Game - Design and Simulation
Credential: Ontario College Diploma
Delivery: Full-time + Part-time
Length: 4 Semesters
Duration: 2 Years
Effective: Fall 2023
The field of game design and simulation brings worlds to life digitally by creating re-playable scenarios and combining creative, technical and artistic skills to produce interactive environments for players. Game designers support the creation of unique gaming environments that combine levels, characters, assets, props, and systems for a variety of platforms, including computer, console, mobile and wearable devices.
In the Game – Design and Simulation program, students learn how to take a game idea or simulation concept to create compelling experiences as they develop narratives, create and manage 2D and 3D digital assets, and apply the concepts of lighting, animation, cinematography, sound design, and rendering.
Students gain experience with design and simulation tools and techniques that utilize the latest generation of game engines and apply principles of game mechanics and dynamics. This experience can be applied to develop simulations for various industries, such as architecture, engineering, health care, manufacturing, and education and training.
Graduates of this program can apply a variety of game design concepts to support the design and development of games. Graduates contribute to the overall game development process by supporting the creation of comprehensive game design documents, developing and executing iterative design procedures, and contributing to world-building and level design in a game or simulation. There is a strong demand for both video game and simulation world-building, and graduates can enter into a variety of different career opportunities within this field.
Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- identify the differences in game genres in order to develop games that meet the needs of specific markets;
- situate emerging trends within a historical context of games and interactive media to adapt relevant concepts, vocabulary and frames of reference;
- identify and relate concepts from a range of industry roles, including programming, design and art to support the development of games;
- contribute as an individual and a member of a game development team to the effective completion of a game development project;
- develop strategies for ongoing personal and professional development to enhance work performance in the games industry;
- perform all work in compliance with relevant statutes, regulations, legislation, industry standards and codes of ethics;
- use game concepts to support the ongoing iteration, creation, design and development of games;
- apply game design elements to support the ongoing iteration and creation of unique gaming environments, levels, characters, assets and props;
- support the development of evolving and iterative game design documents that align with standard industry expectations and/or company practices;
- conceive, prototype, develop, test and evaluate procedures for the ongoing iteration, creation, design and development of games;
- contribute to world-building and level design in a game engine;
- create video game and simulation environments that embrace equity and diversity to be inclusive of all audience members;
- apply entrepreneurial principles to identify and respond to new opportunities in video game and simulation development environments;
- utilize game design concepts and techniques to create virtual simulations that emulate real-world situations and/or environments that are either hazardous or cost-prohibitive;
- create immersive environments using extended reality technologies in the development of game and simulation applications.
The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.
- Sem 1: Fall 2023
- Sem 2: Winter 2024
- Sem 3: Fall 2024
- Sem 4: Winter 2025
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status
- Grade 12 English (C or U)
Mature students, non-secondary school applicants (19 years or older), and home school applicants may also be considered for admission. Eligibility may be met by applicants who have taken equivalent courses, upgrading, completed their GED, and equivalency testing. For complete details refer to: www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/academic-regulations/
Applicants who have taken courses from a recognized and accredited post-secondary institution and/or have relevant life/learning experience may also be considered for admission; refer to the Credit for Prior Learning website for details:
23 Program Courses
2 Communications Courses
3 General Education Courses
To graduate from this program, the passing weighted average for promotion through each semester, from year to year, and to graduate is 60%. Additionally, a student must attain a minimum of 50% or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each course in each semester unless otherwise stated on the course outline.
The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the Fall intake of the program. Where more than one intake is offered contact the program co-ordinator for the program tracking.
|GAME 1000||Game Art||42|
|GAME 1001||Game Mechanics||42|
|COMP 1115||Game Programming||42|
|MATH 1043||Mathematics and Physics for Game Design||42|
|GAME 1002||Narrative Design and Digital Storytelling||42|
|COMP 1116||Visual Scripting in Unreal||42|
|Select 1 course from the communications list during registration||42|
|GAME 1003||Game Dynamics||42|
|GAME 1004||Game Engines||42|
|GAME 1005||Lighting and Rendering for Games||42|
|GAME 1006||Game Texturing and Modelling||42|
|COMP 1117||Unity Programming||42|
|GAME 1007||World and Interface Design||42|
|Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.||42|
|GAME 2000||Game Animation and Motion||42|
|GAME 2001||Game Design Portfolio 1||42|
|GAME 2002||Game Sound Design||42|
|COMP 2141||Interactive Simulation Programming||42|
|GAME 2003||World and Level Building||42|
|MGMT 2028||Project Management for Game Design||42|
|General Education Course|
|Select 1 course from the general education list during registration||42|
|COMP 2142||Game Artificial Intelligence||42|
|GAME 2004||Game Asset Management||42|
|GAME 2005||Game Design Portfolio 2||42|
|GAME 2006||Game Publishing||42|
|GAME 2007||Mobile Game Design||42|
|General Education Course|
|Select 2 courses from the general education list during registration||84|
Students unable to adhere to the program duration of two years (as stated above) may take a maximum of four years to complete their credential. After this time, students must be re-admitted into the program, and follow the curriculum in place at the time of re-admission.
Disclaimer: The information in this document is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs.
Program outlines may be subject to change in response to emerging situations, in order to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes required for graduation. Components such as courses, progression, coop work terms, placements, internships and other requirements may be delivered differently than published.