ESA @ SXSW
 For two weeks every March, the center of the music, film and art universe is Austin, Texas. The South By Southwest (SXSW) Festival has grown from humble roots in 1987 to a mass media extravaganza. With the introduction of SXSW Interactive and ScreenBurn, computer and video games are now a big part of the festivities. This year, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) again showcased the growing games industry and its place in entertainment right alongside music and film.
ESA President and CEO Michael D. Gallagher was on hand to lead a panel discussion called “Everything’s Bigger in Texas: The Video Game Industry.” Computer and video game companies are flourishing in the Lone Star State, due to a favorable economic environment as well as the state’s hospitable reception to the industry, embodied in economic incentives passed by the legislature last year. In addition, the strong talent graduating from Texas universities with degrees in computer and video game design and programming contribute to an educated, skilled local workforce. The panel, comprised of Texas industry luminaries Warren Spector of Junction Point Studios and Todd Hollenshead of id Software, talked about the video game community in Texas as well as how to keep the industry’s momentum moving forward in the state. Additionally, the ESA sponsored a B2B track of a ScreenBurn programming and networking mixer.
ESA reached out to individual gamers as well during the festival. The Video Game Voters Network (VGVN), the ESA’s grassroots network for American gamers organized to defend against threats to video games, also appeared at the ScreenBurn Arcade to sign up new members and educate them on VGVN. Now with close to 200,000 members, the VGVN plays an active role in video game legislation debates across the nation.
Finally, Into The Pixel, the ESA’s collection of computer and video game artwork, also appeared at the ScreenBurn Arcade. The juried exhibit, jointly sponsored by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, recognizes the work of published computer and video game artists, demonstrating the creativity that goes into entertainment software.
Austin’s place in the computer and video game industry has paralleled the growth of SXSW. Austin prides itself as the intersection of a thriving business environment and an innovative creative arts scene, making a game industry presence at SXSW a fitting way to highlight the artistry, broad popularity and economic impact of the entertainment software industry.
COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES PROMOTE HEALTHY KIDS
Childhood obesity rates in America have tripled over the past three decades; nearly one in three American children is overweight or obese today. In an attempt to combat this growing issue, our nation’s leaders are now turning to video game technology.
 On March 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched the Apps for Healthy Kids Challenge, a competition designed to create innovative, fun, engaging games that encourage children and teenagers to eat healthier as well as participate in more physical activity. Part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, the challenge is calling on entrepreneurs, software developers and students to create new software applications based on the recently-released MyPyramid data set, which provides information on the nutrition content of food along with the USDA’s recommended dietary guidelines.
Just days following the announcement of the challenge, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra delivered the First Lady’s message by video to 17,000 video game developers attending the 10th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards in San Francisco. The address encouraged game developers to utilize their talents and participate in the competition.
Designers will compete for $40,000 in cash prizes. The first set of prizes will recognize digital games that best engage and motivate kids to eat healthy and be active, while the second set of prizes will recognize tools that will enable parents to make healthier choices for their families.
ESA’s President and CEO Michael D. Gallagher will serve as a judge of the challenge alongside Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, Inc.; Mark Pincus, CEO of Zynga Game Network, Inc.; and Michael Levine, executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. The four-judge panel will evaluate the competition entries beginning in July 2010. Winners will be honored at a White House event late this summer.
“The use of games to promote healthy living is a true testament to the increasingly important role that computer and video games are playing in our society. I am proud that the entertainment software industry was selected to participate in this competition,” said Gallagher.
“Today, computer and video games are serving as useful tools and teaching devices to impart knowledge, develop life skills and reinforce positive habits in people of all ages.”
THE PRINCETON REVIEW RANKS TOP UNDERGRADUATE GAME DESIGN PROGRAMS
For more than 25 years, The Princeton Review has collected survey data to help students across the country find the college that is right for them. Each year, as the variety of schools and fields of study expands, analysts at The Princeton Review have responded. In response to the growing number of colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning that now offer degrees or courses in computer and video game design, programming and art, The Princeton Review and GamePro magazine recently released the first list of the Top 50 Undergraduate Game Design Programs in the U.S. and Canada. The move reflects the growing importance of video games on our economy and culture, serving as a testament to the growing interest in game development and design.
The Princeton Review staff surveyed administrators at institutions offering game design coursework and degrees during the 2009-2010 academic year. Programs were evaluated on four main criteria, including academic coursework, prominence of faculty, technology and game laboratory infrastructure, as well as career opportunities. Scholarship and financial aid opportunities were also taken into account.
The top five U.S. video game design programs on the list are the University of Southern California (USC), DigiPen Institute of Technology, Drexel University, Becker College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Located in Los Angeles, USC is within close proximity to some of the biggest names in the entertainment software industry, benefitting immensely from all the area has to offer. For instance, the university’s interactive entertainment program received an $8 million grant from Electronic Arts. The school’s program also boasts an impressive list of alumni including Kellee Santiago and Jenova Chen who created flOw and Flower for the PlayStation Network. Chen was recognized in the August 2008 issue of Technology Review magazine for being one of the world’s top innovators under the age of 35.
The DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Wash., ranked second on the list, grants both undergraduate and graduate degrees in video game development. The school has helped transform the Seattle area into one of the nation's leading game-development regions. Since DigiPen’s move into Washington State, the number of electronic game-related companies grew from less than 10 to over 150, according to research conducted by Enterprise Seattle in 2007. Many of DigiPen’s graduates are contributing to the industry’s growth in the region. This summer, DigiPen’s campus will move to a larger, new facility in Redmond that will host all degree programs, as well as some of its K-12 initiatives.
As computer and video games continue to extend their reach into more facets of society, academic institutions at all levels are responding. Over the next decade, even more art schools, community colleges and traditional universities are expected to expand their course offerings in game design and development, further demonstrating that computer and video games are more than just play. |
