News release
Critical hit for video games
New program at Concordia University develops video games for social change
Montreal, June 18, 2013 – NBA players, tomb raiders, Cold War operatives and superheroes are the characters that have dominated the video game landscape for over a decade. With gaming companies pumping out sequel after sequel of sports games and first-person shooters, will we ever see new themes and scenes in the gaming world?
YES say researchers at Concordia University, who are embarking on an innovative summer program that will train the next generation of video game designers. Known as “Critical Hit,” the program, which runs from June 17 to August 23, 2013, will foster open communication, collaboration and creativity. But it’s not all fun and games. The project’s mission is an altruistic one: to develop innovative, playable video games for social change.
The program pairs emerging media artists, designers and programmers with mentors from both the Concordia community and the Montreal gaming industry. Together, they will take new games from an early stage to a more finished state – a playable prototype of sorts.
“Critical Hit is the next step in a game developer’s education – applying what you’ve learned at school and moving past prototypes and studies,” says Bart Simon, associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and director of Concordia University’s Centre for Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG).
“We called the program Critical Hit because we are serious about making playable games with the community,” says Simon. “We also want to create a space where cultural critique and critical design are combined in the innovation of game mechanics and content. That’s exactly what TAG is.”
Lynn Hughes, associate professor in the Department of Studio Arts and co-founder of TAG concurs. “Concordia is already known as a leader in game studies and design, but Critical Hit has widened the space for innovation and collaboration.”
She adds that Critical Hit's emphasis on innovative approaches to games that address contemporary social, cultural, and political concerns is partly in response to the current popularity of "gamification”.
“The notion of gamification suggests that dressing up almost anything with a superficial game mechanic makes it more palatable,” she explains. “We’re looking for games that do more than this and address social impact in new, interesting and substantial ways.
“The support that Concordia and TAG provide for games for social change is different than what a for-profit can give. And in Montreal, with its unique gaming industry, Concordia is the perfect place for research and development to come together and produce the games of tomorrow.”
Partners in research: Critical Hit is co-organized by TAG and Dawson College in conjunction with Hexagram-Concordia and Decode Global, a company that specializes in mobile games for social impact. The 2013 edition of Critical Hit is funded by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport’s Programme de collaboration universités-collèges (or Chantier 3), where the province’s post-secondary institutions are encouraged to collaborate.
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