USC Games has unveiled the Games as a Service and Live Operations (GLO) course, a program designed to prepare students for the dynamic world of live-service gaming. Unlike traditional games, live-service titles are “always on,” constantly evolving to meet players’ needs.
Elevate Game Education
“There are games that exist as discrete experiences. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end,” explained Jim Huntley, associate professor and one of the creators of the course. “Games as a service are games that just stay online constantly, and your experience with them will change.”
This evolving nature makes live-service games like Fortnite, Genshin Impact, or Call of Duty’s multiplayer mode a dominant force in the industry. “Wherever you boot it up, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you can go online and interact with the game in a brand-new way,” Huntley added.
Faculty see this shift as essential for the future of game development education. “[Live-service game is the game that] users all over the world can play,” said Professor Chevon Hicks. “It’s different than normal games that we sort of teach here at USC, in that we’re usually teaching games that have a definite beginning and end.”
The demand for these skills is growing.
“We need to understand that something like 60% of games now are live-service games,” said Professor Cynthia Woll. “An awful lot of the games industry is looking for people who have skills in managing teams, that do analytics, that do data-driven design.”
The GLO course addresses this demand by offering students hands-on experience with tools and techniques critical to success in this particular field.
Create and Manage Games for Millions
The GLO course emphasizes practical learning through real-world projects. Students use Epic Games’ Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) to design, test, and launch game prototypes that are playable by real audiences. This allows them to understand not just how to create games but also how to manage them effectively after release.
“UEFN empowers creators to build their own experiences within Fortnite, and we are excited to give students the opportunity to get hands-on with the tools,” said Saxs Persson, Executive Vice President of the Fortnite Ecosystem at Epic Games.
Students quickly learn how analytics drive decision-making in live service games.
“We’ve learned a lot about analytics and gathering data in games, which was something I never thought about going into the class,” said student Grace MacPherson. “I absolutely loved getting really in-depth and understanding how to create incredible strategies to really optimize gameplay and create even better experiences.”
Team collaboration is another cornerstone of the course.
“Our team has six students across the board, and we all come from different backgrounds,” said student Brian Bouzari. “Learning how to collaborate with one another is the greatest thing I’ve learned from that class.”
The course covers all aspects of game development, from rapid prototyping to building player economies.
“Specifically, students participating in the ‘Games as Live Ops’ class are going to learn production skills,” said Professor Kyle Ackerman. “They’re going to learn how to build an economy that will keep and engage players and get them to return. And they’ll learn how to build community.”
To ensure students can execute their visions efficiently, the course highlights the importance of tools like UEFN.
“The key UI skills are really about taking advantage of everything that UEFN has to offer,” Hicks said.
Pave the Path to Industry Success
What sets the GLO course apart is its focus on real-world readiness. Students graduate with tangible experience, including credits on live, commercially released games. This gives them a unique advantage in a highly competitive industry.
“The great news about this class is it will actually give them credit on a live commercial game,” Huntley explained. “They’ll also be able to say, ‘Take out your phone, download the game that I worked on, look at the credits.’”
The course mirrors industry practices, preparing students for the challenges of live-service game development.
“It’s very rare that you get a job in the game industry, and you happen to start on your very first day, and your boss says, ‘Hey, that’s great, because we’re just starting a brand-new game concept,’” said Huntley. “Usually, you walk in the door, there’s a game we already have launched. How are we going to keep the game live? What are the events that we’re going to do for next quarter to keep people engaged?”
One of the most exciting aspects of GLO is its potential for global collaboration.
“While our students are asleep during the night in Pacific Coast time, it’s completely feasible to have students awake over in Europe or in Asia-Pac doing the exact same thing that we’re doing in terms of using the live game to teach their students skills,” Huntley explained.
This approach reflects the 24/7 nature of live-service games and fosters a global network of learners and developers working together in real-time.
The course also emphasizes adaptability, a crucial skill in the ever-evolving gaming industry. “The challenge that some companies run into when it comes to live service is that they spend a tremendous amount of money,” Huntley noted. “I don’t think they do enough consumer research to understand exactly what their consumers’ hot buttons are. That’s the core of what GLO is going to be teaching students.”
Students leave the program ready to apply these lessons.
“We need to understand how to put [data-driven design] together and how to read the audience over time and make features that they will love,” said Woll.
Seize the Chance
Applications for the USC Games program are now open through December 1.
“This is more than just a course—it’s an opportunity to shape the future of gaming,” Huntley said.
The program’s unique interdisciplinary approach, combining storytelling, technical expertise, and business acumen, aims to ensure graduates are well-prepared for all facets of game development. Students interested in applying can visit the USC Games website for more details.
