Program builds off Institute’s highly successful games studies minor

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute recently announced the launch of a new undergraduate degree program in Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences (GSAS). The major — which builds off the success of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences’ highly popular game studies minor — will equip graduates with a suite of integrated skills necessary for leaders in the game development industry.

“The new Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences curriculum is structured to reflect the highly interdisciplinary nature of the game industry today,” said John Harrington, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Rensselaer. “Graduates of the program will enter the field with a broad knowledge about games and simulation, as well as a specialized concentration or second degree in any one of a range of disciplines impacting the future of game development and design.”

Students enrolled in the GSAS major will have access to Rensselaer’s cutting-edge research facilities, including an immersive virtual reality and motion capture studio; a large 10-station networked PC room used to study social gaming; and a lab set up with sofas, video games and consoles, a plasma television, and four miniature cameras. More reminiscent of a living room than a laboratory, the space — called the Games Research Suite — allows researchers to track players’ faces and body movements as they play, combined with output from the television screen, to create a richer picture of the gaming experience for later analysis.

The program will be made up of two components. The first fulfills the core courses necessary for obtaining a bachelor’s of science in GSAS and ensures that students obtain experience collaborating in interdisciplinary teams and producing work. Required classes such as Experimental Game Design, Interactive Narrative, and History & Culture of Games will challenge students to push the boundaries of present-day genres and technologies.

The second component of the GSAS program allows students to concentrate in one of several disciplines directly related to existing or emerging career paths in the games and simulation or entertainment industry. Possible areas of in-depth study may include: computer science, cognitive science, arts, human-computer interaction, and management, among others.

In 2004 Rensselaer announced the addition of a minor in games studies consisting of existing courses offered by the Institute’s departments of cognitive science, arts, computer science, and language, literature, and communication. A two-day festival and symposium called “GameFest” was held in celebration and featured discussions with prominent members of the game industry and an exhibition of the latest work from Rensselaer’s aspiring game developers. 

Now an annual event, GameFest continues to grow in size and popularity. This year’s event will be held on April 13 and 14 in celebration of the new GSAS program. 

“Beyond the game industry’s explosive growth as an entertainment medium, new applications have emerged that call for interactive simulation in communication, education, training, artistic expression, complex systems modeling, and social simulation and prediction,” said James Watt, director of Rensselaer’s Social and Behavioral Research Lab and GSAS faculty member. “Rensselaer’s program seeks to prepare students to take advantage of the tremendous power of this young medium, and to play an integral role in shaping the evolution of the industry.”

Enrollment for the GSAS program will begin in fall 2007.