZ, so I don't know what industry connections they are talking about.
You don't gotta be tough to get in, you just gotta have a fat wallet. Buy a games development book and a ticket out of NZ, it'll be cheaper than going to the MDS, and will be a lot more productive.
Do your research before you comment
What I am about to say is my personal opinion as I have personally worked with the Games Faculty at Media Design School (MDS) and I have first hand information about what it is all about.
So, to respond to this badly written and certainly very badly informed comment on the post on Media Design School, I will say this:
First, Media Design School's Game Development curriculum has been created in collaboration and under advice from New Zealand's leading Game Development company Sidhe Interactive, a company which would be offended to read that New Zealand doesn't have any serious game development industry.
Also, the caliber of the tutors teaching at Media Design School is really high, with programming and art tutors who have worked on many shipped games (over 15 shipped games across all tutors from the faculty) and who have worked for companies such as Microsoft, Sierra, EA games... and on titles including Halo 3 and on platforms such as Xbox, Xbox 360, PSP, Nintendo DS, Playstation 2 and 3...
The school also benefits from the Sony PSP dev kits.
The industry connection from MDS' Grad Dip goes beyond New Zealand as well. In NZ, MDS is connected to Sidhe Interactive, Stickmen Studios, Grinding Gears, Metia Interactive, Ninja Kiwi, and overseas grads have gone to Krome Studios in Australia and MDS' industry panel also has people from Semic Logic Entertainment, Midway, Sony Online...
A lead programmer from Krome Studios even says about MDS in the school's latest brochure, "I've had the good fortune to work with three MDS graduates on our team, in a variety of roles in Programming and Art. All three have entered the industry with a good solid idea of what we're about and how we operate, and hit the ground running like seasoned professionals."
Finally, the production time that students get to benefit from during the last part of their course is really what makes the difference for them in the industry and when looking for a job.
So before you just attack this school, do your research and also have the courage to put your name on your post - being anonymous doesn't really make for a strong, meaningful accusation.
If people are serious about a career in the games industry, like any other careers, people need to work hard, constantly learn, and keep at it. And certainly learn from more than one text book... The times when people could just make games in the darkness of their garage are long gone.
So that said and if you want to know more about what MDS is really about and even meet the tutors (http://mediadesign.school.nz/courses/game-development/faculty/), I would be really happy to show you around the school personally... so let me know.
Stephanie
stephanie@mediadesign.school.nz