Older Players, Global Popularity, Demand for New College Courses
Reflect Game Industry That’s Growing Up

The stereotype of video games as a children’s-only pursuit is as outdated as
a classic Pong console. Sure, teens still play them, but the first wave of gamers
that grew up playing video games in the 1970s and 80s has now reached adulthood
– and many of these avid gamers have children of their own. As a result, millions
of people today are playing, buying and even learning to create new games and
other interactive entertainment products.

Colleges around the country are responding to the gaming industry’s need to
create new products and fill jobs by offering game-related courses for credit.
According to Mary Clarke-Miller, academic director for Game Art & Design
at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco, “The growth in college
programs related to game design reflects a growing need for trained talent in
the interactive entertainment field. Educators are working together with the
game industry to develop relevant programs to fill this need.” . . .

According to the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA), the average
age of a game player is 28 years old, and 90 percent of all games are purchased
by adults over the age of 18. And it’s not just young men playing and buying
games. The IDSA also reports 40 percent of game players are women who tend to
choose role-playing and lifestyle titles. This broad base of game purchasers
has helped to drive video game industry global sales to reach an estimated $31
billion in 2002, according to a report by Informa Media Group. In the United
States alone, sales in 2002 were $10.3 billion according to UBS Warburg.

In addition to the education community’s keen response to this burgeoning industry,
Wall Street is also keeping a close eye on its development; many game-related
hardware and software companies are publicly traded. For example, in the United
States, the launch of three new gaming systems fueled game sales to shoot up
nearly 43 percent to $9.4 billion in 2001, reports market researcher NPD.

For game art students, many of them game players since grade school, a steady
rise in the sophistication level of games requires that “students must
not only have a solid foundation in drawing skills, but also a strong understanding
of acting and storytelling,” says Christian Bradley, Chair of Game Art
& Design at The Art Institute of California – San Diego. Bradley, who has
worked for industry leaders such as Interplay, The Dreamers Guild Studios, and
The Collective Studios, explains that in the early days of game production,
design was driven by technical considerations, providing little more than rudimentary
graphics, however “once those technical hurdles were overcome, graphics
and game art started to play an ever-increasing role in game production.”

At The Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago, Media Arts & Animation instructor
Ed Kerr, says “graphically, game art lagged beyond other entertainment
forms such as television and film, however with current game technology, the
artistic challenges for the artist, and student, approach those of more established
media.” Kerr also believes because rapidly-changing technology places constraints
on the game art medium, game art creators must “ply their craft, communicating
clearly and effectively within the limits of the game design.”

And, although the game art field as a career is growing, more graduates with
game art degrees means increased competition for jobs. “Graduates should
anticipate starting near the bottom – like most other fields – and working their
way up,” says Mark Meier, a game art instructor with The Art Institute
of Phoenix, and a creator of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games. “The
best prospects for jobs may be smaller, or less established companies, where
advancement can be quick,” he adds.

So with an industry exploding as quickly as gaming, is there any end in sight
to its growth? “When we consider that currently only a small segment of
the population is computer literate, the potential for increased growth, in
the industry and the jobs needed to fill it, looks very promising,” says
Meier.

Filed under: Editorials

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