ABOVE PHOTO: Attendees at the M+DEV game conference in Madison visit the UW-Stout booth.
In Wisconsin, where the advertising slogan “Got Milk?” is borderline a state motto, could people someday be asking, “Got game design?”
If the annual M+DEV game developers conference held recently in Madison can be used as a barometer, certainly the Badger State is moving in that direction. About 750 people from around the country attended to highlight and to build on strong industry connections that already exist.
One of the state’s game design connections is University of Wisconsin-Stout, which was well-represented at M+DEV and was a lead sponsor. Nearly 80 students, faculty and alumni from the university’s nationally ranked game design programs attended. Students displayed seven of their games and several students, with alumni, led a panel discussion. Plus, a student — with a cow-based animation project — and a professor brought home the event’s three major art awards.
“We were well-recognized by industry, with many studios asking to be more involved with the university, such as Professional Advisory Boards and campus visits,” said Professor Andrew Williams, one of the art award winners.
Could Wisconsin really become a hotbed of game design? The Madison area already has satellite studios for major companies like Respawn, Activision Blizzard, Epic Games, Zenimax, Filament Games, Lost Boys Interactive, Human Head Studios and Krafton.
Madison is “primed to be ‘the new epicenter’ of video game development in the United States,” according to the website Game Developer, quoting, M+DEV keynote speaker Ryan Burnett of Respawn, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts.
UW-Stout game design alumni working at companies in the Madison area and around the U.S. took part in the conference. Two students and alum joined Minneapolis-based developers to “lead one of the most polished and professional panels of the conference about building an audience for games. They organized the panel of multistate representatives from their professional network and provided solid takeaways. It was a highlight of the conference,” Williams said.
Associate Professor Kim Loken, director of the game design and development-art program, said UW-Stout alums in attendance also highlighted how their game design skills transfer seamlessly into other industries. “They represented a range of application of game development skills, organic modeling and 3D printing at Mayo Clinic; 3D modeling and product rendering at Trek (bicycles).”
Game design strength runs deep at UW-Stout. While Madison may be the center of Wisconsin’s place in the industry, UW-Stout’s degree programs are best positioned to supply the workforce talent. It’s the only state university to offer game design degrees in science and art.
A recent graduate from the game design-science program, Steve Datz, a Wisconsin native, started a game design company in Menomonie, Flying General Games.
Graduate students in the Master of Fine Arts in design program also can choose a game design focus. Recent MFA graduate Hue Vang was hired by DreamWorks Animation in Glendale, Calif., one of four alum at the company.
