Game designers in demand

    (KRT) CHICAGO—Whoever said “all work and no play makes for a dull boy” likely didn’t work as a video game designer. And for those who want to morph a childhood hobby into a career, there is plenty of opportunity.

   Shawn Branch, a 22-year-old student from Alabama fond of drawing cartoons, hopes to turn his artwork into characters for video and computer games.

   Branch is enrolled in an animation program at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago and plans to enter the gaming industry after he graduates next year.

   “I have loved art since I was a kid, and that has made my training in the animation field easier,” he said. “It’s like drawing real life.”

   Chicagoan Fred Calhoun, a 29-year-old student, also is studying animation at the Illinois Institute of Art.

   “I was born an artist, but I had to learn the basics of the art industry,” he said, referring to the drawing classes he took at Southern Illinois University before transferring.

   Although most video game designers learn the basics of the industry the old-fashioned way—on the job—Branch and Calhoun are among a new breed of students blending imagination and computing skills to advance in a fast-growing industry.

   The Illinois Institute of Art is one of several schools around the country that has teamed up with gaming companies to educate aspiring designers. Starting in October, the institute will offer a new bachelor’s degree program in game art and design.

   “We seek to produce graduates who are highly skilled visual communicators and who combine artistic talent with technical competency,” Philippe Cabana, academic director for the computer animation department at the school, said.

   The school introduced the program in response to demand by the gaming industry for artists trained in computer animation and experienced with computer technologies.

   The game industry is emerging as a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy tech economy.

   Business is blossoming in part due to the recent launches of advanced game systems, including Sony’s PlayStation 2, Microsoft’s Xbox and Nintendo’s GameCube. Nearly 49 million American homes have at least one video game system.

   Analysts forecast computer and video game sales could approach $17 billion in 2003. Another $1.1 billion in revenue is projected as a bevy of online gaming options are being introduced. To keep up with consumer demand, gamemakers are hiring.