FD Design for Games

David Wheatcroft

Like the games industry itself, my background is wide and varied. After graduating from Bournemouth College of Art I worked for many years as a freelance commercial filmmaker. I discovered computers early (anyone here remember the Dragon 32?) and then moved rapidly sideways into animation and multimedia.

I started running workshops in film-making at a college in Sussex, and then made my first computer game. I have been intrigued by the possibilities of the medium ever since. I moved to the West Country about 15 years ago and completed my MA in 2004.

FPSs don’t cut it for me – too easy to make, too pointless and too boring to play. (I have colleagues who disagree, and we had a great 16 machine LAN party here at Easter!) Me, I like a little wit, (comeback Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood!), a little beauty – Clouds, anyone? And above all, a bit of thought is required, both from the maker and the player. Graphics are important, and so is the narrative structure. Sound has its role too, but it’s how they all work together that matters.

The Games Design field covers a multitude of areas, and the course at PCAD is aimed at helping you achieve the role you want for yourself. We built the course backwards, starting from the kinds of jobs we could successfully equip you to do and then constructing the course content around the job requirements. We’re excited at the range of things games can do, and at the things they haven’t even started to do yet!