Wake Tech Unveils North Carolina's Premier Game Development Facility

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RALEIGH, N.C. (February 26, 2007) - High-resolution graphics! Realistic animation! Action-packed game play and simulations! Many of the country's top video games are designed in the Triangle, and now quality training for the designers of these high-powered games is here, too.

Wake Technical Community College today unveiled its new Simulation and Game Development lab - the most advanced digital game computer lab in the Carolinas.

"We are extremely proud to be the home of the state's most advanced game development facility," said Dr. Stephen Scott, president of Wake Tech. "We think it demonstrates our commitment to training a world-class workforce that can meet the growing needs of this high-tech industry. It also puts Wake Tech on the cutting edge of what may be the next quantum leap in education, as game technology continues to advance and so-called 'serious games' and educational simulations become the teaching tools of choice."

The computer lab is the centerpiece of Wake Tech's new Associate's Degree in Simulation and Game Development. The program began last fall when Wake Tech received an $858,000 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). "This is the only community college program of its type funded by NSF in the country," said Dr. Kai Wang, department head for Simulation and Game Development at Wake Tech.

Wake Tech's new facility features 25 top-of-the-line Alienware computers, representing the very highest state of the art. "Alienware is the most respected name in digital game systems," said Walter Rotenberry, facilitator for Simulation and Game Development. "Students are thrilled with the power and speed of these machines."

A sample of some of the students' work can be seen at http://www.dgxpo.com/movie/SGDMovie.mov.

Wake Tech is one of the few fully accredited institutions in the country to offer an Associate's Degree in Simulation and Game Development. The International Game Developer's Association (IDGA) and local industry leaders helped create the program's curriculum. It includes hands-on training in design, 3-D modeling, animation, simulation, and programming. The program serves as a model for secondary and post-secondary schools, as well as other educational institutions.

Eighty-four (84) students are currently enrolled. Graduates of the program will be in high demand. The Triangle area is home to more than 30 companies in the digital game industry - the highest concentration of such companies in the Southeast. These companies employ designers, artists, animators and technicians at competitive salaries. The first class graduates in July 2008.

This fall, Wake Tech's Simulation and Game Development program will also welcome high school students (ages 16 and up) from Wake County. These "dual-enrolled" students are tuition exempt and have the opportunity to earn college credit while completing their high school education.

About Wake Technical Community College:

Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech) is a two-year, public institution providing an open door to education and training for the citizens of Wake County and surrounding communities. Known as "College for the Real World," the college provides a comprehensive array of learning opportunities. Curriculum (for-credit) programs in more than 168 academic, vocational, and technical specialties offer two-year associate degrees in science, applied science, the arts, and general education; university transfer programs for entry into four-year institutions; and diploma and certificate programs that prepare workers to succeed at jobs in high demand in the community. Wake Tech also offers a broad scope of continuing education courses, including training for entrepreneurs and small business owners, public safety officer training (fire, rescue, and law enforcement), high school equivalency classes, and non-credit courses for personal and professional development. As the second largest community college in the state, Wake Tech provides customized workforce training for new and expanding industries and a cooperative education program that interfaces with the corporate community. For more information, please visit http://www.waketech.edu.

Wake Tech's Game Lab Fact Sheet

· Wake Tech's Simulation and Game Development lab features 25 Alienware computers. Alienware is the most well known brand in digital game systems. The systems are equipped with cutting edge 64bit dual core processors. They currently have 2Gig of RAM which will be upgraded to 4Gig in the future, two 250Gig Hard Drives, two gigabyte networking cards and the latest nVidia 8800 graphics card designed to excel with the next generation of simulation demands.

· In all, Wake Tech purchased 27 Alienware computers at a cost of $93,000. Wake Tech used state equipment funds to pay $40,500 towards the computers. The rest was covered by a three-year $858,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Wake Tech was awarded the grant in the summer of 2006 to establish its Associate's Degree in Simulation and Game Development program.

· More than 30 digital game companies are located in the Triangle area. That's the highest concentration of such companies in the Southeast. Many of those companies develop game engines. It's the highest concentration of game engine developers in the world.

· Video games are not just for kids. According to the Entertainment Software Association:

- The average game player is 33 years old and has been playing games for 12years.

- In 2005, 25 percent of Americans over the age of 50 played video games, an increase from nine percent in 1999.

- Thirty-eight percent of all game players are women. In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population(30%) than boys age 17 or younger (23%).

- In recent years, sales of video game hardware, software and gear have even outpaced Hollywood box office receipts.

· The same game engines used to develop video games are used to build educational simulations or so-called "serious games." Serious games have a huge potential to advance the education delivery system in the future. Simulations being developed will allow chemistry students to conduct virtual experiments, health care students to learn what medications to prescribe, and Army solders to learn first aid and other skills in a way that is both educational and engaging.

· Wake Tech is one of the few fully accredited institutions in the country that offer an Associate's Degree in Simulation and Game Development. First-year students are working on prototype games and simulations. Second-year students will develop commercial-quality products.