Animation and Graphic Game Programming - NHTI - Concord's Community College

Animation and Graphic Game Programming from NHTI - Concord's Community College is a Campus Associate Programming degree that prepares you for a IT career. The degree of Associate in Science with a major in Animation and Graphic Game Programming will be awarded upon successful completion the program. The business of game development in the United States has recently passed $13 billion dollars in annual sales, almost twice the annual sales of motion pictures. The game industry is fast growing with opportunities for a wide variety of jobs. A number of \\\"hot spots\\\" for game development exist throughout the country. The greater Boston area is one of these spots with several major studios. Creating computer programs using animated graphics is a challenging and fascinating process. It is very exciting to see others play the games you created! The Animation and Graphic Game Programming (AGGP) curriculum focuses on programming and the technical computer aspects of game development. Successful game development programmers possess a high level of skill and expertise in programming, math, and physics to make the artistic come to life. An introduction to tools and skills for game development and game production will be provided to support team projects. This introduction to common tools and skills will include those used by artists and designers. This program prepares students for: entry level computer programming jobs in the entertainment business or a wide range of industries such as medical, forensics, architectural, training development, advertising or any industry incorporating animation and graphics to improve communication; and/or the opportunity for advanced education in the field of animation and graphics via degree granting schools or specialized schools focused on the entertainment fields. The AGGP program focuses on C\\\\C++, the main programming language used to develop games. Students will learn strong C++ programming skills including data structures with pointers, Windows application programming, and Microsoft\\\'s DirectX programming. Other important programming and scripting languages used to in development and production of games. This will include Adobe Flash Actionscript, Microsoft C#, Sun Java, and Epic\\\'s Unreal Script. Math and physics play a key role in game development and are incorporated in all related courses. Students are required to take a specific course blending math, physics, and game programming. Having a course devoted to this topic is relatively unique in game development curriculums at the community college and bachelor levels. Students will have an introduction to 2-D and 3-D programming using Microsoft\\\'s XNA Game Studio. XNA Game Studio is a software framework for game development built on top of Microsoft .NET technology. Using XNA, students will learn cross platform programming among Windows PCs, Xbox 360s, and Windows 7 Phone devices. Students programming with XNA who do exceptional and polished work will find an opportunity to submit their work for sale on Xbox Live Indie Games Marketplace and the Window 7 Phone Application Marketplace. The students will learn to utilize Epic\\\'s Unreal Engine, the leading state of the art 3-D engine used in a large portion of the industry. The Unreal Engine and games using the engine have has won numerous prestigious industry awards, including several \\\"Game of the Year\\\" awards. Students will learn to create custom content and maps using 3ds Max and the Unreal Engine tools. Students are required to take a second course on 3-D application design using the Unreal Engine and Unreal Script, a C++ and Java like language created to script the Unreal Engine. Students will be provided an opportunity to use the Unreal Engine for their capstone team project. In the past few years, game development has exploded in the areas of web based multi-player games and hand held devices. These changes have been fueled by advancements in new technology and lower barrier of entry including a significantly smaller team sizes. The massive adoption of social networks such as Facebook and the increasing use of new smart phones and other hand held devices with health application creation support have provided new ways to serve content to users. Students will be introduced to these emerging technologies and work with leading platforms associated with Apple\\\'s iPhone, Google\\\'s Android, and the Microsoft Windows 7 Phone. As with XNA Game Studio described above, students who do exceptional and polished work with these technologies will find an opportunity to submit their work for sale in application marketplaces. Keys to the success of the graduates: Having a passion for games is required for this degree , and one\\\'s passion for games must be all encompassing. Creating games is not the same as playing them! Successful individuals in the game industry possess good time management skills, self motivation, and a strong work ethic. Long hours of research and development are expected and required of students in the AGGP program. Each student will be required to develop a portfolio to display their skills and projects. The content provided in this portfolio will include work that demonstrates one\\\'s individual skills and ability to work within a structure of a team. In addition, each student will take part in a capstone team project that will demonstrate both skills and teamwork. Student portfolios are required to be made available on the Internet with an easily accessible web address. View more details on NHTI - Concord's Community College . 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