Combine the popularity of online video games and that of telecommuting, the fact that most training is offered in large urban centers at high prices, and you get the baby that programmer Olivier Vézina is preparing for fall 2023: a school 100% online video game.
For $8440, students will have the choice between two diplomas, one in game and level design, and the other in digital arts in video games, which will be awarded after four sessions totaling 16 months and 1320 hours. No prerequisites are required, but all candidates must pass an audition, specifies Mr. Vézina. “It doesn’t take training, it takes passion, time and discipline. »
At last count, according to Synthèse Pôle Image Québec, the province has 75 programs that can lead one way or another to video games. Of the lot, 33, some of which offer online training, are specifically aimed at this industry. Does Quebec really need a 34e program ? Yes, assures Olivier Vézina, a graduate in computer science and administration from the University of Sherbrooke, who made his debut at the defunct Square Enix Montreal studio in 2017. He has been teaching video game development since August 2020 at LaSalle College.
“Better than the rest”
His observation is that “in general, the teaching of video games is maladaptive”. “Teachers have a lot of autonomy, we have carte blanche, and that’s not always good. It lacks cohesion, some courses overlap. »
Without false modesty, he considers himself well placed so that the diploma which will be delivered by his School of video games of Montreal is “better than the others”, he who is delighted to have had a placement rate of 100% for a of its student groups in 2021 at LaSalle College, which also accomplished the rare feat of publishing its game on the Steam platform. The first cohort of his school, for which he wants to recruit two groups of 24 students, who will be supervised by six teachers, will notably have the possibility of designing a video game during the last four-month session. Classes are offered live, with “asynchronous” content that can be viewed at any time. In the absence of an in-person student life, social networking will be offered on the Discord platform. As no course is offered in person, training at the École du jeu vidéo de Montréal is not eligible for the loans and bursaries program. “If I could have that, I would charge even less,” says Mr. Vézina. Despite everything, it is the lowest price among the training courses offered by private schools. »
In time for hiring
In addition to Mr. Vézina, four mentors have already been recruited, two programmers and game designers from Ubisoft Montreal and WB Montreal, an environment artist from Beenox and a level designer from independent Montreal studio Rogue Factor.
Four students, in addition, are already registered, he says, and all are “over 25 years old”.
“My dream would be for the school to be under the same roof as a studio, a real studio that would deliver games. […] What I regret right now is the lack of supervision. This is why we see so few job offers for juniors: they are not ready. »
The choice of launching in autumn 2023 is not trivial: he wants his first students to arrive on the market in December 2024, in time for the resumption of hiring, generally at the start of the year. The courses include preparation for the labor market, in particular the preparation of a curriculum vitae.