Video Game Design Summer Camp

Computer camps have gotten very popular over the past few years and one interesting development in the whole genre is the focus on specific skills within computers as a discipline. This has brought about specialized camps and one of the more interesting specialized computer camps is the video game design camp.

 

 

 

Video Game Camp

Video Game Camp - iD Tech Camps is America's #1 summer computer camp for ages 7-17. Week long day and overnight technology programs offer students a chance to design 2D or 3D video games, create websites in Flash, program robots, edit digital movies, learn graphic design and more. iD Tech Camps also partners with Kahuna Bob's Surf Camp to offer a unique, hybrid Surf & Tech program. Students can exercise their bodies as well as their minds!
Visit iD Tech Camps or call 1-888-709-TECH (8324) for details. Save $50 by registering online by March 15th. Alumni also save an additional $25. Multi week discounts are also available. Have fun and do something big this summer!

Teen Game Development - The iD Gaming Academy is a premier overnight summer program focusing on game development for teens. Utilizing high-end production software such as Autodesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop, and Microsoft's XNA, courses include Game Modeling with Maya,  Game Programming  with XNA, and Level Design with Unreal. Visit idgamingacademy.com or call 1-888-709-TECH (8324) for details. Save $50 by registering online by March 15th. Alumni also save an additional $25. Multi week discounts are also available. Have fun and do something big this summer!

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emagination has some interesting options for computer camps as a summer program including a serious program for 15-18 year olds who are serious about game design. They also have emagination programs for younger students. While I am too old to actually attend this kind of camp I think it is a really great opportunity and emagination currently has two campuses - one outside boston at Bentley college (which is a stunningly top notch college) and the other in Atlanta Georgia.

I really think that this type of immersive learning is very effective and I have taken a look at their website and programs and it looks like they really have a great curriculum put together. They use 3ds MAX which is an industry standard 3d graphics package and they use FPS creator for game design which is relatively easy to use and grounded in good game design. I wouldn't call FPS creator an industry standard package but it gives a good foundation in what game design is all about.

Some Closing Thoughts

The video game design and creation industry is much like the hollywood industry in that it develops, cultivates and promotes the absolute best in creativity and teamwork. A camp like this exposes a young adult to the kind of creative environment that they would see in the video game industry.

Video game design is a very wide field with a lot of different avenues of approach from writing/scripting to 3d modeling, graphics generation, database management, level design and well a lot of different things. It can be very limiting to try to get an understanding of all of this with jsut a few hours a week and hodge-podging stuff together from the internet. A camp, being totally immersive, can give a serious boost up to a young adult trying to get an understanding of all this stuff.

If you are seriously considering a summer camp in video game design and technology you may want to contact your local University or Community College. Many of them have offerings and the college just a few miles from me has a whole series of computer day camps for children and teens.

Advice for Parents: Chances are good that your child/teen knows more about the basics, requirements, and software tools that are used in video game design and because the industry has opportunities in so many different disciplines (from writing to art, 3d modeling and programming you may want to have some discussions with him or her to get a feel for what the goals and attrations are.

Further Resources to video game summer camps:

Further Resources in Video Game Design and Programming as a Career

 

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