The second summer camp has ended

Yes, last Friday was the last day of mobile game summer camp. In the end of the class, we had total 7 games: Fish Run, Gravity, Gravity Runner, My Game (they hadn't name the game yet), Space Miner, The Epic Journey to Jupiter, and Time Dash. On average, the games were much better than the first summer camp. There are reasons for that:

1. we did better on the curriculum

2. importantly - all the kids were really doing their job instead of playing games during the lab time!

Again, my only picture with the campers ;(

Tour to EAE and more play testing, playing game

Listening to tutorial in lab

It is another fun mobile-game-summer-camp day. In the morning, we had lab time where all the kids continue working on their game. Then in the evening, after lunch, we head to EAE north lab. Roger gave us an awesome presentation. The kids got the play Erie, the game published by c1 and play testing latest NEF game. We, the Vinyl team, also got some kids to play test our game - the very first 'random' people we got to play test our game!

Full lab time, full working time

Today was a full lab time, which meant full working day! The programmer of the team started working on the game and the artist started creating the asset. In the middle, like previous summer camp, we taught the kids some nice feature that they would use for their game.

As I predicted, Cade was way beyond all the other kids. He had a platformer-like game. You started at the top of the screen and you felt down by the gravity. Your objective was not to fall off the screen by jumping to platforms which were spawned randomly and moving upward. I helped him a bit figuring out GameMaker's gravity and collision-free. It was easy to work with him. He grabbed every logic that I told him. The fact that he ever used GameMaker before was indeed useful but that wasn't the main reason. The main reason was he got what it needed to be a programmer: logic and passion! Because of that, I wasn't hesitant at all doing coding with him. My only concern was he ever used GameMaker before and he would find the class boring.

The second game development summer camp

Yes, the second Game Development Summer Camp had already been started!

Basic programming class

Like the previous summer  camp, we had a trip to EA in the first day. It was a fun trip. In the morning the kids learnt about game: what make game fun, which people are needed to make games, and brainstorming. Then in the evening, after lunch, we went to EA. The kids learnt a lot about game development process and got some suggestion from the professional to prepare for their career either as artist or programmer in game industry. All kids thought the trip to EA was the most fun part of the day.

The amazing and stupidly easy GameMaker

Yes, I was supposedly working on NEF game for a month however the real working week for me is 3 weeks. On the third week of June (June 17 to June 21), I helped Jake and Chris with their Mobile Game Summer Camp. This was a summer camp for middle school kid to make a mobile game. Jake told me early June that he was planning to teach those kids making game with GameMaker and he had no experience at all with GameMaker. So did Chris. So, I volunteering to help them with their programming class. I am glad I did offer my assistance. I had a really great time with those kids and being useful for the class.

Listening to Molyjam 2012 by Anna Kipnis

It is really interesting how social media (Twitter, Facebook) support the game jam and made it into international game jam. Internet is absolutely one thing you cannot miss to market your game.

This is just my short note on the talk that I don't want to forget.

We are #1 (undergraduate) and #2 (graduate) in USA!!!

University of Utah’s video game design program No. 1 in nation !!

Entertainment Arts & Engineering Tops the Charts

Our program, EAE, ranked #1 (undergraduate) and #2 (graduate) in USA!! Yay! Congratulation to everyone in Utah EAE:MGS program. I am so proud to be part of this program. This news has been spread all over the internet from news to Facebook by this time.

Nice article about positive side of game

This is a really nice article about positive side of game. Now if someone say that video game is bad. We can argue them by telling this fact. Oh btw, this also proved Jane McGonigal view of point of game ^___^

7 health benefits of playing video games

http://theweek.com/article/index/241121/7-health-benefits-of-playing-video-games

Gaming can reduce stress, refine motor skills, improve your vision, and more 

By Danny Gallagher

1. Video games are therapeutic for children with chronic illnessesThe University of Utah released a study last year that examined the effects of regular gaming on children diagnosed with illnesses like autism, depression, and Parkinson's disease. Kids who played certain games, including one designed just for the study, showed signs of improvement in "resilience, empowerment, and a 'fighting spirit.'" Researchers believe the games' ability to act on "neuronal mechanisms that activate positive emotions and the reward system" helped improve kids' demeanors as they faced the daily challenges of their illnesses.

Listening to Jane McGonigal speech

This Thursday morning I went to Jane McGonigal speech. It was really an interesting seminar. She gave me a new point of view of game: using game to solve problem and to learn thing! This is really interesting. Usually people always stressed that game is something fun that we can use to kill time or to suppress stress. She, however, sees game as a method to solve problem.

She gave us an example: ReMission, one of her game for children in leukemia treatment. Study proved that game shift the physiology of the kid and those kid who played game during their treatment showed a better improvement. Kids going to surgery can also get rid of their depression by playing video games. Again, playing games proved to help improve the effect of their treatment. Gamers with autism also showed increased social intelligence.