The East Coast Game Conference kicks off today with some big news: Gamers at Wake Tech can now earn BA degrees at Peace College.
Meanwhile, on the gaming front, virtual reality (VR) will be a major theme at ECGC,which is adding several new features this year. The conference is to take place at the Raleigh Convention Center.
At 3 p.m., Wake Tech President Dr. Stephen Scott and William Peace University President Dr. Brian Ralph will formally sign an agreement that opens the way for Wake Tech Simulation and Game Development program two-year graduates transfer credits to Peace. They thus can pursue Bachelor of Arts degrees.
“Under the agreement, Wake Tech graduates will have guaranteed admission to William Peace University, and be able to transfer between 55 and 70 credit hours toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Simulation and Game Design,” Wake Tech says.
The Wake Tech program includes a/v technology, modeling, animation, design and programming.
ECGC highlights
The ECGC is the largest gathering of games industry professionals on the East Coast, and it is adding several new features this year.
Walter Rotenberry, chair of the conference and president of the Triangle Game Initiative, says an extra day has been added to the event this year. It will feature in-depth tutorial summits. They focus on topics that would help participants start an independent game company, Rotenberry said.
Also new this year, Playthrough games will be providing a free to play area as part of the expo Wednesday and Thursday.
In another first, – Amazon will be presenting their new Lumberyard game engine for the first time on the East Coast, on Thursday.
Virtual reality, the focus of this year’s conference, “is the biggest thing happening in games in the near future,” said Rotenberry. “Red Storm, a North Carolina company, is getting ready to release its first virtual-reality title,” he noted. “Epic Games is a leader in the VR space working on many projects.”
In VR Village – a dedicated space on the show floor — creators will demo their virtual reality platforms, tools and games and share their thoughts on the challenges of developing for VR.
At least 20 companies are expected to participate. Companies will have their own separate booths.
Epic Games Execs on hand
Executives from Epic Games, creators of Unreal Engine technology, which powers many of the best interactive, real-time VR experiences, will be on hand for open conversations about how to build great VR content.
“The excitement of VR continues to grow, and technology is finally catching up to the dreams and expectations of what it can do,” ECGC VR co-organizer and expert Jason Jerald explains. “Much of the VR research that has led to what is now becoming available to consumers was developed right here in North Carolina, so ECGC is the ideal place for showing the world what has been done, what continues to be done, and what the future holds for VR.”
In the months leading up to the release of consumer VR devices such as the Oculus rift, Sony PlaystationVR, and Valve/HTC Vive, the public’s excitement for VR in general has grown in leaps and bounds. Technology giants like Facebook, Samsung, Google, Sony, and Valve have all thrown their hats into the ring in anticipation of high customer demand and exciting future applications.
The ECGC organizers say this is why ECGC 2016 is creating the VR Village. Soon, consumers will soon be demanding a tidal wave of new VR focused content and the games industry needs talented development teams to ensure high-quality experiences make it into the marketplace.
ECGC VR co-organizer Jason Jerald says “The excitement of VR continues to grow, and technology is finally catching up to the dreams and expectations of what it can do. Much of the VR research over the years that has led to what is now becoming available to consumers was developed here in North Carolina, so ECGC is the ideal place for showing the world what has been done, what continues to be done, and what the future holds for VR.”
Legends of VR including Dr. Michael Capps (former president of Epic Games), Henry Fuchs, UNC-Chapel Hill, David A. Smith of Wearality VR guru Josh Farkas of Cubicle Ninjas, Yuval Boger of Sensics and Open Source VR will provide their insight to gamers about the future of VR.
Summits Friday, April 22 include Game Narrative Tutorial, Master Class 3DS Max and Stingray work flows for games, VR Summit, Indie Summit and Multiplayer Tutorial using Unity 3D. Note the summits are expected to be highly popular — seating is limited and requires a separate registration.
Rotenberry, an associate professor at Wake Tech and heads its computer science program, said that while the community college does not currently have a VR course, it does integrate VR topics into the program.
Register to attend at:
