New Media Technologies Blog - Entry #5: GT/Atlanta Boosts Video Game Industry

Georgia Tech Boosts Video Gaming Industry

This was an interesting read which I thought accurately sums up the current state of the video game industry as it is now and makes many references to some of the ongoing startup projects and companies geared towards starting Georgia's very own chapter of the video game industry. It's nice to see that Georgia Tech's Digital Media Master's program is involved in this effort so much as it is. I hope that perhaps the UGA Video Game Development Club and the UGA Digital Media program will also eventually get involved with getting students to be equipped with some of the skills that this type of industry is looking for in employees. The GT Digital Media program sure seems VERY different from the UGA one. Sometimes in the UGA Digital Media classes I can't see how the word "digital" fits in, which is a shame. Not that the Digital Media department at UGA is a bad one, but it surely differs greatly from what I expected to be... I guess I expected it to be more like how the GT one is set up. This is the reason for why I've chosen to do an Interdisciplinary Major with focus on not only Digital Media classes, but Dramatic Media/Animation/Film Studies and New Media classes as well. Basically what I'm designing for myself, is a GT structured Digital Media BFA through UGA, which is kind of odd since I was originally intending on being a UGA Digital Media major.

I'm also glad that this article mentions Clinton Lowe's effort in bringing about the Georgia Game Designer's Association. I'm a member of this group and I really wish I could be more active with this group, but unfortunately with my schedule as it is, I'm usually way too swamped with college projects to be able to make it to the meetings in Atlanta, especially when they are held in the evening and I'm not the best night driver. My first car accident ever took place near the entrance ramp to 400 N after just such a meeting at night time, so I've haven't been confident enough to try and drive to these meetings since then especially when I already do about 3 hours of driving to-and-from Athens on a Monday through Friday schedule. Funny that one of my Digital Media peers mentioned to me the other day after telling him about my traveling arrangement that "the environment hates you". This is most certainly true!