do something BIG!
Meet Robert
Robert is an avid video game player who learned how to design personalized games for himself and his friends through a 3D Game Design class with iD Tech Camps. After camp, he kept working on his final project video game and showed it to his friends – who loved navigating the imaginative world that he created. Robert then decided to continue making video games, and he’s shared 10 new games with his friends in the two years since his class. Advanced software knowledge has helped the 14-year-old excel in school as well – he was able to make a complex project for a Flash® animation class, and he also used his mapping skills for the creative portion of an English project. Robert plans to pursue a career as a video game designer or an animator, and in the meantime he’ll continue making his own games.
iD: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What are your hobbies?
Robert: My name is Robert and I’m from Texas. I am currently an 8th grader and I love video game design, sports and music. Especially video game design!
iD: What courses did you take at iD Tech Camps?
R: I took 3D Game Design – 1st Person Shooters (FPS) at iD computer camps in Texas. We learned how to create maps and mazes. Actually, what we really created was entire worlds with everything from characters to pick-ups, ladders, teleports and trigger points. I’m probably forgetting something – there were a lot of things that went into creating a life-like world, and everybody’s projects got very intricate. I know that the course has changed now and iD Tech Camps is teaching FPS with the Unreal® Development Kit – I’d be really excited to see what other things you can do using that software.
iD: What opportunities did iD programs give you that you otherwise wouldn’t have had? Did you have a lot of exposure to technology before iD Tech Camps?
R: Before going to iD Tech Camps, I had a really limited knowledge of computers. I knew how to use one, but not to its full potential – which I only realized after seeing all that you can do with the right software and the right skills at camp. My video game design course gave me a lot of those skills, and it also made me want to investigate and keep learning on my own.
iD: How have you used what you’ve learned? (Any projects or clubs at school?)
R: I use the software we learned at iD Tech Camps to make my own video games. Then I burn them onto discs or put them on flash drives, and I take them to school and show my friends and teachers. I love coming up with a cool game idea and making it come to life – and it’s way more satisfying to play your own games! So far I have around 10 games, and most of them are things I created on my own after iD Tech Camps; I also polished up my final game project from camp.
My software knowledge has also come in handy at school. I took a class about 2D Flash games, and since I already had a pretty good foundation in animation, I was able to get a lot more creative than my classmates. I made an open, outside level, paintball style game while most everyone else was stuck doing maze games. It’s so much more fun to make features like trees instead of walls, so I enjoyed the class a lot more than I would have without my iD Tech Camps background. For English class, I was able to use ArcGIS software to map out Wonderland in an Alice in Wonderland project – it’s really cool to see the unexpected ways mapping can come in handy.
iD: What do you plan to do with this knowledge in the future (Attend college, pursue a certain career?)
R: I would love to become either a video game designer or an animator – I’ll definitely keep making games as a hobby, but it looks like it can also be a pretty lucrative career.
iD: Will you take more technology classes?
R: Absolutely. What you can teach yourself at your house with your basic computer cannot compare to learning from people who know what they’re talking about. Having their expertise guiding you through whatever it is you are doing gives you confidence, and you know that you’re on the right track.
iD: Did coming to iD help you improve in any other aspects of your life besides technology?
R: I learned how to express my creative side through technology. It’s been very useful for coming up with new game plots and things like my English class Alice in Wonderland project. Feeling confident about both my computer skills and my ideas has helped me a lot.
iD: How was daily life at camp? What’s your funniest memory?
R: Daily life at camp was a lot of fun! We got to hang out with friends at lunch and while we were in class. It was so relaxed that you could just have a chill day. My funniest memory was when I showed my instructor my final project game and a giant goblin on the final level jumped out at him. The reaction on his face was priceless because when you entered the room there was nothing, and then all of a sudden up popped this big goblin. I really enjoy surprising the people who play my games.
iD: Any advice for future iD program participants?
R: My advice to future campers is to just have fun, but don’t get distracted from your work. Find a balance that fits you. And don’t be afraid to keep using what you learned at camp!
Check out some of the cool courses Robert mentioned. Register early and do something BIG with iD this summer!
