Held from March 23-27 in San Francisco, the 2009 Game Developers Conference (GDC) is where game development professionals gather to share ideas and build the skills the industry needs. As in previous years, the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) awards scholarships for students around the world to attend the GDC, and this year, one of Stevens own was a recipient.
Zack Freedman (Business & Technology, ’11) was chosen as one of only 25 students from schools across the globe to attend the 2009 GDC. Originally interested in video game production by the idea of turning a concept into a reality, Zack said of going to the conference: “I am incredibly excited. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
When a friend told him about the International Video Game Union, he decided to apply for a scholarship, which is what led him to this one. An active member of the Stevens Game Development Club (SGDC), Zack had already interacted with the Northern NJ IGDA, giving him access to lead designers for legendary video games. The GDC was the natural next step, and Zack took advantage of his time at the conference. “It was spectacular. It was great to be surrounded by gaming students in this forum and to learn from people all around the world, with different backgrounds and different interests in gaming,” Zack said.
At the GDC, Zack met game-industry veterans and power players from top video game design and production companies like Bungie, Maxis, Blizzard, Harmonix, Bethesda, BioWare and more. He had access to cutting-edge, unreleased independent games and was able to interact with their developers in person. Networking opportunities abounded and Zack made sure to be as involved as possible in discussions and lessons. His engagement paid off and he was even contacted by an independent game studio for his resume.
Moving on from the GDC, Zack plans to participate in Microsoft’s Imagine Cup next year. He will also still be active with SGDC and the Stevens Philosophy Club. After he graduates, he hopes to get into gaming – eventually in production, but maybe starting with design in the video game industry. Zack says: “Whatever I do, Stevens will well-prepare me for it.”
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