Presenters:
Gary Gatis: Graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and majored in sculpture; one of the CEOs/Product Manager at Spacetime Studios
Eva Tran: Live Art Lead
Bryant wood: Senior Designer (game developer)
From Spacetime Studios
Reflection:
I was really intrigued by the work that goes into the video games that we see every day on our app stores. I’ve never really stopped to think of all the technology and design that is incorporated into these video games. Gary Gatis revealed that the gaming industry requires long hours, is fiercely competitive, occasionally poorly run, and has challenging customers. He told us that their work has been around since 2005 but really only got started until 2010. He said that at Spacetime Studios, they focus on globally synchronous video games. With the intention of reaching out to a larger audience, their games are run on both IOS and Android. According to Gary, the industry moved from subscription based; so these video games are free to anyone wishing to download them off the app store. As a game developer, Bryant Wood said he has the responsibility of molding the player experience and working the heart and soul of the game. Bryant said there are two main things that a designer focuses on, system design and content design. Included in this would be things such as character abilities, in game events, and quests and conversation. Bryant said that evaluating design involves data analysis and forums. Eva Tran, involved in the Live Art Lead, emphasized the importance of accepting constructive criticism in the gaming industry. She said that as an artist, she focuses on the concept of art, animation, and the environment/character modeling. Overall, our three guest speakers seemed very engaged when describing their work. I was very impressed with the collaboration and varieties of work that are incorporated when designing a game.
Questions I would ask the faculty presenters:
*As a Graphic Design major, what types of internships would you recommend that I apply for my senior year of college? Which types of internships should I avoid? What organizations should I get involved with early on?
