SUNY Canton to Unveil State-of-the-Art Game Design Lab

CANTON, NY (10/13/2017) SUNY Canton's Canino School of Engineering Technology invites the community to explore the future of video game design at the college's new design lab in Nevaldine Hall.

A ceremonial ribbon cutting and open house will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, in Nevaldine North Room 119. The event is free and open to all ages, and parking is available in Lot 1.

Guests can play video games, watch demonstrations, and enter for a chance to win gift cards to Gamer Craze in Canton and Tactics in Potsdam.

The lab, which was designed for the college's bachelor's degree in Game Design and Development, officially opened at the beginning of the fall semester.

"Months of planning went into developing this state-of-the-art classroom, and we can't wait to showcase it to the public, especially to those who may want to pursue a career in game design," said Dean of the Canino School of Engineering Technology Michael J. Newtown,. "It will enable students to learn, collaborate and transform their ideas into a finished product."

He noted that the lab will also be utilized by students in the Graphic and Multimedia Design program and the recently announced four-year Technological Communications program, which begins next fall.

During the open house, guests can test out the Vive virtual reality system or play video games on one of 26 high-speed computers, which are equipped with two ultra-high-definition 4K monitors. The room also features an interactive smart board and five 55-inch flat-screen monitors that are connected to each workstation.

"This is a great opportunity for prospective students to get a close-up look at the latest industry software and equipment used to create 3D, virtual reality, and interactive games," Newtown said.

Faculty will also offer a glimpse into the concepts students will learn in the classroom.

"In addition to showing some student-produced augmented reality games, I will be demonstrating narrative video games that my classes play in order to identify strong storytelling devices, such as "Gone Home," "This War of Mine," "PeaceMaker," and "Revolution 1979," said Assistant Professor Laini Kavaloski, Ph.D.

The new lab will serve as a training center for the next generation of video game designers who will be entering a growing field. A 2014 economic impact study conducted by Economists Incorporated showed that the video game industry increased in size by more than nine percent, or four times the growth rate of the U.S. economy, between 2009 and 2012.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service and recently received number one rankings in library resources, library services and tutoring services in the SUNY Student Opinion Survey. The college's faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 13 exclusively online degrees. The college's 15 athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level and are conference members of the newly formed American Collegiate Athletic Association. For more information, visit ww.canton.edu.