Edu Focus: QANTM College

What job are you currently in and what are some of the tasks involved with this role?
I am currently one of two directors running our own apps/games development company, Ignition Studios. While we strive to focus on making games, both in-house and for clients, we also provide development, programming, art and application creation services. I have been involved in various app titles such as Lol-A-Coaster by Pachinko Pictures, and am co-creator of Monkey Mini Golf – a game for the Windows Phone 7 platform, that was promoted and marketed by Ignition Studios. While programming is what I primarily do, additional day-to-day tasks of running your own business also need to be done. These include marketing, accounting, legal and business-related tasks. You quickly become a jack of all trades and do what needs to be done.

Are you enjoying this job and is it what you expected it to be?
Absolutely, and coming from a corporate programming environment to a more creative one has been something I have strived to do for many years. It is what I expected it to be, however, many learning curves still had to be overcome to get where we are today. Learning that it is not just about games, but about business and running your own company has been an important aspect, not to mention marketing.

Do you believe you would have this position without your prior education?
Possibly, but I believe it would have been a much slower process. Having done the course, I was primed with the base fundamentals I needed. Having such a focused environment truly helped speed up this process. Without this core knowledge, I would have found doing my first commercial game and starting Ignition Studios a much harder process. One thing to note – learning does not stop post-graduation. This becomes more so relevant in the ever-changing games and multimedia space. Personally, that is what makes it a challenging and exciting space to work in.

Where did you study?
Qantm, Melbourne.

What made you choose this course of study?
As Qantm was all about games/multimedia, I decided that this would be the best choice as that is all they focused on.

What was your favourite aspect to this course?
I think having to not only execute, but write my own 12-week final assessment piece. This involved porting Id Software's Quake to iPhone from scratch in 12 weeks with a fellow student and put to the test all that we had learnt over the course. Additionally, the wealth of knowledge and genuine care that teachers took ensuring that their students really got the best they could from the course. I am very grateful for their support and knowledge, for without them, I would not be where I am today.

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