Are your kids into videogames, and do they want to learn more about making them? Then The Game Experience may be the perfect summer camp for them.
Over the last week, we’ve been exploring different aspects of this amazing summer video game development immersion program offered by our sponsor, Experience America. And, now that you’re familiar with the program itself, it seemed only fitting to wind our coverage down with a few words from those who truly know it best.
Reviews by Campers
This was the best camp I have ever been to, and probably the best I will ever go to. Everything about it was beyond my expectation, from high level instruction to new activities every day. The only downside to the camp is that I wish it would be longer because it was so awesome that the time flew by too quickly. I would recommend this camp to anyone who is looking for a camp experience of a lifetime.
As an aspiring game developer, I attended The Game Experience to learn about all the various aspects of game development. (This included design, programming, graphic design, sound design, 3D modeling, animating, and business/marketing.) This two-week program was so well-organized and brilliantly taught that I now have a grasp of each skill and am enabled to explore them all further on my own after the program. Firstly, Seattle is the powerhouse of the game industry and a beautiful city with much variety, making it a perfect location for this program. Regarding the classroom experience, the instructors were beyond competent. They were professionals in the gaming industry with much experience. They were able to teach all of us at our different skill levels and paces. But perhaps most notably, they were very passionate about their work and teaching, which made them all the more effective and inspirational as our instructors.
What really impressed me about this program was how engaging, fun, and appealing to our generation it was. There was such a great balance of education and exciting activities that I was never bored or eager to move on to something else each day. We explored the city of Seattle such as by Riding the Ducks and going on the world famous Savor Seattle tour through Pike Place (which was quite a tasty experience for our bottomless stomaches). We also did the widest variety of activities, such as in-door skydiving, laser tag, going to a baseball game, and attending tours of some of the most famous game studios like Pop Cap, Valve, and Big Fish, where we learned more about the game development environment firsthand . . . And that’s not to mention all the fun we did have with video games and our projects when we were at our dorms!
An unprecedented aspect of this summer program is that they provide their students with smartphones. We all received Nexus 5’s, the newest Google phone at the time. This allowed us to easily keep in touch with each other, giving us an incredible resource for communication as well as entertainment. I even used it for some Android game development. If someone were to ask me what it would take to make an educational yet fun summer program, I would refer them to The Game Experience, because their hosts figured it out. As a rising senior in high school, I feel more prepared and confident to pursue game development. I would recommend this experience to anyone. I am very grateful to have enjoyed the privilege of expanding my skills as a game developer so early on and to have had the most fun in years with many new friends.
Going to the Game Experience Camp through Experience America was, without a doubt, one of the best times of my life. We learned the key elements of game design, how game art is incorporated, and we got to tour a couple game companies based in or around Seattle. Not only did we learn about making games, we did many other fun activities. Indoor skydiving, Space Needle, arcades, movies, Pike Place Market, baseball game, and more. All were included in the program for no extra charge. We received smartphones with unlimited data and had all our meals paid for us. The 16 days I spent with Game Experience were amazing, and everyone should check out their website and look at the programs they offer. They’re great people and a great company.
If you’ve been reading this series up to this point, hopefully you’re curious about this program. Amusingly this week, one of our Twitter friends who happens to be in the gaming industry even recognized the staffers in the picture where kids visited PopCap games.
For more information including pricing data, downloadable brochures, and even more glowing recommendations from former attendees, visit the official web presence of Experience America’s The Game Experience.
