On October 27th, GameSalad, in cooperation with Campus 2 Careers, provided a free workshop to introduce aspiring developers to the world of game design and development held at the University of Texas. “Got Game?”, which utilized GameSalad as a teaching tool, also highlighted marketing and monetization strategies, an important component of the development process that assures your game or application gets the exposure it needs to be the success you’re hoping for.
“It is always satisfying to pass on your experience and knowledge to a new generation of game makers,” said Billy Garretson, Creative Director for GameSalad’s internal game team and publishing arm, Ice Cap Games. “I think there is a lot that creatives and designers take for granted when it comes to balancing game play and the business goals for each product. There does exist a harmony and good designers know how to translate the business requirements into fun and engaging play mechanics and stories. During my talk, I helped take business concepts like reach, retention and revenue and translate them into various game genres and feature sets. By the end of the talk, I think I helped people understand that money is not a dirty word, even if you are a true artist, and that there are ways to maximize your success potential while still having a product that is genuine”
Jennifer Bullard, GameSalad’s Executive Producer, also took part in the program, speaking with students and giving them invaluable insight into the industry. “It was a lot of fun to work with Campus 2 Careers and have the opportunity to speak with students from several institutions. We had a solid discussion about the realities of working in the digital entertainment space, skills and competencies required to work in the field and some strategies for breaking into the industry. I really enjoyed answering the questions from some very sharp students and look forward to having them as my co-workers in a couple of years.”
Workshops like “Got Game?” help give a realistic introduction into the world of software and game development. Shared knowledge and insight, coupled with the amazing ease-of-use of GameSalad, further illustrate that behind the power of tools like GameSalad there is amazing talent that drives the software, and the thoughts and ideals provided by the speakers helps clarify the effort and experience it takes to grow and succeed in the industry. With more workshops being planned for the future, the door remains open for possible designers and developers to explore their potential.
