CIS 3000: Introduction to Computer Game Design

2009 GDIAC Showcase

[ List of Participants ]   [ Showcase Floorplan ]

The games showcase this year will be held on May 9, 2009 in Upson 361 from 2-6pm. This is the Saturday between final exams. 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 Tuesday, May 5th:

  • The official name of your project, as you would like it to appear on the tent card.
  • The names of all your team members, as you would like them to appear on the tent card.
  • How many computers you would like at the showcase (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 Tuesday, May 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 both CIS 3000 and CIS 4002, 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 the 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.
Two (colored) copies of your game manual
This is required for CIS 3000 students, and optional for CIS 4002 students. Consider binding the manual nicely, and making it manual-sized.
A display poster
Every group (both CIS 3000 and CIS4002) 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.
  • The poster should be double sided, and have identical content on each side.
  • The top of the poster should display the name of your project, in a font that is very large and readable from far away.
  • Somewhere on the poster your should list the team members that contributed to your project. You can do this however you like. Do not forget to include any people you "outsourced" to for music, art, etc.
  • The poster should be colorful. Include concept art, screenshots, maps, diagrams, fuzzy kittens, whatever. Do not use too much text; the text amount should be no more (and preferably much less than) a powerpoint presentation.
  • The poster should be interesting. Think "back-of-the-box". You should list features, and give a good sense of what the project is about and why it is exciting.
  • Your poster should include some bare-bones instructions as well - enough so that someone can start playing your game immediately.

Note to CIS 4002 students: There are no PowerPoint presentations this year. No one attends them, so they end up being a waste of time.

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 2 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 3pm, 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.

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!