IGDA PERSPECTIVES
AUGUST I 2010 NEWSLETTER
T
his month, we have a special extended issue on game education thanks to the enthusiasm of IGDA members. What do we mean by game education, exactly? In the case of this issue, we’re referring to the instruction of various aspects of the game development process.
| PAGE 3 |
The elephant in the room | PAGE 6 |
Game Education | page 8 |
Industry’s Role in the Success of Game Education | page 10 |
sPOTLIGHT: digital extremes | page 11 |
Games industry careers begin in teens | page 13 |
Successful Curriculum for Youth Workshops | page 14 |
Exploring Greater Meaning in Play | page 16 |
Game Prototyping Curriculum | page 17 |
SPOTLIGHT: danish Chapter | page 18 |
Learning Through Classic Games | page 19 |
If you’re an industry professional and thinking of skimming this issue since you’re not sure education relates to you, just wait. More and more, institutions are looking to hire professionals in faculty positions since they have real-world experience in game development. Some professionals transition into teaching roles to get a temporary break from the grind of crunch time, while others dip part time in both worlds. Aside from college education for churning out future pros, there are also youth education initiatives. In my own experience, I held game development workshops for Native American and First Nations youth with groups like Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace, which was life-changing. Even if youth don’t head into game-specific careers, they are often shaped by the experience because of the teamwork and intensity required to make even one 3-D first-person game level or a small casual game. There are numerous education-related efforts, by both schools and companies, which are profiled here. Thanks to, in order of appearance, Lewis Pulsipher, Susan Gold, Monica McGill, Peter Alau, Karen L. Michaelson, Magy Seif El-Nasr, Brian Winn, Jeremy Gibson, Gorm Lai, Sande Chen, Clara Fernández-Vara, Jeff Chastine, Jon A. Preston, Mary Kurek, Dan Carreker, Foaad Khosmood and Suzanne Freyjadis. Whew!
Teaching ProblemSolving to Encourage Game Innovation | page 20 |
Rev Your Engines | page 21 |
The Missing Piece of Game Education | page 22 |
IGDA at GES North America 2010 | page 23 |
Representing the Global Game Jam | page 24 |
Book Review: Ludoliteracy
Beth Aileen Lameman Editor-in-Chief
Our contributors include: Editor in Chief - Beth Aileen Lameman; Art Director - Cat Wendt; Authors - Lewis Pulsipher, Susan Gold, Monica McGill, Peter Alau, Karen L. Michaelson, Magy Seif El-Nasr, Brian Winn, Jeremy Gibson, Gorm Lai, Sande Chen, Clara Fernández-Vara, Jeff Chastine, Jon A. Preston, Mary Kurek, Dan Carreker, Foaad Khosmood and Suzanne Freyjadis; and Copy Editors - Brian Rubinow, Molly Sauter and Sarah Woody. Special thanks to our sponsors: Shift Worldwide, A.K. Peters and GDC Online. Learn more about the International Game Developers Association at www.igda.org.