Meet our alumni

Nikolas (Niko) Kolm - Game Art & Design

Original program: Game Art & Design

Alumni Information
School: LaSalle College Vancouver
Grad Year: 2011
Program of Study: Game Art & Design
Degree: Diploma

Employment/Professional Information
Company Name: Black Forest
Location: Berlin
Job Title: Game Designer
Primary Responsibilities: Concept Creation, Vision Keeping, Story/Mechanics/Systems.

Describe a Typical Work Day:

No day is “typical” which is one of the best parts about this job. One day, I have to create a new concept for a pitch presentation, another I actually give that pitch to publishers. The next I help out with QA Testing, and still another day, I assist in Community Management. As a Game Designer, I have come to understand that one of the best things to be in this industry, is versatile. A normal work day for me lasts about 10 hours...but obviously, I stay in the office longer quite often. Gotta get used to that idea.

What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?

Right now, I am most proud of getting my job as quickly as I did. Along with that, I am very proud of the work I did during my time at LaSalle College Vancouver, most notably my Dragon Age Module and the Neverwinter Nights Module.

What are your creative inspirations or influences? Who are your heroes?

Even today, I love BioWare and their games. Storytelling is an integral part in my Game Design Philosophy and to me, no one does it quite the same way as BioWare. My inspiration comes from all around me and my long and varied history.

What do you enjoy the most about your career?

I work in the field where I used to (and still do) play. I turned my hobby into my job and I can say that I get up every morning and I am looking forward to my day at work. There are so many talented and creative people all around me at work, and they all share the passion to bring life to the entertainment of the future. It is quite amazing.

How did your education at LaSalle College Vancouver help prepare you for your career?

I learned a lot of key skills during my time at LaSalle College Vancouver. Communication is perhaps THE most important one. I don’t think I could have moved forward as quickly as I did if I didn’t know of the value of team communication and the importance and structure of the processes inside a large scale team.

Your profession is constantly evolving, from the technology you use to new career opportunities that didn’t exist five years ago. What trends do you see on the horizon that will affect how you do your job or your profession at-large?

We seem to be going more and more towards mobile and browser games, which is an amazing new area with exciting new possibilities. As more engines are adapting themselves to be playable in browsers, we will see more, highly polished, quality games on handhelds and in the browser.