School of Game Development

Couldn't make it to our AlumNights event? You can watch the replay here, where graduates from Animation, Game Development, UI/UX, Industrial Design, and Advertising share their journeys from student life to successful careers. Hear firsthand how they built successful careers in creative industries and get tips for your own career path.

Career Journeys of ArtU Alumni: Insights & Advice | AlumNights Event Join our ArtU AlumNights event where graduates from Animation, Game Development, UI/UX, Industrial Design, and Advertising share their journeys from student ...

Welcome back students! Summer Virtual Open Office hours through Zoom are starting again! These are drop in friendly and do not require an appointment! Please note that you may be in the waiting area while the instructor's help other students before you. You will be seen as soon as the instructor is finished meeting with the prior student. We hope you have a wonderful summer session!

DEADLINE APPROACHING: Apply ASAP!

The 14th Annual Rookie Awards is accepting submissions! The Rookie Awards is the world's largest contest for aspiring creatives in games, animation, visual effects, immersive media, motion graphics and 3D visualization. Fellow Academy students have either won or placed in this competition in previous years so don't miss your chance to showcase your creative works to industry heavyweights and influencers, receive badges and certificates, connect with other young artists and more! We wish you all good luck in the contest!

Congratulations to the GAMMYs Programming winners, Michael Nevins and Thomas Jensen! Thank you so much for submitting your incredible work and participating in this year's show!

Congratulations to all of the talented student winners for the 7th Annual Spring Show Gammy's! Thank you for your amazing hard work and dedication! We wish you all the best and enjoy your upcoming Summer!

This semester, Art U's Game Studio brings you something a little darker. Come hear from Game Development students on the creation of the isometric hack-and-slash game, "Teeth".

Sink deeper into the maw and grind... your.... TEETH.

Teeth is an action PC game that was created in the department's collaborative Game Studio class where 3D Art, Concept Art, and Game Design students use their combined skillsets to create various games and industry projects in a studio environment.

You're invited to the 7th Annual GAMMYs!

Come join us live onsite as we celebrate the best of Art U's Game Department. Winners for each Spring Show category will be announced, and winners will be awarded certificates to celebrate this achievement.

We hope to see you at this onsite-only event Friday, May 17th at 11:00 AM PT. The event will take place at 601 Brannan on the Main Stage during the Spring Show opening ceremony.

For those unable to attend, we will also be announcing winners on the Game Department social medias. If you are a winner and are unable to attend, we will mail you the certificate.

Ready to soak up the summer vibes? Look no further! The Summer 2024 Housing Application is officially open! Dive into a vibrant campus community and make the most of your summer studies! Scan the QR code to get started!

Hello Students! The Game Department is still accepting Spring Show 2024 submissions up through the new extended deadline, this coming Sunday April 7th by 11:59pm PT! We look forward to all of your submissions this year and good luck in the show! More information and the submission links can be found here: bit.ly/GameSpringShow2024.

Quick Studies Workshop:

Quick Studies are back! Come level up your speed-drawing skills with Chris Canga and your fellow students every Wednesday from 3:00-6:00 PM PT!

The workshop is located at 2801 Leavenworth in Room 301 and is onsite only. All majors are welcome. We're excited to see you!

Want to work for Visual Concepts, the powerhouse behind 2K Sports games including the legendary NBA 2K franchise? Don't miss out on this chance to explore career possibilities!

Wednesday, March 13th at 11am PT.

Register now: https://bit.ly/iocVisualconcepts

Dive into the world of endless creativity with Roblox!

Join Industry On Campus on Monday, April 8th at 11am PT to discover exciting career opportunities at one of the most innovative gaming platforms.

Register now: https://bit.ly/iocRoblox

Hello students! Welcome back for the new Spring 2024 semester! Open office hours are now available and do not require an appointment to join! These are drop-in friendly during the listed times. Please note that sometimes you may be in the waiting room for a few minutes. The instructor has been notified that you are there and will let you in as soon as they are finished with other students private discussions. Have a wonderful semester everyone!

The 14th Annual Rookie Awards is accepting submissions! The Rookie Awards is the world's largest contest for aspiring creatives in games, animation, visual effects, immersive media, motion graphics and 3D visualization. Fellow Academy students have either won or placed in this competition in previous years so don't miss you chance to showcase your creative works to industry heavyweights and influencers, receive badges and certificates, connect with other young artists and more! We wish you all good luck in the contest!

Another semester, another Game Town Hall! Stop by and learn more about the department from our directors! Ask any questions you have about the program. Take this opportunity to start your semester off on the right foot by gaining this essential knowledge about the people who are here to help you be the best game developer that you can be!

To attend via Zoom, register at: bit.ly/3UpoNjW

To join us onsite, visit us at room 825 on the 8th floor of 180 New Montgomery.

The Game Department is now accepting Spring Show 2024 submissions! If you created any personal or school work after last year’s submission deadline of April 9th, 2023 all the way up through this year's deadline of March 31, 2024 then your work is eligible to enter! More information and the submission links can be found here: bit.ly/GameSpringShow2024.

Happy December! We have a brand-new artist prompt challenge to help you all get creative during this holiday season. This challenge list of world building prompts focusing on different aspects of a fictional culture to help build a world narrative though Concept Art or 3D Art. We would love to see what you come up with, so feel free to tag us as you share your work! This is a creative opportunity to help add pieces for your skillset and portfolio! Happy world building!

This Monday, December 4th at 4:30pm PT, Steve Grey, a Game Industry Guest, will be presenting a talk about AI and Game Creation.

This event will be onsite in Room 825 at 180 New Montgomery.

To join via zoom, register for the event at bit.ly/3uEC6lJ

On Thursday night, an epic battle between Aeldari and Death Guard in Warhammer 40K will be underway starting at 6:00pm PT. Join us for this adventure in Room 825 at 180 N Montgomery as our very own Game Design Lead, Mark Girouard, demo's and plays Warhammer 40K!

Unable to be on campus? Don't worry! This event is also live on Zoom.

Thursday November 30th (11/30) from 6:00 - 9:00pm PT
Zoom Link to Join in the fun: https://art.zoom.us/j/97700993082

ZBrush's Academic Licensing is Back:

Great news for our 3D Art students!

ZBrush has brought back their Educational Licenses for $20/year.

To get a ZBrush Educational License, visit: www.maxon.net/en/buy/students-teachers .

November Game Jams: If you're looking for something fun and challenging to complete this November, here are a few interesting Game Jams! Game Jams are great opportunities to make quick proof-of-concept projects that can later be polished into portfolio pieces. Definitely take advantage of them to build your skills!

20 Second Game Jam (November 2nd): Branded as "The Long Jam for Short Games", the 20 Second Game Jam challenges you to make a game that lasts just 20 seconds. This is a good option for someone who wants to focus on polishing a single idea or mechanic without the worries of a tight time constraint. Link: https://itch.io/jam/20-second-game-jam-2023

Trijam (November 3rd): This weekly game jam encourages you to make a game in just three hours! This is a good option for someone who wants to make a quick game and isn't afraid of tight time restrictions. Link: https://itch.io/jam/trijam-244

Winter Wonderland Game Jam (November 10th): Hosted by our own Art U Game Club, this week-long game jam allows both solo and group submissions and is the perfect opportunity to work alongside your fellow Art U students! Registration is open now at: https://bit.ly/3M3GCjD and the November 10th Kick-Off event is at 4:00 PM PT on Zoom: art.zoom.us/j/4143501799

When joining any Game Jams, please exercise caution and do your own research to ensure this jam is the right option and fit for you!

Huevember: Was Inktober's challenge not enough for you? Are you looking for another opportunity to create daily art? This year, why not try Huevember? The rules are simple: Create one drawing per day, each drawing with a different main hue.

You can change the value and the saturation all you want, and use any medium available to you! Also, you can use any other colors, the only caveat is that the hue of the day must stay the main visible color of that image.

Credit for this challenge goes to the Huevember account on Tumblr! Check out their account for more details as well as examples of past work from previous years: huevember.tumblr.com

Attention all students. Unfortunately, due to low attendance, the Game Department's Concept Art Workshop has been cancelled for the rest of the semester. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions.

Every day, it seems like AI becomes a bigger talking point in the art community. And the question is how will it affect art in today's society? What are the ethics and potential legal consequences of using AI-generated art? To learn more, join us on Thursday, November 9th onsite at the 180 New Montgomery, room 825 from 12:15-1:15 PM PT or through Zoom, register for the link here: https://bit.ly/402ZmW1.

Speaking at this event will be Professor of Law, founding Director of the Intellectual Property Law Center and Program at Golden Gate University School of Law, and practicing lawyer Marc Greenberg. Professor Greenberg has a history studying law surrounding art, the internet, and copyright law in the US and China.

Are you an MFA Graduate Game Student looking to learn more about thesis prep support? Come level up by joining a virtual Zoom workshop hosted by your Degree Focus Lead!

These three workshops are not guaranteed to be reoccurring, so if you think you would benefit from them, please make sure you attend! The dates are:

Concept Art (Hosted by Rob Cabrera): Thursday, October 19th (10/19) at 10 AM PT

Game Design (Hosted by Mark Girouard): Wednesday, October 18th (10/18) at 3:30 PM PT

3D Art (Hosted by Patrick Kenney): Friday, October 20th (10/20) at 2 PM PT

Zoom Link: art.zoom.us/j/93603862308

These workshops are recommended for MFA students in the beginning stages of thesis development, or those who want to learn more about what's expected of the thesis process directly from their Lead. Leads will provide support on where to start when developing a thesis, what's the thesis process and expectations, best practice tips and common questions answered. Q&A sessions will happen at the end of the workshops, and asking questions is both welcome and encouraged.

Want to level up your knowledge of the Game Department? Want tips and tricks from our department directors about how you can best succeed? Interested in hearing the newest updates on what's going on in the department? Join us Tuesday, October 17th at 12:30 PM PT for the Fall 2023 Game Town Hall!

This is both an online and onsite event. To attend online, register at bit.ly/3RCOj3U. To attend onsite, meet us at room 825 in 180 New Montgomery. We're excited to see you there!

Blizzard Entertainment presents the 13th Annual World of Warcraft Student Art Contest!

Submissions are currently open for Animation Art, Character Art, Environment Art, and FX. Submissions close on January 14, 2024.

Submit your entry and join the ranks of the Academy students and alumni who have won this incredibly competitive contest! For the Alliance! For the Horde! And may the best student be victorious!

It looks like it's that time of year again! has released their prompts for this year's challenge. As always, Inktober's prompts are a great way to expand your artistic skills by thinking outside of your usual box. We're excited to see everyone's work under !

Clothed Figure Drawing Workshop:

Starting next Thursday, September 28th (8/28), the Illustration department will be hosting a Clothed Figure Drawing Workshop!

The onsite only workshop will be led by Thomas Gronbukt and take place Thursdays from 1:30 PM PT - 4:30 PM PT at 2801 Leavenworth in room 301. All majors are welcome, so we'll see you there!

Quick Studies Workshop:

Come level up your speed-drawing skills with Chris Canga and your fellow students every Friday from 3:30-6:30 PM PT!

The workshop is located at 2801 Leavenworth in Room 301 and is onsite only. All majors are welcome. We're excited to see you!