Hello!!! I wanted to become a Game Designer professional. No a programmer, 3D modeler, visual artist, etc. When I sought a Game Design course online in the internet, I didn't find. I found courses on building a game, of the beginning to the end. Courses about programming, AI, 2D art, 3D, Sons, etc. But any just on 'Game Design.' Does anybody know if exists a course online just on 'Game Design?' To create stories, balance, mechanisms, rules storyline, etc. Thanks!!!

I Googled "online courses in game design" and a bunch of schools came up. If you do that, you'll get a nice big list.

The reason you don't find it on "Game Design" as an actual single course, is because it isn't one. Game Design is:

Expository Writing 101 and 102
Creative Writing 101 and 102
Introduction to Programming (and more programming if you want to design AI)
Math classes (Balance, systems, mechanics)
Physics (game physics)
Drawing, Painting, Computer Art (concept art)
Psychology (balancing a system against exploitation, knowing what can be fun)

In other words, the stuff you've been learning in High School and in College (if you're there already). "Game Design" is a very broad thing, not something you could sit down and be taught.

The Google List shows a lot of schools that have the ability to do online classes, so you may want that. Since I'm a game designer who didn't go to school for game design (I'm not a progammer, 3D artist either, and those things didn't exist when I went to college), I can't help much past this. Sorry.

[Edited by - ellis1138 on June 11, 2006 4:08:18 PM]

Where I live there (Canberra, Australia) is a game development school. They offer courses in programming and 3D graphics, but not design. The reason, is because design is a very broard subject and you need to have a simmilarly broard education.

If you want to get into Game Design (That is my goal too), then you need to start in some other sector of the game industry. You can try graphics if you are artistically minded, or programming if you are good at that. Also you might try as a game play tester.

Game testers might sound like a good job, but it is harder than it sound. It is not just sitting around playing game all the time (though that does occure). You will need to be able to analyse a game logically and be able to be critical, and be precise about what you say (you can't just say "This game Rox"). Good written and verbal skills are needed.

You will have to play games to the point that they are no longer interesting and then keep playing. However, this can be a lot of fun as you will have access to games that haven't been released, and you job is to play games[/] and analyse them. If you do enjoy playing games a lot then this might be one method of gaining entry into the role of a game designer.

One of the game designers I have talked to said that he got into the industry by taking a job as a janitor in the computer game development company. So keep your options open, and you will be unlikely (even if you do a game designer course) of getting a job as a designer straight away. This means that you would benifit on having other skills (like graphics or programming) as well.

Some other things that would be good to learn (but not nessesarily essential):
Game Theory (this is a branch of mathematics, and you will be making games...)
Languages other than your native language (this can help with working with people around the world and can help you be creative as you learn about other languages and cultures)
Military Tactics and Strategies (Most games are about conflicts and these deal with armed conflicts)
Diplomacy (Again, like the Military Strt & Tac this deals with conflics and their resolutions)
Political Science (Knowing how real life governments work can help with design)
Boardgame developemnt and design (although not computer based games, they still are games and the thought processes are similar)

To add to what Ellis1138 said about looking for a game design school through a search engine like google, that is a good thing to do and you will find many colleges and universities that offer on campus as well as distance learning in the field of game design.
Well I have dont that a few times and spoken to some of the admissions counselors about what they offer in game design. But the only problem is that just about all of the game design courses costs an arm and a leg. The cheapest Ive ever seen it was $30,000. Both on campus programs as well as distance learning. Thats why I just stick to the tutorials that a lot of internet sites provide. Its a lot cheaper and a lot less demanding. But thats just me.

Quote:Original post by double O seven
To add to what Ellis1138 said about looking for a game design school through a search engine like google, that is a good thing to do and you will find many colleges and universities that offer on campus as well as distance learning in the field of game design.
Well I have dont that a few times and spoken to some of the admissions counselors about what they offer in game design. But the only problem is that just about all of the game design courses costs an arm and a leg. The cheapest Ive ever seen it was $30,000. Both on campus programs as well as distance learning. Thats why I just stick to the tutorials that a lot of internet sites provide. Its a lot cheaper and a lot less demanding. But thats just me.

Can you post the links to the tutorials plz.
thx

Go to Google.com

Type in: tutorial game design

Click on links.

If one wants to be a "game design professional", one needs to get used to doing one's own research and work.