After six months of hard work, students from Media Design School’s award-winning Graduate Diploma of Game Development are preparing to launch their game, Nightfall, to some of New Zealand’s top players in the game industry.
After six months of hard work, students from Media Design School’s award-winning Graduate Diploma of Game Development are preparing to launch their game, Nightfall, to some of New Zealand’s top players in the game industry.
The 12 students involved in the game – six artists and six programmers – built the game from scratch using tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio, Autodesk Maya, Pixologic Zbrush, and middleware Emergent’s Gamebryo.
Luke Te Hira, Lead Designer & Programmer said the production of Nightfall began with a lot of planning.
“The team worked together intensely during the build, enabling artists and programmers to benefit from each other’s ideas. Having survived Nightfall, what is the most rewarding thing that the team got out of it? We made a game!”
Senior Game Art Tutor, Kyall Thompson said the students’ models and environments show great promise for their futures.
“The game has real credibility, with destructible environments and researchable weapons enhancing game-play. It’s enjoyable and challenging, with difficulty increasing throughout the game. It’s a great achievement given the short amount of time given, and that it’s the first game they’ve produced.”
The project, which brings the 64-week course to an end, enabled students to get a taste for life in the game industry, which while in its relative infancy in New Zealand, is growing consistently with companies such as Sidhe Interactive and Metia Interactive winning major contracts and paving the way for smaller companies entering the market.
But tonight is all about the students from HighPolyMonster productions and their top achievement; and there is no better way to conclude a year and a half long intensive and immersive game development qualification than with a VIP red carpet event showcasing the game they made: Nightfall.
The team will surely be looking forward to a few weeks of downtime while they fine-tune their CVs and start the job seeking process, while Media Design School gears up for the next intake of the New Zealand gaming industry’s bright young things.
Media Design School
Media Design School (Auckland, NZ) is an industry-based digital design and technology school providing highly relevant qualifications for specific roles and careers within the film, design and production industries including video editors, effects artists, 3D animators and designers. All courses offered are production- based, and taught by highly experienced industry professionals. The school is supported and assisted by highly reputable creative, design and digital companies, which provide live projects, mentoring, and workshops to ensure all qualifications provide students with leading-edge skills that meet the demands of the high-end creative sector.