Australian & New Zealand game education

[:(!]where does western australia fit into the equation arent we good enough?[?]

yeh represent da westsida!!

as far as i know, we only got one accredited course. This course is held at FTI. However, i think at present it is only focused on the frontend of things (graphics, animation blah blah) with plans for future courses to hold a stream in the back end (programming blah blah). Having said that, im not sure whether they will include at all, a unit in actual game design (learning to build something worth playing blah blah).

For more info hit up the website. www.fti.blah blah.

I'm doing a Bachelor of Digital Media at the moment. I'm in my second semester of my 2nd year and it's getting good. It's at The College of Fine Arts UNSW. http://www.cofa.unsw.edu.au

There is one subject "Narrative and Gameplay" where we study games a bit more in depth. We also do subjects in 3d modelling and animation. But if you do take this course, be prepared to slug your way through a LOT of preliminary couses such as photography, typography, modern art, post modern art etc... Their aim is to give you a well rounded knowledge with fundamentals of art to help develop your overall aesthetic sensibilities. Which is good IMO but time consuming.

It's a 3 year course. In the third year you get to work on portfolio stuff and direct your studies more towards what you're interested in.

For 2D and 3D artists, it's an ok course. But if you want hardcore vocational training, do not come here. This place is about cultivating your mind, not just your software skills. you'll have to work on your 3d modelling/life drawing in your own time.

Just my 2 cents.

If you have any further questions, try posting on our message forum:
http://phorum.cofa.unsw.edu.au/list.php?f=5

It is good to see murdoch uni has finally got a course here in perth, the first year is a lot of programming and mathamatics. The second year is when they actually get into the real game development.

This is good stuff, Im auctually looking at courses at the moment...sought of

I am actually enroled in the Murdoch Games Technology course for 2004. I start feb 2004. I will keep u guys posted on how it goes and if it is any use in the games industry!

Wish ME Good Luck [:)]

Acer

Oi! ur in WA acer? cool, how long is da course for? does it cover all aspects of gaming or is it strictly program based? Im currently enrolled in FTI animation course. It's only the initial weeks so theres not really alot to talk about now, but atm its pretty tight.

My partner is going through the process of being enrolled into the course at murdoch. The first year is pretty straight forward, so he will be excempted from most of the first year. The second and third year is more on the game devlopment side of things.
I will let you know how he goes...

Hi, this is my first post!
Anyway, I'm in my 3rd year of Bachelor of Information Technology / Bachelor of Creative Industries (Communication Design) at QUT.
According to QUT "This four year double degree prepares students for work in the games development and entertainment industries."
Its a good degree but I'm not sure how much it really is preparing us for a career in game development as we haven't done much to combine the skills of both degrees yet, but hopefully we will be doing that next year on our final project. I'm excited because my year will be the first year to graduate from this double degree and there is only about 6 or 7 of us, of which I am 1 of only 2 girls. This course needs a bit of ironing out yet as its only new but I think it will be excellent in the future.
[url]http://www.studyfinder.qut.edu.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/StudyFinder.woa/2/…]
Ok, thats the end of my plug!

Great comments - good to see many of you in different institutions.. keep us updated on your course when you finish!

well most of you are lucky to have one place that offers specifically game dev courses...i live in the most un-gamely state in Australia...TASMANIA!

But the AIE is looking good and relatively close so Im happy

AIE has just opened up a melbourne campus in the atari house. not sure on the details, there is information somewhere on the aie website though.

yeh...i have checked out the details on the Melbourne campus and they r not taking 1st year programmers until 2005 or something...so i have to wait and see if I get a funded position in Canberra, if not i'll do something else until 2005

I believe monash and latrobe also have 3 year bachelor (comp sci?) degrees in game development (or majoring in game dev). It would be worth checking these out.
CYer, Blitz

University of Technology, Sydney will start offering 2 new courses on games in 2004. See http://www-staff.it.uts.edu.au/~ypisan/ for details.

2 courses does not make a degree, but it is a start...

Yusuf

The La Trobe URL is a link to the general page rather than the computer-science department. The proper URL is http://www.latrobe.edu.au/cs

I should have provided some more info about La Trobe. I'm a research student and tutor there(my topic is "methodologies for generating realistic audio in computer games"). You can only get the "majoring in games technology" printed on your degree if you do 4 years, and you don't do any game stuff until third year. It is a computer science degree, and covers all the fundamentals that this implies. You can see the full list of subjects at http://www.latrobe.edu.au/cs/undergraduates/subjects/
Of course game systems can be studied at up to and including phd (doctoral) level.

Hi there,

Has anyone here studied at Media Design School in Aucks? What did you think of it - good teachers, good education, value for money etc?

Has anyone been on or enrolled in their new computer game design course? I'm interested in going on it but don't want to be a guinee pig

quote:Originally posted by lorien

I should have provided some more info about La Trobe. I'm a research student and tutor there(my topic is "methodologies for generating realistic audio in computer games"). You can only get the "majoring in games technology" printed on your degree if you do 4 years, and you don't do any game stuff until third year. It is a computer science degree, and covers all the fundamentals that this implies. You can see the full list of subjects at http://www.latrobe.edu.au/cs/undergraduates/subjects/
Of course game systems can be studied at up to and including phd (doctoral) level.

Four years, damn. I think there are a lot easyer ways to get into the industry.

quote:Originally posted by Doord


Four years, damn. I think there are a lot easyer ways to get into the industry.

Blow jobs and bribes?

quote:Originally posted by chris_w

Hi there,

Has anyone here studied at Media Design School in Aucks? What did you think of it - good teachers, good education, value for money etc?

Has anyone been on or enrolled in their new computer game design course? I'm interested in going on it but don't want to be a guinee pig

Hi Chris,
If you need any more details on the course, I strongly suggest posting your query in the NZGDA (New Zealand Games Developer Association) forum - they just put the forum up a short while ago, and it's frequented by Sidhe people, and also people running game dev courses in NZ.. [url="http://www.nzgda.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=4"]The forum is this way[/url]! If anyone has an unbiased review of the course, please do post it here. [:)]

I live in sydney and was wondering if there are any degrees/courses in game development or design in my area? I know there are courses at Charles Sturt but that is too far for me to go. I attended a careers market a year or two ago that had information for a college i think but i cannot find the info that i got that day.
Could you help me out please?????
[?]
Thanx!!!

sorry to sort of change the subject, but for all the Tasmanites here on Sumea, the University of Tasmania offers a unit in Game Development in the Honours (4th) year...check out [url]http://www.admin.utas.edu.au/HANDBOOKS/UTASHANDBOOKS/UNITS/UNITSK/KXA46…]

I was just wondering, for 3d modeling do you need to be able to draw like on paper really well. Even though being 3d in a computer means you can edit it to what it should look like even if your artistic talent is the size of a pea.

it wouldnt hurt. you should be able to draw.

I can draw, stick figures. But i have plenty of time to practise.

Hey im from perth and just finished a advanced dip. in animation last year at central tafe, its mainly just modelling and animation no coding at all and now im currently studying at FTi as part of the CADSA program developing game demos. this finish's half way threw the year and i was wanting to move to Melbourne can anyone recommend any course to study in melb while looking for work, main only interested in the graphic side of game dev !!!

thanks
Colm
p.s i will soon have my portfolio up at www.touchmydesign.com have a look if your intrested

hi...can any one tell me hows the diploma of multimedia in southbank institute of tafe....

is the course in griffth university.....wots it called....cant find it on thier website....

Queensland TAFE.
I?ve just finished the Diploma of Games development at Brisbane institute of TAFE. The course is supposedly the TAFE version of the game diploma run at Qantm, meaning that it is somewhat cheaper because of the government subsidy (though still expensive), but also lacking in resources compared to Qantm. I found it to be an excellent course that while only runs for one year, really improved all my game development skills (2d drawing, 3d modelling, programming etc). It was however a bit disorganised, and required plenty of self motivation.

Like any course of this nature, it is extremely important to be highly motivated. I went through with seven other guys, and all but one other dropped out through the year. You can?t go into a career in games development without a great attitude, so don?t think that just because a particular course is very expensive or highly acclaimed means that it will be easy. I think the most important aspect of a good game developer is their personal motivation, not their education, so for me, the tafe option was the best. Just make sure you really want to succeed in the industry, and you can make it happen. [:)]