2019 GDIAC Showcase

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The games showcase this year will be held on Friday May 17, 2019 from 4-7pm in the ACCEL Labs in Carpenter Hall. Because of the new calendar, it is possible this may overlap with your other exams. We ask that you try to get a make-up exam with your other class, if possible. Otherwise, we expect everyone in your group to attend Showcase. This event is -- for all intents and purposes -- your final exam.

Because Showcase is being held on a Friday evening, we need to make sure everything is organized in the week before it is held. There are several things that our group needs to be aware of in order to make this run smoothly.

Registering for Showcase

We need for each group to officially "register" for showcase so that we can allot the correct number of computers and place you on the floor. We will have more details as we get closer to Showcase.

We need for each group to officially "register" for showcase so that we can allot the correct number of computers and place you on the floor. As the showcase is open to groups in CS/INFO 3152 as well, this registration will take place through e-mail, not CMS. Each group should send the following information send the following information to Amy Elser by Monday, May 13th.

• The official name of your project, as you want it to appear on the tent card.
• The official name of your "game studio", as you want it to appear on the tent card.
• The names of all team members, as you want them to appear on the tent card.
• How many computers you would like to use (the default number is 3-4).
• Any other special requests your team might have.

If we do not receive this information by 11:59 pm Monday, May 13th, then we will assign you a number of computers as we see fit, you will not have a tent card, and you will probably be stuck in a remote corner.

In the past, we have made speakers available on request. Unfortunately, no longer have enough speakers to accomodate everyone. We will bring a few speakers, but if your game uses sound heavily, the sound hardware is up to you. See below for more details on this.

What to Bring to Showcase

For students in CS/INFO 4152, showcase is where you will turn in the final version of your game for evaluation. As such you should bring the following materials to showcase, which we will collect at the end:

A USB Stick with an Installer

This copy will be the one put in the GDIAC archives. This is considered he final version of your project for grading purposes. If we do not get this the day of the showcase, your group will receive no credit for your project (which is very, very bad).

Because we would like to display your game on iOS in future classes, we will need your source code. We want a self-contained snapshot your entire build tree. That means we need the project folder with all assets and necessary 3rd party libraries.

We would also like a self-contained APK for Android distribution. This is the version that we will make available from the GDIAC site (unless you are planning future festivals or commercialization). However, this is in addition to the project source, not in place of it.

Promotional Material for GDIAC

After years of neglect, the GDIAC website is up and running with a functioning gallery. We would like to keep it this way. In order to put your game on the website, we ask that you provide us with some additional files. You can put these files on the USB that you provide us. Simply put it in a folder marked Promotional

To promote your game, we want the following files:

• A single paragraph describing your game (think concept statement)
• A 200x200 "cover picture" representing your game (think title screen)
• A 128x128 pixel picture for your group logo.
• Four to five screenshots 800x600 pixel screenshots.
• A 150x112 pixel thumbnails for each screenshot.
• A 545x220 "banner picture" for your game.

To give you some idea of what we are asking for, here are the cover picture and group logo for the game Curse of the Wendigo.

Cover Picture

Group Logo

Similarly, here is the banner picture for irrational hover assault. Do not add the text calling your game a "featured game". That is for us to decide.

A Display Poster

Every group is required to create a poster, which will stand above the computers assigned to your group. This will give the attendees something to look at when browsing for a project to investigate, and something to read while waiting for their chance to play. The guidelines for your poster are as follows:

• Use 32x40in foam core board, at most 1/4in thick (1/8in is ideal).
• Display the name of your project at the top, in a large, readable font.
• List everyone that contributed to your project, including those you "outsourced".
• Keep the poster colorful and visual; keep text at a minimum.
• Keep the poster interesting. Think "back-of-the-box".
• Include some bare-bones instructions to get people playing.

In the past, we have mandated that the posters be double-sided. Because of the layout of the ACCEL lab, this is no longer required.

Any Peripheral Hardware

We will bring a handful of external speakers for teams to use. However, we do not have enough to go around. If sound is necessary necessary for your game, you should consider bringing your own headphones. We ask that you not share ear buds, as that is unhygienic. It is okay if a player wants to user his or her ear buds, but headphones should properly cover the ear.

If you want to bring your own projector or display/TV, you must request it when you register for Showcase. We are not opposed to this in principle (some games look much better on a bigger screen) but we cannot guarantee that we will have room for your set-up.

Setting up for Showcase

You need to set up early on the day of the showcase. At least one member of your group must be at the lab at 3 pm, and check in with the staff that your project is set up. We need to verify that it is on your assigned computers, that your speakers and poster are set up, and that you are ready to go.

Once the showcase starts, at 4pm, we expect everyone in your group to be there. Furthermore, unless you have an emergency or extenuating circumstances, everyone in your group must stay for the entire showcase, 4-7 pm. You may wander around and check out the other projects, but at least one person from your group must be manning your assigned computers at all times.

Some Helpful Tips

Please make sure that your devices are suitably charged. We cannot guarantee that every mobile game will be near a power outlet. If your device cannot handle 3 hours of constant play, we suggest that you bring multiple devices and keep some in reserve.

In addition, please be presentable for the entire showcase. Many students pull all-nighters before the showcase. Obviously this is not a great plan, but we understand that sometimes it is necessary. Regardless, everyone should try to be well-rested, decently-well dressed (no specific dress code but try to look nice), well-groomed, recently-bathed, and in good spirits.

Good luck to everyone in the home stretch. We look forward to the best GDIAC showcase yet!