SOU students turning love of video games into lucrative careers

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Students who may have been scolded by their parents for spending too much time playing video games are turning their passion into promising careers, thanks to more universities offering degrees in video game design and development.

The Entertainment Software Association reported last week that 300 American colleges and universities are offering courses and degrees in video game design, development, programming and art this academic year, a nearly 20 percent increase over last year.

Southern Oregon University has been ahead of the curve, offering such courses since 2005.

“When I first started doing this, people thought it was a joke,” said Greg Pleva, chairman of SOU’s Computer Science department who teaches three courses in game programming as part of a computer science degree program. “It’s certainly becoming more acceptable by schools.”

Pleva’s classes expose students to all aspects of creating a game, from story lines and character development to design and coding.

“It’s one of the most difficult things a programmer can do,” said Pleva, who was a student at SOU in 1992 and began working there in 1996.

The classes begin with basic tools and work up to complex graphics.

The students begin with a blank background and build their own worlds, including movement, sound effects, even music. Each assignment has requirements, such as waterfalls or cloud movement, that must be included in the game.

“This is an artistic area for people to play with,” Pleva said.

The elective classes draw a variety of students, because the only requirement is one class of programming. Some students from other departments, such as math and science, are common, but Pleva sees art and digital media students as well.

He said that video games have many applications, from medical training and advancement to educational games.

Pleva has a collection of finished projects from students, and each one is unique, he said. He hopes to show them to the rest of the school during the Southern Oregon Arts and Research presentations at SOU in the spring.