Gaming invades MHCC

For the first time, MHCC is offering a computer game development degree under the direction of Erika H. Ruhl.

Ruhl, a longtime gamer herself, was excited to be an instructor of the new program.

“I’m from the Nintendo generation,” said Ruhl, “I grew up with Atari and Nintendo. I’m really passionate about this.”

As result of her attachment to video games since an early age, it has been something she has pursued as both a hobby and a career interest.

“I discovered you can be an artist with games,” said Ruhl, explaining how she got into the professional side of gaming.
As for her students, it should be no surprise that the majority of students are gamers as well.

“I don’t think we have any students who aren’t gamers,” she said, adding that she thinks that will change as the term goes on and people will see what they can do with the knowledge they can get from the program.

As for current enrollment and program attendance, Ruhl was pleased. “We generally have pretty good attendance,” said Ruhl.

“Attendance drops when the new games come out,” she joked.
Students who complete the program will earn a computer game development degree, and many of the credits earned in the program are transferrable to the Art Institute of Portland for students who wish to further their education.

Ruhl is from the Silicon Valley in Northern California, and also earned a video game art and design degree from the Art Institute of Portland.
Students can expect to finish the program within two years over a course of six terms with a typical course load.

Ruhl invites students to give the program a try and thinks those with a particular interest in programming and art will find it fulfilling.

“For people with art interests, it has game design, which focuses on the art, and programmers can focus on the game coding. So you can pick between the ‘I want to be a game artist’ or ‘I want to make engines.’ There’s something for everyone,” said Ruhl.

“We’re teaching in all directions,” she said. “Some people take the first class as an elective and most like to continue. They find something they’re interested in.”

Ruhl warns that those that think the program will be a breeze, since it is focused on video games, might find out otherwise.

“It’s definitely harder than you expect,” she said, saying there are many technical elements in game creation.
Students will be taught, among other things, how the engines used by today’s biggest games work and students will have the opportunity to design a small game demo as a class.

Students will have numerous hands-on projects in which some will feature the usage of programs like “Alice,” which is a 3D gaming environment which students can use to create and play around with game ideas, and “Unity,” which is another game development tool.

Ruhl said one of the things they discuss in class is trying to figure what it is that makes a game fun for users. “We get into the science of it (fun).”

Although Ruhl teaches the majority of the classes within the program, there are other teachers who are involved as well including: Jay Dragon, who teaches the “Alice” foundation programming class; Jeremy Baldwin, who teaches digital drawing and design (aka concept art for games); and J.P. Harrod, who teaches game theory, animation and “Unity,” the game development program.