Interactive Application and Video Game Creation
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NTERACTIVE Each team will be allotted a I minimum of either one six-foot (6') APPLICATION AND or one half of an eight-foot (8') conference table, based on VIDEO GAME availability, and two chairs to share CREATION among team members b. A 110-volt electrical outlet c. Written knowledge exam and pencils PURPOSE Note: No internet access will be provided To evaluate each contestant’s preparation for or allowed during the competition. employment and to recognize outstanding students for excellence and professionalism in 2. Supplied by contestants: the field of interactive application and video game creation. Note: State and school identifiers should not appear on the electronically submitted First, download and review the General items—specifically the prototype (2.a), the Regulations at: http://updates.skillsusa.org/. game design document (2.e), and video submissions (2.f). School names/states ELIGIBILITY should only appear on the hardcopy Open to a team of two active SkillsUSA affidavit (2.c) and résumés (2.d). Lastly, be members enrolled in programs focused on prepared to show proof of licensing for all creating interactive applications and/or video software used at setup. See below: game design and development as occupational objectives. Up to four addition students from a. A working sample or prototype of an the same school and program may assist the interactive application or video game team, as long as they are properly credited per (the Game), including all source files the instructions below in Sections 2c and 2f and any necessary software and hardware. If different from the target playback platform, teams should also CLOTHING REQUIREMENTS bring a computer capable of reading, Class E: Contest specific — Business Casual displaying and compiling the Game • Official SkillsUSA white polo shirt from their source files • Black dress slacks (accompanied by black b. A multi-outlet power strip with surge dress socks or black or skin-tone seamless protection hose) or black dress skirt (knee-length, c. A loose-leaf affidavit signed by all team accompanied by black or skin-tone members on 8.5”x11” paper, seamless hose) countersigned by their school’s administrator and instructor or These regulations refer to clothing items that SkillsUSA advisor, stating the team are pictured and described at: submission is original work created by www.skillsusastore.org. If you have questions the team members during the current about clothing or other logo items, call school year. Credits for any students 800-401-1560 or 703-956-3723. assisting in the project should be listed along with detail on the work they Note: Contestants must wear their official performed contest clothing to the contest orientation d. A loose-leaf, typewritten, single-page meeting and on contest day. résumé for each team member on 8.5”x11” paper e. A Game Design Document (GDD) EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS organized as a series of digital 1. Supplied by the technical committee: documents in Microsoft Word or Adobe a. Space for team prototypes. PDF files. Here are the sections of the GDD, document titles in bold: • A one page type-written Overview your school or state), detailing each describing the Game, including the person’s role in the development title, a summary, description of the process. target audience, main selling points, any competitive or Then, in the same video, one team inspirational game titles, estimated member, acting as spokesperson, total playtime, and measured should give a quick overview of the performance metrics on the Game. Game, including its title, genre, • A one page SWOT analysis table target audience, how many levels, listing the primary Strengths, total approximate playtime Weaknesses, Opportunities and developed, performance metrics, Threats for the Game. and any notable user interfaces (opening, closing screen, cut The Summary and SWOT should be scenes, etc.). submitted digitally in 8.5”x 11” single- spaced text in 12pt font. 2. The second digital video should be a one minute long and entitled • Completed Concept Artwork “Trailer” pitching the Game, and/or the storyboard used to demonstrating and describing what develop the Game. Shrink to fit, if is best about the Game, including needed, and submit between two to gameplay, mechanics, significant four (2-4) pages, double-sided on objects or characters, levels, 8.5”x11” paper (2 sheets max). artwork, backgrounds, sound, with • Code Examples of the higest a focus on why the audience would quality and complexity of want to play the Game. Think of programming developed for the this as an advertisement designed Game, between two to four (2-4) to drive player acquisition. pages, formated in 8.5”x11.” If a computer language was used, Note: All documents, the digital GDD code should be single spaced in 12 and videos (Section 2.c-g) must be pt font. If visual programming was handed in at the contest orientation. used, submit screen captures of visual programming diagrams. Content may be submitted to other contests or events, but SkillsUSA must be granted e. For the national finals (NLSC), two unencumbered rights to use imagery and 1080p digital video files must be also content from all submissions for marketing and be prepared and submitted with the full nonprofit outreach. digital GDD on a USB drive AT THE CONTEST ORIENTATION MEETING. Note: Your contest may also require a hard The digital videos should be tested in copy of your résumé as part of the actual advance on WIN and MAC computers contest. Check the Contest Guidelines and/or and viewable on movie players the updates page on the SkillsUSA website at included with those operating systems. http://updates.skillsusa.org/. Here are details for the two videos: SCOPE OF THE CONTEST The contest is a two-person team event that 1. The first digital video should be tests technical knowledge and production three to four (3-4) minutes long skills, including critical thinking, creative and entitled “Intro”, where the problem solving, team work, interpersonal and contestants should introduce visual communication, artistic design, and themselves and any students from technical programming. their program who assisted them (by name only, careful not to reveal Interactive Application and Video Game Development, 2020 • 2 Knowledge Performance 7. The technical committee reserves the The contest will include a written exam right to photograph and videotape assessing the team’s knowledge of the industry, contest-related activities. including its jargon, technologies and 8. The technical committee will be professional methods. responsible for developing the evaluation tools by which to objectively measure the Skill Performance competing team’s performance. Judging Teams must produce an original prototype or criteria will be general in nature and will sample of an interactive application or video be done from the completed concept game with at least one level and ten (10) art/storyboard, demonstrated sample or minutes of interactive content. It must be prototype, any written and video created during the school year immediately submission, résumés, exam scores and preceding the contest deadline. The production interviews with the judges. should include the sample or prototype itself Specific criteria may be based on the and other submissions described in Section 2 demonstration of competency in the above. Résumés should include the skills elements of conceptualization, design, gained from their experience developing the artwork, content creation, gameplay, or contest submission, the time they invested, and effective simulation, programming the professional and academic relevance to the effectiveness, user-interface design, contestant’s career ambitions. implementation, functionality and performance on the target platform. 9. The setup, configuration, and teardown Contest Guidelines of all contestant-provided equipment will 1. Contestants will show up at the contest be the team’s responsibility. orientation meeting with their full submission of written documents, including a résumé for each team Standards and Competencies member, and their completed GDD and digital videos, pre-tested and ready for The technical committee has identified the submission on a USB drive. Late following professional competencies addressed submissions will be docked 10% against in the contest: all applicable judging criteria, and no submissions will be accepted after the VG 1.0 — Solve a problem or create a conceptual design in a designated contest setup time. visual format 2. If an industry briefing or contest 1.1 Conceptualization, visual debriefing is offered, attendance is higly communications for artists and recommended but not required. storyboarding techniques 3. Later, at the designated setup time, each 1.1.1 Solve problems and/or develop team will assemble and test their stories creatively sample/prototype and workstations. 1.1.2 Define how a problem will be 4. Schedules will be disseminated with the solved or how a story will be time periods for interviews with the told judges. 1.1.2 Describe the concept visually 5. Outside their particular interview time, with enough depth to someone from the team should be on substantially and accurately hand to demonstrate to the public and to communicate the final output for watch over their equipment. team members and interested We recommend this responsibility be third parties shared among both team members. 6. The contest timeframe will depend on VG 2.0 — Create and manipulate 2D, 3D, and audio computer- the total number of entries in the contest,