Play-Centric Games Education

Reviewer: Ann E. Fleury

"Over time, students naturally gravitate to specialties that most interest them.... Educators should strive to create bridges between specialties" (p. 41). This quotation could apply to many fields, but in this article it applies to game design education. The University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television has created a bachelor of arts degree in interactive entertainment. This article discusses the "bridges" within that academic program. The interactive entertainment academic program attempts to provide a cultural and historical perspective on games; to provide an understanding of written, oral, and visual communication; to impart collaborative participatory design, and artistic skills; and to teach technological skills. It emphasizes creativity unlimited by current technology. The hands-on portion of the program provides depth by emphasizing play-centric design, including rigorous play-testing at all stages of game development. As well as including descriptions of the individual courses of the interactive entertainment program, this article includes a description of the curriculum advice provided by a committee of the International Game Developers Association. Whether you are interested in game design as a student, an instructor, a curriculum designer, a game designer, or a game user, I strongly recommend this extremely well-written article.