SIOUX CITY, Iowa\u2014 Morningside College freshman Zac Thacker has a chance to turn a lifelong hobby into a career, thanks to a new major starting in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In February, Morningside announced it will offer an animation and video game development major \u2014 a 56-credit program that walks students through game design, animation and programming while reinforcing mathematics and physics lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“My initial reaction was that this is why I decided to come to school,” said Thacker, 19, of Murray, Iowa. “That’s why I got into computer programming in the first place.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professors Rich Yates and Dean Stevens said the idea to incorporate such a major came from looking at the video game industry, the Sioux City Journal reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It makes sense,” said Yates, an arts assistant professor who will handle interaction design and animation courses next year. “Video games are becoming a large industry.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dean Stevens, a computer science professor who will have a hand in the programming side next year, said the major isn’t just about sitting in front of a television all day. He said students will be tested in virtually every subject, from hard sciences and physics to creative storytelling and art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s great because you can pull across all disciplines and integrate it into a major like this,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stevens said the major will likely test the students to develop a working video game from scratch. Students will begin by creating a concept, design the art and then move to animation and creating working characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By graduation, Stevens said, the students will have the ability to create a video game from start to finish on a number of platforms, whether it’s for a major gaming console or a smartphone app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There are all sorts of different kinds of video games, like consoles to more casual app-based games and even industrial uses,” he said. “There’s a wide opportunity horizon for graduates of our program.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stevens and Yates said the idea to implement a video game-related major was born from both student inquiry and a constant increase in demand for video games. Stevens said the industry \u2014 a multibillion-dollar business and growing \u2014 will need more employees to keep up with demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stevens said he was excited to be able to offer the major at Morningside for a group of students who share a mutual hobby. An interest in and appreciation for the science of video games, Stevens said, likely will help students stay motivated and achieve their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I don’t want there to be any illusions. Creating video games is a hard process,” he said. “It involves a lot of work … but it can be really satisfying when you’ve a project that you’ve created and contributed to the world.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After all, Thacker said, the point of a job is to do something he loves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I feel since it’s a hobby and I can live off it, that’d make me really happy and something I always wanted to do,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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