Electronic Gaming Competition: Science Meets Art in the Asir Region
The iT Department is pleased to announce the First Annual Electronic Game Competition. The purpose of the competition is to utilize the incredibly popular hobby of electronic gaming to encourage learning and support innovation in the field of electronic game development. The competition will be divided into three main disciplines:
- Cartoon animation and caricature art;
- Video and graphics production;
- Storyline development and game enhancement.
The competition is open to the general public. Registration will commence on the 19th of Jumādā al-Awwal. The event will take place in approximately two months. The Electronic Games Club will use this event as a basis for scouting and recruiting nascent talent in the field electronic gaming. Given the popularity and increasing importance of electronic gaming in society, it is critical that we discover and leverage the dormant capabilities of today's youth. It is also worth noting that such efforts are not limited to games and hobbies. The skills and abilities utilized in game development will cross over to broader technology fields such as information management and hard sciences.
The cartoon animation and caricature art segment of the competition aims to attract the most creative visual artists from the region. Character animation is an important medium for discussing issues and is an entertaining way of encouraging social cohesiveness.
The video and motion picture graphics segment will also be extremely valuable. Modern society is highly visual in communication and learning. As such, video and motion picture skills are becoming increasingly important. Videos are an important tool for informing and engaging the public in fun positive ways. The competitors have the difficult task of making videos that are relevant to the community development criteria set forth in the competition rules. All the while the videos must be entertaining, but must still stay within the 5-minute time limit.
Storyline development is one of the most challenging segments of game design. The producer must design a complex interaction among several different characters while maintaining a coherent and plausible story for the audience. Moreover, the story must maintain its inherent educational and/or civic responsibility themes while constantly entertaining the viewers.
Game development, whether creating an original or modifying an existing game, requires cognitive skill and technical ability. The developer must have a broad and vivid imagination to engage a wide variety of potential users. Also, the developer must temper his or her imagination so that the game does not substantially deviate from its intended themes and purposes. With the increases in computing power over the last few years, 3D games are now more common and realistic. A good designer must be able to take advantage of this technology without letting the near virtual reality visuals overtake the substance and message of the game.
To participate in the competition, please visit https://s.kku.edu.sa/EGC.