During a time in the world's history when entertainment is not just an industry, but a supporting force keeping people sane in isolation, the demand for fresh talent in the gaming industry has never been more intense. In previous generations, programmers were expected to shell out for CS degrees and the return on investment was a bit of a gamble. Today, The School of Game Design is offering a lifetime membership for $59 (discounted to $49 as of this writing).
The School of Game Design currently has over 120 hours of step-by-step instructional videos made to guide beginning programmers through the tumultuous first steps of learning game design through both programming and the more subtle art of aesthetic design. More advanced programmers will be able to pick up recently developed techniques they might not otherwise be aware of. In addition to up-to-date instructional videos, students can receive support from experienced instructors, access a huge library of royalty-free game art and textures, and refine both their coding and digital artistry skills through design projects.
The courses focus on Unity for the 3D portions, and GameSalad Basic for the 2D portions. Anyone with a computer running either Windows 8.1/10 or Mac OS X 10.9 or higher can make full use of the program. The Unity game engine, which is used by major studios around the globe to make indie and AAA games, is free to students and game programmers who have raised less than $100k in the past 12 months. GameSalad Basic is accessed via a monthly subscription, which is discounted if the user signs up for an annual contract.
In addition to Unity and GameSalad, The School of Game Design teaches students how to make full use of Autodesk Maya, which is free for students enrolled in K-12 or college level schooling. Informative lessons on Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, which require a $9/mo subscription each, will help students avoid the common pitfalls of photo-manipulation, as illustrated by the recent promo image for a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare blueprint pack. Since the instructional videos are meant to be taken at the students' own pace, no further purchases need to be made until students are ready for them.
Many game studios have been attempting to level the playing field for beginning game designers, especially game designers of color, as is evidenced by Valve's recent support for the Game Devs of Color Expo back in September. It takes a very special kind of person with a high level of dedication to take a game from concept to reality, and the only way to get more representation from traditionally impoverished populations is through programs just like this.
Lifetime access to The School of Game Design is available now for PC and mobile. Pickup a subscription here.