Conference provides information for ITGM students and video game ethusiasts
By Matt Braddick
Last week, the SCAD-Atlanta community welcomed the Game Developers’ Exchange to the campus in an effort to both bolster support for the growing video games industry and help educate and inform attendees about the different facets of the business. Industry experts from across the nation gathered at the campus for the two-day event to share ideas and experiences in this highly competitive and highly profitable business.
The conference consisted mostly of roundtable discussions and special lectures presented by different attendees and experts, as well as an opening panel discussion about alternative and independent gaming and a keynote address by Gamelab co-founder Eric Zimmerman. Topics discussed in the roundtables and lectures ranged across all sorts of topics related to the gaming industry and were geared mainly toward presenting information about how to find jobs in the industry, how to keep those jobs and what type of work one can expect within the industry.
One roundtable in particular, led by Asante Bradford, a representative of the Georgia Film, Video and Music division, addressed how the Georgia state government has begun to promote financial incentives for video gaming companies, in an effort to attract businesses to the area.
Other discussions approached a variety of topics, not the least of which were lectures about audience, tips on portfolio building and applying for jobs and exploring innovative approaches to designing and producing games.
One of the more well-attended lectures was led by Scott Mercer, lead encounter designer for Blizzard’s popular video game “World of Warcraft.” Attendees listened intently as Mercer spoke to a standing-room-only crowd about his experiences working for Blizzard and about creating engaging stories and lore and incorporating these elements into video games.
Many students from SCAD-Atlanta attended the event, as well as a group of students from the Savannah campus, most of whom were interactive design and game development majors. The event gave these students a chance to learn more about the industry in which they hope to find employment and success. Josh Tilson, a second-year interactive design and game development student, said he found out about “lots of general helpful information” and was especially encouraged by Bradford’s discussion about promoting the industry in Georgia.
For students as well, the event went beyond simply being a plain, run-of-the-mill conference. “GDX was really fun and exciting,” said Justin Pierce, a third-year interactive design and game development student. “But more importantly,” he continued, “it was inspirational and informative.”
GDX was insightful and educational not just for interactive design and game development majors, but for students in other majors and disciplines as well. Adam White, a second-year animation major, mentioned how much he enjoyed a speech entitled “100 Questions, 97 Answers, 56 Minutes (on 300 slides)“ by Brenda Braithwaite, an interactive design and game development teacher at SCAD-Savannah. Braithwaite’s unorthodox speech attempted to answer most of the 100 most important questions (in only an hour) that students normally asked her about finding jobs in the gaming industry. White said her speech “made it well worth the money, and I wish she would come teach at the Atlanta campus sometime!”
Not only were students generally excited about the events and content of GDX, but some speakers and guests seemed to be impressed as well. Keynote speaker Eric Zimmerman said he was impressed by both the conference and the facilities at SCAD-Atlanta and went on to say that the content of the conference was “of the quality level you get at the Game Developers Conference,” a major video game industry conference that was held in San Francisco this past February. He also said that students at SCAD were very fortunate to have such a “well put-together” event organized for their benefit and education.
The conference convened with an awards ceremony for the “Entelechy” gallery exhibition put on in conjunction with GDX. Winners and honorable mentions were announced in categories ranging best web design to best game design, even a best in show award.Next year’s GDX will convene at the Savannah
campus on May 1, 2009.
Photo: Charlie Taylor/Connector: Gametap provided a number of computers for attendees to try out their service between panels.