Curry Launches Video Game Studies and Game Programming Studies Concentrations

Curry College is excited to announce the launch of two new concentrations beginning in the fall of 2012, Video Game Studies for Communication majors and Game Programming Studies for IT majors.

The Video Game Studies concentration will provide students with insight into the cultural phenomenon of gaming, its historical underpinnings and the economic and business aspects of this multi-billion dollar industry. Students will also explore scripting, story development, sound techniques and editing used in video gaming and other media industries.

"The Communication department is excited to be offering students the opportunity to study and engage in this burgeoning industry in Massachusetts," said Professor Jerry Gibbs, co-chair of the Communication department. "We're combining a strong liberal arts foundation with cutting edge theory and analysis courses in a concentration unlike any other in the country."

Students with interests in marketing and public relations may also find aspects of this industry exciting to study, because promoting popular titles requires expertise in those areas as well.

The Game Programming Studies concentration will consist of JavaScript Programming, Game Creation and Computer Animation.

"Over the last few years, the department has seen a growing number of students inquiring about gaming courses at Curry.  This new concentration in the Information Technology major provides an exciting combination of courses which enable students to develop the basic competencies in the creation of an actual game," said Maryann Gallant, chair of the Applied Technology Department.

The Digital/Video Gaming industry is expansive, with careers in development, design, marketing/PR, audio, scripting and more.   It accounts for more than $52 billion in economic impact each year, worldwide.  According to a report by Mass DIGI, nearly 70% of American households play games on everything from consoles to laptops to smart phones and mobile devices.

In Massachusetts, the Digital Game Industry represents as much as $2 billion in gross annual sales within the state's growing creative economy. More than 75 digital games companies attract and employ, directly and indirectly, more than 4,000 people-representing one of the larger digital games clusters in the nation.  And each spring Boston hosts PAX East, a digital gaming conference that attracts nearly 70,000 professionals from around the world to Massachusetts.

While many know video gaming through home gaming devices like Xbox or PlayStation, there are numerous roles for gaming in medical, educational and corporate entities too.  Researchers have effectively used gaming programs to help students learn challenging concepts in a more engaging way or to help train doctors to use high tech surgical devices.

These new concentrations are the start of expanded study in the digital gaming field that will only grow at Curry College in the years to come.