Village Gamer

Can a triple-A franchise adapt in an evolving industry? What does the future really hold for game design? Is there room in social games for the ‘core’ gamer? These are just a few of the tough questions industry leaders will tackle at Game Design Expo 2013 this January. Ticketholders at Industry Speaker Day (Saturday, January 19) will join in on an exclusive day of presentations and panels.

343 Industries’ Chris Haluke explores the making of Halo 4’s episodic co-op campaign. Microsoft’s Richard Rouse III looks for the balance between engaging gameplay and meaningful experiences. Patrick Plourde of Ubisoft Montreal peers into the outer reaches of gaming’s future. It’s wall-to-wall ideas as these speakers are joined by Clive Downie (ngmoco), Alexandre Mandryka (Game Whispering), and Tuomas Pirinen (Slant Six Games ), and a lively panel about game journalists and the developers who count on them to get their games seen. Even more announcements are coming soon!

That’s on top of a free VFS Game Design Open House on Sunday, full of game design classes and chances to get hands-on with student-created games.

Game Design Expo 2013 Industry Speaker Day tickets are now on sale for just $125 plus tax. Don’t forget about the group discount rate when purchasing 6 or more tickets. For information, please contact Kate Bilson at event@gamedesignexpo.com or toll-free in North America at 1.800.661.4101.

Game Design Expo 2013 Schedule

9:10am-10:00am	The Making of Halo 4’s Episodic Co-op Adventure: Spartan Ops –Chris Haluke, Lead Designer, 343 Industries
10:05am-11:00am	More Than Fun:  Balancing Engagement and Meaning in Game Design –Richard Rouse III, Microsoft Game Studios, Senior Game Designer/Design Lead
11:05am-12:00pm	A Plea for the Social Core Gamer –Alexandre Mandryka, Design Consultant, Game Whispering
12:05pm-12:45pm	Panel – Announcement coming soon! –Panelists TBA
12:45pm-1:45pm	Lunch
1:50pm-2:45pm	Presentation – Announcement coming soon! –Clive Downie, Chief Executive Officer, ngmoco
2:50pm-3:45pm	What do Zombies, Bowling Balls, and State-of-the-Art 3D Graphics on Mobile Have in Common? –Tuomas Pirinen, Game Director, Slant Six Games
3:50pm-4:45pm	New Horizons for Game Design –Patrick Plourde, Creative Director, Ubisoft
4:45pm-5:00pm	Break
5:00pm-5:45pm	Panel – The Gaming Press & the Little Guy: How Can Indie Devs Be Heard? –Panelists to be announced
6:00pm-7:30pm	Industry Networking Reception – After the Industry Speaker Day presentations are complete, there will be an exclusive networking reception where speakers, attendees, and industry have the opportunity to network and mingle.
* Speakers and panelists are subject to change.

Day 2 VFS Game Design Program Open House Classes

Game Theory – Explore the fundamentals of game rules and mechanics and how they’re used by game designers to build fun experiences for gamers.

Storytelling – See how creative writing and storytelling are fundamentals skills that allow a game designer to engage the player in an immersive story and make them care about the goals of the game.

Game Art – Learn about the variety of ways that art is used in games, from characters to worlds to front end menus, and the tools used for creating and manipulating the art.

Level Design – Learn about the tools used to design levels for games, as well as the concepts you should consider when creating your game world.

Coding in Unity – Learn the fundamentals of game development with Unity and watch the creation of a simple first person shooter.

Flash Gaming – Discover how Flash-based games are created, and how this versatile tool can help prototype and develop games.
Classes are subject to change.

Hands-On & Interactive

The Arcade – An opportunity to play and discuss a selection of blockbuster games that VFS alumni have helped create with some of the biggest and best game companies. You can also test drive amazing games created by students during their year in the Game Design program.

Meet and Greet – Meet VFS Game Design faculty and VFS Admissions Advisors.