USC named high school to design video games for the second consecutive year

SAN FRANCISCO--while the top game designers, programmers and artists gather at the largest world's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center this week, many of the best minds in interactive entertainment are coming through the University of California, undergraduate and graduate programs in video game design.

For the second year in a row, GamePro Media and The Princeton Review awarded USC's two top in their "Top schools for Video Game Design Studio for 2011". The ranking, now in its second year, recognizes graduating top 10 and top 10 post-graduates to design video games about 150 respondents in North America. USC ranked higher in both categories.

Video game design programs of the University are interdisciplinary, involving Interactive Media Division, USC School of Cinematic Arts and the GamePipe program in the Department of computer science at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

"In a short span of five years since its inception, the USC GamePipe has become the national leader in education and professional development of the game," said Dean Yannis c. Yortsos USC Viterbi School. "It is a testament to the quality of the program, the interdisciplinary leadership and strength at USC, that combines computing, cinematic arts and fine arts in a unique partnership".

The survey, which included more than 50 questions covered a wide range of topics, from faculty and academic credentials to successes of career and employment of graduates. List choices were based on criteria that widely covered the quality of the curriculum, faculty, facilities and infrastructure. Princeton Review also factored into the data that are collected from schools about their scholarships, financial aid and career opportunities.

"I think that is the balance of the practice and theory, entrepreneurship and research, aesthetics and technology, individual expression and collaborative teamwork together with a vibrant community of doing and playing that makes our program a special place for the study of design of the game," said Professor IMD and Electronic Arts endowed chair Tracy Fullerton.

"Game development requires design, art and engineering-sewing all those together and you get USC program," said Michael zyda, who heads the laboratory of GamePipe USC. "It is the nature of the joint programme between Cinematic Arts Interactive Media Division, GamePipe and the Division of computer science at Viterbi that makes it so special."

Between 20 and 40 new games come out every year from USC. Some of the most important titles games against USC campus have included: Darfur is Dying, the thesis project of Susana ruiz MFA ' 06 which was played over two million times since 2007; Flow, an arcade game released by Sony's PlayStation Network; and brain Tuner Lite, developed by engineering student Elliot Lee.

Other graduates have gone on to create award-winning titles. Reflection is a game published by Konami and designed by a broad group of USC students, including information technology, communications, film, music, arts and business administration majors. The game won the next great Mobile Game Award at the Independent Games Festival in 2009.

USC is also a leader in the burgeoning serious games, game designers and researchers work together to use technology to help soldiers cope with problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder.