There is a first time for everything. For Oklahoma Christian University’s gaming and animation program, their first time attending a new conference secured two first-place trophies.
On Saturday, Nov. 16, Oklahoma Christian students received six awards in game concept art and game development at Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s (SWOSU) first Game Development Conference.
SWOSU invited Oklahoma Christian professors Skyler Thomas and Ellie Kirkner to speak at the event. This invitation sparked an opportunity for Oklahoma Christian students.
“Skyler Thomas and I were invited at the beginning of the fall semester to attend the event as guest speakers,” Kirkner said. “It looked like an excellent opportunity for students to show their work and engage with peers in their field, so we encouraged students to develop work and register for this free conference event.”
Student Jason Farber said he heard about the conference once it was announced in a class. It took a day and a half for him to prepare his submission in concept art.
“This was my first game conference,” Farber said. “It was positive, and I plan to compete in the Tulsa one next semester to get experience, critique and a chance to gauge my skills against others. I’ve learned a lot that I plan to incorporate in the next [game conference].”
Students participating in the Concept Art Jam had one week to prepare artwork based off of the theme, “royalty,” while students participating in the Game Development Showcase presented their game, “The Holey Dough,” developed over a seven-week period, facilitated by Oklahoma Christian’s Team Game Production class. Other students brought work they had already developed.
Kirkner said she witnessed students grow through their experience in navigating a professional space in the gaming industry.
“Students were inspired by this experience to grow their involvement in the industry and are keenly interested in developing and hosting similar events on OC’s campus,” Kirkner said. “On the ride back from the conference, all we could talk about were new game ideas. The conference left us inspired and hungry to make new games and brought us all closer.”
Since it’s inception in 2009, Oklahoma Christian’s gaming and animation program has received national recognition from a number of well-respected industry and educational sources.
“We have been recognized for seven years as a Top Game Design Program by the Princeton Review and PC Gamer,” Kirkner said. “A leading industry website, LA-based ’80 Level,’ has named OC as a Top 10 Game Design Program in their international ranking of game programs.”
While the program already has successes, the organization is in the process of establishing a student-run International Game Developers Association Chapter for Oklahoma Christian students to collaborate and network more effectively.
“This has been an initiative that has been spearheaded by our upperclassmen and supported by the leadership within the program and the department of art and design,” Kirkner said. “We are very excited for the opportunities that will grow out of this conference experience.”
The gaming and animation program recently increased the number of faculty by recruiting and hiring three new faculty members—two full-time and one part-time—all with academic preparation in gaming and animation and with industry experience.
“As the first HLC-accredited gaming and animation program in Oklahoma and among the first in the nation, OC’s program has a strong foundation, enjoys maturity as a program and is experiencing a rebirth of excellence,” Kirkner said. “Now in its 11th year, the program enjoys the benefit of successful alumni who are achieving acclaim in a wide array of industries and who serve as mentors to our students, adjunct instructors in our courses and advisors to the program.”
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