Gympie gaming enthusiast Will Averillo is so impressed by the power and artistry of computer games that he’s taken his pursuit of a career in the rapidly growing game design industry to the next level.

The 2020 Gympie High State School graduate has just started a Bachelor of Design (Game Design) at USC and is taking advantage of the degree being offered online for the first time by the University.

“The flexibility of online study suits my personal circumstances and allows me to gain a degree in my chosen field without having to leave Gympie,” Will said.

“To me, video games are one of the most flexible artistic mediums – it can be something as simple as Tetris to an exploration of the human psyche – and that versatility is powerful,” he said.

“I spent most of my youth playing and otherwise being fascinated by games and digital media, so much so that enrolling at USC to study game design and production seemed like a logical progression.”

Will realised his aspiration to formally create games in high school and completed a Certificate IV in Digital and Interactive Games through TAFE while teaching himself basic coding and design skills in his free time.

With the gaming industry emerging as one of the fastest and most innovative business sectors, Will said gaining a degree would give him the skills and knowledge to expand his passion into a satisfying and successful career.

USC’s three-year Bachelor of Design (Game Design) provides students with the opportunity to create emotionally rich and challenging experiences through games and simulations, and to specialise in game art, interactive narratives and programming.

Elective subjects allow students to hone their studies in a range of diverse areas, including indigenous studies, education, healthcare, marketing and international relations.

They can also gain hands-on experience developing for personal computers, smart-phones and tablets and augmented and virtual reality.

“I hope to gain a vertical slice of industry experience through completing the Bachelor of Design and then using it to springboard into either further education or employment,” Will said.

Applications to study at USC in Semester 2 are now open