From the pre-production phase to post-production, including business development and marketing, students are given a complete picture of a game’s manufacturing process and understand the interactions between the different trades in a professional environment, modelled on the way studios work. This Master’s degree not only aims to prepare our students technically and artistically for the demands of the industry, but also and first and foremost enable them to embark on an ambitious career.
At the end of this Master’s degree, you’ll be able to join the biggest international game publishers as well as the most prestigious independent studios, or even start creating your own studio!
Throughout their studies, ARTFX brings its students into contact with the major national and international players in the video game industry by allowing them to dialogue in masterclasses, participate in major events (festivals, trade fairs, etc.) and undertake a job dating session before the end of their studies.
Go all
out!
The Master Game Design & Development trains students in design, development and integration of all game systems, gameplay and all functionalities included in a game, in Game Design as well as in Programming. The pedagogical program includes the studying of the most used game engines in the industry (Unity, Unreal) in a professional approach, while developing the student’s sense of creativity and organization as well as the technical skills related to game production. During their training, students will explore common issues in game production, and then consolidate them in their respective specializations.
ARTFX is a member of Game in Push Start Occitanie.
- Apply directly to the school.
- Tests + creative folder + interview
1 class of 25 students is organised on Montpellier Campus.
Course in French and in English 🇬🇧
More information
Awards the qualification of “digital producer” (lev.7, equivalent B +5 (5th year), registered in the Répertoire national des certifications professionnelles (national directory of professional certifications) on 14 September 2020
Video game students trained at ARTFX can effectively work as soon as they leave the school, and are comfortable with studio working methods. They also stand out for their ability to adapt and their knowledge of programming and expertise in their chosen field. During their studies, students complete at least one internship lasting at least six weeks and benefit from masterclasses with partner studios/publishers.
In the fifth year, they produce a complete prototype of a game, giving them an understanding of the different production stages of an animated film.
Year 1 Professional Fundamentals
› Workshops game & level design documents and development, fundamentals real time engine, fun factors, mathematics applied to 3D games, core mechanics, gameplay ingredients, C++ Basic, Unreal, game system, video game culture, Unity
› Collaborative projects: production of 2 video games in teams
Year 2 Advanced training
› Workshops game & level design documents and development, fundamentals real time engine, fun factors, mathematics applied to 3D games, core mechanics, gameplay ingredients, C++ Basic, Unreal, game system, video game culture, Unity
› Collaborative projects: production of 2 video games in teams
Year 3 Professionalization
› Advanced specialized modules: game design or programming: level architecture, atomic design & game mechanics, economic design, playtests, Gamefeel, C++ advanced, engine programming
› Round table discussions with partner studios
› Production of a professional demo tape
› Collaborative professional projects: making a game for a client › End of study project: AAA pre-production
Year 4 Production
› End of study project in team: design & production of a AAA video game
› Production of a professional demo tape
› Presentation to a professional jury
› Masterclass and conference / professional meetings › Coaching in English
› Job dating
Learning objective
Requirements
- Any high school degree
- Being curious and playing on several platforms are a plus
- Parallel admissions possible in 2nd and 3rd years
- Your level will be evaluated during the admission session to offer you the appropriate orientation.
Tuition fees
Years 1 to 4:
FeesSoftware used
- Zbrush
- Unity
- Unreal
- Houdini
- 3DS Max
- Substance Designer
- Substance Painter
- Maya
- Krita
- Instant Terra
- Visual Studio
- Blender
- Cryengine
- SpeedTree
Careers and main occupations covered
The video game industry is in a golden age. People continue to play on consoles and computers, but they also play on smartphones, tablets and connected TVs. The number of gamers is increasing, with the number of female gamers growing. Gaming is no longer a solitary experience; it is increasingly seen as a social network, allowing people to keep in touch with their friends. The nature of the games themselves is changing, offering participatory experiences that appeal to the imaginations of users, as evidenced by the success of Minecraft or Roblox. AAA games enjoy budgets worthy of Hollywood productions and push the limits of realism ever further.
Job opportunities: Game designer, System designer, Mission designer, Level designer, Technical Designer, programmer,Technical Director.
Moreover, the skills developed by video game professionals are of interest to other industries. This includes training with the development of serious games, educational games and virtual reality training modules, marketing to create interactive and fun experiences, but also special effects studios, which use technologies derived from video games (such as real-time 3D engines) to preview visual effects. And this is just the beginning, as the automotive industry is starting to use Unreal Engine (the engine behind Fortnite) to develop its future in-car infotainment systems (new generation on-board computers with dynamic displays). In short, as experts in human/machine interfaces and experience designers, video game professionals are in demand today. Although the most prestigious positions – game designer and game artist – are rare and can’t be secured directly from the school, creative and competent students open to all possibilities will be able to bring their talent to bear.
Finally, ARTFX offers its video game students the opportunity to develop interactive approaches for a wide audience through a range of different partnerships : Montpellier Opera, Génopolys, Maison de Heidelberg, etc.
These are all opportunities to develop their artistic culture, learn from different environments, and broaden their creative capacity while meeting precise specifications and schedules.
Work and talent
Following the job dating, I accepted a job at Virtuos Game. I work as a Technical Artist on an unannounced game. I program hlsl shaders and create textures. At ARTFX, I got a
good understanding of the overall production pipeline of a video game, which was very helpful in joining a major studio. The lessons we had on texturing, shaders and optimization were perfect for the work I do.