Augmented reality, Microsoft Kinect, mobile apps, and so-called “serious games” were all part of GameFest “Transitions,” held May 6-7. The annual festival, now in its eighth year, was larger than ever, drawing on three collegiate game design programs, an exhibition of more than 30 student games, and appearances by industry leaders including Brian Reynolds, chief game designer at Zynga, developer of FarmVille and FrontierVille.
The expo and symposium go beyond conventional video games to include the technology and uses that are broadening the field of games and simulation, and opening opportunities for students, said Lee Sheldon, associate professor of language, literature, and communication and co-director of GSAS.
GameFest was hosted by the GSAS program, named this year among the top 15 out of 150 undergraduate game design programs in the United States and Canada, according to the Princeton Review. This year, the expo also included entries from the game design program at Champlain College, and representatives of the graduate game design program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
The games expo was held on Friday, May 6, in the Alumni Sports and Recreation Center. As part of the expo, 20 games competed for cash prizes in an exhibition juried by Vicarious Visions, an Albany, N.Y., company founded by brothers Karthik Bala, ’97, and Guha Bala.
The 34 student teams were judged by a panel of industry professionals with the following 5 teams receiving prizes.
