New arcade game console, ACCAD exclusive

New arcade game console, ACCAD exclusive, rules all
Alicia Ritchey
Issue date: 2/3/06 Section: Arts

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo ought to watch their backs. The next generation of game makers are at Ohio State and they are about to give big name game companies a run for their money.

Students at the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD), a computer graphic and technological innovation research center, will have the chance to create their very own video game from start to finish, with the help of ACCAD Lecturer Peter Gerstmann.

Gerstmann will be teaching a video game production course during spring quarter for a hand-selected group of students. The students include artists, programmers and sound engineers who will work in teams.

"Students taking classes there (ACCAD) have a unique multi-disciplinary blend of skills that are well-suited to the varying and specialized tasks of video game production," Gerstmann said.

Starting from scratch, he said students will brainstorm concepts, create rules for the game and choose a narrative and artistic direction. Once the logistics are set, the rest of the quarter will be devoted to implementation of the game, building the game engine, generating the graphics and sounds and testing and revising.

To give his students a platform to work around, Gerstmann built an arcade cabinet. He said the full-size arcade machine is about 6-feet tall with a 27-inch monitor that can support up to four simultaneous players, each with a joystick and four buttons.

Maria Palazzi, ACCAD director, seemed excited to be working with Gerstmann on the project.

"He has a special affection for ACCAD since he was a graduate student there himself," she said. "He's enthusiastic about this project and building the console was an ambitious feat, but he enjoys sharing his knowledge and is very generous with what he knows."

Gerstmann's arcade box has the capabilities of its old school counterparts, but with a modern twist.

"It's very similar to the old arcade machines of the '80s, except it houses a modern computer inside and runs our game," Gerstmann said. "It uses a simple graphical menu system to select which game to play, and games can be built in just about any technology that can run as a Web plug-in including Flash, VRML, Java, Virtools and others."

Elaine Smith, ACCAD administrative associate, said more and more students have shown an interest in developing electronic games.

"Many students are realizing that there is a future in gaming and it's more than the entertainment aspect," Smith said. "There are going to be opportunities for students to be employed by companies who want to train pilots, nurses and first responders by using gaming interfaces."

Gerstmann said the arcade box still needs painted, but students will have the opportunity to see the finished machine at ACCAD's next open house on May 12 from 4 -7 p.m. Palazzi said she sees it as a great opportunity for the students in the gaming course.

"Their colleagues and peers will be able to try out their games and give them feedback as they experience the joy of sharing their work, which will be wonderful," she said.