Gaming Takes the Spotlight on Homewood Campus
The JHU Digital Media Center, Department of Computer Science and the Center for Educational Resources, in conjunction with Homewood Student Affairs, are pleased to announce several new ventures that integrate gaming into the academic and co-curricular lives of Homewood students.
Gaming has become an integral part of the lives of students and non-students alike. The advent of video games for recreational use, coupled with market innovations, bring gaming-influenced communication technologies to our desktops and hand-held devices. From cell phones to iPods to workstations to gaming consoles, gaming innovations offer new opportunities for social networking in our everyday lives. Here are some of the recent initiatives undertaken on the Homewood campus:
- 600.255 - Introduction to Video Game Design and its required lab were first offered during Spring ’09. The class is a broad survey course in video games, covering artistic, technical, and sociological aspects of video games. Students learned about the history of video games, archetypal game styles, computer graphics and programming, user interface and interaction design, graphical design, spatial and object design, character animation, integration of music, basic game physics, and plot and character development, as well as the psychological and sociological impact of games. Students designed and implemented an experimental video game in interdisciplinary teams of 3-4 students as part of a semester-long project.
- Johns Hopkins Gaming Lab – A fully equipped development and testing lab has been created to support course-related and independent game development and exploration by JHU students. The lab contains high-end workstations, including Nvidia graphics cards and an array of cutting-edge development software, as well as a large-format Samsung screen and 5.1 surround-sound system for testing and game play. The Johns Hopkins Gaming Lab is located in Mattin/Offit Room 225, adjacent to the DMC.
- Game Lounge – In the lobby space between The Johns Hopkins Gaming Lab and the DMC, we have created a student-friendly lounge. This space features comfortable furniture attractively arranged around a series of gaming stations. Game stations include: a flat-panel display with parabolic speakers for directed sound that can accommodate a number of different game consoles; a classic arcade-style gaming table; and a beta-test kiosk that can be used for console play or to display student-developed games.
- DMC Circulating Resources – In conjunction with the Sheridan Libraries, we have gathered a number of resources dedicated to game development and play. These include Wii, PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 game consoles, nearly 100 popular game titles, digital projectors, and multimedia equipment and software necessary for game development. Circulating items can be checked out by full-time Homewood students for free for up to three days.
- Gaming Events – In response to increased interest in gaming among students, the DMC sponsors a number of game-related events. Networked gaming nights are held 4 times per year, during which all 18 of the DMC’s workstations are converted to a cyber-café for networked multiplayer gaming. Game Party nights occur once per semester; the entire Offit Building of the Mattin center serves as the backdrop for a night of gaming-related social activities. This wildly successful and popular event has grown over the years to include participation by student groups such as Arcade Gaming, Anime and DDR Clubs, and the Resident Advisory Board. Other events include guest speakers and project mentors from major game companies.
Resources for these initiatives were gathered from existing equipment stock at the Digital Media Center and Department of Computer Science, personal donations by staff, software purchased by the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, a grant from the Smart Family Foundation managed by the Center for Educational Resources, an in-kind donation from Nvidia Corporation and a partnership with Valve Incorporated.
For more information about these initiatives and other gaming resources and opportunities on the Homewood campus, please contact Joan Freedman at freedman@jhu.edu / 410-516-4288, Peter Froehlich phf@cs.jhu.edu / (410) 516- 8710, Mike Reese mreese@jhu.edu / (410) 516-4192.
Links to More Information:
Gaming resources at the DMC: http://digitalmedia.jhu.edu/node/2836
The JHU Center for Educational Resources: http://www.cer.jhu.edu/
Computer Science and Security resources at MSE Library: http://guides.library.jhu.edu/cs
The JHU Digital Media Center: http://digitalmedia.jhu.edu/
Introduction to Video Game Design: https://gaming.jhu.edu
