Playing video games is one thing; developing them is quite another. To help members make the leap from player to developer in this billion-dollar industry, the IEEE has partnered with The Game Institute, an online-only school devoted to teaching video game development. Students learn how to build their own game engine—the core software of a video game—and apply programming and support tools.

The institute offers a package for beginners and courses for experienced programmers. Beginners need only a reasonable familiarity with computers and a background in high school math; game or graphics programming experience is unnecessary. Through the IEEE Education Partners Program (IEEE-EPP), members can receive a 10 percent discount on any course in the school’s professional certification program.

MORE THAN GAMES 101 Generally, the courses cover video game design and development, electronics, and robotics. There are courses on C++ programming for game developers, console design, 3-D graphics programming, game mathematics (geometry, trigonometry, and linear algebra), and artificial intelligence.

The Game Institute also offers game art and design courses, as well as a full program in 3D Studio MAX, a full-featured 3-D graphics application, according to Joe Meenaghan, the school’s president and CEO.

Individual courses last six to 14 weeks and cost between US $135 and $225. The certification packages take from 20 to 44 weeks and range from $400 for a beginner’s package to $800 for the advanced package. Completing the advanced courses earns you a certificate from the school in game development. Some courses also offer credits toward a college degree.

The school’s faculty comes from academia and industry. Some are math or computer science teachers from high schools and colleges, while others have worked on robotics and artificial intelligence systems for NASA and other government agencies. Many are veterans from well-known video game developers such as Electronic Arts, Midway, and ION Storm, who have worked on games such as the Actua Soccer series, Unreal Tournament 2004, and Monster Truck Madness 2.

IEEE members must use the code 2187-8496-IEEE when they enroll to receive the discount.

For more information on The Game Institute, visit http://ieee.gameinstitute.com. To learn more about the partnership between the IEEE and The Game Institute, visit http://ieee.gameinstitute.com/ieee.php.