The school's game design program is slated to launch in the fall semester as a concentration under UTSA's multidisciplinary studies bachelor's degree — as the video game industry is booming, with many universities developing similar degrees in recent years.
UTSA new degree aims to prepare students to enter an industry in which consumers spent more than $57 billion on video games in 2023. More than 61 percent of the U.S. population, or nearly 191 million people, plays video games at least one hour each week, according to the Entertainment Software Association, an industry trade group.
Texas has a growing presence in the industry — home to more than 190 video game companies, including regional offices for Activision, Blizzard Games and Electronic Arts. The state reported the industry had a $5.5 billion economic impact in 2022.
UTSA's track will focus on game programming, digital art and media, and game studies.
Its first class, Fundamentals of Game Programming, slated to begin in August, is full and has a wait-list, said Samuel Ang, an assistant professor in UTSA's computer science department who is helping lead the new degree path.
"There's a huge demand for this," he said. "It's cool that we're finally getting kind of a degree plan off the ground for it."
With an increasing number of game design programs around the country, Ang said, "UTSA is a little bit behind the curve on this, so we're catching up now."
The 28-year-old said some of his earliest memories are of playing video games with his father.
"When I was really little, my dad would put me on his lap and play like car racing games and LEGO games and stuff with me," he said. "It's been a part of growing up for me and a part of my family life forever."
His hobby morphed into a profession during his undergraduate studies at Trinity University, where a game development class boosted his understanding of computer programming.
"There was this whole kind of visual aspect to what you were programming, where you could really see kind of the consequences of what your code was supposed to do," he said. "That's when programming in general really clicked for me."
Ang, who's made his own video games, hopes UTSA's new degree path will help the concepts click for others.
UTSA said in a statement that the new concentration is the latest addition to about a dozen other degree tracks available under the multidisciplinary studies' umbrella.
In addition to computer science classes to learn about software and programming, students will have coursework from the College of Liberal and Fine Arts to learn art, design and communications principles.
"They will learn various programming languages like C# and Python while becoming proficient in creative software used by the gaming industry for 3D modeling and animation," the statement said. "This comprehensive curriculum will prime students to enter the state's growing gaming sector."
Members of UTSA's gaming and esports club, Roadrunner Gaming, look forward to the new offerings.
"There wouldn't be esports without the dedication and creativity of game designers," said Jacques Ballou, a junior cybersecurity major and Roadrunner Gaming president, in a UTSA statement. "Many members of Roadrunner Gaming, including those currently studying computer science with an interest in game design, are excited about this new program."
Ang's message to prospective students is that the gaming industry is highly competitive and constantly changing.
"There's such joy in making games in my opinion, and there is definitely money out there, but it is a hard industry. It is a rough industry," he said. "Whether you are going in to work for a large corporation or you are working more independently, like I've attempted to do, it's really tough, and if you're really serious about that, I think you should get learning as soon as possible and continue to learn on your own."
During Ang's course, students will apply the concepts taught by recreating classic arcade games, such as "Pong" and "Space Invaders," and designing original interactive games.
"I'm a strong believer in hands-on learning, and I structure my classes so that students have an opportunity to put together a portfolio of projects during their time here," Ang said. "I believe this approach will best prepare students for a fast-growing and highly competitive industry."
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