TheUniversity of Southern California'sSchool of Cinematic Arts'sInteractive Media & Games Divisionfirst accepted M.F.A. students in 2002. The division currently offers both undergraduate (B.F.A.) and graduate (M.F.A. and M.S.) programs in interactive media and game design, as well as B.F.A. programs in game art and themed entertainment and an M.A. in media, games and health. The programs include courses in game design, game development, production, audio, animation, and user research as well as experimental work in gestural and immersive interfaces, transmedia design, and interactive cinema.[1]
From 2010-2015 and 2017-2022, USC was named as the number-one design program for games in North America by the Princeton Review.[2]
Major funders of the USC IMGD includeMicrosoftandElectronic Arts,both of which companies have endowed faculty positions in the program.[3][4]Game industry executiveBing Gordonwas the first holder of the Electronic Arts Endowed Chair in Interactive Entertainment, which is currently held by game designerTracy Fullerton.[5]The Microsoft Endowed Professorship is held by user research pioneer Dennis Wixon.[6]
In 2012, the school announced plans for a new building to house the Interactive Media program and associated research labs, including the Game Innovation Lab.[7]In early 2013, Tracy Fullerton, the Electronic Arts Endowed Chair of Interactive Media, announced that the division, formerly known as the Interactive Media Division, was renamed the Interactive Media & Games Division to "honor the groundbreaking work in games that our faculty and students have produced in the decade since our division was formed."[8]
In 2013, alumniJenova ChenandKellee Santiago,founders ofthatgamecompanywere honored with multiple awards for Game of the Year, Game Direction, Innovation, and Game Design for their gameJourney(2012).[9]
In 2014, students andKellee Santiagofrom IMGD were recruited to participate in a reality TV game show project that ended with the "indie community ultimately deciding it didn't need to put up with this s***." according to Eurogamer.[10]
Projects
edit- Cloud– an experimental computer game from 2005, funded in part by a grant fromElectronic Arts.
- flOw
- Darfur is Dying
- PMOG– A vast social meta-game that can be played by completing missions on the Web.
- Reality Ends Here– A pervasive game experience for incoming School of Cinematic Arts freshmen.
- Outer Wilds
- Chambara– award-winning stealth-action multiplayer game
- Walden, a game– award-winning game about Henry David Thoreau
Personnel
editFaculty & Staff
editCurrently, the division is chaired by Danny Bilson, a game producer, writer and former executive. Full-time faculty and staff includeTracy Fullerton,Richard Lemarchand,Mark Bolas,Peter Brinson, Marientina Gotsis,Andreas Kratky,Sam Roberts, Sean Bouchard, Jesse Vigil, Martzi Campos, Todd Furmanski, Lucas Peterson and Timothy Lee. Adjunct faculty include Laird Malamed, Gordon Bellamy, Carl Schnurr, Heather Desurvire, Vincent Diamante, Chevon Hicks, Robert Nashak, and Scott Rogers.
Former faculty and staff includeScott Fisher– founding chair of the division, Jen Stein,Steve Anderson,Anne Balsamo,Chris Swain,Peggy Weil,Jeremy Gibson,Julian Bleecker,Michael Lew,Erik Loyer,Michael Naimark,Eddo Stern,Perry Hoberman,William Huber,Mark Essen,Akira Thompson, Michael Kontopolous, Joseph Olin, Kurosh ValaNejad, Jeff Watson,Jane Pinckard,and Dennis Wixon.
Alumni
editNotable alumni have include the founders ofthatgamecompany,includingJenova ChenandKellee Santiago.Also,Justin Hall,Matt Korba and Paul Bellezza ofThe Odd Gentlemen,Asher Vollmer(Threes!),Sean Plott(Day9),Adam Sulzdorf-Liszkiewicz(RUST LTD), andElle Schneider(developer of theDigital Bolex) attended the program.
There are also notable dropouts of the program for example the creator ofGiant Sparrow
References
edit- ^Degrees Information at USC SCA siteArchived2012-11-26 at theWayback Machine,cinema.usc.edu/interactive
- ^Top Video Game Design Press Release,Princeton Review, March 22, 2022
- ^Microsoft Endows Gaming Initiative at USC,The Wrap, October 19, 2010
- ^Electronic Arts endows chair at USC's School of Cinema-Television for interactive gaming studies,CNN Money, Feb 8, 2005
- ^Fullerton Installed as Endowed ProfessorArchived2012-10-12 at theWayback Machine,USC news, Dec. 17, 2008
- ^Wixon installed as Microsoft Endowed Professor at SCA,USC news, Sept. 25, 2012
- ^New building to house interactive media,Daily Trojan, April 4, 2012
- ^Tracy Fullerton's Blog Post, IMGD Website, March 7, 2013
- ^13th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards
- ^"Game jam reality show cancelled as indies wouldn't put up with its s**".Eurogamer.April 2014.