Studies & Degrees in Game & Simulation Programming

Choose where you would like to study Game & Simulation Programming:

As technology nowadays vastly evolves in many different aspects of function in civilization, the world of “Game & Simulation Programming” is proudly progressing as well. They are continuously developing in terms of quality of their finished products. From sound cards (high-definition digital-quality of sounds) to high-definition and/or 3D gaming graphics.

When we say the word “game”, we think about children playing endlessly and we think about fun. But game & simulation programming is not just entirely about games anymore, it is about so much more.

It has helped a lot of businesses earn huge amount of money, selling to children and adolescents, the age bracket of people showing interest in video games has really grown recently. As more and more people become familiar with technology, even our grandparents are beginning to join the fun.

The biggest video game company in the world is Nintendo and Electronic Arts is the second. The gaming world earned $9.5 billion in the US alone in 2007 and $11.7 billion in 2008 (ESA or Entertainment Software Association annual report).

Super Mario is the best-selling video game of all time which sold 240 million copies worldwide, followed by Pokemon selling 200 million copies, Tetris with 125 million copies, The Sims (life-simulation game which was released just in 2000) sold 125 million copies already and Need for Speed (car-racing game) that sold a 100 million copies.

Aside from video game marketing, simulation programming is the next biggest thing that has happened in the history of graphic arts.

Simulation means imitating or recreating “real-life”, in short role-playing. The advancement in simulation has helped a lot of people in honing their craft in different fields of expertise.

One being flying a plane or a helicopter. Students who wants to become a pilot train on a simulation before going hands-on in a real plane. Astronauts also train with simulations to closely get in touch with what to expect in space. Another one is using simulation for science. A scientist uses simulation for their experimental analysis.

Game & simulation programming have a varieties of jobs to offer including game designers, creative game directors, programmers, lead designers, animators, artists, technical directors, video game testers, lead game testers, audio designers and even music composers and musicians.

In the United States game graphic designers earns $40,000 to $70,000, creative game directors earns $45,000 to $90,000, an amount of $50,000 to $90,000 for programmers and $25,000 to $45,000 for video game testers who many of us think have the coolest job ever and as they say: “are being paid to have fun”.

Here are some colleges and universities offering bachelors in game and simulation programming courses: University of Phoenix, Strayer University, Brown College, Westwood College, Rasmussen College in US. Devry University has universities in both US and Canada. Nihon Kogakuin College in Tokyo, Japan and Edith Cowan University in Australia.