NEW FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAM RECOGNIZES VIDEO GAME ART
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), a federal agency supporting artists and art organizations across the U.S., recently expanded its submission guidelines for the category formerly called "Arts on Television and Radio" to include interactive games. Renamed "Arts in Media," the category extends the eligibility for grant money to media produced for the Internet, interactive and mobile technologies, and digital games. This marks the first time the U.S. government will provide grant support to video game art projects, an important milestone for the entertainment software industry.
"We will continue to support television and radio," explains Alice Myatt, director of media arts at the NEA, "but we are also going to support content developed for the Web, for theatrical release, for mobile phones, content to be distributed via satellite, and even content for game platforms."
Myatt said the NEA decided to expand the grant category to include games due to their ability to reach a large audience, which is in line with the agency’s overall goal: "to bring art to the American public… that allows the public to be both viewers and participants." Video games are viable grant candidates, she said, because technology allows anyone to experience art at any place and any time. Myatt said the NEA also wants the grant expansion to affirm and foster new forms of art, regardless of platform, and that by embracing games, the agency will demonstrate how art is evolving.
The NEA is the largest government grantor to art organizations in the U.S., with grants typically ranging from $10,000 to $200,000, based on the scope and platform of the project. Myatt stated that the NEA will judge games on their artistic merit and excellence, but did not identify more specific guidelines for potential grantees, in the interest of fostering creativity and innovation, and to avoid discouraging artists from submitting their work.
"We want to be inspired – we want the sector to come up with really interesting engaging projects that we couldn’t possibly know what they are. We are looking for things that the audience will find engaging."
Panels made of up experts will judge entries, and only nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c) 3 organizations can apply. The NEA will hold a series of webinars to explain the new grant guidelines on June 15, July 13 and August 10. The final deadline for entries will be September 1. Interested parties can learn more and register for the webinars on the NEA’s website.
ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE INDUSTRY THRIVES IN LOUISIANA
Entertainment software remains one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S., and makes a significant contribution to state economies across the nation. Recognizing the potential for computer and video game companies to create jobs and produce revenue, state officials are working with the industry to develop new facilities and encourage game production in their communities.
Louisiana officials have been particularly active in pursuing computer and video game companies. In 2009, Governor Bobby Jindal (R) signed into law an expanded economic incentive program for digital interactive media productions. The program provides a 35 percent tax credit on Louisiana labor directly involved in making and testing computer and video games. Companies are also eligible for a 25 percent tax credit on production-related expenditures, such as rent payments, work stations, or professional training in game development.
 Together, these incentives create a welcoming operating environment for entertainment software companies, fostering job creation and adding value to Louisiana’s economy. Perhaps the most significant example of this job market expansion is Electronic Arts’ (EA) development of its North American Test Center (NATC) on the Louisiana State University (LSU) campus in Baton Rouge. The facility currently employs 400 people who monitor the quality of some of EA’s most popular game titles, such as the Madden NFL series and Tiger Woods PGA Tour. Company executives expect to hire an additional 200 employees for the NATC once they relocate to a new 94,000-square-foot Digital Media Facility, financed in part by construction dollars from Louisiana Economic Development and a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The new building will also house LSU’s Center for Computation & Technology, and will feature instructional space and technological equipment that will support the university’s academic programs and research efforts related to digital media and software development.
EA is not alone in its efforts to expand operations in Louisiana. Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development Stephen Moret recently told Forbes that mobile game developer Gameloft plans to establish a development studio in New Orleans. Moret also said officials are working with a number of other smaller companies to encourage them to relocate or build new facilities in the state.
To help meet the demand for well-educated, innovative personnel, LSU plans to expand its Arts, Visualization, Advanced Technologies and Research (AVATAR) program. AVATAR currently offers students two digital media minor programs, one that is arts-focused and another that is technology-focused. The program also creates research opportunities in areas of virtual environments, digital art, electro-acoustic music, animation, video game design and scientific visualization. School officials are currently working to add a master’s degree program to AVATAR’s offerings. In addition, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers a Bachelor of Science degree in video game design and development.
As Louisiana continues to invest in its digital interactive media incentive programs, the number of entertainment software companies in the state is sure to grow, offering lucrative and exciting career opportunities to aspiring developers and designers while bolstering the strength of the state’s economy.
U.S. NAVY CREATES ONLINE GAME TO HELP SHAPE MILITARY STRATEGIES
 Building on the interactive nature of online and social games, the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR) is nearing completion of the armed services’ first online game intended to help shape military strategy. Developed in partnership with the nonprofit Institute for the Future and administered by the Naval Postgraduate School, the Massive Multiplayer Online Wargame Leveraging the Internet (MMOWGLI) will use crowd sourcing methods to enable the Navy to tap into a wide range of expertise, from military officers to academics, politicians, and technology specialists.
"MMOWGLI is designed to produce ideas and potential solutions to our toughest problems and challenges. Those 21st century threats that demand new forms of collaboration and truly outlying ideas," said Lawrence Schuette, director of innovation at the Office of Naval Research, in a press release. In an interview with Wired.com, Schuette declared "We want to test this proposition: can you get a crowd to provide you with good information?"
The Navy’s MMOWGLI asks players to share their recommendations, in 140 characters or less, on how best to handle different conflict scenarios. The online game’s initial test, which will run for three weeks later this summer, will feature a scenario modeled after recent attacks on foreign ships carried out by Somali pirates.
The game presents players with video clips and storyboards to illustrate different scenarios and then asks them to react to the situation at hand. For example, the first scenario presents players with the following prompt: "Three pirate ships are holding the world hostage. Chinese-U.S. relations are strained to the limit and both countries have naval ships in the area. Humanitarian aid for rig workers is blocked. The world is blaming the U.S. for plundering African resources."
Players are then given two choices – innovate or defend. Those that select "innovate" must identify new resources the U.S. could use to "turn the tide," while those that select "defend" must determine "what new risks would arise that would transform the situation." They can also vote for their favorite strategy ideas, and, in subsequent rounds of the game, teams will form around the most popular ideas to develop specific action plans.
Originally slated for release in May, ONR postponed the MMOWGLI after an unexpected 7,000 gamers registered to play. Developers at Institute for the Future originally anticipated only 1,000 registrants; consequently, officials delayed the launch to increase the game’s capacity.
The Navy’s MMOWGLI is the latest in a long line of military applications of games and game technology, and provides players with an exciting opportunity to impact our country’s military strategy. To register for this innovative program, visit http://mmowgli.nps.edu/mmowgli. |
