April 19, 2006: Game Court

I spent Tuesday evening as a judge at the Game Court, a game design contest sponsored by the UT-Austin Science, Technology, and Society program and the UT Electronic Game Developers Society. Verrrry interesting!

There were five presentations, one of which I honestly think could be commercial pretty much as described, and another of which could easily be kicked into shape. And all of them had interesting ideas . . . though I will note that "Yes, that would be hard" is not the right answer to give when the judges ask about implementing your key concept . . .

Electronic games are turning into a recognized academic field - one that actually spawns undergraduate courses - in a way that paper games never did. Wonder why? Couldn't be the two-orders-of-magnitude-greater sales . . .

Oh, yes it could. But I'm glad to see the trend.
-- Steve Jackson

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