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March 19, 2010 – Last night after weeks of anticipation three speakers from Big Huge Games(Rise of Nations) gave an amazing presention on Art (Mondul Kao), Programming/Producing (Chris Nemcosky), and Design (Erik J. Caponi). CCBC being the first college to offer the Simulation and Game program in the area wanted to give energy to the students who are in the program. Organized by club President Gabriel Pendleton, Vice President Carrington Dennis, Professor JJ Chandler, Eric Miller, and Doug Mcnamara the event was a great success. The doors opened around 5pm to a packed room with people standing and making chairs from anything to get in on what was sure to be a great time.

Mondul,  showed off multiple portfolios and industry standard 3D tools. Going deep into level design, character creation, and creating assets for what ever world you have in mind. All the art minded people in the room had eyes locked to the screen when he displayed the pieces of created art for games.

Chris, Lead Programmer and Producer tried to up the powerpoint competition by going into what type of programmers companies looking for. We all learned the specific roles like Gameplay programmers, Render, Artificial Intelligence, and Tools programmer. He also went into how each role helps make the game do what the game is supposed to do. Using the chalkboard he gave a deep explanation on the math of  "Render programming" which left some lost but still interested in learning the concept. Going into the producers role for the second half of his presentation he showed the club attendees what to expect. Multitasking, critical thinking, working under pressure, being the middle man, budget balancing are just some of what you will encounter as a producer in the video games industry.

Erik, Lead Narrative and who has worked on titles such as Fallout 3 and Elderscrolls: Oblivion helped us understand the thinking process of someone working as part of the design team. Having to develop a character with a massive back story and making sure the story and dialog  is in sync with the characters overall personalty and logic. The different types of designers he discussed were gameplay designers, level designers, Multiplayer, combat, interface, and more. So what makes a good game designer? Well Erik says " A broad range of skills, communication, a critical eye, dedication and thick skin. Know how to take criticism." Always keep working he said. Make games, make connections, learn the language, and always study the industry. Now that is hearing is from the best!

The night ended with Pizza, soda, chips and some all out carnage in Unreal Championship. It truly was a great night. The three developers also received a tour of our art and digital media labs, showing off the all the great new computers and tools. They were very impressed, "You guys look very well funded" said Chris Nemcosky. We all enjoy the compliment Chris. On behalf of BaltimoreGamer and CCBC Game Club I want to say "Thank you Big Huge Team".

If you are interested in Video Game Design, try reading our article 'Game Design Career Part 1: Picking the School'.
More information on Big Huge Games found at http://www.BigHugeGames.com.

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It was a great night! Thanks for letting them come down. I think there message was that of something people not in the industry needed to here. That message simply was "It is possible to get here, just keep trying to find your craft and then make connections."

I think that something the game industry doesn't really give out enough. I hear more of "The Game industry is a tight, fitting industry that only few get into" And it really kills the hopes of young people who want to have a shot at the industry.

But overall, great night. Lots of jokes, lots of questions answered, lots of dancing cats.

…and I suppose a good way to stand out and "avoid the resume pile" is to write for BaltimoreGamer