Teaching interactive production

Video games are a multibillion dollar industry, and the past decade has seen the rise of video game programs at major universities such as USC and MIT. The biggest games are equivalent to blockbuster film projects and need careful production to achieve success. The purpose of this study was to define and develop core goals in teaching students how to become video game and interactive media producers leading teams in the creation of games. Surveying industry professionals, students, curricula from numerous institutions and drawing on insights from authors in the field, the paper delivers models for soft and hard skills that a student should be expected to learn when enrolled in a program. The paper includes personal observations by the author with over twenty years experience in the field and over four years in teaching at USC and SMU.