Here at the Oakland Technical Institute we have training programs that offer minimal certifications in things dealing with technology. such as Microsoft Mastery Certifications, A++, Web Design, and programming systems. We current have a basic C++ program here using the Fourth and Fifth edition of Sams Teach Yourself C++. We would like to expand onto a more broadsided program dealing with Game Development, but we need everything to be educationally accredited. This means that it has to be from Certified Retailers and Publishers that sell other educational programs and books. Additionally I would appreciate knowledge pertaining to what would be needed to advance these programs such as Animation Programs for Design, Dedicated Compilers. Price Lists, Sites, and Accredited Publisher Lists along with books, and programs would be useful. Also certification sites detailing the requirements for the certification and how to get it would be useful.

Are you actually asking a question, or simply making a list of things to search for on Google?

You will get friendly replies if you research on your own and then ask specific questions to showing what you know and asking for bits of information you didn't find on your own.

You can have a look at Resources - Books on this site. It'll give you a good idea what is recommended and worthwile.

"del" wrote:
>I would appreciate knowledge pertaining to what would be needed to advance these programs such as Animation Programs for Design, Dedicated Compilers.

Please clarify what you're looking for that we can help you with.

>Price Lists,

Prices of what?

>Sites,

What kind of [web?] sites are you looking for?

>and Accredited Publisher Lists along with books, and programs would be useful.

I don't understand. Publishers have to be accredited?
What kind of books exactly?
What kind of "programs"?

>Also certification sites detailing the requirements for the certification and how to get it would be useful.

What certifications?

Have you tried reading anything on this website, on Gamasutra, on the IGDA site, on my site, on Dan Marchant's site...?

Tom

Your first step should be actually having a college, or stating the name right. I looked, but couldn't find Oakland Technical Institute in Michigan, at all. Even the ones in California don't quite match the name.

Why was I looking at the Tech Institute? To see what classes you DO offer. Why? Because even the smallest community college has animation and 3D design courses and graphics courses. They are listed under "Art", however, not under "Game Design".

I never heard of "Animation Programs for Design" and "Advanced Compilers" classes, so I won't be of much help to you, sorry.

Well I came back expecting informative replies, but didn't truely recieve what I expected.

Were not a college, its just a technical school that you can enter through high school. It teaches EMT, BMMT, Food Classes, and Hair Techniques and offers certifications for each.

BMMT wants to expand into the Game Design (which is not art as Designing is not art its more storyboarding and concepts, and other forms of innerworkings, while programming is mathematics and compiling) they bought the C++ Teaches Yourself books Edition 4 and 5 for the basic learning techniques and systems.
What we need is information and books required to start up a Game Design program, and more information, books, good compilers that would start up a more advanced class of C++ that actually teaches into the game programming.

I need websites that might help us accomplish this.

They all have to be legally accredited sucha s SAM's was with Teach Yourself C++, they have to have accredited publishers.

And of course any additional information that might be helpful.

Hi Del, you wrote:

>BMMT wants to expand

What is "BMMT"? When asking for advice, it's best to provide the advisor with sufficient info (packaged together with your question) so he can give you the answer you need.

>into the Game Design (which is not art as Designing is not art its more storyboarding and concepts, and other forms of innerworkings, while programming is mathematics and compiling)

We know what game design is, but it's good to have it clarified that you understand that game design is not the same thing as game programming.

>What we need is information and books required to start up a Game Design program, and more information, books, good compilers that would start up a more advanced class of C++ that actually teaches into the game programming.
>I need websites that might help us accomplish this.
>They all have to be legally accredited sucha s SAM's was with Teach Yourself C++, they have to have accredited publishers.

I don't know about accredited websites or accredited books. And I don't think there are any sites or books specifically geared to starting up an educational curriculum on game design. But there are a lot of websites and books about game design - you'll probably have to start with those. And those are easy to find yourself.

>Well I came back expecting informative replies, but didn't truely recieve what I expected.

That's because we're not used to receiving queries such as yours here - this forum isn't about how to start a game school, it's about how to get into the business of making games. Your initial query assumed knowledge we do not possess, and we're kind of a rough bunch. That's why you didn't "truely recieve" what you expected, nor did you expect what you received. (^_^)

>Were not a college, its just a technical school

Just curious. Are you on the faculty? A primary prerequisite for aspiring game designers (those who would graduate from your program) is that they have excellent written communication skills, including spelling, punctuation, grammar, the whole spectrum of proper writing. That's basic information about game design that you need to know for starters.

There was no question in this post either, but I suppose you will want a reply to it.

Quote: Original post by Delsana
Well I came back expecting informative replies, but didn't truely recieve what I expected.

Were not a college, its just a technical school that you can enter through high school. It teaches EMT, BMMT, Food Classes, and Hair Techniques and offers certifications for each.

BMMT wants to expand into the Game Design (which is not art as Designing is not art its more storyboarding and concepts, and other forms of innerworkings, while programming is mathematics and compiling) they bought the C++ Teaches Yourself books Edition 4 and 5 for the basic learning techniques and systems.

I certainly hope you are not a member of the staff at that school. Your grammar and spelling are horrible.

BMMT stands for "Basic Morse Mission Trainer", as anybody who has learned Morse code can tell you. Google shows some other options:
*Biomagnetic Micro Massage Therapy
*Biomechanics, Biomaterials, and Tissue Engineering
*Business, Management, Marketing, & Technologies

I'm not sure which of those BMMT options the school teaches, and I can't find the school by searching for the names provided.

So the school teaches a three week EMT class, Food Classes (food handler permit training?) and Hair Techniques (which sounds like a short course as opposed to the extensive training needed for a Beautician License, required in many states). Now the school wants to add a Game Design track.

There are academically accredited schools offering game design tracks as a four year bachelor degree programs. You should be aware of those and use them as a resource. The accrediting bodies will also help instruct you as to the requirements for such a program.

Quote: What we need is information and books required to start up a Game Design program, and more information, books, good compilers that would start up a more advanced class of C++ that actually teaches into the game programming.

Was that supposed to be a question or a request for us to give information?

Here are some brief answers in the order mentioned. There are no specific books required. Academic information can be found by contacting the (accredited) programs at Full Sail or DigiPen. Books are typically selected by the qualified instructors chosen to teach the course. Good compilers are well known, and a student should be using a good compiler long before they take any advanced class of C++.

Quote: I need websites that might help us accomplish this.

They all have to be legally accredited sucha s SAM's was with Teach Yourself C++, they have to have accredited publishers.

And of course any additional information that might be helpful.

There is no such thing as a legally accredited book publisher.

There are accredited journal publishers that have strict peer review guidelines, but those are only useful for graduate and post-graduate level education.

As you should be aware, post-secondary schools have their textbooks selected by the instructors, and are not regulated by a school board as they are with primary and secondary education.

Perhaps when you return, you can clarify your question beyond a statement that you need information and books.

We'd love to help you, but you need to do your part and ask your questions intelligently.

I am very pleased that I am getting good... responses.

Though perhaps I worded it poorly, insulting my intelligence is kind of hard to do when in truth I had no real idea how to type out what we needed since I myself was not completely aware.

It seems that we are looking for additional books and programs that would help with the BMMT side (Business, Management, Marketing, and Technology) so that we could expand our Game Design, and Programming division.

Accredited Publishers that we had are Thompson and SAMS, books from either of these two would be immediately accepted, books from outside sources that were not widely known by the Educational Body would have to be reviewed.

All the O-Tech Classes are 2 semesters long and give certifications depending on what you learn.

The BMMT side of the North East Oakland Technical Center in Michigan has classes in A+ (Computer Repair, and Operations) Networking, Java, Oracle, and many other programming languages and networking types.

Other divisions of O-Tech include a dedicated EMT (Engineering, Maintenance and Technology) that focuses on repair of all forms of technological instruments, and expanded computer knowledge.

Then there are the Cooking and Cosmetics divisions.

As for the question as if I were on the Faculty of the Technical School my answer would be that I am not, but I have been tasked with finding out the required information to set up an advanced class in these programs for people like myself in the future, as I will be graduating this year since I am a Senior. I am also well prepared for the inclusion of the advanced programs and information you can give me.

In addition any websites that pertain to knowledge of programming and design that you feel would be beneficial and helpful.

Del,

I'm going to go ahead and get these related parts of what you wrote out of the way first:

>Though perhaps I worded it poorly, insulting my intelligence is kind of hard to do

No, it's not hard to do. It's hard to prove merely based on some posts, but it's not hard to do. Besides, nobody was insulting your intelligence. What was being insulted (if that's the right word) was your writing habits.

>when in truth I had no real idea how to type out what we needed since I myself was not completely aware.
>As for the question as if I were on the Faculty of the Technical School my answer would be that I am not, but I have been tasked with finding out the required information to set up an advanced class in these programs for people like myself in the future, as I will be graduating this year since I am a Senior. I am also well prepared for the inclusion of the advanced programs and information you can give me.

It would have been a good idea for you to clarify these facts about yourself early on. Without you mentioning that you're a student, we could only assume that you were an educator (one with poor written communication skills, for an educator).

>Accredited Publishers that we had are Thompson and SAMS, books from either of these two would be immediately accepted, books from outside sources that were not widely known by the Educational Body would have to be reviewed.

If those are the only two publishers who your own Educational Body would accept, it would be highly logical for you to begin by exploring the books offered by those two publishers - just go on their websites and check out their catalogs. Thompson owns Charles River Media, I believe? CRM has an extensive body of books on game industry topics. I myself have been involved in the writing of several of those books. See FAQ 8 - http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson8.htm. Why are you wasting time asking us for "accredited publishers" when you already know some, and could simply go find what you need on their websites?

>In addition any websites that pertain to knowledge of programming and design that you feel would be beneficial and helpful.

You can easily find websites on game development yourself, by simply looking for them. You've wasted several days asking where to find them, whereas if you'd only Googled, you would have already been reading them by now. Explore this website (GameDev.net), and IGDA.org for starters.