My future...

What do I want from University?
Like pretty much all students, I want a career in the profession I’m studying. I guess to get a job in gaming would be a dream come true. I would love to be a concept artist. I don’t really mind yet what company I would do that job for but in the future I’ll have a better idea about what specifics I would search for in a career. The idea of me doing what I love to do for a living is so exciting but just because I love it, it doesn’t mean I’ll expect it to be easy. In fact, I hope it is sometimes quite challenging where I have to push myself to the limit to draw out the best of my abilities. I’ll do whatever it takes to become the artist I aim to become.

I, like all the first years so far, have a long way to go until we are ready to play a role in the industry. My skills are slowly improving and I’m beginning to discover and understand things I never thought I could. I’ve learnt to value art in all its forms and what qualities you observe in order to develop a mature and professional opinion. My drawing has vastly improved and I’ve learnt a wide variety of techniques that I employ to make my artwork more authentic. The 3D work has definitely been the most arduous, especially the computer work, but like I hoped the knowledge is starting to sink in.

These are just a few of the many things I have learnt and I state them because in order to pursue my dream career, I’ll need to hone all of my capabilities. This is what my future counts on.

Specialized education Vs. Liberal arts

Before I did a bit of research for this week’s task, I didn’t actually have any idea at all what a liberal arts education consisted of but now having a good idea, the thought really does appeal. It definitely sounds like an improvement from a regular education, especially from my personal experiences. But of course, it does have some disadvantages. I would say the main drawback is that it’s much more expensive than your usual education.

I think another problem this day in age is that a lot of career paths would consider a traditional, liberal arts education a little dated and opt for a more modern one when thinking of employment. I believe that the game industry for instance would choose to employ a university graduate specifically trained to do that job.

My actual question for this entry is how can education convene these differing outlooks and make learning a wholesome experience for the students? A particular issue that I and most others had through school was that a much greater student-to-teacher ratio. In a liberal arts college they put fewer students in one class to allow a more personal learning system between the teacher and the student. I think this is definitely a more beneficial way of learning and if you are struggling with your studies, the teachers are more likely to notice. These are some ideas that I would have preferred to have witnessed back when I was at school.

I don’t know if this could be applied in some way to regular schools or colleges but if it was, it would make learning a more calming concept for kids these days.

The Sound of Gaming

In games, sound is utilized to form an atmosphere. For instance, in a survival horror such as Resident Evil, audio is used to create moments of tension. Sometimes they use it to trick you. The dramatic music begins and you wonder what could be lurking behind the corner only it turns out that you’re in a zombie-free zone.

Now, I don’t completely know who the key composer’s are today but I can say whose work I appreciate the most. Firstly, Nobuo Uematsu composed music in the Final Fantasy series which is one of my favourite series. Another composer I have a high regard for is Troels Brun Folmann who composed the music for the three most recent additions of the Tomb Raider collection.

Key sonic moments in my gaming history include the big battle against Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII. The song for this encounter is called “One Winged Angel” and it’s a truly awesome piece of music and probably one of the most popular of the Final Fantasy series. I also really like how in Tomb Raider when you enter a new chamber, dramatic orchestral music kicks-in, creating an impression of epic discovery.

For my final question, I don’t know if “Good Times” was one of the most influential recordings in the 20th century. But I do know that its creators, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards are two of the most influential names in contemporary music. I also know that “Good Times” was the birth of modern hip-hop.

Game Engine Technology

A game engine is a software system intended for the design of computer games. The centre function of a game engine consists of a rendering and physics engine, animation, AI, sound, scripting and networking on top of other minor purposes.

Additive and subtractive are terms used to depict the method in which a level is made within the game engine. Some engines use the subtractive creation where you begin with solid masses and use brushes to shape them. But this can cause some complications such as crashing. The additive creation works in the opposite way where you begin with a bare space and build up from there.

Some developers buy into proprietary game engines. This can have its advantages and disadvantages. If they produced their own game engine, they could be praised for building the technology that makes their games original. Also, other developers may want to invest in the engines they make, giving them a hefty profit. The downside could be that it takes a lot of time and money to generate.

The key issues for “next-gen” game engines are that because games are becoming more complex and require every little detail to be perfect to make it work. So it’s pretty clear that there is a lot of demand for new technology that is both effective and reliable to use.