Preconference Summits

Databases, Unity, and You

Leaders: Jere Miles, Randall McNeil

Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm

Objective: In this summit we are going to explore the data back end of a game and how to implement a database system as well as construction of designer tools for editing data within Unity. Attendees should bring a laptop with the latest version of Unity installed to work along with us on the project that will be providing as we move beyond XML and text files and into the world of the database.

9:00 – 9:20 Introductions and distribution of the project that we will be working with. During this time we will make sure that the project is working on everyone’s laptop and do a quick look through of the current system: how it works and what we want to add to it as we move forward.

9:20 – 10:00 Database concepts. We will explore the underlying concepts of a modern database and how an RDBMS functions.

10:00 – 10:30 MySQL Setup. We will walk through installing and configuring MySQL so that we have an RDBMS installed on everyone’s laptop to use going forward. We will also explore the default editing tools provided with MySQL by constructing some tables and entering some data.

10:30 – 12:00 Unity integration. We will get our Unity project working with the new database. The way that player characters are currently being stored and retrieved by the game will be modified to function with the database instead.

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 Designer Tools. It is now time to build tools that can be run by the game’s designers so that they can add to or edit information that is currently in the database.

2:00 – 3:00 Migrating from Local. Now that we have most aspects working, we are ready to consider the game beyond the local machine and will look at hosting options and the steps that may be needed to migrate from what we have to those systems.

This summit will also be presented with my partner Randall McNeil from Ashes Rise Entertainment and we are open to tweaks and suggestions to it prior to launch.

Simulation and Game Development Educational Summit

Leaders: Brad Swearingen, Dr. Farhad Javidi, Marc Tucker

Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm

Objective: Many Colleges across the nation already have, or are interested in creating, a curriculum program related to the Game Development industry. This full-day event will bring together Simulation and Game Development faculty and Industry Leaders to share their ideas, discuss issues, and examine what the future holds for education in the Entertainment Industry as it applies to Game Development.

We will hold round table discussions with Faculty and Industry leaders, discuss classroom best practices, and feature workshops for faculty interested in ways to teach topics effectively in online, hybrid, and fully online courses. Course topics will include best practices for delivering effective content for 3D Modeling, Animation, Engineering, Narrative Design, Sound Engineering, and Game Design.

Game Narrative Tutorial: Portfolios and Writing Tests

Leaders: Toiya Kristen Finley

Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm

Objective: Ever been excited to apply for a game writing/narrative design job, but you had absolutely no idea what portfolio samples to send? Have you taken a writing test, only to never receive feedback, so you don’t know how to improve or be ready for the next test?

This year’s Game Narrative Tutorial is all about two things that frustrate even veteran writers: portfolios and writing tests! We’ll look at how to demystify job descriptions, what types of samples you should include in a portfolio, and what employers/clients are looking for in tests and portfolios.