Game Design Program Professor Andres Gonzalez performs a series of Play Tests on students' game projects in his Game Level Design course in the Gaming Suite in the Conlon building. 

Game Design Program Professor Andres Gonzalez discusses player points of view and immersion with students in his Game Level Design course. In this course, students will learn concepts, tools, and techniques to design & build playable game levels or environments for a series of off the shelf games, both pen and paper and digital. The ability to modify games is crucial to the development of a game designer, and level design remains a core competency for aspiring professionals. Over the course of the semester, students will develop crucial perspectives on iteration, challenge, spatial and temporal dynamics, environmental and architectural design, and gameplay balance, while building the requisite technical and aesthetic competencies involved in developing with an industry-standard 3D game engine, including modeling & construction, placement and editing of objects and textures, lighting design, animation and scripting.

Assistant Professor Xiaoying Meng works with students in her Virtual Reality Development course in our Gaming Design Program. This course introduces students to virtual reality (VR) development, the principles and history of VR and VR systems, as well as how this rapidly advancing medium can be used in interactive and narrative entertainment, education and training, art and film creation, and other content areas. Topics include 3D interaction and VR user interface types, haptics, human perception, social VR, telepresence, augmented reality (AR) and the philosophical and scientific implications of how virtual reality may inform and alter human perception of reality. Students will playtest and critique a variety of VR games and apps, and work individually and in groups to create VR projects.

It was standing room only in the Randall Lecture Hall where students, faculty, family and friends gathered to watch  the students from the Spring 2024 Game Studio showcase their games, discuss their development process and answer audience questions. 

The university's first ever "Writer in Residence" with  The New York Times bestselling author, and Fitchburg State University Alum, R.A. Salvatore '81, '91 wrapped up today with Salvatore visiting classes. Yesterday, he stopped into English Studies Professor DeMisty Bellinger-Delfeld's Research for Creative Writers class, and today English Studies Professor Frank Mabee's Game Studies Seminar course to wrap up the week. Salvatore discussed his journey as a writer, starting at Fitchburg State University, and all of the many places, opportunities, and experiences that  brought to him to where he is today. He also held Q & A sessions with the students.

The university's first ever "Writer in Residence" with  The New York Times bestselling author, and Fitchburg State University Alum, R.A. Salvatore '81, '91 continued today with Salvatore visiting classes. First, he stopped into Communications Media Professor Kyle Moody's History of Interactive Media and Games, and then visited English Studies Professor Kisha Tracy's World Lit I: Myths & Traditions course. In both, Salvatore discussed his journey as a writer, starting at Fitchburg State University, and all of the many places, opportunities, and experiences that  brought to him to where he is today. He also held Q & A sessions with the students.

Nursing students at Fitchburg State University will benefit from cutting edge technology and next-level simulations thanks to generous grants from the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Charitable Foundation and the George I. Alden Trust.

The grants will fund wearable technology to let students and instructors utilize the latest augmented reality software as well as stipends for nursing and game design students to create and deploy new scenarios for nurses in training.

“This really is cutting edge,” said Associate Professor Deborah Benes, chair of Fitchburg State’s Nursing Department. “We’re giving our students the opportunity to work with equipment they never would have seen before that’s being used in the workforce right now.”

Students in Fitchburg State’s game design program work on their their capstone projects in the IdeaLab which is located off-campus. The IdeaLab houses a state of the art studio space designed to promote applied work and create interaction between students, faculty and working professionals. Student groups are tasked with creating a game wherein students have the opportunity to work with developers from Rockstar New England as mentors, in addition to our faculty.

Last week, students in Game Design Professor Les Nelken's Virtual Reality Development course wrapped up their final projects. The course introduces students to virtual reality (VR) development, the principles and history of VR and VR systems, as well as how this rapidly advancing medium can be used in interactive and narrative entertainment, education and training, art and film creation, and other content areas. Topics include 3D interaction and VR user interface types, haptics, human perception, social VR, telepresence, augmented reality (AR) and the philosophical and scientific implications of how virtual reality may inform and alter human perception of reality. Students will playtest and critique a variety of VR games and apps, and work individually and in groups to create VR projects.