Gaming degree has potential

By the Journal Editorial Board | Wednesday, September 17, 2008

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Love them or hate them, video games are an integral part of our culture and have become a social tool for children and many adults.

Gaming is an industry surrounded by a debate that is riddled with questions about violence, social values and the impact video games have on young minds.

Gaming is also a multi-billion dollar industry that is growing and, theoretically, waiting for up-and-coming game designers to create the next games that will captivate new and current players alike.

That’s the hope, anyway.

Dakota State University in Madison is taking a chance there’s a   future for South Dakota students interested in designing video games and is offering a Bachelor’s of Science degree in computer game design. It will be the first of it’s kind program in South Dakota.

DSU students have a unique opportunity to do much more than simply learn how to create a computer game: They have an opportunity to question a game’s worth and how they can increase its value to society or, if they should make one at all.

It’s an ambitious goal, but why not? A four-year degree should go well beyond the basic training and help students understand their places, and responsibilities, to the world around them. DSU, being the first in the state to enter the video game education arena, could ignite the video game discussion and carve out its place as the video game leader in South Dakota.

The DSU program is interdisciplinary; that we like to see. And we’d hope simply being able to design a game and find employment in the gaming industry isn’t the goal of the degree program.

We would hope students leave the program not only with an appreciation of what to create, but an appreciation for what not to create and, more importantly, why not to.

Should there be some level of responsibility attached to game makers? We think so. The impact of video games in undeniable. Millions of youth spend countless hours in front of games. Argue that as you may, but the reality is a game shouldn’t be   socially destructive.

We do thrive under our free market economy but the products should still reflect some social concern, and many do not. A well-educated game designer, appreciating the world around him or her, would have the potential to influence video game production for the better.

The video game design curriculum at DSU will be heavy in math, computer and gaming courses and light in the arts, ethics, English and philosophy. Maybe administration should flip that around? Students would be better served to learn the basics of creating a game and the responsibilities that come with introducing one to the masses.

It’s worth thinking about and would serve a grander purpose than creating yet another version of Grand Theft Auto.

That’s the challenge before DSU instructors and maybe it should be an expectation for DSU students.