Continuing Education Press Releases

Due to Popular Demand, University of Utah Opens Second Video Game Development Summer Camp

Continuing Education teams up with EAE Masters Students and EA Salt Lake to Teach Tomorrow's Game Development Students

July 29, 2013 – University of Utah has created an additional section of its popular one-week long game development summer camp. The second section will run from July 29 to August 2 and is aimed for middle-school age students. The classes are held in coordination with masters students from the U's Entertainment Arts and Engineering program, the #1 ranked game design school in the country.

Earlier this summer, 21 children ages 11-15 spent five days touring studios, learning game design principles and eventually creating their own video games. A wait-list with of over 60 children prompted the U to open its doors with a second camp to accommodate the large demand.

"I'm a big proponent of making high quality educational opportunities accessible to everyone," said Luke Lavin, coordinator of the summer camp. "Youth Education strives to do this by developing classes that are relevant to students and parents, providing a diverse selection of classes, and applying for grants or soliciting donations for financial-need based students."

Lavin added, "Getting to do all of that at a top-tier university makes it even better."

Over the course of the week, campers split into teams of two or three budding game developers to make their own forced side-scrollers, a popular genre of game. Using Game Maker: Studio—a commercial game-engine—each camper was able to code and create their own video game. The campers were able to transfer their games to individual flash drives, allowing them to bring their games home and share their games with friends and family after the camp. Learning digital media tools such as Photoshop not only allowed campers to create beautiful games, but also exposed them to industry-standard tools and practices, vital for future employment.

"Game camps allow children to produce and not just consume games," notes Roger Altizer, director of game design and production for the EAE program at the U. "Almost half of all digital media jobs in Utah are in games. Going to a game camp gives a student a head start towards a rewarding career."

Campers were given first-hand experience to see the University's game development lab on campus and playtest some of the games made by graduate students. Later in the week, Shane Smit of Red Interactive, an independent game studio in Salt Lake, coached the kids on the challenges of developing a game professionally, and the resources that it takes to get a game made.

Touring the Electronic Arts Studio in downtown Salt Lake was the highlight of the camp for many students. A private tour of the studio by Debra Graves, senior recruiter and global talent acquisition at EA Salt Lake, gave campers a behind-the-scenes peek at how multimillion dollar games are created. Campers were treated to an inside look at unreleased games and an hour of Q&A with a development director and animator from the studio.

"We really enjoyed having the kids here" says Graves. "Its great to inspire what could be the next generation of game designers, engineers and artists. It's rewarding to help youth understand that there is a career in video games with a lot of determination, schooling,and hard work."

During the tour, the kids were surprised to learn that EASL doesn't produce any first-person shooter games. "Sometimes video games get a bad rap for violence and adult content," Graves explains, "but EASL is a great example of a studio that develops family and kidfriendly games such as The Sims, Family Game Night and Tetris Blitz. Family-oriented media is especially important in Utah and we're proud to be able to deliver fantastic content such as this."

Parents can still apply for the upcoming section of the camp by following the link at the bottom of the article, but space is limited. Enrollment for 2014 camps begin in February or March of 2014. For a head start in game programming practice, parents can download a free license of Game Maker: Studio from www.yoyogames.com for their children to experiment with game design and engineering.

To register your child for the July 29-August 2 section of the class, please click the following link:
http://continue.utah.edu/youth/class/yetec_119_mobile_gaming_studio_app_design_and_programming_age_12_16

More information:

• The Summer Camp uses Game Maker: Studio, free software available at www.yoyogames.com.
• The University of Utah's game design program—Entertainment Arts and Engineering—is the #1 undergrad and #2 graduate program for game design in the nation.
• The Video Game Summer Camp is put on by the Youth Education division of the University of Utah's Department of Continuing Education
• Youth Education programs started around the early 20th century, catering to Boy/Girl Scout programs.
• Youth Education currently run over 200 classes and camps throughout the summer,

Continuing Education at the U enriches the lives of people of all ages in the greater community and beyond by providing extraordinary learning opportunities from the university. The division encompasses nine programs: Academic Non-Credit, Lifelong Learning, Exam/Test Preparation, Professional Education, Technology Education, Youth Education, Distance Education, the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning and the English Language Institute. Founded in 1911, Continuing Education offers credit and non-credit courses that serve over 30,000 students annually from around the world. Information about each of Continuing Ed's programs can be found at www.continue.utah.edu.