Issue Date: December 15, 2002

Milestones in home gaming history

Bonus play

How video games went from the darkened back rooms of suburban malls to the lecture halls.

By Joe Neumaier

When most kids prepare for college, they cram for the SATs, read up on the classics and draft personal essays. Kenneth Anderson built a virtual space fleet for interstellar missions. A lifetime gamer, Anderson, 21, is now a sophomore at the Art Institute of California-San Francisco, earning academic credit in what is fast becoming the hottest program on campus: Game Art & Design. He has advanced to the next level, the educational equivalent of bonus play.

Although it may sound like one step away from a degree in channel surfing, game design is now a legitimate career path. In the age of the Internet, more than a dozen colleges have added a four-year program in the subject. There is even a master's program at the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology. "People have realized video games are culturally valuable and worthwhile to study," says Chris Shaw, who teaches computer science at Georgia Tech. "It's a brand new vista of opportunity."

This year, video games are expected to exceed $10 billion in sales, more than even Hollywood makes. And with games showing up on everything from cellphones to DVDs, the market is rapidly expanding. The holidays are the biggest season for new releases, and there is no shortage this year. In 2002, about 700 titles hit the market, many of which -- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Madden 2003, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers -- are franchises that have become cultural landmarks, in the way that Star Wars and Thriller were a generation ago.

With their irresistible combination of role-playing and problem-solving, video games are the defining form of entertainment for Gen X. The power of gaming may lie in its virtual hybridism. With elements of drama, fantasy and music, "it's the predominant medium for the 21st century," says Chris Gray, 34, a senior producer at Electronic Arts of Redwood City, Calif., one of the biggest game publishers. "Every art can be incorporated into a video game. No other medium can make that claim."

This generation of game makers grew up against the backdrop of the computer technology explosion. They are the guys who hung out all day in mall arcades, defending their high scores on games that existed on multiple levels with photo-realistic characters and complex, open-ended narratives. To them, Sonic the Hedgehog and Street Fighter weren't silly distractions whose only required skill was hand-eye coordination, but rather a chance at heroism and glory for the price of a quarter.

Video games are not just children's toys anymore. And these upstart college programs aren't licenses to goof off. You won't find courses like "How to Rack Up Points 101" or "Classic Joy Stick Maneuvers." There are reading assignments on the intricacies of computer-bit technology and midterms on color theory and multilevel design. At the Art Institute, where the program has grown from a mere eight students last spring to more than 70 this fall, Anderson takes notes on classic storytelling in classrooms that wouldn't look out of place in an English department, except for the professor's game console and big-screen TV. "I initially thought it was gonna be like any regular college," Anderson says. "But then I thought, 'Hey, we're in something much different than we're used to.' " Anderson is looking forward to classes in 3-D animation, game design and game play next semester. "This not your standard college stuff," he says.

A game designer fresh out of college can expect to earn up to $60,000. Many start on technical crews of 50 to 150. "To be a leading designer, you need 10 years' experience," says Bing Gordon, chief creative officer of Electronic Arts. "Five years ago, somebody out of school would be the No. 20 engineer on a 40-person team. But there are kids coming out of college who can start at the No. 10 position and be No. 2 in two years," which could bring a salary of $165,000, plus options. "The schools have really advanced the skill development."

In Silicon Valley, where game publishing now has the same aura of fun and excitement that dot-coms had a few years ago, companies see their future in these designers-in-training, keeping an eye on what's being developed and actively recruiting students as if they were future lottery picks.

For some of the lucky ones raised in a fantasy world of video games, designing the next big adventure is a real-life fantasy job come true.

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