CIS 3000: Introduction to Computer Game Design

2011 Winter GDIAC Showcase

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The games showcase this year will be held on December 10, 2011 from 2-5pm in the ACCEL Labs in Carpenter Hall. This is the Saturday between final exams. I am sorry that this falls on the Shabbat for those that observe this, but my hands are tied on this. As is Cornell policy, you are excused from the Showcase if you have religious reasons for not attending a class on Saturday. 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 Saturday, 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. As the showcase is open to groups in CIS 4002 as well, this registration will take place through e-mail, not CMS. Each group should send the following information to Walker White by Monday, December 5th:

  • 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).
  • How many speaker sets you would like.
  • Any other special requirements your team has.

If we do not receive this information by 11:59 pm Monday, December 5th, then we will assign you a number of computers as we see fit, you will get no speakers, and you will not have a tent card.

What to Bring to Showcase

For students in CIS 3000, 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 CD containing an Installer for your Game

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).

Important: The CD should not just contain an executable. We want you to create an installer for your game. You will need to do this for the GDIAC website, as not everyone who downloads your game will have XNA; an installer can add the game prerequisites along with the game. Fortunately, installers are easy to make; you can find instructions here for making an installer (Here is a more detailed blog post for XNA 3.0, though much of it carries over to 4.0).

Promotional Material for the GDIAC Website

We are making a concerted effort to improve the GDIAC website this year. To help us with this, we ask that you provide us with some additional files. You can put these files on the CD 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.

Two (colored) copies of your game manual

Please consider binding the manual nicely, and making it manual-sized. Even just a staple binding goes a long way. These are in addition to any you want available at Showcase for students to peruse.

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).
  • The poster should be oriented long-side horizontal.
  • 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.

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 1 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 2pm, 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, 3-6 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

The most important thing is to test your game in the lab early. If for some reason the lab is missing something your game needs, or the machines are incapable of running your game, there will not be time to do anything about it unless we know soon. Be sure to test your game on the slower machines in the lab, not just the fast ones. Every year, some group loads up their game in the labs, only to discover that it will not run.

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!