Frequently Asked Questions

Qantm College is strongly linked to industry and is constantly in consultation with the industry ensuring that graduates are taught at the cutting edge and thus keenly sought after by the industry. For more reasons why Qantm College is the best choice see Why Choose Qantm.

Games Design is designing the look and feel of a game, how it is played, its characters, and so on. In a commercial game studio, this job is done by the Lead Designer. This is a senior role.

Game Development is the process of turning the Game Design into a real, playable game. This job is done by teams of programmers, artists and others. This can take many months, even several years to complete.

• Programmer/"Coder"
• Artist
• Animator
• Audio engineer/Composer
• Producer
• QA (Quality Assurance, i.e. Testing)
• Games Designer

Writes code to make games work. ("Code" is the text of a program, instructing the computer what to do.) Programmers spend a lot of time fixing bugs (defects), and modifying code written by other programmers. Lead Programmers direct the work of other programmers on the team, and are responsible for the overall technical design.

Create characters, environments, weapons, and other props that live in the game. The Lead Artist has most control of the overall look and feel of the game, and will direct the work of the other artists.

The Producer of a game is the project manager. This means he is responsible for getting the game completed by its deadline. The producer is in charge of the schedule and budget, hiring and firing, talking to the publisher, and so on.

Testers play the same game, or portion of a game, over and over, trying to find bugs (defects in the game). When the bug has been fixed, the tester will check it. The Lead Tester will work with the developers to write a Test Plan, which tells the testers what they need to test.

The Lead Designer creates the concept, characters, story and game play mechanics for a game. Junior designers work on specific levels or missions of a game, adding more gameplay elements.
A background in Art, 3D, and scriptwriting would be appropriate, and of course, a love and encyclopaedic knowledge of games.

Modern games allow "scripting". This means the designers can add extra program code to control and fine-tune the behaviour of the game; so a programming background is also an advantage.

You need to have excellent programming and problem-solving skills. The predominant programming language used for games is C++. You will also need to show that you understand how games work. To show this you will have a portfolio of games and demos that you have written.

Programmers are normally expected to have a degree, or substantial commercial experience in its place.

Read games companies' websites to find out how to apply for a programming position at that company.

Your portfolio should be well-presented, either on a website or on a CD.

If you are invited for an interview, you can expect a thorough technical questioning, including a written test.

You need to study in a relevant field - although it isn't a strict prerequisite you would generally be expected to have a diploma or degree in Illustration or Classical Animation, thus giving you the skills necessary to be a well rounded Artist/Animator. A good sense of composition, colour theory, drawing and design skills are necessary in becoming a better 3d artist.

A diploma or degree in Classical Animation is essential for understanding the principles to be a skilled animator for the games industry. A post graduate qualification in 3d Animation is preferable, and it is recommended that you are versed in key frame animation in Autodesk 3ds Max and/or Autodesk Maya.

Photoshop is a necessity as a 3d artist: whether you want to fill the role of an Environment Artist (who mainly focuses on environments and props) or a Character Artist you will need to have a solid understanding of Photoshop and its use as a texturing tool. In today's current-gen gaming market, you should be fluent in modelling in both high and low poly work flows within software packages such as Autodesk 3ds Max, and/or Autodesk Maya.

You must have experience with digital sculpting in Pixologic's Zbrush and/or Autodesk's Mudbox software.

If you are invited for an interview, you will be expected to showcase a professional portfolio with
samples of your 3d work.

You would have project management experience in another industry. Read games companies' websites to find out how to apply for a position at that company.

Alternatively, you would already be working in the industry in another capacity, and wish to move towards more of a management role.

Good written English is important, so a good English Language GCSE would be a benefit. Increasingly, a second language is desirable so you can test localised versions of a game.
Read games companies' websites to find out how to apply for a position as a Tester at that company.

It's important to apply in the appropriate way, so you don't aggravate the people you want to work for!

Most likely you will have completed an audio engineering course. You will need to have written an impressive portfolio of game music.

Read games companies' websites to find out how to apply for a position at that company.

You should be aware that designers are senior industry professionals. Most designers have worked in the games industry for many years and so have built up the necessary experience over time. Your most likely route is to work in the industry in another capacity, steering your career towards a designer role over time.

• http://www.skillset.org/games/
• http://www.blitzgames.com/gameon/
• http://www.gamecareerguide.com/
• http://www.gamesindustry.biz/

You need a degree - most likely this would be a B.Sc. in Computer Science or Games Programming. But this is not a strict rule - some programmers have degrees in completely unrelated subjects! If you do not have a degree, you will find it hard to get a programming job - in any industry, not just games.

In any case, to get your first job as a Games Programmer you will need to show that you understand the issues involved in programming a game. To do this, you need a portfolio of games and demos that you have written. (Demos - demonstrations - are smaller programs that demonstrate your ability and understanding of one particular technique.)

The rule about having a degree is not so strict here. More important is your portfolio and demo reel. You need to be able to show potential employers that you can produce professional-quality work and understand the processes of a game development studio.

Your portfolio pieces need to be appropriate for a game. For example, the number of polygons in a model is an important consideration.

The compulsory subjects - English, Mathematics and Science - are very important for you. If your school offers Additional Mathematics, take it. Business studies and Engineering would also be of benefit.

Advice is available. Google "GCSE options", and you will find lots of information on websites www.direct.gov.uk (UK govt. website) and www.connexions-direct.com(funded by local education authorities). They also have helplines you can call.

Computer Science and Mathematics (with Mechanics rather than Statistics) are key subjects for you.

Physics is another good one, if your abilities lie in that direction. If you have artistic leanings, your third A Level could be in a more arty subject. This would not harm your employment prospects.

With good A Level grades you will have more choice of University and Degree course.

Advice is available. Google "A Level options", and you will find lots of information on websites www.direct.gov.uk (UK govt. website) and www.connexions-direct.com(funded by local education authorities). They also have helplines you can call.

Continue with your A Levels, and work as hard as you can. Good A Level grades are hard to achieve.

They are universally recognised qualifications that will open doors for you later.

For our course, having A Levels means you can enrol on the Degree course, which would make you eligible for a Student Loan. There you are, that's an advantage already.

• www.gamedev.net - has a "Start Here" page worth checking out
• nehe.gamedev.net - 3D graphics tutorials
• www.gamasutra.com - lots of game development info
• www.idevgames.com - Mac game development

• http://www.cprogramming.com/
• http://www.fredosaurus.com/notes-cpp/

Google "Thinking in C++" - this is a 2-volume C++ book that is free to download "How to Program C++ in 21 Days" Published by SAMS

At Qantm we give regular free workshops on a wide range of topics. Keep an eye on the website www.qantm.co.uk. We do have workshops on getting started with games for complete beginners.

The Qantm Game Design and Development course focuses mainly on games programming. Students learn how modern games work, down to a deep level of detail, and write their own games. This portfolio is key to getting your first job in the industry.

The 3D Animation course teaches students how to model characters and environments, and how to animate the characters you create. This knowledge can be applied to games but also film and TV.

The diploma course runs for one year (48 weeks + 4 weeks holiday). At the end of the year you receive a Qantm Diploma (assuming you have passed all the modules with high enough grades).
You may continue to study for a further year. At the end of this second year you receive a B.Sc. Degree in Games Programming. (The Degree is validated and awarded by Middlesex University, but taught and administered at Qantm.)

So the Diploma course is the first half of the Degree course - they are not two separate courses.

You get the same amount of taught material (96 weeks of lessons) as in a 3 year course, but with fewer holidays. So there isn't a catch, but our course is more intensive.

The minimum entry requirement for the Diploma is 2 GCSEs at Grade C. However, if you only have these qualifications you would need to convince us that you would do well on the course.
To enrol directly onto the Degree course, the minimum requirement is 2 A Levels at grades B and C.

Previous programming experience will help you get more out of the course.

It helps a lot if you already have some programming experience. This can be in any language, not just C++.

For programming, we use Microsoft Visual C++, which is used in many software and games development companies. We provide this software to you. No previous experience with this software is needed, although some prior programming experience is highly recommended.

You will also need other software to create 3D models, images, etc. You will be advised at the start of the course, but again, no previous experience is necessary.