Steve Engels / en ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ students bring their A-game to Level Up video game showcase /news/u-t-students-bring-their-game-level-video-game-showcase <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ students bring their A-game to Level Up video game showcase</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/VR%20%28for%20web%20lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=tAJgY7YS 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/VR%20%28for%20web%20lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=f6rUx2IE 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/VR%20%28for%20web%20lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_miY3MtW 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/VR%20%28for%20web%20lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=tAJgY7YS" alt="A photo of VR game at Level Up Showcase"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-04-06T10:33:18-04:00" title="Thursday, April 6, 2017 - 10:33" class="datetime">Thu, 04/06/2017 - 10:33</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Virtual reality games were all the rage at the seventh annual Level Up Showcase in the Design Exchange on Apr. 5, 2017 (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Geoffrey Vendeville</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/video-games" hreflang="en">Video Games</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/level" hreflang="en">Level Up</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/steve-engels" hreflang="en">Steve Engels</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Game over</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After months of developing video games in collaboration with OCAD U students, ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ computer science undergraduates had the chance to show off their creations and get feedback from industry pros at the Level Up Showcase.</p> <p>Organizers said about 2,000 people attended the event at&nbsp;the Design Exchange in the Financial District on Wednesday.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="Photo of Level Up at the Design Exchange" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4143 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Scene%20setter%20%28for%20web%20embed%29.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 0px 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Students from 15 universities and colleges demoed the 75 games they made for the showcase (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p><strong>Steve Engels</strong>, an associate professor, teaching stream in ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ's department of computer science, co-founded the event with <strong>Emma Westecott</strong>, an associate professor in OCAD U's Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, seven years ago.</p> <h3><a href="/news/taking-video-games-next-level-u-t-s-steve-engels-year-s-student-game-design-showcase">Taking video games to the next level: ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s Steve Engels on this year’s student game design showcase</a></h3> <p>Students from another ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ&nbsp;class in mobile game development, taught by sessional lecturer <strong>Elias Adum</strong>, were also on display. Their games were designed with Centennial College students.</p> <p>Neon Ascension, an arcade game with a Tron-like aesthetic, was developed by ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ's <strong>Grace Zhu</strong>, <strong>Philip Bilodeau</strong>, <strong>Jeffrey Deng</strong>,<strong> Catherine Wang</strong> and <strong>Daniel Son </strong>and students from OCAD U.</p> <p>The goal is to outlast the opposing player on an endless climbing wall. The players rearrange blocks on the wall to stay alive while trying to sabotage their rival.</p> <p><img alt="Neon Ascension " class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4146 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Neon%20Ascension%20%28for%20web%20embed%29.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Matt Crans, an OCAD U student and artist behind Neon Ascension, watches players try out the game (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <h3><a href="/news/level-what-video-games-will-u-t-and-ocad-u-students-unveil-year">See the other standout ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ-OCAD U games at this year's showcase</a></h3> <p>One aisle over, computer science undergrads unveiled a completely different project: an exploration and puzzle game called <em>Sizis </em>in which players must grow or shrink objects to advance through a fantasy world up in the clouds and collect relics.</p> <p><img alt="Photo of video game called Sizis by ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ students" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4147 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Sizis%20%28for%20web%20embed%29.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em><strong>Nicole Sultanum</strong>, a ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ PhD student and teaching assistant for Steve Engels's class, tries out Sizis. "It's a beautiful game," she said.&nbsp;(photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>All evening, judges who work in the video game industry tried out the students' projects, ranked them and provided feedback. In 2015,<em>&nbsp;<a href="/news/interested-video-game-design-place-be">Pitfall Planet</a></em>, designed by ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ's&nbsp;<strong>Daphne Ippolito</strong>,<strong>&nbsp;Alexander Biggs</strong> and <strong>Adam Robinson-Yu</strong>, won the award for best overall game.</p> <p><img alt="Judges at Level Up Showcase" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4148 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Judges%20%28for%20web%20embed%29.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Judging is serious business (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>But it was not meant to be for ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ teams this year.</p> <p>The night's big winner was <em><a href="http://thirdfloorgames.wixsite.com/discoisdead">Disco Is Dead</a>&nbsp;</em>by students in Sheridan College's first graduating class of the bachelor's game design program. Players fight off the undead by slapping zombie head-shaped controllers and execute special team moves by high-fiving while holding a disco ball shaped controller.</p> <p>The game won for&nbsp;best overall, best tech and best art.</p> <p><img alt="A photo of a zombie head controller for the game Disco Is Dead" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4149 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Zombie%20head%20%28for%20web%20embed%29.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Disco Is Dead, a game by Sheridan College students with zombie head controllers,&nbsp;swept the awards at the 2017 Level Up Showcase (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 06 Apr 2017 14:33:18 +0000 geoff.vendeville 106538 at