Ecosystem(Academic/Industry)

School of Computing, Communication

& Media Studies

Why is it needed ?

i) Relevantii) Researchiii) Employment

CIA

Community

Industry Academic

CIA

Community

Industry Academic

- Marketplace - Feedback

- Talent training- Research

- Development- Commercialize

Platform

CIA

Community

Industry Academic

- Marketplace - Feedback

- Talent training- Research

- Development- Commercialize

Platform

• Entry platform to industry• Awareness

• Research Collaboration• Relevant

• Sales• Market Trend

Academic

i) Provide better experiences for the students

ii) To initiate research projects

Industry

i) Hiring talented studentsii) Finding commercialize-able

ideas

What they are looking for ?

California Institute of the Arts

i) Created by Walt Disney in 1961 by merging an existing art school

ii) Originally provided funding for the school to help develop animators and other talent that would benefit his firm

iii) The school also became a generator of field-changing creative counterculture and avant-garde art

iv) To have luck finding talented students

Example

Research-oriented academic-industry collaboration

Government

Foundations Corporations

The sources of funding for game-related research that goes to universities can be grouped into three categories:

Academic

Research-oriented academic-industry collaboration(Examples – US)

U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, DARPA,National Institutes of Health,

Department of Education, and theNational Science Foundation

Government

Agencies

Research-oriented academic-industry collaboration(Examples – US)

U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, DARPA,National Institutes of Health,

Department of Education, and theNational Science Foundation

Government

Agencies

Academic

Funded game/research projectAmerica’s Army, Full Spectrum Warrior,

and ELECT BiLat

The Army funded USC’s Institute for Creative

Technologies with a five-year, $100 million grant that yields game-related

research for making soldiers more effective

Research-oriented academic-industry collaboration(Examples – US)

Research-oriented academic-industry collaboration(Examples – US)

Research-oriented academic-industry collaboration(Examples – US)

MacArthur Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,

HopeLabFoundations

Academic

Sociological studies todetermine how “young people

learn, play, socialize

Game productsGamestar mechanic, Quest

Atlantis

MacArthur’s established a fiveyear,$50 million initiative for Digital Media and Learning

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded an $8.25 million Health Games Research initiative

that is headquartered at the University of California Santa Barbara

Research-oriented academic-industry collaboration(Examples – US)

Research-oriented academic-industry collaboration(Examples – US)

Research-oriented academic-industry collaboration(Examples – US)

• 3D multiuser, computer graphics learning environment that utilizes a narrative programming toolkit to immerse children, ages 9–15

• Combine the best aspects of learning, playing, and helping

• 65,000 children on five continents

Research-oriented academic-industry collaboration(Examples – US)

Microsoft Research division, Google, Motorola, and HumanaCorporate

Academic

Microsoft Research supported RIT’s game-related M.U.P.P.E.T.s

research “Multi-User Programming Pedagogy”

Enhancing Traditional Study – a collaborative virtual world designed to educate students about programming and graphics

Challenges in Industry/Academic Collaboration

Research

Industry little understanding of academia or academic research

The things the industry wants done, it’s doing already

Academic timelines are disjointed from the commercial deadline-oriented culture of industry

Challenges in Industry/Academic Collaboration

Sharing of Technology

Industry doesn’t want to inflict their barely-working engine on poor unsuspecting academics

Some companies treat their engine as IP

Challenges in Industry/Academic Collaboration

Knowledge Transfer

The people in the industry didn’t learn from textbooks

The industry is guild/apprentice like

A developer under crunch won’t respond to academic even if they’d really like to helpand the academy can’t easily promise specifics or results by a given date

Ways to collaborate

1. Student Showcases2. University Demo Days3. Festivals and Events4. Digital Distribution5. Contests6. Mentoring7. Guests Speakers8. External Advisors9. Internship Programs and Other

Conclusion

1. Individuals from the game industry are generally open to collaborating with academia – especially in ways that do not require funding from industry.

2. People from academia need to understand the culture of the game industry

3. Both sides need to balance reality with idealism