After two intense virtual weeks of onboarding, SIP23 has finally commenced on WPI’s campus. This program brings together 25 developers from various schools in the United States – and Canada this year – offering them the opportunity to create games over the summer. We have four teams named Cotton Candy, Fried Dough, Corn Dogs, and Caramel Apple, each consisting of six game developers, along with an audio director collaborating with all four. These teams have brainstormed initial game ideas and created “dirty builds” which will be showcased and playtested next week by a group of 5th graders from Worcester’s Elm Park Community School. The results of this playtesting will give each team the opportunity to get feedback and determine which one of their ideas resonates most with the audience.
Meet Alex (Soup) Supron, an IMGD Production student at Clark University, and Samuel Yusuf, a Masters Student of Science and Technology for Innovation in Global Development at WPI. We have joined forces to take charge of the marketing and outreach efforts for MassDigi’s Summer Innovation Program this year.
Each of the teams has come up with captivating and innovative ideas that truly showcase the talent of the developers involved. Working alongside such incredible individuals has provided us with a clear direction for our marketing strategy.
Our Marketing Goals for SIP23 are as follows:
1. Establish connections with industry professionals by organizing events and arranging guest speakers during studio hours. This will help foster valuable networking opportunities for the participants and allow them to learn from experienced individuals in the gaming industry.
2. Promote community engagement through social media platforms, with the primary objective of raising awareness among companies and professionals about the SIP program and the talented developers who participate in it. We aim to create a vibrant online community that supports and recognizes the achievements of these aspiring game developers.
By focusing on these goals, we hope to enhance the overall experience of SIP23 and create valuable opportunities for the participants, while also spreading awareness about this exciting program to a wider audience. Each week we will have a different developer write a blog post about a topic that they feel passionate about in order to give all of you reading some insight into the program and the individuals who participate in it.
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The Becker School of Design & Technology at Clark University has partnered with the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute on a new summer studio program for undergraduate and graduate students that will give participants a chance to enhance their game design and development knowledge from the classroom and BSDT Studio into practice over the summer. The competitive program, MassDigi Summer Studio, will run for nine full-time weeks beginning on June 4.
“We’re very excited to offer this opportunity to the Clark student community,” said BSDT Dean Paul Cotnoir, PhD. “Through this unique partnership with MassDigi, an organization we have collaborated with for years, our students will get additional access to an important, commercially focused experience that challenges them to make and publish a game over the course of a summer. But, perhaps more importantly, the program’s business-minded, team-based approach, which reinforces the BSDT model, will give all involved an invaluable chance to continue to build on their academic foundation and Game Studio experience. Another huge plus is the chance to work with peers from other schools and disciplines, using industry-standard production methodologies and tools in a real-world setting.”
MassDigi, which is based at WPI, is the center for academic cooperation, entrepreneurship and economic development across the Commonwealth’s games community. MassDigi has an established track record of working with student teams to launch games having published over 40 titles to platforms like the Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Valve’s Steam.
“We love working with young people at the beginning of their careers,” said MassDigi Executive Director Tim Loew. “Nothing beats the energy, drive and curiosity that students bring with them and we are honored to be partnering with the Becker School of Design & Technology at Clark, one of the top game design academic programs in the world, to offer a summer studio.”
Over the summer, students in the studio will not only build games with guidance from MassDigi staff, they will also network with game industry mentors, organize local playtesting sessions, attend a Boston demo day and hold an open house in Worcester.
“At BSDT all our work reflects an intentional effort to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment for all with passion for making games,” said Ulm, Professor of Interactive Media and Director of BSDT’s undergraduate program. “This partnership with MassDigi reflects that and is consistent with Clark’s values and priorities. It really gets to the heart of what we are trying to do.”
Clark students interested in the program may apply here before April 28. In addition to being eligible for academic credit from Clark, students in the program will also receive a $1,000 award from MassDigi.
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The Becker School of Design & Technology at Clark University has partnered with the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute on a new summer studio program for undergraduate and graduate students that will give participants a chance to enhance their game design and development knowledge from the classroom and BSDT Studio into practice over the summer. The competitive program, MassDigi Summer Studio, will run for nine full-time weeks beginning on June 4.
“We’re very excited to offer this opportunity to the Clark student community,” said BSDT Dean Paul Cotnoir, PhD. “Through this unique partnership with MassDigi, an organization we have collaborated with for years, our students will get additional access to an important, commercially focused experience that challenges them to make and publish a game over the course of a summer. But, perhaps more importantly, the program’s business-minded, team-based approach, which reinforces the BSDT model, will give all involved an invaluable chance to continue to build on their academic foundation and Game Studio experience. Another huge plus is the chance to work with peers from other schools and disciplines, using industry-standard production methodologies and tools in a real-world setting.”
MassDigi, which is based at WPI, is the center for academic cooperation, entrepreneurship and economic development across the Commonwealth’s games community. MassDigi has an established track record of working with student teams to launch games having published over 40 titles to platforms like the Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Valve’s Steam.
“We love working with young people at the beginning of their careers,” said MassDigi Executive Director Tim Loew. “Nothing beats the energy, drive and curiosity that students bring with them and we are honored to be partnering with the Becker School of Design & Technology at Clark, one of the top game design academic programs in the world, to offer a summer studio.”
Over the summer, students in the studio will not only build games with guidance from MassDigi staff, they will also network with game industry mentors, organize local playtesting sessions, attend a Boston demo day and hold an open house in Worcester.
“At BSDT all our work reflects an intentional effort to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment for all with passion for making games,” said Ulm, Professor of Interactive Media and Director of BSDT’s undergraduate program. “This partnership with MassDigi reflects that and is consistent with Clark’s values and priorities. It really gets to the heart of what we are trying to do.”
Clark students interested in the program may apply here before April 28. In addition to being eligible for academic credit from Clark, students in the program will also receive a $1,000 award from MassDigi.
» Read More
Join us for BostonVR’s meetup at WPI Seaport featuring Preview Labs. More info here.
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Since 2012, our Summer Innovation Progam’s first year, applications to SIP have grown year over year in terms of quality, geography, major and diversity. This time around we received applications from 326 undergraduate and graduate students representing 94 colleges and universities from around the world making it, once again, one of our most competitive year ever.
Choosing only 25 as interns was very challenging. After many hours, we selected a really talented group. This summer’s SIP23 team will be made up of interns from 16 institutions including Acadia, Amherst, Berklee, BU, Brandeis, Brown, Clark, Cornell, MassArt, NYU, Northeastern, RISD, RIT, Smith, Vassar and, of course, WPI.
SIP23 begins on May 16 and concludes on August 4. Over those 11+ weeks, with guidance from staff and industry mentors, SIP23 teams will be responsible for all the work necessary to build and launch a game. Simply put, there is no internship program like it in the world. We can’t wait to get started!
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MassDigi’s Monty Sharma will join a panel discussing VR exergames as an alternative to real-world exercise and rehabilitation. More info here.
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Several folks have inquired about the state of the MassDigi Game Challenge, an event and competition we have organized since 2012. Over the years, the Game Challenge (as well as it’s more recent offspring – the Pre-Game Challenge) has given hundreds of developers of all kinds the opportunity to pitch their games in front of industry veterans. Some of those games have been published, some haven’t. And, that’s what the next iteration of the Game Challenge is going to focus on – getting more of the games published. So, this year we’re going to be spending our time constructing an entirely new framework that we’ll roll out in 2024. Stay tuned!
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Join us at the annual Made In MA at PAX East Party! For more information and to RSVP, please click here.
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Play games with us! Drop by our booth #22053!
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Join us at our annual Made In MA at GDC Party! For more information and tickets, please click here.
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