MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Unity Technologies has announced the extension of the deadline of its Mobile Generation Education Project to September 30, 2010 due to the “overwhelming interest”.
The project, launched at the Game Education Summit in June, was designed to help educators refine game programming and game design courses centered on mobile and tablet PC development.
The Project has a two round award process; from the initial applicants, 20 institutions will be chosen for the first round. First round winners will then be awarded Unity Pro for Android along with a Google Nexus One phone.
Following this, educators who make the first round will have 60 days to work with Unity Android and test app concepts on the Nexus One Phone. After 60 days, first round winners will submit a proposal for a full semester mobile games curriculum along with potential lectures.
Three academic institutions will be selected to advance to the second round and be awarded 20 licenses to Unity Pro, Unity Pro for Android and 20 Google Nexus One phones.
Several US institutions have already adopted the Unity engine, including the Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University.
Leading game programming and design schools University of Southern California, The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University, Full Sail University and Rochester Institute of Technology also use Unity in their courses.
“We’re looking for the best of both worlds – to develop in a powerful, accessible and flexible environment and to distribute to as many people as possible,” said University of Southern California instructor Peter Brinson.
“Knowing that our students can use one environment to develop for Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android makes using Unity a no-brainer.”
Educational outreach director for Unity Technologies Davey Jackson promoted the benefits of using Unity in education.
“The pace of game/application development is so rapid that it’s almost impossible for educators to keep up on their own,” he said.
“We believe it’s crucial to work closely with educators to provide them with technology and expertise to help them structure courses that will teach their students the skills necessary to begin a successful career in the games industry of tomorrow."
