High school students arrive at precollege program as gamers, leave as creators
This summer, The Media School welcomed students ages 12-18 to IU Bloomington’s campus for the annual Game Development Camp. This was the 11th year of the precollege program, which offers two sessions covering 2D and 3D game development.
The Game Development Camp had two in-person sessions, held June 26-30 and July 24-28, and one online session, held July 17-21. In these sessions, students were introduced to several tools used by professional game developers.
During the 2D sessions of the camp, students designed and developed their own 2D games to be deployed to the web, PC/Mac/Linus, mobile devices, and others. The focus of this section was on independent game development and setting realistic goals during the process. Coordinators hoped that students would come to the camp with an idea and leave with a game, having the knowledge of how to create 2D games of almost any design.
The 3D sessions gave students a chance to interact with professional-level tools and programs for game development. They introduced students to the same tools used for AAA games, which are big-name games often produced by popular companies. Students explored the advanced 3D game engine, Unreal Engine 4, which was the newest version of a tool used to create known games such as “Fortnite,” the “Bioshock” series, the “Mass Effect” series, the “Batman: Arkham” series, and others.
Game Lab Director and Digital Production Specialist Andrew Behringer was one of the instructors of the precollege program, helping to direct students as they explored the new features and technology offered to them. Behringer is a 2010 graduate of IU and is part of The Media School tech team. He works with many of the summer camps, teaches courses, and helps students learn the equipment they have access to during the programs.
The Game Development Camp sessions lasted over a week, with overnight and day options. Students who selected the overnight option had the opportunity to experience college dorms by staying in Teter, and they ate meals in Wright’s dining hall. Not only did students learn valuable tools and skills for game development, but they also had the chance to experience some of college life by being able to explore and live on a college campus for a week.