Austin, Texas - AMD, the Austin Chamber of Commerce, the City of Austin, and The Texas Film Commission today announced Game On! Texas, their debut games education conference. Game On! Texas is a symposium designed to bring together leaders from the games industry, state education, and business communities to discuss challenges and possible solutions for video game education in Texas.
Scheduled for Wednesday, April 7, this debut symposium has been designed to help education and business sectors improve Texas’ existing digital media and video game education programs, while highlighting teaching methods borrowed from game development that local educators are currently using to inspire kids in subjects such as math and science.
Governor of Texas Rick Perry is the featured keynote speaker, addressing the importance of the video game industry to Texas. In 2008, Governor Perry expressed his commitment to the future of this industry in the keynote address at national games conference E3, calling video game development “a medium whose potential is only beginning to be tapped.” Additionally, Perry has proposed a $160 million initiative to expand the number and scope of Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (T-STEM) academies, as well as, to fund STEM scholarships.
Featured games industry keynote speaker Alan Gershenfeld will present his talk, Why Games are Effective for Impact Learning. Gershenfeld is president of E-Line Media, chairman of Games for Change, and former senior vice president for major game publisher Activision.
Other games industry experts participating in the symposium include Warren Spector, president of Junction Point/Disney Interactive Studios; Richard Vogel, co-studio director of BioWare Austin, and Gary Gattis, president of Spacetime Studios and chapter chair for IGDA Austin, who are being joined by other guest speakers to discuss the best models for game development education and how those programs can meet the needs of the games industry.
With estimated attendance close to 200 guests, games industry pros, educators, and representatives have been invited from game companies, colleges, public schools, organizations, and government agencies around the state of Texas. Texas is home to the third highest concentration of video game development companies in the United States.
Panelists include guest speakers from major Texas universities, the Texas Film Commission, the Austin Chamber of Commerce and Skillpoint Alliance, among others. Panel sessions will address the models for game development education and how those programs can meet the needs of the games industry.