Since I was a kid, I loved playing games. I played every Spider-Man game that has come out since 2002. I spent time in quarantine jumping out from the Fortnite bus with my best friends. I even do Martial Arts, which is its own kind of game! I wanted to make games because I saw the way it brought people together, how it makes you sharper, tests your reflexes, and actually improves your ability to work with others. Applying to NYU, I knew I wanted to make games that I loved playing as a kid, while also applying those same principles to other fields like medicine and education.
I wanted my work to have an impact on real communities and really make a difference, which is why the Game Center is such a cool place! NYU Game Center is the hub for the game community in New York, hosting a ton of events that promote Indie and AAA developers, as well as a wide variety of tournaments.
Coming into the GC, I didn’t really have a set developer role, but here I learned that was a good thing. The program has so many opportunities to grow as an artist and designer, with classes focused on subjects like: visual design and animation, music and audio design, programming and game design, writing, production management, and even business strategy!
Do you have to know programming to be in the program?
So many people think that, but no! People at the Game Center come from such a wide variety of disciplines. The program is set up to develop skills in whatever you’re interested in while also pushing you out of your comfort zone. Coming into NYU, I didn’t have a specific track in mind, I just liked making games and experimented with a ton of different things like animation, 3D modelling, and writing for games. The portfolio of pieces I had developed over time showed that I was creative and passionate about learning, even though so many of the pieces were not exactly perfect technically-speaking.
When you come into the Game Center, you begin by learning the fundamentals across a variety of fields. This included classes Intro to Game Design (where you learn mechanics and also make your own board games!), Intro to Visual Communication, Intro to Programming for Games, and Intro to Game Studies.
First year was particularly a learning curve for me because I had to learn a very important life skill: Failing is important. By constantly trying things out, both failing and succeeding, you will end up in a better place while learning what works best for you. I was pushed to make better projects by learning to be realistic, planning ahead (do not start on your games the night before, it does not work! ), and focusing more on enjoying the process rather than being obsessed with the outcome.
Once you’ve gotten a chance to experience the full sphere of skills game designers use, you will find your own creative voice and decide how you want to focus your studies and creative energies.
Faculty that are masters of their craft
Professors at the Game Center are all leading names in the games industry and masters of their crafts. They all care so much about what they teach, and you can see that in all their past and current works. The reason I have learnt so much at this program is how the professors use their experience to teach us rather than “by the book”.
Jeff Petriello, one of our adjunct professors, is a graduate of the MFA Game Design program and producer on The New York Times Games Team working on games like Wordle & Spelling Bee. He’s taught me both Intro to Game Design and is currently teaching the Games Production class! He talked to me about how grateful he was for the opportunity to teach, and how being able to TA while at school helped give him a direct pipeline to being able to do that.
Teaching is as important to faculty as it is to students, and Jeff talked about how much his interaction with students helps him in the workplace, “They help me stay in touch with what’s new and groundbreaking. It’s inspiring to see their fresh ideas and how they grow rapidly at such an intense pace.”
He also gets student playtesters for his work and regularly sends job opportunities in the shared Slack channel! In classes like Production, he brings real world examples and processes that are used in professional settings which we can then test out on our school projects.
Shawn Pierre, a resident Faculty professor, makes games that focus on building communities by combining different forms of play together! He teaches Capstone, a senior year-long class where students have to develop a completed game in groups.
This class really takes us through a full development cycle, and teaches you that development IS rocky–especially with the time constraints and the amount of reiterations. Shawn believes in these students, giving them room to make mistakes while providing ideas and guidance when necessary. He also makes sure you are aware of what came before you, adapting ideas through research while also making projects that are personal and say something about you as an artist.
Classes that teach a wide range of skills
I’ve gotten the chance to experiment with a ton of different disciplines within the program! I personally love games with stylized graphics and tons of action, so a lot of the classes I’ve taken have been because I want to make games with that same energy. I’ve taken classes developing skills I was already comfortable with like 3D Animation and Action Game Studio. These classes also helped me figure out my particular style and energy.
I also took classes which were not my natural element like Intermediate Programming for Games and Shader Lab, which involve a heavy amount of programing and math, but are necessary to achieve the look and feel of the games I really like to play. The amazing professors in those classes gave me such in-depth feedback and one-on-one help to make the things I wanted to. This got me to a point where I could confidently make things like full Enemy AI and Comic-style lighting in my games after that!
Whatever kind of games you like, you can find classes that help you make them, whether its Horror Game Studio, Card Game Literacy, or Procedural Generation for Games, all of our professors are so passionate about the things they are teaching!
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